Growing Up Bo(u)lder

Remember me?

2011-01-06T08:39:00.003-07:00

Somehow almost a year has passed since I've stopped to reflect on our little life as a family. We've lost our dear dog. We've lost a dear friend. We've been to Disneyland, the beach, driven some uncharted territory, and been back to Boston. We've had birthdays- turning 3 and 5 were big milestones, and life has become so much easier in some ways. But it keeps getting busier and the time keeps going faster. One committment, one activity, one trip, or one more holiday always comes before taking the time to reflect and be grateful.

But today, I find myself waiting to board my first child-free flight since 2005. That's almost 6 years. That's almost as long as I've been a mom, which is so much at my core that it feels like forever. At first, just sitting and waiting by myself, I start to twitch and fiddle. What do I do with myself? No one needs snacks, or entertainment, or pants buttoned or hands washed or a drink of water. But then I relax at my little desk in the airport (my flight is delayed, you see), and what I feel is an overwhelming sense of gratitude for all the moments and trips and activities and holidays- but far and away, above all, the people- that have made up this year.

I am on my way to see my Dad. He is in the hospital, facing a potentially devastating diagnosis. Please don't misunderstand, but for the first time in a long long time I was sitting at home wishing I was somewhere else. It makes me realize that my heart really can be, and if fact is, in two places. It makes me realize I wouldn't trade my life for anything. And it makes me get on this plane alone for the first time in my childrens' lifetimes despite the pangs of anxiety I feel in leaving them. Amazing how much perspective fear can give you.

I don't know what will happen with my Dad, but I do know how grateful I am for today. Now it's time to catch up on all the gratitude of the last year.

Fireside

2010-02-02T20:43:00.002-07:00

It’s been a great few days in Breckenridge. It’s snowing lightly outside; I’m sitting by a real wood-burning fireplace, a slight chill in the air but my feet cozy on the hearth. The glowing embers provide the only light in the room, and the crackle and the soft breathing of two worn-out kids on the sofa bed behind me provide the din. We’ve only been here going on three days, but sometimes that’s all you need.

Today was just about perfect. We are here for Matt to attend a meeting, but he really only got busy today. We started the day with a swim. Maggie “tinker bell” jumping and Ian “transforming” in the air before hitting the water. They shared the goggles, and they shared me. We then hung out in the room and played with the limited selection of toys we brought- reminding me that sometimes they have too many choices at home to make a good one. After lunch we shuttled downtown to the Mountain Top Children’s Museum… who knew they had such a thing in a tourist ski town? They do, and it was quite cute. It kept us busy for two hours. They have ski patrol dress-up, rescue sled, helicopter, and a pretend mountain clinic where we took turns as patient, doctor, and pilot. We played in the “Bear Cave” and fished for magnetic trout. We dressed up and built things. When we were tired and hungry we found a rather quirky little French Bakery, with bad coffee and good hot chocolate. The kids didn’t eat their cinnamon sugar crepe! So I had to. We froze our tails off waiting for the shuttle bus. Then, “home” again, we read books while watching the snow fall. No naps and dusk meant we’d better go grab dinner or else one little girl was destined for a far-too late snooze. So off we went to find dinner in this huge resort (Beaver Run, highly recommend it!). We passed up a rowdy apres-ski bar and opted for the unlikely kid-friendly restaurant that actually was. So we dined by candlelight, two kiddos and I. As was promised in return for good dinner behavior, we stopped into the arcade and played a great game of air hockey, my personal favorite. After winning some rubber balls on a snowboard game, Ian started a lively game of “thuck”… which, if said too quickly, does make you chuckle. In thuck, you throw the ball and then chase it yourself, wherever it may go. A few near losses of our newly acquired balls and it was time to turn in. We built this fire, read books til we could no more, and the kids drifted off peacefully. All this, and no fights. It really doesn’t get much better. Unless of course we’d been with Daddy all day. But that is tomorrow!

A Natural

2010-01-28T21:15:00.002-07:00

We hit the sweet-spot; that age between too young to get past the cold and discomfort and too old to be fearless and full of pure excitement. “SkIan” hit the slopes for the first time, and he was so good. He had Mom and Dad’s undivided attention, as Maggie had Grammie’s, and he was good to go. He strapped those boots on, clipped into those skis, and down the bunny slope at Breckenridge we went. About ¾ of the way down with Dad we had a moment. Ian was down, knees twisted and skis entangled. It was HOT at the bottom of that hill in the sun with the helmet and all. Ian looked up and said very calmly but very seriously, “I can’t do this.” We looked at him and said “oh yes you can… come on, get up, we’re almost to the lift”. Having ridden on the chairlift this summer at Copper Mountain, he was really looking forward to doing it again. So that got him back up on his skis and down the rest of the hill. We passed up the “magic carpet”, passed up the T-bar, and went straight for the SuperChair. He sat between us on the lift and looked around and took it all in: He looked as though he’d done this a thousand times. We got to the top and made our exit strategy, which was to each take an arm and go straight. He didn’t falter, didn’t fall, and when we came to a stop he said “does Jace know how to ski already?”. When we responded yes, he does, that was it. Down the hill we went, and he wanted nothing to do with “pizza pie” slowing down or stopping. By the second run down, Ian was not only flying next to Daddy with his skis perfectly parallel and steady as a rock, but he wanted to go faster. Finally we decided that the kid really needed to learn how to slow down and stop, or it would be trouble shortly. So we picked a nice quiet side-slope, and he did it alone. We told him to turn his skis before he got to Daddy, waiting a few yards down slope. He did it! He fell, but every time he did he got more enthusiastic. His skis naturally formed the “snow plow” as he turned to slow down, and just like that, he was skiing. Suddenly Matt and I started to dream out loud of the family ski trips, the new equipment and season passes; the life with slightly older kids we’ve been excited for. We’re going to Jackson, Telluride, Taos, the Alps! But first, we’ll do a few more days on the bunny slopes. We’re pretty proud of our little alpine athlete.

This had better be good

2009-12-28T22:00:00.005-07:00

When one doesn't update one's blog in 5 months... an entire season has passed, birthdays have occurred, many many cute things have been said and done... it had better be worth the wait. At least that's the pressure I put on myself with every passing day when my little family journal does not get written. Excuses abound, from volunteering for preschool projects, crafting my way through Christmas presents, and the fact that my children still do not go to bed on command (or stay asleep all night, for that matter!). But please, don't get your hopes up for a craftily worded and concise summary of the last 5 months! I'll just try to get us caught up... since there is no way to do that quickly with words, please check out the new photo albums linked to the right that give some idea of what we've been up to this busy fall and Christmas season!

To start where I left off, Ian's wind phobia disappeared as quickly as it appeared, thank God! It was a rough summer, but we took comfort in knowing that (while extreme) it was a totally developmentally appropriate phenomenon. Some kids fear other weather, drains, small animals, or noises, but Ian feared something we have a lot of here in CO, wind. He laughs at wind now, and though it may make reappearances in the future, this phobia is conquered for the time being. Now Ian is a big 4 year old, thriving in Mrs. Greer's 4's class at school. He lives as a Superhero most of the time, and costumes are his thing right now. He stated to me the other day that he was going to teach Maggie how to be Wonder Woman. He is asking many many questions, some of which are hard to answer! "Did God make that?", "Are we on the bottom or the top of the world?", "How do our white blood cells kill the germs?", "How do we move our muscles?"????? They go on and on, and show his growing curiosity of everything in his world, and sometimes the outer realms too. His favorite way to ask for something he thinks is unlikely is "I can't have another cookie......", or "I can't watch another Superhero Squad Show...." in a sweet and trailing voice.

Maggie has gone from a curly-haired toddler to a little girl in the past 5 months. She is weaned, potty-trained, sleeping (mostly!) in her Dora bed at night, and constantly chattering up a storm. She went from curly hair to almost bald (in retrospect I do wonder why I never took her to the doctor?? Intuition that all would be well, I suppose) to a full head of straight and irregular-length regrowing brown hair. That was a strange transformation, but I think it must have been losing baby hair finally, as it happened during a very rapid growth and development spurt. She's grown inches and all her teeth are (finally!) in. She is so grown up, in fact, that she is starting in Miss Cheri's Toddler class at Ian's school next week! We did a trial day earlier this month and she absolutely loved it, so we've signed her up. In theory that means Mommy time on Mon/Weds mornings, but in reality I'll be working every Monday, and since we now have double the coop days I'll be at the preschool just about every Weds! Oh well, it really is for Maggie's benefit and she is oh-so-ready. She has plenty of questions too, but the cutest thing has to be her inability to pronounce a hard "C" or "K" especially to start a word... this translates to "Sitty-sat", "Supsake", "Charseat", and my personal favorite, "Sookie". "Mellelllos" has grown to "marshlellos" (marshmallows, of course!) under Ian's persistent coaching. Finally, and I don't have a clue where she got this, "bishup" means to zip-up... These are the things I must write down or they will be lost forever! I already hear glimpses of "K" in these words, I think this cuteness is on it's way out.

Daily there are things that should be scribed for posterity, and now that I've broken my silence, I just may do a better job of keeping up!

Breakthrough

2009-07-06T23:44:00.002-06:00

Happy Beach Boy

Day 4, Coronado

Three days of driving, with a good long overnight stop in Las Vegas that involved two trips to the pool, we found ourselves in San Diego surrounded by lots of family. A visit late into the evening at Uncle Jerry and Aunt Suzy’s beautiful new house on Coronado, and a good sleep at Amy and Tom’s (Thanks everyone, for your hospitality!!) prepared us for a day at the beach; or so we thought. We were tired, no doubt, but this is one of the top 10 beaches in the country, and we’re there with Grandma and Grandpa, aunties, uncles, cousins, and nothing could spoil it. Except the wind.

