p.s. The red-winged blackbirds have arrived

I was over at my friend Nikki's house the other morning, having a nice chat and sharing a mug of Golden Milk (google it, amazing stuff) and she was laughing at me because I said I really was hoping that it wouldn't snow any more this winter.  "You're really setting yourself up for some disappointment!" she chortled.  But I just want to say this: the red winged black birds have arrived.  Red Winged Blackbirds are a sure sign of spring in the Colorado Rockies. So there.  Spring is coming,... hurray!

At the Dog Park in Carbondale, where we first spotted Red Wing Blackbirds...

See those black dots in the top of the tree? Those are red wing blackbirds.  Look at all that snow against the house!

Spring! A time for dump trucks!

Spring! A time for sledding doggie walks!

Awwww. Love this kid.

Cashie's First Nordic Combined Competition

He came.

He skied.

He conquered.

And we are so proud of him.

Savor this moment...

So this past Friday I had the lucky opportunity to walk home from school with Theo who is now an eleven year old 'tween'.  Being a tween means that he is incredibly loving one moment and incredibly upset with me the next.  love. hate. love. hate.  He's so conflicted.  But on Friday it was all love.  His entire sixth grade class was being rewarded for completing the god-awful state mandated testing by being bussed to a local movie theater and being treated to a movie.  Which is a really nice idea for most kids I guess.  But not Theo.  He HATES the movie theater, it makes him sick.  He really doesn't like to watch movies either.  So, I walked over with the dogs and picked him up and we walked home together.  And it was a wonderful moment in time.  We talked about nothing and everything and admired the melting snow and the rising creek and the muddy joyful dogs.  Theo was bubbling over with happiness about being out of school at noon.  Of being done with testing.  Of having me all to himself for a few moments. It was beautiful.  It was good.  It was nice.  And about halfway through our walk I thought, "Savor this moment"  "Savor this moment because moments like these are slipping away."  "Savor your time with him."  And I did.

Theo serving cake to Auntie Winnie

Slam Dunk!

Halloween: A Retrospective

2003: Theo was a pumpkin his first Halloween

 (and I was a witch)

 2004:  My computer blew up and I lost all the photos from Theo's second Halloween, but he was a cute little alligator that had just learned how to walk. 

(and I was a witch)

2005:  Theo and his buddy Toby were Buzz Lightyear and Adi was a fuschia flower. 

(and I was a witch)

2006: Adi was an adorable bunny rabbit with an enormous tail and Theo was superman. 

(and I was a witch)

2007: Theo was batman, and Adi was a bumblebee that enjoyed walking backwards to sting people with her stinger. (and I was a witch)

2008 The next year they were Luke Skywalker and a Unicorn. (and I was a witch)

2009: Adi was a ladybug and Theo was a vampire. (and I was a witch)

2010:  The year we went to Carbondale to experience house-to-house trick or treat...

 They were a Ninja and the Sugarplum Fairy (and I was a witch)

2011 The next year they were a jailbird and a skeleton princess (and I was a witch)

2012 The next year they were an Indian princess and a clown (and I was a witch)

2013 The next year a werewolf and a little devil (and clown) 

which brings us up to this year (2014): a shadow man and a creepy witch. and I was a witch too !(surprise!)

Happy Halloween!

Singles Ads

So I'm single and yes, I've checked into those singles websites to see if my life match is, indeed, out there.  Obviously I haven't had much luck (darn) but THIS interesting phenominom did strike me as funny.  Hilarious in fact.  This photo totally reminds me of it...  In Colorado, guys on singles sites post photos of themselves with either their car, their bike or their skis.  And always the sunglasses and baseball cap.  Guys in Minnesota however post photos of themselves in plaid wool shirts, most with big bushy beards and holding the biggest fish they've ever caught while they are sitting on their boat.  I wonder what guys post in other parts of the country?.....

Sunday Soccer

Adi had her first soccer weekend tournament.  

It's fun to watch her out on the field running around and getting in there to get the ball.

She was nervous about all the parents watching her and being able to perform in front of such an audience.

There were two games, her team lost the first game 
but won the second.  
Soccer was upstaged though by three baby bears and a mama bear who decided to wander through the action and climb a tree on the outskirts of the field.  

One little athlete said, "Living here is better than going to the zoo!" 

What excitement for a Sunday morning!

The Best Thing About A Vacation

There is nothing better than a road trip.  I love to travel, explore new places, get back to nature, share the world with my kids and get away from everyday life.  I love the weeks of scouring maps (I LOVE maps) and deciding routes and investigating places to see, and figuring out where to camp and what might be fun to do along the way.  I even love the trip packing and getting the car decked out for a road trip and packing the cooler and checking the camp kitchen to see what needs to be fortified and added.  But, the very best thing about a road trip is that the second we get into the car and buckle the seat belts, my kids are on the same team.  The bickering and nagging is replaced by teamwork and cooperation and interactions that come from a cooperative stand-point rather than a competitive one.  It usually lasts for the whole trip and disappears the second we walk through our front door upon return.  I wish I could harness this cooperation.

I love it when my kids are on the same team....  Does that happen to any other families?