Well.  We started out by driving to Carlsbad Caverns last
Saturday, stopping briefly in Pecos, TX so Don could see where the
infamous Judge Roy Bean held court:

Got rather a kick out of the sentiment on a tombstone there:

"He never killed a man that did not need killing."  Fairer than that you can't say, I suppose.   
Then we drove on to Carlsbad, and stayed in what has to be the most
singularly uncomfortable motel extant, the Ocotillo (sp?) Inn. 
Don found it at Expedia, where it was still listed as a Quality Inn,
only it turns out it was sold last June.  Even Dmitry didn't sleep
well, and both Don and I were literally in pain the next morning, the
mattress was so awful.  Stay away from this place.

Anyway, Sunday morning we headed to the caverns, which Dmitry was at first suspicious about, but quickly became enthusiastic.

He wasn't quite as enthusiastic when he learned precisely what "guano" is:

I lent him a small flashlight, which added a whole new dimension of enjoyment to his tour of the caverns:

I took dozens of photos in the caverns, most of which looked fine on
the LCD screen but fuzzy on the computer screen.  Bummer. 

Then we drove to Ruidoso, where it's been beautifully cool.  What a delight!

The Rio Ruidoso (which they call a river, but is actually more akin to a creek) was running well, due to the afternoon storms.

On Monday we went to Lincoln County, where Dmitry learned about Billy
the Kid.  In the evening Mom and Dad hosted a brisket dinner for
us, the "us" including Louis and his wife, Mary, plus Elaine and her
husband and daughters.  Meredith and I began a new game which she
dubbed "Picture time!", and involved my trying to snap her photo and
her doing a Charles (who missed the trip, preferring to go to the
annual QuakeCon in Grapevine instead):

Ha!  Got 'em both that time.  ;^)

[impressively] Prepare to be Amazed!

A couple of weeks ago Hannah started sitting up by herself, right?

Well, at the ripe old age of five months she is now pulling herself up in her crib! 

Looks prodigiously pleased with herself, doesn't she? 

Speaking of granddaughters, both Bethie and Brianna started kindergarten this week.   

By jingo, we made it home.  And we made it to Dmitry's open house,
though that was a trifle embarrassing, as it turns out we got there as
it was over.....turns out it was scheduled from 6 - 7 p.m., while I had
it noted down as beginning at 7 p.m. However, his teacher was still
there and willing to talk to us, so Dmitry and Don considered this
mistake of mine to be fortuitous (they didn't have to interact with a
passel of strangers - like father, like son!).

We had a spiffy time.  Went to Carlsbad Caverns on Sunday, which
Dmitry loved. On Monday we went to Lincoln, where Billy the Kid escaped
from the courthouse after killing a deputy.  Went back to White
Sands on Tuesday:

I just love White Sands!  If you've never been, be sure to go if you get the opportunity.

Driving back from it, we saw the Stealth fighter zooming along:

Don and I decided to head up to Cloudcroft, hoping to visit the Solar
Observatory supposed to be in that vicinity.  Dmitry had been in a
merry mood until this point, but hoo boy.....for some reason this
displeased him tremendously.  For whatever reason, the litany of
complaints and grumblings from the back seat had to be heard to be
believed.....it was a regular Jeremiad.  "We're doomed," he'd
groan.  "We're going to die," he'd moan next.  (There were
thunderstorms in the area.) He'd opine as to exactly how many hours it
would take us to get back to Ruidoso (his favorite estimate was ten),
occasionally demanding to be "let out."

Once we were back in the van, leaving the observatory (which was rather a let down, BTW), he perked up rapidly. 

He begged to be permitted to simply stay in the cabin until time to go
home, resolutely refusing to attend the Flying J Ranch Chuckwagon
Supper and Show on Wedensday night, to which I'd already purchased
tickets via the internet.  "Can't you just sell
mine?" he plaintively asked. Far's we could tell, it was the promise of
"crowds" that caused his reluctance to attend, but it all worked
out....we simply called and reserved another ticket and Elaine and Hal
and their girls went with us (well, in separate cars).  Darling
Marebear took her very first horseback ride!

Wasn't she a precious li'l buckaroo? 

The show was dandy, BTW.  Elaine and her family went on back to
the cabin, as it'd be too late for the girls, but Don and I stayed and
enjoyed the show tremendously.

On our way home today we went through Tatum, NM, which boasts a
well-known metalworking establishment, which can be readily discerned
by the remarkable street signs:

There are more photos and tales, but the relevant pictures are on Don's
computer, and I've yet to access them.  More treats to come! 

Aren't cell phone cameras cool?  Here's a photo of the main drag in Ruidoso, as Don and I did the shopping thing this morning:

It's rather hard to see here, but the mountains are visible in the background.  For lunch we went to the Lincoln County Grill where Don had the messiest burger I've ever seen, bar none:

He gave up and ate it with a fork and knife.

He's growling....gotta go. 

Hello from Sacred Grounds Coffee in Ruidoso, courtesy of their wifi access and Don's laptop!  ;^)

It's been blessedly cool here, with occassional rain, which is great.  We went to Lincoln County to see the Billy the Kid site yesterday, and today we're off to White Sands, Cloudcroft, and we hope to locate the Sunspot solar observatory.

Later!

We're getting ready to head to Ruidoso, and while making notes of what
to be sure to take, I am struck at how many chargers must be packed:
PDA, cell phones, digital camera, portable DVD, Gameboy.

Perish the thought the technology be left behind! 

I am so excited!  Guess who's coming to Texas for the Bright Futures camp later this month?

Vika, our translator on our adoption trip, and Natasha, our translator on our meet-Dmitry trip! 

Vika last saw Dmitry a year ago, but it's been over two years for Natasha.....she won't recognize him at all. 

You won't believe it . . . . 

On the way to pick up Dan and his brothers today, Dmitry casually mentioned he'd like to begin to study Chinese. 

He still doesn't have writing English down pat but he wants to learn Chinese? 

I gravely acknowledged that if English isn't enough of a challenge for
him, Chinese definitely will be, seeing as how it doesn't have an
alphabet as English and Russian do. He cautiously asked what it does have then, and I tried to explain the dynamics of a character-based language.  One that is read backwards, to boot.

He paused for thought, then said, "Well, maybe Dutch?"

Turns out he's convinced that learning a foreign language - English
apparently doesn't qualify any longer to his mind, fluent little cuss
that he is - will make him "smarter." 

You've doubtless heard the old saying, "Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it".

Yeah, well . . .

There's a lot of truth to that particular old saying. For ages now I've
been lamenting and moaning and groaning and griping about Dmitry's
steadfast refusal to learn to fend for himself in the kitchen. Many
things have been tried, all to no avail.

Until now.  Bought Ball Park individually wrapped hot dogs, and
showed him how to take two and stick 'em in the microwave for 40
seconds.

This he could do, and thought the hot dogs were right tasty, to boot.

He's eaten all eight this afternoon. 

Kirstin just called with news of huge importance....

BRYSON WALKED!!!  

How about him?  Not quite eleven months old yet. 

He's decided to be a toddler all at once, according to Kirstin, as last
Thursday - without any warning at all - he weaned himself.  Nursed
as usual in the late afternoon and never again.  Now he demands
hot dogs, chicken nuggets, zucchini bread, and yesterday he had his
first McDonalds cheeseburger.

"My baby!" she wailed.

And on the Tennessee front, Hannah is now sitting up all by herself:

Hannah sitting at 4 1/2 months, Bryson walking, Charles heading off to college.....

They're growing up too fast....they're all growing up too darn fast.