Ian was terrified to get out of the car. The wind was blowing and we had so much beach gear to blow away. Nothing, not even the soothing and enticement from his big girl cousins, could get him out of that car. This was it; we drove all the way to California for some serious beach time, and his fear of the wind was going to ruin it for him and at least one of us. At a loss, and at an all-time pinnacle of frustration, Maggie and Mommy set out for the beach just a block away while Daddy and Ian sat in the car. I was heartbroken. With tears swelling in my eyes and my stomach wrenched, I took Maggie to the beach. Back at the car, the boys without a plan or a clue what to do next, sat in the heat for a while. Matt had a realization a few minutes into this torture; we had been giving Ian too much responsibility for this. All the negotiation, “we’ll go to the beach and if it’s too windy we’ll leave”, had been too much. He needed to be told that this is what we are doing and he could scream or get mad or do whatever he needed to do to get through this, but we were taking him to the beach. This was for his own good, this boy who loves water was going to be in heaven when he touched that ocean. He was not going to be allowed to ruin this for himself.

Armed with new conviction, Matt set his iPhone timer for 20 minutes. When it went off, they were going to walk to the beach. When the time came, Ian screamed and cried, but he walked. When a little “gust” of breeziness (it is the beach, after all) picked up, his cries would escalate. But as they rounded the corner and the beach came into view, he stopped crying. He said “Daddy, what’s that?”. Matt told him that this was the beach, and he should take his shoes off to feel the sand under his feet. A little reassurance that his shoes would be safe from the wind with Daddy holding them, he started running to the water and never looked back. Three hours of playing in the waves ensued; running, kicking, punching, karate chopping, and getting out all of that angst. The water had defeated the wind, for a day anyway. It truly was a breakthrough, with very, very little mention of any breeze (or outright wind, for that matter) for the rest of the trip. Thank God that at least one parent had some clarity, so the other’s heart was mended seeing her blissful little boy on that beach. Within one hour, we had seen our low and our high of the whole trip.

San Rafael Swell

2009-07-05T11:52:00.003-06:00

Day 10,

The road trip is coming to an end. The kids have exceeded our every expectation; they are road warriors. They made it 4.5 hours from Las Vegas to Salina, UT, with only one brief stop along the way. After a gas-up we romped in a little grassy area just off the road in downtown Salina, reorganized our toys and snacks, and were on our way again. We were headed east, through an area without services for 110 miles on the way to Green River, UT. It had been a pitch-black night without a moon when we drove this stretch westward, and we were astonished by the beauty we had missed. Red bluffs, canyons, and impossible looking rock outcroppings in every direction. We were less than an hour out from our last stop when Maggie suddenly wanted out of her carseat. Knowing that this usually doesn’t change until she is freed, we pulled off at the next exit, which was a view area hidden behind the hills that flank the Interstate. We were immediately grateful to Maggie for this unanticipated stop, as the canyon lands that lay before our eyes were breathtaking. White, smooth rock formations with caves carved into them surrounded us. The surreal view pulled us down a rocky slope to find sheer white cliffs and a setting sun that was shedding the most beautiful light on the rocks and the red bluffs beyond. We were in awe, taking pictures, and basking in the glow when we met Tim.

Tim is a truck driver from Colorado Springs whose hobby is photography. He likes to share his perspective of the roads he travels through his photography, and he asked Matt to take some shots of him perched on the cliffs. That mission accomplished, he began spontaneously to shoot pictures of the kids in the perfect sunset light. Turns out that Tim is pretty talented, and soon he was catching very unposed and natural moments of the kids playing around on the rocks. He even took a family photo that just might make a Christmas card, if we ever see it again. I just hope that I wrote down my email address correctly and that Tim finds the time to use it, or we will have lost a rare opportunity. It was one of those serendipitous moments that can only arise from unorchestrated and unscripted chance. I have faith that he’ll email.

Still enchanted by our roadside luck, we drove in to the night. Las Vegas to Boulder in one day with two kids in carseats, arriving around 4am. It has been a great trip, start to finish. I now remember what road trips do not only for the functional fulfillment of a family vacation, but for the soul. We’ve slowed down, been together the whole time; we've had our moments of bliss and laughter, and moments of chaos and frustration. We've eaten too much junk food and drunk very bad truckstop coffee. We've seen much family and many good friends, explored new places, and above all we have re-gained perspective on our little life in Boulder. We are already planning the next trip. Thank you, Ian and Maggie, for allowing it to happen and making it great.

Two Rivers

2009-06-29T23:38:00.000-06:00

Day 1; Boulder to Salina, UT

There is something about the freedom of the road. We haven’t experienced it for a looooong time. When we finally locked up our clean house with clean sheets and empty fridge- because coming home to a clean house makes coming home all the sweeter- it was a feeling we haven’t had in a while. The kids’ first road trip. We’ve been talking about it for weeks, telling them all about each place we’re visiting, who we’re going to see, and how we’re going to pass the time in the car (thank God for the laptop, the ability to charge it along the way, and Matt’s ability to pirate otherwise unobtainable kid shows). We have books, fresh playdoh, art implements, music, movies, lacing beads, puzzles, and a few surprises to be pulled out at critical moments. We have snacks. We have juice boxes. We have 4 different kinds of chargers. I can’t help but reflect on how soft modern society has made us. Pioneer kids had sticks and rocks; but then again, they weren’t strapped into carseats for hours on end.

We left the house at 12:32, which was 32 minutes after our planned departure; not bad. The novelty was very exciting, Ian of course never slept but Maggie finally went down around Vail, 2 hours into the journey. When she woke up right before Glenwood Springs, in time to see the river, the tunnels, trains and spectacular scenery of Glenwood Canyon, then the magic began. We pulled out the iPhones and pulled up some visitor info. Armed with that, a quick hop into the Visitor Center yielded us directions to a great park and a coupon for a free tram ride, provided we waited til 5. We spent some time playing at the playground and visiting with local parents, kids and dogs at Two Rivers Park, where the Colorado River and the Roaring Fork River meet. It was hot; we stuck our feet in the chilly Colorado and watched some boats get pulled out of the water at the boat ramp.

We meandered over to the Swiss tram that would take us up to the Glenwood Caverns fun park. This is the best little secret we’ve stumbled across in a long time. We thought we’d just get a beautiful tram ride up a mountain, but when you get off the tram you are greeted by an old western-style park that is actually quite modern and fun. You can tour the caverns, climb a rock wall, ride a mechanical bull, take old western photos, or ride the alpine slide. Oh yes, the alpine slide. Maggie was too young, but Ian could ride with a parent, and I was extremely envious when he chose Matt to escort him. It’s like a toboggan, where you have working brakes, but you can also go full-throttle for a good thrill. Ian was not one bit scared, though the ride was quite windy he told us, and he agreed to take me down for his second ride. He gave me the go-ahead to let go of the brake, and we flew down this beautiful mountain at high speed surrounded by purple and yellow wildflowers. It was breathtaking, and I was quite satisfied when Ian told us that I was the faster driver. We made our way back to the tram, and enjoyed the spectacular double view of the Aspen Valley, lush with early summer greenery, and the canyon to the west carved by the great Colorado. We got back in the car, and back on the road, feeling like this road trip is off to a good start.

Worry Wart

2009-06-14T11:47:00.006-06:00

Separation... haircuts... toenail clipping... thunder... but above all, wind. At what point do we worry that this is beyond normal toddler/preschooler fear, and has become a problem? When it interferes with his activities? Check. When it interferes with the family's activities? Check. When he resorts to shutting himself inside to avoid it? Check. When his fear levels him with hysterical cries, red face and sweating head? Check. My range of thoughts on the topic go from "he's smart and gifted... his intellectual understanding (yes, the thunder and the wind can, in fact, hurt you at some level) is beyond his emotional development (being able to put these things into perspective and deal with minor discomforts), to "oh my God, we have to check him in to a mini mental institution or he's going to take up smoking to comfort himself."

Ian has always been an intense kid. Anyone who has talked to us in the last 3 and a half years knows that he has had more than his share of struggle with sleep- nightmares, night terrors, night waking, and giving up naps before 2 years old. He cries when he hears a "sleepy song" or lullaby. He doesn't like loud noises or to be more than 10 feet away from us at most times. He has never, not once, let me take him to a child care for an hour at the gym or even at his preschool while I attend a meeting.

There are many, many levels on which to sing Ian's praises. Just last night a friend of a friend said "wow, he's so respectful" as he stopped to ask me if it was okay to run after the pack of kids that was not caring one iota what their parents thought about playing in the water table in the rain. He's known as a sweet and lovable kid. He has a great imagination and is physically able ahead of his years. But I find this intensity so hard to parent sometimes. Are we supposed to coddle him? Ignore it? Discipline it?? I have no idea what the right answer is. There are always two sides; he is also intensely loving, intensely smart, and intensely attached to us. We always said we were grateful to not have a "bump on a log" baby- sweet and easy but not quite present. Sometimes that sounds kind of nice.

At the end of the day, I do believe these fears will pass. I think the intensity will likely be a lifelong theme for Ian, but that will take him far if channeled constructively. For now, this family needs a vacation. It's a good thing we have a long and leisurely road trip with lots of fun stops on the way coming up next week. Let's just hope it's not windy along the way.

"Is it windy???"

Our attempted backyard picnic in the slightest, most lovely breeze on a warm day. This is just before the tears started to flow.

2009-05-30T14:47:00.003-06:00

"If anyone is mean to my sister, I'm just gonna hit them". Awww, so sweet, sort of. Sweet in the sense that Ian takes his role as big brother to Maggie very seriously. Not so sweet in that we then have to explain that there are probably better ways to work through such a scenario. This statement came yesterday morning as we were hiking in Chautauqua. Check out the new photo album to the right, which includes yesterday's hike and stretches all the way back through the winter.

