a few neat-o iowa happenings

in rich's head, this outfit works

we've had a few non-swamp things going on in the triangle--sophie got her pokes out, gus tagged and released a monarch butterfly, and it snowed here on october 10th (very rude of the weather to do so). the monarch release was very cool--a woman here in town breeds the monarchs for tagging/releasing and has had some of her butterflies make it all the way to their winter place in mexico. i think next year sophie will be old enough to do it; this year i had visions of her screaming and swatting down the poor creatures in a king-kong-on-the-empire-state-building style.

work on the swamp is about to come to a grinding halt in a week or so when it gets and stays too cold to be out there. i know this is probably for the best, as i really should unpack. part three is still coming, as will part four in may, but for today let's look at life away from the swamp and bask in the knowledge that the hawkeyes are 5-0 and all is somewhat right, occasionally, in iowa city.

enjoy the pictures!

sweet sophie bunny on day six of her pokes...

...as doctor daddy prepares to take them out, on our kitchen table

she screamed like a banshee and thankfully the neighbors didn't call the cops...but sophie forgot her troubles in a giant bowl of chocolate ice cream (don't we all?)

la mariposa monarca (this is the female i tagged--the butterfly, you pervs)

gus tags his butterfly--a big healthy male

perfect placement

gus looks down in amazement as he realizes that he has drawn his own butterfly out of the 60 or so that had been tagged and placed in a holding pen before release

gus doesn't want to let go but feels certain his will make it to mexico (as did the breeder); the girl behind him is having major league second thoughts about releasing hers

what the hell?

it SNOWED. hell, i thought it was the rapture. fortunately, the kids love it...as they do everything about iowa (and yes i know it makes things easier). while it may have only left a dusting, the psychological damage was done...

...and then forgotten because gus lost a tooth the same day!

rich was feeling left out of the pictures...so here is rich. read the bottom caption to see why this "world's greatest dad" shirt is a big ol' lie. love you, honey.

since we had our first snow i made the traditional "first snow" cake--however i did forego the penguin cookies this year. i think that special edition iowa hawkeyes bud light can had something to do with it; i know it had everything to do with forgetting to tell the tooth fairy to come and visit gus...i think rich and i might be the worst parents ever.