Mountain cabin

Our good friends Nate and Wendie are in town for the weekend from Las Vegas, and they invited us up to Nate's family's cabin for the day yesterday. It was a glorious day! The cabin is at 8500 feet in the mountains west of Fort Collins, near the Mummy Range. The cabin is pretty remote and quiet, and backs to a national forest. We had such a fun time!

We went on a couple of hikes, this pond being one of our destinations:



We spent some time just hanging out in the cabin. Connor was introduced to Lincoln Logs, and Brian rediscovered his love for them ;) Here's Nate and my boys playing:

Lucas's favorite part of the day - hands down - was Big Mouth Billy Bass. Do you remember this annoying singing/dancing fish? Oh my goodness, he could not get enough of it. He'd push the button, get his groove on and dance himself silly, get mad when the song ended, and do the whole thing all over again. We finally had to confiscate it during a rare distraction and hide it. He totally loves things that play music, especially fish I guess!
The cabin:
The mountain meadow in front of the cabin (mountain meadows happen to be one of my very favorite things. I actually considered using Ainsley for Isabel's middle name, which is Scottish for "my meadow.")


Isabel in the meadow:

View from the front of the cabin:

A view on the drive up to the cabin:

We also went 3-wheeling:



What a fun day! We love being in the mountains, and are grateful to Nate and Wendie for sharing their little piece of the mountain with us! It was so fun to see you guys!

Baking help

Tiffany, are you out there??? I am seeking your trained pastry chef expertise, or anyone else who can help me. Recently I posted about my pathetic cookie-baking ability. Sometimes, though, bar desserts are equally disastrous...

Tonight I made a new recipe for butterscotch brownies. Easy recipe, just melt butter, add brown sugar, egg, vanilla, milk, flour, salt, baking powder, stir to moisten, spread in pan. Easy peasy, right? Wrong. They turned out like other bar desserts have turned out for me - very weird consistency. Flat and dense, not a smooth surface (very pock-marked looking):
They taste good, but look weird. Do you think it could be an altitude thing? Should I try more baking powder?

Thanks for any help you can provide! I feel sadness about never being able to make my mom's chocolate chip bars, because they are a great dessert, but they turn out the same way.

Five for Friday

What I'm thinkin' 'bout today...

Is it OK for my son to wear my pink flip flops???
Lustrous. Youthful. Poetic. This is how Bath and Body Works describes my favorite new fragrance - Rainkissed Leaves. Not sure I feel lustrous youthful and poetic, but I sure love the scent! It is really light, clean and fresh.
Brian and I went to the Parade of Homes this week (thanks to our good friend Trent for comp tickets, who served as a judge for this year's parade; and to my mom-in-law for taking the kiddos). We agreed on our top home from the parade, La Belle Maison. Most of the homes (there were 8 this year) had things we loved (except for one house that I couldn't find anything redeeming about; it just felt cold and unwelcoming to me; I tend toward warmer, cozier homes).

It's fun to get ideas from the homes. One thing I noticed was that every kitchen had a bowl of fake lemons. Might have to get me some of them! Several also had fake artichoke heads, which were also darling!

It does make me wonder as I wander through 7, 8 and 9,000 square foot homes if I would ever really want a home that big (not that it would happen!). Would you??? They are dreamy, though!

We're getting closer to finalizing our Halloween costumes. I tried and tried to convince Connor to be an entomologist, but he is standing firm in wanting to be a firefighter. I found a homemade costume idea that looks cute that I think I can replicate. Lucas will be a cowboy, a costume from when Connor was that age. Isabel might just be a witch again - last year's costume was SO cute, and would probably fit her better this year. She also wants to be a paramedic or a butterfly catcher(???). Stay tuned!

Maybe it's what we get for backing to a field, but we've been doing some critter control as of late. Brian just destroyed 1 yellow jacket nest on our house and there is another one that needs to be destroyed. Then there's the bunny who had dug a hole under our fence and is eating our grass and leaving lovely little surprises all over the yard. And don't even get me started on the mice that have taken over the garage and (Brian thinks) the basement. Gross! We've got traps set, hope they catch the stinkin' things. And just this morning we watched a black widow spider devour a yellowjacket - seriously creepy! I'd never seen a real live black widow before. It was in our window well just outside a basement window. Talk about giving me the creeps!

Happy Friday!

