Her Blog

My favorite favorite favorite blog is Kelle Hampton's enjoyingthesmallthings.com  Love love love this lady.  I was so happy to see today - she wrote a book!  I can't wait to read it. . . although it doesn't come out until April.  It's going to be a good one!

The Beginning of the End

Today is the beginning of the end of summer.  Our last full week together.  Hard to complain about it, since it's truly been the best summer of my life.  I don't know if that makes it harder or easier knowing how much fun in the sun we've had together.  I have a lot of home projects to catch up on and a few lunches with friends that I've managed to squeeze in this week.  Trying to keep it fairly low key so we don't start next week exhausted and disheveled. 

Last year, having been my best year teaching ever, made the last day of school so bittersweet.  I've never had so many kids cry - even the day before the last day.  I've never had so many students write me letters over the summer.  I'm really looking forward to seeing their sweet little faces in a couple weeks.

For my new class, I'm in denial.  I poured my heart into those kids last year. So many needed so much extra attention and love but it really paid off.  Now I have to start all over, learning the emotional and academic needs of each.  That first month is so exhausting I'm not looking forward to it.  However, I am looking forward to Oct. when I know what I need to know and then I can begin making those bonds teaching them what they need to know.

I've spent the last nine weeks pouring my heart into my very own little ones that its - again - bittersweet - to 'leave' them.

The other day we were in the car talking about all the different things we've done this summer.  They couldn't think of a thing they'd like to do that we hadn't already done.  I began explaining there's one week left of summer and I go back to work and Victoria immediately looked like she was going to cry.  Then I explained when I go back (except for workshop week) she'll begin kindergarten.  I was returned with a huge smile and loud YAYs!! 

I'm so excited for her to begin her school career.

She had her kindegarten assessment last Thursday morning.  She asked me to use extra conditioner on her hair the night before so Mr. Cardenas can smell her 'nice clean hair.'  She assured me she'd 'get all the points' on the test.  I told her I didn't even know if there were points for this assessment.  But if there were, "I will get them all, ok Mom?"  She was serious about impressing this teacher.

For the record, she missed 6 points.  She got 100% in math and missed 6 in reading for a total of 95/101.  There were apparently 28 lower case letters she had to identify.  She missed one.  I'm assuming it was a weird 'a' such as the one you see here in print or something like that.  When I casually asked her hours later which letter she missed she assured me, "What?!  I knew all the letters."  When I explained what the sheet said she missed one, she confidently replied, "Oh well, Mr. Cardenas must have made a mistake."  Interesting response from the five year old who has yet to begin school.

Christian attended 4 days of half day preschool like a little champ last week.  I am so happy they offered this transition for him and so lucky they let Victoria attend too.

On the last day I arrived a couple minutes early and was walking back in the school with the class and four teachers. One teacher said, "We were talking about what your #2 would be like after getting to know Victoria so well.  We expected him to be more shy and not so talkative.  So we were shocked to see he's just as smart and talkative as her." "Really?!" I respsonded.  "Oh yeah, he can speak so well and follows directions so nicely.  I'm amazed you have TWO of them."  I just smiled thinking, well, he either fooled them or me in more ways than one!

For more than a week, now though, I keep mentioning, here or there, how good he's been.  He hasn't had a single time out in 10 days (knock on wood) which doesn't mean he's been a total angel but it does mean he's been pretty darn good.  Maybe that structure is just what he needed and maybe he maturing and his impulsivity is going by the wayside. 

Even though next week at this time I'll be dressing for work and probably teary eyed about bringing them to daycare, I am so excited to see what this fall and school year has to bring for us.  They are growing up right before our eyes and I am loving every minute of it.

8 Years Ago

Eight years ago it was August 15, 2003.  I taught summer school that morning and continued getting my room ready.  Mark called and asked if I felt like going for a walk when he got off work.  Sure, I said, although I didn't really want to since it was about 100 degrees out.  But we did at Minnehaha Falls. 

Soon after our arrival my life changed - He asked me to marry him.  Eight years later I still get teary-eyed thinking about that day.

So much has happened and changed since then. 

Today our little boy went to preschool for the first time ever.  No tears. Pure joy. 

Thank goodness 8 years ago Mark made the excellent decision in asking me to be his wife;-)

Colorado Road Trip 2011

Wow, what a trip.  Our road trip to Colorado lasted one week.  It was an amazing family bonding experience.  I guess you bond with anybody you share a vehicle with for 14+ hours in a day though, don't you. 

