Dance Marathon U of M and Molly - Super Therapy Dog in Training!

So this weekend, with 4H Fair week in mind, we decided to take Molly to the DMUM event in Ann Arbor with us.  You can learn more about this awesome non-profit program here.
Basically - its a giant party - 30 hours of it.  Mind you, we didn't stay 30 hours - but we were there about 6.
There's games and crafts - Noah and Maria were rocking out the Hula Hoop!

There's dancing.

Lots of dancing.

Noah LOVED learning the line dancing with all his new DM friends!  We're waiting for the compilation, we're going to learn the rest of it for our PE!!!

But one of the greatest things about the whole day was Molly.  This was her first forray into anything like this - and she did AWESOME.  DM was held in the Indoor Track and Field building - a massive open space.  There were hundreds of people everywhere.  There was a DJ with professional speaker system.  And there were crazy party disco lights.  There was clapping, cheering, yelling, laughing... basically complete Chaos.  And it didn't faze her in the least.

She probably made about 100 new friends.  There was just one lady she wasn't sure about... and frankly, I wasn't sure about her either.  She did FABULOUS with kids in wheelchairs.  I had to help her get a little closer, but she was engaging and sweet and calm - she got it.  There was an encounter with a baby about 16 months old - next to the dance floor.  Molly was in a sit/stay, and holding well.  The baby wanted to pet the top of her head, and she couldn't quite reach... and GET THIS - Molly laid down on the floor of her own accord, seeming to sense what the baby wanted to do - and she even ever so gently gave the baby's hand kisses.  It literally brought tears to my eyes.
Bonny Wainz of Alternative Canine Training is who we are working with to train Molly.  You can learn more about her program here. 
About 5 and a half hours into it, Molly started to get skittish, and snuggled up tight with Noah for the hour and a half drive home.  This outing was a HUGE success!


Noah is really looking forward to a picnic with his DMUM team, and can't wait for next year's activities to start!  What a weekend!!!

Spring is coming!

So it's time to get our seeds started. Noah loves planting the seeds, but was disappointed that we wont be able to see the "baby plants" for so long.
What else can we grow?

CRYSTALS!!!

So attempt 1 and 2 didn't work.









Realized that since our well water is softened with SALT we should probably use bottled water.
Attempt 3 is going MUCH better.

You can see how much it grew overnight!
We learned it's really important to read directions, and follow directions!

And this is what it looks like now, after 2 weeks in the little plastic cup - just growing away!
(Will have to add a photo later, can't find the card its on!)

In honor of Dr. Seuss

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
by the incomparable Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!