The face of a female

There are two special features about this face today:

1. The lipstick. She's been really into putting on makeup. She wants to do it every morning, but I have to limit this for obvious reasons. When she does get to put some on, she stares into the mirror for about 5 minutes, smiling, then announces one of three things: a. "I look beautiful!" b. "I look wonderful!" or c. "I look gorgeous!" She then says she has to run and show the boys (daddy and her brothers) who generally couldn't care less, although daddy usually indulges her.
2. Look closely between her two eyes. See the nasty bruise? She was wearing these:
as she often does, and kicked one off and it landed smack between her eyes! It was straight out of a movie or something. I would have laughed really hard it she hadn't been in such obvious pain. I told her it's not the last time she'll be injured by a pair of heels!

Five for Friday

1. Kindergarten update: School is going well! After the first day his teacher told me Connor is a "sweet boy" and did great for the first half of the day. But halfway through the day he announced he was done and ready to go home. Clearly he is not used to being in school for a full day! He'll get used to it. He reports his favorite part of school thus far is riding the bus. I was a nervous wreck about it, but it has gone well! He also has enjoyed reading time at school, recess, and eating lunch there.
2. I had to copy it. I loved Just A Girl's pear sconce so much that I headed to my local flea market (a first for me) and found my own pair of sconces for next to nothing:
I spray painted them black, got some faux pears, tied ribbon on the stems, and hung them on either side of this artwork in my kitchen. Love!
3. Family trees. How cute are these?

My sister Lara found them on a blog and now she and I are both making our own. I'll post when mine is finished. I'm aiming for a more simple one like the green background one.

4. Olympics. Are you watching??? I am sad that gymnastics is over, but relieved that I won't have more bleary-eyed mornings from staying up late to watch them. Seriously, I was sometimes napping at 10 p.m. for a bit so I could be up until 11:30 or midnight to see results. I like both Nastia and Shawn, and am glad they both ended up with a gold apiece. My kids have been "swimming," flipping, jumping, somersaulting, "diving" and running around the house to simulate the events. Isabel calls them the "o-lipsticks" - every time they start she comes running, yelling "mom, look! The o-lipsticks are on again!"

5. Twilight and book club retreat. OK, so I read it. I finished Twilight this week and am in the middle of New Moon. It's this month's book club pick. My thought: It was good, not great. I enjoyed it for the most part, but was not consumed by it as some of you have been. Frankly, Bella gets on my nerves. But the story was interesting, even if it is about vampires. And I liked that I've been to Forks (spent a night there in the Dew Drop Inn; didn't see any rain, but we woke up to the coolest, somewhat creepiest fog ever). I am actually enjoying the second book, I'll post final thoughts once I've finished the series.

Speaking of book club, the girls and I are headed on a "retreat" late next month to Estes Park that I am SO excited for! Shopping, eating, relaxing, and a break from kids - can't beat that! Brian has never been alone overnight with the three kids (or even with two kids!)

Have a great weekend!

A letter to my son on his first day of kindergarten

August 19, 2008

Dear Connor,

The afternoon monsoons came heavy that summer. As the skies darkened and the rains fell, I was content to wrap you, the newness of you, in a blanket and dance together around your room. “Annie’s Song” by John Denver was a constant, and it was fitting. You really did fill up my senses. I loved the sight of you. I studied you, filled with questions: who were you? What would your personality be like? What would you become? Your newborn scent filled every ounce of me with love, an almost physical reaction. I was always on alert for your tiny cries. And holding you was unlike anything I had imagined or experienced. You were mine.
Those early days turned into weeks, which turned into months, which turned into years. You grew, learned, developed, achieved milestones. Birthdays, special occasions, holidays, every days came and went. “Time goes so fast” – it’s such a mother’s cliché. But clichés are true – they are created from years of experience.
And now I find us on your first day of kindergarten. As I’ve done many times before – “I can’t believe he’s walking! I can’t believe he’s 3! I can’t believe he’s starting Primary, or preschool!” – I am wondering how we got here so quickly. You were just cutting new teeth, and soon you’ll be losing them! This is a new stage, a new chapter. Grandma always says her favorite years were the elementary school years.
Your teacher gave me a story titled, “Thoughts at the Bottom of the Beanstalk,” a story about a little boy named Jack who was about to climb his very first beanstalk. The end of the story reads:
“She wondered how Jack would do. Would he miss her? How would he behave? Did his giant understand that little boys sometimes acted silly when they felt unsure? She fought down an urge to spring up the stalk after Jack and maybe duck behind a beam to take a peek at how he was doing.
‘I’d better not. What if he saw me?’ She knew Jack was really old enough to handle this on his own. She reminded herself that, after all this was thought to be an excellent beanstalk and that everyone said his giant was not only kind but had outstanding qualifications.
‘It’s not so much that I’m worried about him,’ she thought, rubbing the back of her neck. ‘It’s just that he’s growing up and I’m going to miss him.’
Jack’s mother turned to leave. ‘Jack’s going to have lots of bigger beanstalks to climb in his life,’ she told herself.
‘Today’s the day he starts practicing for them… and today’s the day I start practicing something too: cheering him on and waving goodbye.’”
And so today, Connor, I cheer you on and wave you goodbye. And I have come to realize that you are not mine in the sense I used to think. You are mine … to teach, to love, to encourage, to discipline, and to share with others.
Some of my early questions have been answered: you are smart, silly, insatiably curious, fascinated with how things work, tenderhearted, active and loving. I anticipate what else I will learn about you in the coming years – and thus, about myself. I already know that when you celebrate a success, I will celebrate it a thousand times more; when your heart is broken, mine will break a million times more.
Connor, this is an exciting time for you. So my tears this morning were not so much tears of sadness, although I will miss you when you are gone, but tears of joy, anticipation, excitement, and pride. Daddy and I are incredibly proud of you, and love you more than you could ever know. We know you are a good boy with incredible talents and unique skills. Always remember who you are. Always try to make good choices. And have lots and lots of fun, too!
At the end of the day, I will always be here, waiting for you, anxious to hear all the new and exciting things that the day has brought you.