We took nearly 800 pics.  I narrowed it down to a few (ok, almost 20) for the blog.  If you want to see more I can show you the digital album or the iMovie.  But for now, you'll have to settle for this snapshot of our wonderful family vacation.

We stopped after 7 hrs in Omaha, NE.  We had a fun three hours at the indoor waterpark.  The kids were exhausted and ready for bed.  Mark and I camped in the hallway for about half an hour with the monitor until they were fast asleep.  Then we went back in and turned on the lights and tv and enjoyed a couple relaxing hours before bed.  The kids slept peacefully and we were back in the car at 7am to finish the ride.  We stopped a couple times on the 11 hour journey to Breckenridge. 

Everyone needs to wake up to this amazing view once in their lifetime.

When people ask what I loved about the trip I say Breckenridge.

It was just us, Ted, Hollis, Walker and Nash.

It was low key and so fun!!!

They kids loved each other right away.

Even though we don't see each other often, when we do it's so easy.

Like best friends. Like family.

So easy, so fun, so warm and touching.

I love those people!

The resort was totally amazing.

Gorgeous.

Next time we're invited (crossing my fingers:-)

we're going back without kids.

So relaxing.

We took a gondola a mile across the mountain into town, had a great pizza lunch, lounged in the many hot tubs, splashed in the pool, played with the kids, rode my first ever - alpine slide, and many other memories.  Fun filled time!

Then it was off to Golden to stay at Aunt Joan's.

It wouldn't be a trip to CO without lunch at Casa Bonitas!

My favorite hot spot.

I tease Mark's family going on and on about how much I love Casa Bonita.

They say, "We'll do whatever you want while you're in town except - go to Casa Bonita!"

Well, they're missing out.

We spent nearly four hours there.  Too fun!  Had (a gross) lunch, watch cliff divers,explored every nook and crany, played at the arcade, won some small trickets, Christian got 'lost' (I could see him but he couldn't see him and he enjoys telling everyone who will listen how mommy got excited and lost me), we wild gorilla got loose, Christian was trampled trying to get a tootsie roll at the pinata, and we got our traditional old fashion photo taken.

Classic. Three year old it holding a gun and the whole family is smiling.

I love it!

We spent a couple nights at Unos hanging out with Ted and Hollis.

Their food is awesome.

My vote is for the Stuffed Baked.

Absolutely delicious!  I wish we had an Unos here right now and I'd be there for dinner! 

We hit the jackpot going to Colorado Springs.

At the base of Pike's Peak is a small city called North Pole.

A Christmas theme park. So cool!

All you can ride, little shops, restaurants and Santa!

The kids went and sat on Santa's lap and he told them there was 142 days until Christmas and they should continue being good.  What fun in August!

No money is exchanged in the park.

Each person had an exit card that they just write whatever they bought on it and you pay for everything at the end.  This place is magical.

I hope the kids remember it with such fond memories like Mark remembers it from his childhood.

We had an amazing time - can you tell from that smile?

I took Christian on a really fast and high ride.

My head was spinning for a couple minutes after and he kept asking to do it again.

He's our little dare devil!

After 5 hours at the park we got back in the car and headed up to the summit of Pike's Peak.

The kids slept the whole way.

Wow, what a drive.  It's so scary I would have preferred just to turn around.  Constant hairpin turns driving right on the edge of the mountain side.  It dropped 50 degrees when we got up there.  We woke the kids and they were cranky.  After just an hour of sleep and it was cold we wrapped them in their blankies and walked around a bit.

The altitude got the best of me.

I was so light headed I looked at the ground wondering what I would hit if I passed out.

At that point I decided carrying Victoria around wasn't the best idea.

It snowed on our way down.

We opened the windows and tiny little flakes came in.

Christian wanted to jump out and play in the snow.

A very short trip to Garden of the Gods.

Red Rocks.

I could take pictures there all day long.

America's Next Top Model?!

He wanted in on the attention of posing too!

There he is!  My most favorite Godson in the whole wide world!

Isn't he simply adorable!?

He is so cute, so sweet and so darn cuddly.

After a couple days I was able to get a couple good cuddles and some kisses in.

He is a very cool kid who I wish I saw so much more than I do.

Hopefully he'll remember us from this trip until next time we go.

Love my little Walker!