After two events at our house today, a hike and a new water heater yesterday, an end-of-year picnic, a whole new electrical panel and 3 days of Mommy work last week, we're pretty wiped out at the moment. On top of it all, the kids are boycotting sleep again. 10pm-6:30am is not enough sleep for one and three year olds, kids, nor is it enough for Mommy and Daddy. So, until I get some sleep, and therefore more brainpower to write, I'll leave the post at that- just check out the new photos posted at the right.

Goodnight, and happy June! Should be a good month.

The right thing

2009-04-23T13:41:00.004-06:00

Maggie is asleep for a nap. It wasn't that simple, though. For 19 months my baby girl has nursed to sleep almost without exception; on occasion she'll fall asleep in the car. This has been fine and well for the most part; no tears, happy baby, happy mommy, happy family with no crying baby. The complication occurs when Mommy goes to work or is somehow otherwise unavailable (which is pretty much never any reason besides work). Then we end up with a heartbroken Daddy, Grammy, or Auntie, when little miss tugs at their shirt when she is tired (and now says "nussies?" with an ever-hopeful look on her face), and they don't have the kind of comfort she wants to help her drift off to sleep. So she rallies, doesn't sleep, is generally still in a pretty good mood, but deteriorates as the day goes on. Either I come home and nurse her to sleep in ten seconds flat and then she's up til 10 (or 11!), or she goes without a nap and has an early but restless night. Neither are good scenarios.

The right thing is most definitely not always the easiest thing.

So, it's time to disassociate "nussies" from sleep for Maggiebel. I've always known that wouldn't be easy. It wasn't with Ian, and it most certainly won't be with Maggie. But the only other option for every one's sanity and health would be to wean her totally, and neither of us are ready for that just yet. I also know that we have, at least in part, created our own little sleep monsters by our practices. I don't regret that for many reasons; we've had happy babies who've had their needs respected and met. At least at this age, she can in part understand what I'm telling her as I try to soothe her to sleep with something other than a nurse; that I love her, that she can do this, she can nurse when she wakes up, and that she is going to be okay. Still, it breaks my heart for her to cry, beg, get angry, and put up a royal fight (no, we still don't have "bump-on-a-log" babies, for which we are usually grateful) while I try to soothe her to sleep with songs, pats, back rubs, and rocking. Today, it took an hour. But here she is above, after crying herself to sleep with me trying inadequately to comfort her. I can't wait for her to wake up to tell her I love her, I'm proud of her, I'm sorry, and that it will help the whole family keep the balance we work so hard for.

Snowed In

2009-03-26T12:34:00.005-06:00

Maxwell checking out the snow from his favorite soft vantage point.

Let the yard work begin... and the wheelbarrow rides of course.
A sweet big brother to Maggie and our buddy Kaya on a recent museum outing.
Maggie loves playing on her toddler bed... maybe one day she'll sleep there too!
A new Megatron to pass some snowed-in hours.
This is just a few hours into this storm.

There's nothing like being snowed in during a Boulder spring blizzard... provided that the loved ones are all home and safe... and the house is stocked with sufficient food and spirits! Thankfully, today all of the above are true. Today, and tomorrow, will give us some much needed down time. Why is it that being home during a blizzard seems so much more fun than being home on a day too windy or rainy to go outside? There is something inherently cozy about it, despite having no fireplace to warm our mittens by. There is a crockpot of chili hot in the kitchen, everyone in sweats, no pressure to go anywhere, and a couple of new inside toys bought in an early-storm emergency trip to Target.

We've been regretfully negligent about posting to our blog this winter... but we have some good reasons! For the month of February... you know what they say about not saying anything if you have nothing good to say. This family was sick, sick, sick. It started with Influenza; full blown flu despite the flu shots all around (public health message: we will continue to get flu shots because who knows how many other strains it helped us fend off!). Then came an ill-timed, pardon the pun, trip to California while we were all still way under the weather and it rained every moment of our vacation! Of course there were good parts of that, but had we used better judgement at the time we would have postponed our trip to more fully enjoy it. Once home we shared a case of bronchitis, which turned into Maggie's first ear infection and antibiotics (there is nothing cute about a strong-willed 17 month old who decides that no she does NOT like the amoxicillin despite it being the "best" tasting kind!) and Mary's sinus infection which led to her second round of antibiotics in a month... So after about 5 weeks of illness, the fog finally lifted and we realized how sick we were.

Then came March. March, so far, has seen Mommy go to work more days than not (today, well, until we closed for the blizzard!) was day 6 out of 7. This of course means many things... LOTS of time with Daddy, a more tired (ok, and probably grouchy) Mommy, many outings to fun places so Daddy doesn't go crazy at home, and hopefully a sizable paycheck to pay for our new landscaping project. We finally know what we want to do with the backyard, and that we don't have the capacity to do it all ourselves. Out comes the checkbook and in comes 12 ton of Red Breeze, 5 ton of large boulders (hey, we do live in Boulder), 2 ton of flagstone, 5 ton of local river rock, 3 new irrigation zones, 800 square feet of turf, 100 square feet of vegetable beds, a 100sf water-wise perennial "Garden in a Box" from our lovely city program, and a new Cleveland Select Pear Tree. Now, all we need is some fantastic outdoor furniture for everyone to lounge on in this backyard paradise! Of course this work is not all done yet, but it's well on it's way and we can't wait to enjoy it.

We are amazed at how an entire season can pass us by in a blink, but the kids manage to fit in so much growth and change. No more toddler and baby, we have a full blown preschooler and toddler. They've outgrown their clothes (yet again!), they have new games, new habits (some cute, some not), and new imagination. Ian is having drop-off play dates (who knew we could do this at 3? Not me, but he loves the independence!), has moved on from Thomas the train and Bob the Builder to Star Wars, Spider Man, and Transformers... Iron Man is his new hero. He is testing us in totally new ways (sneaking a tub of brownies into his room and eating 4 before coming out an admitting his crime??), and has found a whole new level of attitude that he throws around. "I'm not talking to you" and "You need to settle down Mommy" have been heard more than a few times lately. Just now he told me he'd like to "hit her in the face" in regard to the host of PBS' Goodnight Show (still has issues with "goodnight", apparently). But he still runs to us with open arms and a huge smile after a day at work, which melts that ice that can build with so much attitude abounding. Ian can go anywhere and be complimented for how sweet he is, what a good sharer, how "well-behaved" and generally mellow-natured he is. He is a delight to be around, he just saves the "best" for us which we are grateful for.

Maggie is going cuckoo for the Lion King (well, just the opening scene- still not enough attention to watch much more than that. I may be a bad Mom for wishing she could watch the whole thing once in a while...). She holds her baby doll up when Mufasa holds up baby Simba for his presentation in the opening scene, and talks about the "mess" when Rafiki spreads the ash on Simba's face. So cute. The poor thing is getting her incisor teeth, if you have little ones or can remember when then you know what I'm talking about. But she is still the happiest girl when not in pain, and everyone asks "is she always so happy and outgoing??". Yes, she is, but don't let that fool you- she has a will of steel and has a way of talking you in to or out of any number of things, depending on the mood. She puts up with no funny business from her brother, and has started dishing it out too. She is a busy, busy, busy little bee in perpetual motion. Her vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds, and while we don't understand all the words she is almost always able to communicate through a combination of words, inflection, pointing, and proper signs what it is she wants or doesn't want. She's edible.

Enough rambling for this snowy afternoon... it's time for a craft project, wrestling match, or other indoor activity!

Handful

2009-01-03T22:49:00.003-07:00

"You've got your hands full!". I can't tell you how often I hear this line. It used to annoy me, just for the sheer unoriginality of it. But it's true, and I know I look like my hands are full when I'm pushing a double stroller, holding the leash of a dog who still doesn't really know how to walk on a leash (he's 11), attempting to keep the kids' hands off of each other, picking up dog poop with an inside-out produce bag, and perhaps talking on the phone or reading a text... Yes, my hands are full, and it's okay that strangers notice. Today we got some laughs from passersby on our walk as Ian was spraying his spray bottle of "monster spray" (someone has to protect the neighborhood from monsters!), while Maggie was slouched in the stroller, holding a tiny bobble-head doggie, with grape fruit leather smeared all over her face. Max was sniffing and peeing madly, as we haven't been perfect dog walkers despite the 70 degree weather in January. We've been walking, but usually it involves at least one kid on foot and lots of sightseeing, so we barely get off the block. This is sweet Maggie on Christmas Eve, all dressed up and ready to go. Sweet, perhaps in contrast to the little hellion that has since emerged from this innocent face! Okay, she's only just begun to hell-raise, and we know that it will get much much worse, but that girl is busy looking for things that will get a reaction from any of us. We can no longer assume that big brother is to blame for any altercation that may erupt... it's just as often her, trying to steal a toy or refusing to share something. Luckily, we can usually all laugh (including Ian), because it's so damn cute to see such a fierce little will being exerted over something that is usually so inconsequential. It's a good thing she also does sweet things like grab your face and give you noisy "mu-ah" kisses, and walk around singing "Bye-Bye Guitoooooo" (just like her music teacher sings bye bye guitar, bye bye shakers, bye bye bells....), or gleefully shriek "Baaaaaybaay" as she collects her babies and puts them on the spread out blanket on the floor (that she got you to lay out for her with a series of grunts and made up signs). Yes, these innumerable edible things do make up for the screaming and kicking diaper changes and even the mouthfuls of dog food that she sneaks from Max's bowl and then comes and spits out in your hand before you even know she has it. The fun has just really begun.
Now Ian, my little lovey, can be like Jeckle and Hyde, as I believe most three year olds can. One minute he's handing out hugs and saying things like "Mommy, you look beautiful", and the next he's telling me "I don't like your attitude, Mommy!", or rolling his eyes saying "oh, come on!". One day I can help him get dressed, the next it's only Daddy. I have to say, though, that I *think* he saves the best of these mood swings for us. His teacher told us that he was so sweet, showing the new boy around at school and befriending him immediately. He has even managed to become friends with the boy at school who gets in to the most fights and has had the hardest time adjusting. He can bake a sand cake with his little girlfriend (her mother already told me it would be so nice if they got married) and he can get wild with the wildest boys. That's my well-rounded little guy. Somewhere along the way I've actually become more comfortable when he is alone in the next room with Maggie than if she were by herself... I used to worry that he was taking the opportunity to test out her flexibility or her tolerance for something obnoxious or downright dangerous, but now he is usually keeping her out of trouble. He's already the protective big brother, and if we're playing with other kids on a playdate or at the park, he is most definitely making sure that no one else is antagonizing her (that role reserved for him, of course). I never thought far beyond the first year of having two little ones, mostly because it was survival mode for a while, but now I can see that they are going to be close, and it warms my heart.