With love,
Your Mother

Hugs and Kisses

Yesterday we got ready for school by doing a couple of fun projects. First, we read The Kissing Hand, a great story about a little raccoon who is afraid to go to school. His mom kisses his palm, and tells him that he can put his palm to his cheek anytime and it will make him feel warm and loved.

Then we made kissing hands (thanks to my fun and clever friend Monique for the idea!)

Then we made a fun and yummy treat called pretzel hugs, which is basically Hershey's hugs melted on top of waffle-shaped pretzels, with two M&Ms on top (recipe from Becky Higgins blog)


So, we made hugs and kisses to send Connor to school with!

Have you heardle 'bout the wordle?

My dear friend Elizabeth introduced me to this fantastic blog that I'm now in love with, Just A Girl.

Just A Girl has really thrifty, adorable, fantabulous decorating ideas. For example, she bought this sconce at a thrift store for 99 cents. She spray painted it black (it was hideous before) and put this super cute ribbon-adorned pear on it. I am seriously coveting it.
Anywho... Just A Girl introduced me to Wordle. Wordle is a site where you can go and create a "word cloud" of a bunch of words that you type in. You can customize the font, layout and colors and then simply print it on your computer at home ... all for FREE!

I just finished doing a wordle for Isabel's room comprised of a bunch of words that describe her. I bought a basic white frame and a plain white mat, which I covered with scrapbook paper. I hung the whole thing with a blue ribbon. So cute! It's hard to get a good photo without the glare from the glass, and the colors look a bit more subdued, but you get the idea. I never claimed to be a talented photographer :)

A closeup of the words:

I want to make one for my boys' room and the kids' bathroom too, but my blasted printer isn't printing blue for some reason, grrrr.

Go make a wordle! It's super fun!

School shopping

Back-to-school supplies: $55


After-back-to-school-shopping mother/son dinner date with my favorite 5-year-old: $17


Experiencing a thousand emotions as I prepare to send my first child to kindergarten: priceless.

7 year anniversary - recap and hike

Today is our 7-year wedding anniversary! We've had a great celebration weekend. On Saturday we got a sitter and headed to Boulder. We walked the always-entertaining Pearl Street Mall (an outdoor area with lots of shops, restaurants, and crazy, only-in-Boulder street performers). We ended up having dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. I hadn't been there in a while, and opted for the fish tacos, which were divinely delicious. Fish tacos are one of my favorite foods, and they did not disappoint! After dinner we walked around, shopped, and got an ice cream. After the sun set, we drove up a road outside of Boulder (past Chataqua for those who are Boulder-savvy) and parked at an overlook (no, not that kind of parked), and then sat on a bench overlooking all of Boulder Valley. It was so beautiful, peaceful and quiet. And don't you think it's a gift in and of itself anytime you come home to a quiet home full of sleeping children?

Then this morning we took the kiddos on a family hike outside of Lyons, another fave location. We are a hiking family, and the kids are terrific hikers. Connor is a seasoned hiker and always does great, but I was a slight bit worried about Isabel, as Lucas has now taken over the backpack. She really did great. I carried her a couple of times (or as she says, "I wanna carry you!" - I wish she could sometimes), but otherwise she did great. The area we hiked has tons of signs posted about mountain lions and rattlesnakes, and I get a bit paranoid. Clearly Isabel caught on, because everytime she heard a noise she'd say, "Shhh! Everyone be quiet. Do you hear a rattle?" We ended up with a fun, snake-free adventure.

A brief look back to the beginning. An engagement photo:


And our wedding day:

Pictures from the hike. I love how Lucas is just hangin' in the backpack before we got going.

