Pigs are the fourth smartest animal, humans are sixth

That's the latest word from our resident second grader who is studying pigs in school this week. Given this new information about pigs being smarter than us, ('waaay smarter,' according to Stella,) I wonder if there's a little oinker somewhere studying her.

While Stella was bent over her lesson book getting her pig on, Zoey and I were riding to preschool. She insisted on riding despite the 20-mile-an-hour wind and the brisk temperature. (By the way, it's true that I'm a thermo-challenged Californian, but lest you think I'm too wimpy, we got some props at preschool for braving the cold.)

Anyway, our bike route took us right by the Montana State University football stadium, home of the Bobcats. Right now there are a bunch of pendant-style flags up to celebrate the start of the Bobcat's season. Everytime we pass by them, Zoey hollers that there must be some barrel racing happening. Barrel racing. As in, this business:

 

I can't believe that Zoey's cultural reference for pendant flags is a rodeo.Weird stuff.

Much against my childrens' wills, (I actually had to bribe them with the promise of 20 minutes of a movie,) we concluded our full day of school and work with a dinner picnic up the road at Sourdough Creek.

We did a little reading:

& some hydro plate throwing (an effort to clean the bowls):

Despite their original intentions, my small friends actually enjoyed themselves. And we made it back home in time for bath and a little movie.