Shrek and the Juiceman

2008-12-19T22:09:00.003-07:00

Thank God for the iPhone... on so many occasions now we've forgotten our camera for some monumental event. In October, that was Ian's 3rd birthday party. Today, that event was Ian's very first musical theatre performance... in the First Pres Preschool Christmas Pageant. I cried. He knew all the words! How did he know all the words to songs that I didn't even know? He drummed right along to the Little Drummer Boy, and knew all the hand movements to "Mary Had a Baby". Right up until the last minute, he was going to be an angel. When he saw that all his buds were shepherds, we were really glad that a very experienced fellow preschool Mom knew enough to bring an extra shepherd outfit, so that he did not turn out to be the only angel boy... which would have been okay...

Above you see our little shepherd boy with his friend Jace. Together, they are a.k.a. "Shrek and the Juiceman". Now, Matt should really be writing this post, because he has done 7 coop days to my one this semester, and you can tell by the way the kids swarm him when he shows up. He knows more about the little posse of boys and girls that have these alter egos. There is also a doggy, and the doggie's walker (dear little Brynna, who is the cutest little "dog" walker you've ever seen). But it is so much fun to see their little social world unfolding. Today at the snack table, Jace, pictured above, said "So, who likes sprinkles on their cupcake?". They are making small talk! Apparently last week Ian started the snack conversation by asking each kid what they wanted from Santa.
This is my handsome family, messing around at Daddy's office on the webcam, while I was at work. They are finding all sorts of ways to fill days at a time together. It is SO nice to know exactly where they are (and with whom!), and that they are having a ball while I am at work. Yesterday they ran the halls and the library at Grammie's school and then went to the (somewhat decrepit and depressing) Longmont mall- which, by the way, apparently has a great train running through it during the holidays. Other hot spots are Home Depot and Liquormart, perfect places for kiddos to run around, of course.

There is much to catch up on, and will be much more as Christmas arrives!

These shoes are made for walking...

2008-11-24T20:54:00.004-07:00

And that's just what they'll do..... through the mall, around the block, at the grocery store, all around the house. I can hear them pitter-pattering right now as I stand at the dining room table and type this (always standing, ready to run to someone's aid, rescue, or just to play). Maggie's red, or ruby, rather, shoes just keep on going. When she gets out of the bath, she is stark naked but hands you her shoes and gives her signature sound which means "these, they go on my feet, put them on now! Please!" and off she goes again. Not just any shoes will do... she'll try on shoes, big or little, but when it comes to actually wearing, these are her pick.

In addition to pretty feet, she also has wheels now... her Little People scooter gets her around the house in princess style. We now have a lot of pink around here!

This is shopper girl in action. Yes, she is looking at the clothes and discerning which she would like to try on. Unfortunately, her attention lasts about half a second, and on she goes. She finds it quite funny to lose us in a store, as she zig-zags around the clothing racks. The other day I actually had a stranger yell "she's over here!!" as I am running frantically around the racks saying "she was JUST right here- how'd she get away so fast?!" to her amused brother. You can usually find her by following her giggle...

So we've finally figured out the mystery of why Maggie has not actually started referring to her brother by any name... the truth is that she has! We just weren't listening hard enough. He is "NaNa".... backwards, shortened, and doubled "Ian"! We were wondering why she would come into a room saying "MaMa??" while looking right at me. I'd say "Mama's right here, silly girl!" and she would keep on. Now we know it was Ian she was looking for; she's gotten better at making them sound different, and we've gotten better at listening to her.

These two were "Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs" tonight (where did that little saying come from, anyway?)... bouncing off the walls until they finally crashed on their respective laps. So this tired Mama must now go to bed...

The plane that Gramma & Granpa flew on...

2008-11-23T23:36:00.010-07:00

That was the title of a little drawing of an airplane on a piece of paper left behind after their visit. Gramma drew it (more the artist than Granpa... who is more the handyman and noisemaker) for Ian, on his Tow-Mater note pad. I found it last week while cleaning up, and it made me sad that they got back on that plane and went home to California. But, it also made me happy that we get these visits- who else gets a week of non-stop Gramma and Granpa action, and their undivided attention, unless one has to take a plane to visit?

I could outline the exciting adventures of the week, but there weren't really any. It was much more of a help-mommy-survive-the-one-and-three-year-old while Daddy was away at a conference type visit. We shopped a little, we saw Madagascar 2 in the theater (which I do believe G&G loved more than Ian! And thank you, Maggie, for sleeping through the whole thing, quite out of character!), we cooked, we ate, we did projects around the house (okay, Granpa did projects), we struggled to get everyone to sleep at night. It was good old fashioned quality time together. There was quite a bit of "conductor" playing, which is of course when Ian cuts up little scraps of paper and then hole punches them for Gramma, telling her to "have a nice trip!" on the train. Very cute. And there was probably more weaponry and kung-fu than Gramma would have liked, but hey, we are "Raising Cain"

Ian, wearing his "Argh, Matey" getup- which sounds more like "armitty" coming from the pirate himself.
Just a signature Happy Maggie face for the camera...
Pat-a-cake and lion roaring put Granpa in Maggie's good graces... except for during this little photo session!
Awww, a rare tender moment with the busy man.
A little bit sad on departure day, but glad for the fun week.

So, Thank You, Gramma & Granpa, for everything! Our thank you is belated, but I'm sure you understand why after experiencing our current busy-ness first hand. We appreciate all you did, from taking over Doggie duty to finishing some annoying little tasks to shopping with us and for us. We love you and can't wait for our next visit!

....And to all a Good Times!

2008-11-23T21:37:00.009-07:00

Dad blogging tonight with many random Ian stories...

What does Chicago's infamous Cabrini-Green housing project have in common with Boulder? Okay, absolutely nothing, but it doesn't change the fact that I find myself singing the opening tune to the 1970s sitcom, "Good Times" every time I pick Ian up from preschool. Why?

Ah yes, that's why... Ian insists on a "bambino burger" (with cheese, no pickles) every day he goes to preschool. The routine goes something like this...

Dad: "Hey Ian, how was school?"
Ian: "Good. Can you get me a bambino burger with cheese and no pickles?"

It was only after the very strange looks I received from both of my kids when I was belting out the "Good Times" theme song after preschool that I decided this deserves its own blog entry. Okay, so it's barely deserving and I have no segue to lead into the next topic...

Of Vacuuming Mice and Jolly White Bearded Men

Ian is now starting to understand the whole Christmas scene. So much so in fact, he can't watch one of his favorite movies, "The Polar Express" because he gets so disappointed at the end of the movie when he realizes that Santa is still weeks away from his magical visit to "Ian's house".

He already has his favorites on the classic Muppet's Christmas album (Deck the Halls and Twelve Days of Christmas).

We have to avoid actually seeing any toys in stores now as well - otherwise, it's a battle to convince him that asking Santa to bring the "Star Wars shooting thing" is better than buying it on the spot. Difficult concept indeed.

He's been a bit more interested in his dreams - telling me when he wakes up what he was dreaming about, whether he thought he had any dreams at all, asking me what my dreams were about. An odd one surfaced this week - apparently, he's been dreaming about scary mice ("mouses") vacuuming ("noo-nooing") up "the sand". Figure that one out... His energy level has been up there as well. Bouncing off the walls, climbing all over the furniture, "balancing" on the ottomans, kung-fu'ing the throw pillows... This photo depicts the aftermath of the destruction.

Yes, that is our living room. To give you a sense of just how bad it was, here is a photo of our living before Ian's wrath of destruction.

Hopefully, we'll get a handle on all this energy, teach him to savor the anticipation of Santa's visit (while working on the true meaning of Christmas), assure him that he need not fear the vacuuming mice, and maybe, just maybe, get him to eat something other than a bambino burger after preschool so I can stop singing that catchy 1970s sitcom tune...

Belated, to say the least.....

2008-11-17T21:18:00.002-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Ian Matthew!!I've been a horrible blogging mom.... Ian's been 3 for almost 6 weeks now and I'm just getting around to documenting his birthday celebrations! We started with cupcakes and firefighters at school (ok, the firemen were going to be there anyway, but they did wish him a happy birthday!), then had dinner at Ruby's and a little cake and present party with the family on his birthday, THEN we had his kid party at the WOW museum over the weekend. It was quite a week of celebration, and Ian totally understood that this was all about him.