My favorite people in the whole world:
Pardon my sans-makeup-and-fixed-hair trail look:
The troopers:
Connor my handsome outdoor boy:
We rewarded the kids with a little cool-off in the river:

What a fun couple of days!

Thanks, Brian, for 7 years of ups, downs, laughter, tears, triumphs, failures, adventures, challenges, children, friendship and memories. I love you.

Kid updates

A few fun kid updates:

Lucas is 14 months today, and has finally and officially decided that walking is his primary mode of transportation. He has been taking steps here and there for well over a month, but just the past day or two has started walking everywhere. And oh, my goodness, I had somewhat forgotten how incredibly cute that stage is. Those legs are so unsure, but he is determined to walk everywhere. So it goes something like: step step step wobble step step fall. Over and over and over. I could just eat him up it is so cute, and he is SO proud of himself. I love this age.

His personality is really coming out now, too. He is a super fun little boy, incredibly determined, extremely engaged, insistent upon learning all he can. He always wants to keep up with Connor and Isabel, and now that he's walking, it will be that much easier. He still loves dancing and music. He will sit for long periods of time if he's being read to. Loves books. He's also getting really good at using a spoon, and also really likes coloring. He gets really exited when the crayons come out. He talks A LOT, but none of it makes a bit of sense. He'll get really close to my face and get a really serious look and then just spew forth about 5 minutes of baby garble. I'd love to know what he really is trying to say!

He also has a bit of a temper. He is a feisty one! You always know exactly what he's thinking, what he wants, and whether he's happy or angry. There's very little in-between with him. He definitely has a very strong personality; it's a good thing he's so stinkin' cute.
Isabel is pushing 3 - two months from tomorrow in fact - and is going to start dance class next month! I practically have to hold myself back I am so excited. We've been on a long waiting list at our rec center, which is super close to our house and has a great dance program. It wasn't looking like we were going to get in, so I had started shopping around, but nothing was as close to home and for as good a price. Then I got a call on Thursday that they made some changes and added a class, and she got in! Then I was dancing for joy. She will be in the 3 and 4 year olds class, and will learn ballet, tap and some fun music/singing as well. Her teacher is Miss Belinda, whom I adore already, just having talked to her on the phone. Now we get to shop for a leotard and tights, ballet and tap shoes. The first performance will be in December. Yay!

Connor has had some super fun things all happening around getting situated for kindergarten!!! We found out his teacher and class on Friday. He'll be in Mrs. Prough's class, and there are 2 other boys from his Primary class in his kindergarten class, including his friend Kyle from up the street. We are thrilled! He will be going all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and on Friday afternoons. I'd rather we had full-day kindergarten, but since we don't, I'm happy with the 2 1/2 days a week schedule. I'm totally over the half-day everyday, as we've done that the past two years for preschool.

We have back to school day on Friday, where we go and meet his teacher and see his classroom. In the meantime, we have a long list of school supplies to buy. How in the world do I have a kindergartner already??? It's just crazy, but exciting at the same time. I think the school years will be super fun.

I hope - and believe - that Connor will love kindergarten. He's such a good, sweet, inquisitive boy, and while he can be a somewhat stinkerish 5-year-old boy, he has always been so well-behaved for others, and his preschool teachers adored him. He is ready for this huge step (but am I???).

Not so 'fair' weather

Geez. You go to the Fair expecting funnel cakes, not funnel clouds...

It all started off nicely enough. We decided to spend the evening at the Boulder County Fair. We rode some rides: (Lara, I couldn't help but laugh thinking about the last time Connor was on a helicopter fair ride! Much different this time, wouldn't you say?)



Daddy played a game and won them each a little prize:

And then this happened:

A huge storm blew in and it looked pretty ominous. At first it was just really dark and windy, which turned the sandy fairgrounds into a veritable sandstorm, hence Connor's look on this last ride. It was getting nasty.


Then a torrential downpour started (I know I've been wanting one, but from the comfort of my living room, thank you very much). So we headed indoors to see all the animals:

That was all fine and dandy, until the tornado sirens started going off and they were herding (no pun intended) people into the main exhibit hall. Now it was really dark and all the sand was turning to muddy rivers, and Brian decided we should head for the van at this time. My trained weather spotter eyes didn't see any imminent funnels/tornadic activity, so I reluctantly agreed to make a run for it. We arrived at the van muddy, drenched and cold, but made it home without further incident. Turns out there were several funnels clouds and a tornado right around here and also lots of flash flood warnings.

It ended up being a crazy adventure, but we had a great time anyway. As long as everything turns out OK, I don't mind me a little adventure now and then.