They invited us to Unos for lunch on Saturday.

The kids not only got dough to play with, then they made their own pizzas, then they got a tour of the kitchen.

They LOVED it (so did I!).  Very cool.

Then the pizzas came out, everyone at quietly and nicely and I enjoyed my second Stuffed Baked for the week.  Seriously, so good!

Hollis introduced me to the world of Shellac and I'm obsessed.

The most perfect manicure of my life. The kids napped in the car while I did that then we all went for a hike in the Enchanted Forest.

I could feel the memories being made as I stood back watching Mark lead the way and talking and teaching them all about the forest.  He has many many fond memories of exploring the same woods for many many hours with Ted.  It was beautiful in so many ways.  I just stood back and took pictures and let Daddy take over.  Next time, we're going for a hike every single day we're there.

Mark did find bear prints and poop.  It was a little too close for comfort for me but the kids loved it.  The excitement that a bear could pop out all of a sudden. Very cool - to them - scary to me.

We spent a lot of time looking for wildlife.

Some nights we drove around all of us with our windows down and our eyes darting all over looking for anything that would move.

When you least expect it - last night - over 50 elk showed up in Joan's yard along the driveway.

5 blocking the entrance.

It was stunning!

I videotaped driving down the driveway and the elk were just staring at us.

So cool - the kids LOVED it!

You don't get too much closer to a fawn!

Colorado 2011 in a nutshell. 

So much more to share.

But there will be a book and a movie.

I'd love to share them with you, just ask:-)

A super duper special thank you to Aunt Joan and Uncle Bob for, once again, opening your gorgeous home to us and treating us so so well!

A heartfelt thank you to Ted and Hollis for spending so much time with us and generously allowing us to frequent Unos and for the amazing time in Breckenridge.

So lucky to have our Colorado Family.

Crazy Penis Problems

I told Christian to go potty before we left for the park.  He yelled from the bathroom, "Mommy! My penis went crazy and I peed all over!  I know you're not going to be happy about that!"

It could be worse, let me tell ya!

Lovin' Summer

I just love this picture.



If Ya Gotta Go You Gotta Go

Victoria is notorious for having to poo at every restaurant as soon as the food is served.  Our relatives out in CO found that out last week.  I was sitting next to Ted when our piping hot chicken was served and I got the whisper - she had to go.  Not a shocker.

Sometimes I get annoyed.  That evening in CO, she saw I was annoyed and apologized while sitting there on this public toilet her little feet dangling in the air.  I felt sad.  It was what it was.  She had to go.  From now on, I would be careful to not let her know how much I dislike standing in a stall looking all around but at her waiting for her to get the job done.

Yesterday after the zoo, we stopped by Snuffy's Malt Shop for lunch.  Who doesn't love some ice cream before their meal on a hot summer afternoon.  Everything was going well.  Everyone was behaved and loving our strawberry malt we were sharing and then the food was served.  I ordered a delicious grilled cheese, bacon and tomato sandwich.  The kids were digging into their food then I got the whisper. 

This time I was careful to be so kind and I had strategically picked the table closest to the bathroom.  Quite possibly the worst seat in the house, but being close to the bathroom is so important.  So I led her to the bathroom and told her I'd be right outside the door, no need to yell for me, I'd be back in two minutes.  I sat down with Christian for another minute of so then popped my head in the bathroom - she needed more time.  I sat back down with him then went back again.  She was done so I told Christian to come in with me.  He went too as I help her, then helped them both wash their hands and we walked back out to find

our table had been cleared and two people were sitting at it!

I was so stunned I wasn't even sure what to do!  We were standing about three feet from these people when we walked out and Victoria pointed right at them and said loudly, "Hey! What are they doing at our table and where's me cheeseburger?!"  

I stopped the first server I saw and told him what happened then the kids and I slinked into the closest table - right across from 'our' table.  It was so awkward. So weird.  The waitress came over and apologized then the manager did the same.  He remade the kids' food, I had lost my appetite.  Then insisted on making us a malt while we waited.  Next thing we knew we had three huge chocolate malts.  The kids were in heaven as we all glared at the couple in 'our' table.  Their food came.  It was hardly touched since they had just consumed more ice cream than they had all summer combined. 

Lunch was on the house - duh! And we were outta there. 

I can't remember a more awkward meal in all my life.

But I am left with a hankering for a grilled cheese, tomato and bacon sandwich today.