We're so proud of the little man these days... he is thriving in preschool (where his teacher recently told us what a wonderful job we are doing, that he is turning out to be such a sweet, sensitive, independent little guy... music to our ears, but we can't take all the credit for who he is!). He continues to be the best big brother to Maggie- bringing her things that she might like ("She might like a yittle drink of water- she can have some of mine"), sharing his toys and his space without fuss (well, most of the time!), and worrying about her when she seems to be in danger. They light up when they see each other, and are getting a little too in to wrestling and zerbert matches.....

He is growing up so fast, as they all do I suppose, but it's hard to believe that he is ready to learn how to ski this winter. He is learning how to be a dragon slayer, a pirate, and a kung fu master- sometimes all at once. He has a life away from us in preschool- his own friends, troubles, triumphs- and he is learning to handle them himself. Every day he wakes up and says "is today Christmas?", and sometimes his emotions take over when we explain that no, it's not even Thanksgiving yet, and we'll have to wait a little longer for Santa... He is picking out his toys that he thinks some other girls and boys might like for Christmas (one part charitable offering, one part making room for new loot!). In short, he is no longer a baby, or even a toddler. Ian is 100% full-fledged kid, and we are so blessed to be his parents!

The Screaming Banshee wants some cake too!!

The pile of presents he had been waiting... um, patiently... for!

He's learning how to "smile!" for the camera! Some are naturals, some aren't!

The coolest train table ever.... the first and last place Ian plays every day... A birthday gift from Grammy and Pops.

Happy Birthday, Maggiebel!!

2008-09-27T21:24:00.004-06:00

Our little girl turned one last week... that was probably the fastest year on record for us. She is playing the part of a one year old professionally- kissing her baby dolls, giving sweet nuzzles when you ask for a love, and even getting a mischievous little look before she's going to do something naughty. She's still tentative with the walking- she *can* do it, she just laughs too hard whenever she knows you're trying to get her to do it. She wants pretty much whatever her brother has, and she tries to get him to laugh by yanking on his hair or tickling his belly. She has started music class while Ian is in preschool, and she sings louder and dances more vigorously than any other one year old in the class. She has a love affair with any dog who pays her any mind, and those who don't for that matter. She has grown into her own little person in one short year, and we are so glad to know her:-)

Who cares about the candle, just give me some of that frosting! Maggie on her actual birthday.
That shocked look... "this is for me?? you mean I get to push it into walls *and* yank the baby out by her hair?"
Very artificially colored birthday cake needed to be eaten on a beach towel... and the "You Are Special Today" plate!
Now this is what I call cake... no whole wheat flour and plenty of partially hydrogenated oil...
Maggie is a regular little chef in her new kitchen! How do you like your plastic food... microwaved or steamed?

The very patient brother and cousin... daydreaming about frosting on their faces

A word about our life....

2008-09-03T23:16:00.003-06:00

When life seems so busy, and so many around you continue to suffer with unfortunate circumstances and tough choices, it is easy to let a happy day pass you by without acknowledging it. Not today. Today I feel, well, totally in balance. The word for our life today (get ready to be nauseated if you are in a less content state at the moment), is love.

Today I love my new job. Today I love riding my bike across a campus I love, through a town I love, to a home I love, full of people I love. Today my kids held hands, spontaneously, in their car seats upon picking Ian up from his first day of preschool. Today, Ian's new preschool teacher (whom I love) told me that Ian stole her heart on his first day of school. Today, my doggie love alerted Grammy when Maggie woke up from her nap, in a gentle and loving manner.

Nothing amazing or spectacular happened today, but it was a day that reminded me how wonderful our life is, and how blessed we are that it is so. Every family has times that are not so good, I know, but I am learning the importance of stopping to recognize and appreciate when they are.

Now if we could only find a way to share the love and contentment with others who so desperately need it...

I approve this message

2008-09-01T22:38:00.000-06:00

That is Ian's new line... "I am John McCain, and I approve this message". We keep trying to tell him that he should say "I am Barack Obama", but it just doesn't roll off his tongue the way the other guy's name does. Oh well, it gives us a good segue into why we vote democrat in this household...

This has been a landmark few weeks for us (and finding time-and energy- to write about it has been hard!). Two weeks ago, I went to work for the first time in almost 3 years. Aside from feeling like my brain has been re-awakened to diagnostic reasoning, prescription medication, and bedside manner, I just feel great to be back at work. I knew I was ready, but now I know that the whole family was ready for a change. Daddy logged 37 hours alone with the kids over just the first 4 days, and he did an admirable job. The kids were happy as clams, on the go the whole time, didn't even have a chance to miss me. They were having too much fun. Maggie has even taking to pushing me away when she's in Daddy's arms. That's nothing new for Ian of course... Daddy's little man.

Ian is gearing up for the start of preschool in a few days. He is so excited to be left there alone. We're trying to prep him for that aspect, and when we first mentioned this detail, his face got very serious, then broke out in a huge smile as he said "And I can drive my car to my new school!". Soon, baby, soon, but not yet.

Today we were up at Pinewood for a little Labor Day dinner and fun, and Tiffy outlined the kids in chalk on the driveway. Without anyone seeing him do it, Ian went back to his silhouette and added a few details, one being the hair- and the other one being obvious! When I asked him what he drew, he looked at me as if to say "you dope, what do you think it is??" and he said "My bottom!" with a huge grin on his face. Grammy was glad that his ego seems to be intact- no self esteem issues there! It's so fun to see the inner workings of their minds come out- can you tell he's been working hard at potty-training? And he's wearing the most adorable boxer briefs you've ever seen.

Maggie took her first couple of steps today! Yes, this is magnificent and thrilling news, so why isn't it a post in its' own right?? Because I've been trying to write this post for two weeks! So all sorts of big news is getting put into one. I do not mean to diminish her hard work and accomplishment! It started by me letting go of her hands without her really realizing it- and she would stand there for like 10-15 seconds without even knowing she was doing it. Then she discovered I was not holding on to her, and she took two big steps to get back into the safety of my grip. She was so delighted with herself, squealing and shrieking each time I tried to get her to do it again. We all clapped wildly for her each time, and she was in heaven. In all, she took two steps four times over. Then she caught on to our little game and decided she'd had enough for the day. She'll be running before we know it.

It's amazing how fast they go from babies to little people who have stories all their own. Seems like just last month that I could just post about how cute she is, or about sweet little mannerisms she has, but now she's letting us in to her ever-growing personality and doing the funniest things! You can see in the picture below that she is surrounded by helmets. Now, we recently bought her a helmet so she can go in our bike seat. She won't wear the helmet, but she will- correction, she INSISTS on- sitting surrounding by all four of our helmets, trying them each on in turn and then pulling all the little pads out from inside of them. If you dare to open the closet by the front door, where the helmets are, you get an endless string of "ugh, Ugh, UGHHHHHHHHHH", as she lunges her body in the direction of the helmets. And it's not just our helmets- she tried to steal some kid's helmet at the park the other day, having a bit of a fit when Daddy told her she simply could not have it. We have a full-blown fetish on our hands.
In addition to walking, she's also talking! MaMa, DaDa, DuhDuh (doggie, of course), Hi (once, to Ian!), Gram and Grammy, and her first word which of course was Uh-oh... Today she also said hot while playing with some candles (which were, for the record, not hot). She's signing for more and all-done, too. My little genius girl.

Finally caught up- now off to prepare for another wild week of our new life- rich with two jobs preschool, and thank God- a housekeeper every two weeks!

Consistently inconsistent?

2008-08-12T11:02:00.002-06:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about consistency, and what that word means for parenting. You always hear how important it is to be consistent with discipline... consistent with potty training... consistent with routines and (I wince) schedules. You also hear often about the virtues of flexibility (this one I've got down). But how do consistency and flexibility work together, when it seems they could not?

I get a "daily groove" email from Scott Noelle, who is a "progressive parenting coach", or something to the like. Some of these grooves are out in la-la land, but some hit right on and give me an "a-ha" moment. Most of them state how I feel on a topic in a much more articulate manner than I am able. Today's groove did just that.... and here is my answer for why what works one day does not the next, hence our parenting style of "consistent flexibility".

Blog envy

2008-08-11T23:08:00.003-06:00

Now that I am reading more and more blogs of others, I'm finding myself not only too entranced in them to stop and write my own, but evermore envious of their authors' great topics, style, and general writing ability. Who has time? I guess if I didn't spend so much time reading others' then I'd have more time to write. But my writing would be much less inspired (could it be?). It's a very circular problem. I'll work on that later.

For now, I'm too busy staring down the barrel of my last week of "freedom" from work. Okay, taking care of two kids in diapers (oh wait, one! Ian's in underwear for good now!) *IS* work, but you know what I mean. The kind of work where I need to look (and act) respectable... I have to get up and out of the house at a specific time... I have to be knowledgeable about something other than peek-a-boo, animated movie one-liners, or where today's favorite toy for each child is hiding (probably in our disgustingly dirty car). Yes, as of a week from this morning, I am accountable to an institution, and in return will receive a paycheck (yay!). While we've already spent the first year's worth (if not in actuality, then most definitely in our big plans), it is still very exciting on many levels.

Two years, ten months, eleven days since I went on maternity leave with Ian. I think it has just occurred to me what exactly it is I am so nervous about. Since becoming a mother, my priorities have shifted so dramatically that I am afraid I am no longer capable of being a totally dedicated employee. I don't know how to focus on work in the way I will need to (the way I used to...), when my focus has so clearly been on these two little darlings at home. I'm afraid of being less than 100% at work, but how can I be completely present when all it would take is a call telling me that one of them is hurt or crying and I will want to bolt out of there so fast heads will spin?? Hmmmm, tough one. I guess I will need to find the balance that will allow me to feel professionally fulfilled, while continuing to strengthen my bonds and attachment with Ian & Maggie in my time with them. It just may take some practice...

A post about a post about posting...

2008-08-07T08:59:00.005-06:00

My new friend, Jenny, took a moment in her blog to reflect on her writing, my writing, and writing in general- she has a very wonderful eclectic style, filled with different perspectives, moods, and topics. It is exactly the type of blog I am drawn to read- you never know what you'll read about next! Sometimes you laugh out loud, sometimes you cry, and sometimes it draws you into a profound and deep thought. I'm hoping that knowing my readership is growing, along with reading the writing of more seasoned bloggers, I will move beyond merely reporting daily happenings to showing more personality... hopefully creating a more entertaining read in the process.

The key to a great birthday (and maybe this is true for life in general?? Matt has always said so...) is to have no expectations. I literally did not think about my birthday this year, and by 10:30 in the morning it has already proven to be one of the best. Not expecting anything makes all those little things so much more special. It started with Ian & Daddy going across town (while Maggie and I slept in!) to fetch my favorite latte... then miss Maggie was clinging to Daddy and waving and chanting "dadadadada" at the door as he left for work. This may not seem like a great birthday present for Mommy, but it is, considering I'm going back to work in a week or so. It reminds me that apart from just a little away from-Mommy-time, they are getting the bonus of special Daddy time. Thank you for the reminder, Maggie-bel! On top of this, I've had more phone calls, emails, and text messages this morning wishing me a happy birthday than I can count! AND, Ian is even napping today! Just when I'd begun to think that birthdays are just for the kids... We'll top it off with a new haircut and a Rio Margarita.... perfection.

Maggie has decided, today, that she can walk behind a most-obnoxious sounding baby walker... all by herself! She went from her room, all the way out to the living room, to the table, and halfway back on her first shot. She then proceeded to cruise from the walker to the ottoman to the couch to get to her brother and ruffle his hair.... he's not so sure about this, as the picture below shows!

Off to continue my perfect birthday....

Hotter than July...

2008-07-26T21:04:00.002-06:00

Now we really get what that term means, because this July has been HOT. I think we've broken a record for consecutive days over 90 degrees, and in the last few weeks 90 degrees is relatively cool! But thankfully we have our new house fan, a trusty window AC unit, and beautiful mountains to escape to for cooler temps. During July we've made it to Breckenridge for the Brown Family Reunion- great fun- and to the mountains for camping and a few hikes and of course to Pinewood and "the tubs" to cool off. I need to make a new photo album, and I will, as soon as my sister sends me her pics from their wonderful visit out here:-) She was better than me about taking pictures of course.

There is so much going on right now, it's hard to know where to start! My big news is that in August I'll be re-entering the work force, though most definitely in a slow fashion. I'll be working at Wardenburg Student Health Center on a very part-time basis. It couldn't be a better situation and it feels good to be getting my mind back into shape. Daddy will be nanny for those few clinic shifts per week, and of course will have Grammy and Tiffy backup. The kids are ready for it- Maggie has so much fun with Matt- she likes to be on his arm just touring the world. There's no question about Ian- he has actually said that I can go to work and Daddy can stay home with them and that would be just fine. My only anxiety is about Maggie nursing- which of course she'll have to do less of when I'm at work. But she likes food, a lot, and she likes action, so it will be okay.

Ian will be busy himself, as he will start preschool at First Presbyterian Cooperative Preschool in September! We visited this week, as it has become very apparent this summer that he is a big boy and is ready for something more (doesn't he look like a first grader in the serious-face picture above??), and he was so sad to leave at the end of the visit that he almost cried. It's a "cooperative" preschool, which means that parents spend 5-6 mornings in the classroom per semester. I really like that model, and think Ian will like that too. There is always one teacher and two parents for 10 kids- pretty good ratio! Those days can be divided between Mom, Dad, and Grandparents, which makes it easier to meet your quota. Now, the potty training begins in earnest. Ian's almost there, does great at home in underwear- we all just need to get brave and start going out in public without diapers! This morning he was wearing his little undies and thinking about going pee in the potty when he said "Can I go pee pee on the blinds? You'd say 'dammit'!". Hmmmmm, he's right about that one. How do you not laugh when they bust out these funny statements? Ian's constantly coming up with them, whether they are his own original thoughts, movie lines, or things he's heard us or his friends say- for better or worse.

Maggie-bel is a full-blown cruiser now. She's in that super dangerous phase where she can be across the room, into the bathroom, standing up holding on to the tub and trying to empty shampoo bottles in about 5 seconds flat. Can't take your eyes off that girl. Her latest cutest is when Ian is being crazy and she thinks he's coming to "get" her... she squeals like a little piglet and buries her face in my lap and does this amazing belly laugh.

We're coming down from the high of two weeks of Brown family here. Ian, specifically, is having to deal with not being the little prince any more, as he was when Morgan and Hallee were here. There was swimming, playing, swimming, and more playing. Now it's back to boring old us! We're trying to keep busy with outings and hikes, and we're doing okay.

Off to sleep under the fans for another hot night!

Mary

Bye, Mary!

2008-07-06T22:22:00.004-06:00

Ian picked this bike out, after test-riding three others around University Bikes. He definitively said "this one", we paid for it, then the mechanic checked it over while an anxiously awaiting two and a half year old kept saying "is it ready yet??". The mechanic gave him his bike, he got on, and he didn't get off until he got home (probably about a mile away). This was his second time, ever, on a bike. He's a natural! A few crashes (he does wear his helmet, Gramma!) and some serious hours on the bike later, and he's mastered hills, the brakes, and turns. We just need a helmet for Maggie to ride in the bike seat and we're ready for some family bike rides!
Camping in the Cache la Poudre Canyon (Gorgeous scenery!), Grammy came back from a trip to town with a Lightning McQueen fishing pole for Ian, and a Barbie one for Nora. He loves it! And he caught quite a few "fish" to "cook" on his "camp stove"!
Ian's first encounter with Cocoa Puffs. Judging by the look on his face, I'm glad I wasn't there. Apparently he said "I like this cereal", in contrast to the boring ones Mom usually buys.
Ian and Pops, out for a bike ride around the campground.

Our track record with camping is not so great, in terms of GI illnesses anyway. Last year it was poor Ian (and our very painful neglect to pack Desitin), and this year it was poor me. Matt said he knew I wasn't faking it to get out of sleeping on an air mattress by my 5th or 6th middle-of- the-night trip to the pit toilet. I, not one for middle of the night walks in the dark woods to spider-filled outhouses, could have told him on my first trip that I was not faking it. The next morning I made the decision to cut it short and go home to be sick in the comfort of my own home, Maggie and Max having to come with me for logistics. Neither of them really cared, but I was bummed. It was the right decision, as I was still up during the night for the next two nights, but it was still hard to leave. Ian, sweet Ian, as if to make my departure easier, would barely hug me (too busy with the new fishing pole), and when I pulled out in the car he yelled "Bye, Mary!". He wasn't faking it, either, he didn't once ask for me and he went ahead and had a great time for the next 48 hours. I was glad for that... really, I was. Some quality time with Daddy and the crew, and without Mom and little sister in tow is really rare and valuable. When they returned home, he told me all about the trip, but his favorite story was "the hail story". Another occasion I'm glad I missed (Grammy did the worrying for me since I was not there) was the boys fishing and playing at the Red Feather Lakes when a massive thunder and hail storm developed out of thin air. They had to run for the shelter of a tree, and got there just in time for a huge crack of thunder, literally right over their heads. It made quite an impression on Ian- we even made up a song about it today while playing in the sandbox.

In Maggie news, she has become ever more busy. She's now realized that crawling can get her places... like right next to her brother as he's playing, to the open dishwasher, out the front door, and many other precarious positions. Even better, she's finding, is to have someone hold her hands while she walks all these places. She's not an official cruiser yet, but today at the Barnes & Noble train table she almost became one. She's pulling up on anything she can grab (favorite right now is the TV stand and particularly the DVR with all those pretty lights... this is deja-vous), and is starting to inch along the edges. I had forgotten how many bumps and bruises come with this stage.

Tomorrow night the next phase of summer begins, as Gramma and Grandpa and Morgan arrive, a few days prior to heading up to Breckenridge for the Brown Family Reunion. We can't wait to see all those cousins, and to have another mountain getaway!

Mobile

2008-06-20T19:18:00.004-06:00

That's right, Maggie's got wheels. On her 9 month birthday, and Mom and Dad's 9 year anniversary, Maggie decided to crawl! She's worked so hard, and now it's time to find all those dangerous nooks and crannies in our house. Her crawl is so cute, her legs kind of point inward and it's more like she's rolling along. It kind of reminds me of how you'd roll your arms to a silly camp song. She also popped her top front tooth this week, and is now eating like she's got a full set. Apricots, she just eats them like an apple. She wants no baby food, and she BARELY wants to nurse. Will she be the baby that weans herself before a year, or is she just taking a little break to explore all the other textures and tastes out there?? Time will tell. She's almost pulling herself up on things, and can, she just doesn't know it yet. She is just too funny. Such a sweet and happy baby, that is of course until you tick her off- then she lets you know. This week was vacation bible school at Westview, and she just rolled with it. She played, rode around in the Ergo, hung out in the stroller, or went for tours of the church with Grammy or Pops, and smiled at anyone who smiled at her. She's started waving and handing you things this week too, which makes it hard for anyone to pass her by without an "awww, how sweet!" and a few moments of playing the "Oh, for me?? Now it's for Maggie" game. She has only the slightest hint of the separation anxiety that usually marks this age, and that only if she's hungry or tired. We had our first real dinner out, away from the kids, last Friday night. We had no doubt that Ian and Nora would be fine playing on Pearl Street with Grammy and Pops... well, it turns out that Maggie does just fine as long as you keep the caramel crepes rolling her way.

We're trying to decide what to call the new "play structure" that Daddy (with a little help from the boys) has built for the kids. The fort?? The 5th Flatiron?? It will find a name I'm sure. Ian LOVES it of course, and that's before it's even done. There's a climbing wall, sand for the sandbox, and a swing set yet to come. Get busy Daddy! He's already hanging on the slide, belly down, yelling "No, no, no NOOOOOOOOOO!" as he slides down, pretending he's falling off a cliff or something. Tonight he was climbing up the slide in his Lightning McQueen underwear (we're just dabbling...) with a two foot long two by four... um, what were you going to do with that Buddy?? He's full of imagination, and just about ready for preschool. At VBS all week he was such a big boy- I would spy on him occasionally and loved seeing him just playing with the bigger kids, singing songs, participating in whatever activity they had going on. He even did crafts! He was SO proud of this paper plate and crepe paper parrot that he made... it's now hanging on the wall over his bed, over his pillow specifically, so that he can see it as he goes to bed. Who knew we had a little crafter... he won't even draw with crayons for me! He and Nora went cuckoo for the "banana song" in church every day. We'll perform for you someday if you ask;-) Our little boy is growing up... off to college soon at this rate. Nothing gets by him, either. We've started enforcing a little more vegetable eating, as he's now old enough to understand that we sometimes have to do things we don't necessarily enjoy yet... but we try go "Popeye" on him and tell him that they will make him big and strong. So the other day (after like two peas, mind you) he says "No more peas- I'll be too strong". That's kind of like "It's your turn, Mommy" when he's done with whatever task is at hand, like cleaning his room. Too smart for me.

Mary

A Royal (pain in the) Arch

2008-06-08T21:12:00.003-06:00

Chalk this one up in the "it seemed like a good idea at the time" category, but we decided to haul over 60 lb (Ian and Maggie) on a hike up to the Royal Arch. This gem of a trail that begins at Chautauqua Park, scales 1450 ft in just 1.5 miles. On the way up, 1450 feet felt every bit as tall as the Empire State Building (1453 ft) and now I know why I took the elevator the last time I visited NYC. Okay, okay, so it wasn't so bad. In fact, it was a lot of fun. It was a perfect day full of sunshine and cool mountain temperatures. Ian climbed a good distance all on his own - often to the amazement of fellow hikers and his mom and dad. His favorites are climbing the big rocks and walking (running) across the wooden bridges. When he gets tired, he just hops in the pack with his water bottle and a bag of cheddar bunnies to recharge. He was very proud when we reached the Arch - proclaiming, "we made it to the top of the mountain!". Maggie took a couple of naps, tried to eat a pine cone and had no idea where she was. She definitely won the "youngest and most popular" award at the Arch that day. Mom had her doubts... questioning our parental judgment at times, but we all rallied and made it to the top. Once at the Arch, we refueled with water, trail mix and energy bars and then scampered back down the trail.

That same day, we also had our neighborhood block party. Ian didn't stand (or sit) still for 3 hours (this is after the Royal Arch hike!), pushing the speed limit of the plasma car, washing rocks with a garden hose, racing the other kids in his tricycle. He then biked back to our end of the street on his tricycle with his neighborhood buddy Ollie (another 2 year old boy on the block) - both boys had to be dragged into their respective houses kicking and screaming. Life just isn't fair sometimes... Time for another Advil and a cold beer to cap off this fantastic, albeit strenuous, weekend.

Signed... Matt

Yay for Christie!

2008-06-01T22:06:00.004-06:00

Christie is, of course, our neighbor and friend who loaned us (and ultimately sold!) her heavy-duty kid-carrier backpack that has allowed us to rediscover the joy of hiking in and around Boulder. That, and the fact that I'm not pregnant and overheated, we're not moving, and our kids are of ages that really, truly enjoy hiking. That backpack has changed our summer outlook for the better. I'm already feeling healthier for it! Check out the new photo album to the right- May 2008- it has some pictures of recent hikes and Grammy's retirement party. Those are only part of May's activities... the parts we managed to capture pictures of.

Well all this hiking has me worn out... goodnight!

2008-05-27T21:57:00.002-06:00

I wish our desktop computer wasn't on the fritz today... that's where all of our weekend pictures are, and though they are safely backed up, I can't post them until we can get to them. A shame, as it was quite a weekend!

Marilyn's retirement party was a success- Bacaro was great and I think the guest of honor enjoyed herself! The kids did really well, especially for being stuck in a restaurant for 3.5 hours! They must have behaved in honor of Grammy. Sunday we did a great hike, even if the trail was packed with tourists and lots of slushy snow, up to a beautiful waterfall in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park. Thanks Pops, for leading the way! Ian is turning into quite the little athlete. He hiked the WHOLE way up (almost a mile) plus climbed rocks to the top of the waterfall all by himself. He then made it back to Pinewood without falling asleep, and played for another 3 hours. This is after, mind you, he had walked around and all the way home from Pearl Street earlier that morning. The next day was the "Lazy man's Bolder Boulder"... we caught the race at North Street- the 4 mile mark! Ian RAN probably half to 3/4 of a mile, and rode the rest of the way in the backpack, while Maggie chilled out in the Ergo with me. It was drizzly, cold, and so much fun as always. Next year I AM RUNNING IT! If I put it in writing, it has to happen... Anyway, a busy, busy weekend- just how we're supposed to kick off the summer!

I have to mark this momentous occasion here- as inappropriate as it may be. Last weekend (5/19??) we were at PW when Ian announced he wanted to go pee on the potty (after taking his first solo shower- very cute)... not only did he pee (old news), but he POOPED! Big boy.

Maggie is getting so painfully close to crawling- my life is about to change. She scoots her little bottom all over the floor. You don't actually see her doing it. She looks like she's just playing, but before you know it she's maneuvered across the room. She is so funny. Between her *high* pitched squealing and her incredibly strong face grabs, she keeps you on your toes. She often does not want to be held, but down on the floor playing with Ian's cars or trains (or crocs). Favorite current food- mac-n-cheese (whose sister is she??). And don't you dare try to get anything out of her mouth (like cardboard- another favorite to chew).

Our house is clean. Not just neat and picked up.... CLEAN! My new best friends, Norma and her sister Nancy, made this house cleaner in 5.5 hours than it's ever been, at least in the two years we've been here! The house was not clean when we moved in, and then we proceeded to remodel a kitchen and play musical rooms for months on end. I can get it neat and parts of it clean (well, what I thought was clean), but they made the shower a shade of white I've never seen it. And the ceiling fans, and the baseboards, and the blinds, and the doors. The kitchen sparkled. The next day our carpets were cleaned, and I came home to heaven. Thank you Matty, for the best Mother's Day gift ever! It's already getting dirty again... but it doesn't matter. If would take two years to get as dirty as it was. When I go back to work they are going to have to come for regular visits. It's worth it.

Long-winded and picture-less... sorry!

A dose of reality

2008-05-12T15:59:00.003-06:00

Don't look now, but both Ian and Maggie have been sleeping for over 2 hours... that is the definition (in this house) of over-tired pups. We've had a few crazy weekends plus busy weeks in between, so it's about time they take a decent nap to catch up!

I've noticed that I don't feel like writing when we've been having a tougher-than-usual spell, and that makes sense, as it's not nearly as fun to write about tough days as it is good days. But if we're being honest, a journal should reflect all the days and remind us later that it's not all cake and ice cream, sometimes it's vegetables and water too (I prefer cake and ice cream). We need the latter to be healthy and to grow, and to appreciate the former:-)

For the last few weeks, we've been re-living our first weeks/months after Maggie's arrival- namely Ian's erratic sleep, stubborn attitude, "acting out", pushing the line of "gentle" with Maggie on a regular basis. Poor Nora, who has just also entered the world of two, is also bearing the brunt of an overly physical cousin. It has me pulling my hair out and shedding a tear or two (Am I doing the right things? Am I spoiling him, or being too hard on him? Am I too loosey goosey, or overly structured? Am I paying equal attention and sensitivity to both kids? It also brings back all that guilt that any mom may experience when bringing home a new little love to divide her attention). Who knows what spurs these things- for Ian it smells of physical and developmental growth- but it could also be a normal timeline as the little newborn turns into an almost-mobile baby. The truth is that we'll never know, we can just grit our teeth, read more books on how best to deal, and wait to return to our normal harmony. The trick is not expecting each day to be hard, because then it most certainly will be!

On the more usual, happy note- Maggie is trying SO hard to crawl. She won't sit long anymore, as she's flopping over to get onto her belly and reach for the toy just out of her reach. She's rocking on all fours, and just wants to go somewhere. I had a lovely Mother's Day, the highlight of which (aside from the great BBQ with the Hurleys and McQueens at Creekside in Estes) is my "maid for a day" present- I get someone to come do the deep cleaning and scrubbing that I just can't find time to do! Ahhhhh, I feel mentally healthier already.

May Mode

2008-05-04T20:55:00.006-06:00

We are so happy (all of us!) that Matt's first undergraduate course (statistics) was finished on Saturday- a 7:30 am final! But the end of his semester marks the beginning of MAY... the McQueens' favorite month in Boulder. The Farmer's Market is in effect, our CSA (community supported agriculture) starts in a few weeks, the Bolder Boulder, Boulder Creek Festival, Mothers' Day, birthday parties (Nora turns 2 this week- happy birthday Nora Bean!!).... it is a very fun month. The weather, though shaky the first two days of May, is looking good now. Spring cleanup for the yard, big plans for the house and landscape, and summer plans are underway. Most exciting... Daddy has decided that during the summer he needs to take off one morning per week so we can go explore the amazing hikes in and around Boulder. We start this Tuesday morning with the Tenderfoot loop on Flagstaff Mtn just a few miles out of town. I'm sure we'll post pictures of the best hikes we find.

See my beautiful Maggie above? That's her happy face (pretty much all the time), this time just happy to be watching me load her new dresser (thanks Grammy AND Gramma for your contributions :-) See below for the final product!) with her (huge) wardrobe of summer clothes! I think her eyes are looking more and more like her brother's!

This is Mr. I-won't-go-inside-and-I-won't-take-a-nap-all-day (Ian!) watering the lovely new planters Gramma planted for us. See Gramma, they do get watered (sometimes!). He's such a great helper, especially when it comes to water. This evening, after HOURS of working/playing outside (wouldn't even sit down for a movie), I wandered outside to eyeball him and found him laying in the wagon, with his pull-along wooden frog next to him, looking at the "stars" (wasn't dark yet) and telling "Le Frog" all about the sky. Too cute. That was after I caught him on video marching around the backyard with his American flag singing the CU fight song (note to self... you must figure out how to upload video to YouTube and post on your blog....)

Another fun weekend in paradise :-)

A rare but beautiful moment :-)

2008-04-30T14:25:00.002-06:00

Of course I am referring to the top photo, of Ian and Maggie actually snoozing at the same time (and without me snoozing in between them)! It doesn't happen often, but when it does it is sooooooo appreciated. I can't wait til they can co-sleep together at night- not too much longer in the big picture! I love having them (at least one of them!) safe next to me at night, but I'm looking forward to a full night's sleep, perhaps with Daddy next to me instead of a hungry little person!

Ahhhhh, spring has finally sprung around here. We went to the Buffs' spring game a couple weeks back, and Ian & Nora remembered just what to do. Ralphie V is in effect now, and she is a fast little girl! Check out the YouTube video of her trampling one guy and almost getting free! It was a gorgeous day and felt like it should be September already. Check out our Crabapple blossom at the bottom- Matt poignantly described the gorgeous tree as a "sculpture in a junkyard", since our summer landscaping projects have yet to begin! We have big plans, though...

We are missing Grandma this week- she came for a short visit and left on Sunday after a quick and beautiful trip to the zoo. Is it possible we have no pictures with Grandma?? What a shame. I'm not sure why I can't remember to take pictures of such visits... oh yeah, it's because we worked Grandma daily, from shopping, planting, to refinishing furniture! Not many photo ops there... but we did have a lovely tea with the girls at Dushanbe Tea House (Maggie knew exactly what to do, and enjoyed her crostini thoroughly). We missed Grandpa (he was probably afraid we'd put him to work too!).

Funny Ian stories.... around the time of the Spring game, Ian insisted one morning (in only his diaper) that I get out his REAL football helmet (from the highest shelf in his closet) and put it on his head. I did this, obediently, and he lifts it partway back up so his mouth is free and orders a drink of water. Apparently, he wanted me to squirt it into his mouth like the water girl he thinks I am! Nothing gets by this kid... even when you think he's not watching (or listening!)

Miss Maggie is her sweet-as-ever self. Noisy, chatty, happy, grabby, and now STRONG! She is pulling herself up on only my pinky fingers and is almost pulling herself up on the very same basket of toys Ian used for this purpose two years ago! She's finally enjoying eating a little more, but still no baby food. Toast, avocado, yogurt, banana, mango, blueberry inards, and did I mention she loves ice cream?? I'm shocked.

Not Frank Todaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy!

2008-04-17T10:53:00.004-06:00

That's become our morning ritual lately as we prep our grind-n-brew coffee pot to brew. You see, if you knew anything about Lightning McQueen, you'd know that Frank is the big, scary wheat combine that chases after Lightning and Mater after they go tractor tipping. So now, everything loud and sudden is "FRAAAAANK!!!!".... the vacuum and the coffee pot especially.

Miss Maggie's new morning noises include, much to Mommy and Daddy's delight, long sequences of smiley and drooly "Mamamamamamamama....." or "Dadadadadadadadadadadada.....". We don't care that she doesn't really assign those names to us yet, it's damn cute. She's got her second (SHARP, let me tell you!) bottom tooth and she's working on knawing toast and anything else with a nice texture she can find. Forget baby food, we want nothing to do with it! But neither did her brother so that's no surprise. Just yesterday she started reaching so far forward to get to a toy from a sitting position that she is pulling herself over. She hasn't shown much interest in crawling, but when she wants a toy she REALLY wants a toy, so I think one day she'll just do it. Problem is, when she pulls herself on to her belly she gets so mad that she's there that she just complains. Hopefully that will be motivation for her.

Notice Ian's new game in the pictures. The crashes are for fun, he actually never crashed believe it or not! He's gone through another huge physical and language developmental spurt- he's climbing and jumping from higher and higher spots, and is just so much more capable these days. Poor guy hasn't been feeling great for a month now, but hopefully with spring fully here and days getting warmer he can get and stay healthy. And btw, our new favorite store is Murdoch's ranch and home supply. Nothing better than baby chicks, tractors, and rail road ties to climb all in one place!

Off to find another adventure for today....

What a week!

2008-03-29T22:17:00.003-06:00

Maggie got her first tooth on Easter Sunday! We were at dinner at Rodizio in Denver and she was going crazy for this piece of really hard toast. She would scream every time she dropped it. In the car on the way home she was crank-0, so I reached back to rub her gums, which she likes. There it was, her first tooth! Bottom front right tooth!

Ian gave up napping this week... then started napping again. He did something like 6 days without a nap- not counting the one night he fell asleep in front of the TV at 5:30 and slept for an hour! He also fell asleep both times we got in the car after 4pm, but we didn't let him sleep longer than 15 minutes for fear of being up til 11pm. He was also sleeping restlessly at night, acting out every 2 minutes, and pushing every last button I have. Well, yesterday he started to snap out of it, and he emerged speaking in tongues- mastering a new level of language which we'll understand in a few more days or weeks! These developmental and physical growth spurts are painful for all of us, but we always emerge appreciating our sweet boy:-)

The most amazing news of the week.... Tiff, Jay, & Nora's house has gone under contract, and they are officially looking for a new one much closer to the action! We are so happy that they will be nearby... making playdates and everything else much easier and more frequent.

We picked up the CDs of our two photo sessions with Stacey, and there are so many amazing pics it's overwhelming. I have to figure out what do do with all of them, or at least my 100 favorites;-)

Mary

Cousins!

2008-03-19T21:55:00.002-06:00

We were lucky enough to have another photo shoot with my amateur friend who is very quickly turning pro! She really has an amazing eye, and technical talent too. I think we'll be paying her next time! This time Tiff and Nora came along too, and miss photogenic was a star as usual. So here they are: http://staceypotter.blogspot.com/2008/03/blog-post.html

ObamaMama

2008-03-18T22:43:00.004-06:00

Well I just watched Obama's speech from today, and am reminded why I have grown into a staunch supporter. If you'd asked me six months ago, I'd have said that I love Hillary, I loved the Clinton era, and would love to have Bill back in the White House. That's all still true, but I guess I've caught Obama fever because he has a way of restoring faith and hope in this country that I and so many others have lost belief in. I guess to sum up my feelings, there is nothing wrong with Hillary, but there is something so right about Barack! If you missed this speech, take the 15-20 minutes to read it or watch it. It is so refreshing!

So, back to the everyday happenings on North Street... Maggie got a new toy today- it is actually an exersaucer borrowed from our friends and neighbors, Lisa Sean and Wren. Ian was so excited about it that tried to drag it in the front door himself, and then when he woke up from his nap he could not stop talking about Maggie's big new toy. He helped me hose it off, dry it, carry it inside, and show Maggie every inch of it (to her delight, mostly).

The other night, after Ian stopped crying and complaining that Mommy was trying to read him books instead of Daddy, he told me he was hungry and wanted "maucamole" and chips. After trying to convince him otherwise (it was 9 o'clock at night, after all) unsuccessfully, i made him guacamole. He ate almost an entire avocado's worth, in bed. When he was all done, he leaned back on my legs, let out a little toot, and then we both started giggling uncontrollably. What the heck kind of bedtime ritual is this? Oh yeah, we have no ritual, because our little man is always shaking things up.

Sick-O

2008-03-15T21:28:00.002-06:00

Maggie and Mom seem to have escaped a nasty stomach bug that has been hanging out at our house all week. Ian started throwing up ("spitting out" as he calls it) last Saturday night, and then started in with awful diarrhea for the rest of the week. Matt came home from work on Monday and then got hit that night- it was not a fun night! He was home from work for two days- even missing class- something I can't remember him doing any time in the recent past. They are both better now, but still not 100%. The boys did make it to a basketball game with Grammy and Pops last night, while Maggie and I hung out at home and caught up on HGTV (so pathetic, I know).

A highlight of this week was discovering that Maggie now LOVES the Ergo! I had tried it a month ago and she was just not big enough for it, but now she is as happy as a clam in there- and my back is happier having a break from the Bjorn.

Another highlight- one evening this week, Ian asked Daddy if he was ready to crash at bedtime. That night, his first good night's sleep of the week, he woke up and said "I had a dream about my whole life- it was really nice". If that doesn't make a parent's heart swell, what will?

Anyway, just a quick note to document the week of the sick boys. All plans cancelled, and many movies watched- we did get The Bee Movie though! We're hoping for a healthier and much more fun week coming up.

Mary

It's time to be rational...

2008-03-08T21:58:00.002-07:00

When we woke up this morning, and Ian told me (mom) that "it's time to be rational", we decided that it is most definitely time to compile a list of Ian-isms....

The other day, Matt made a play-doh cell phone. Ian picked it up, and cradling it between his ear and his shoulder, said "Hey babe, how's it going?".

Last week, when I asked him if he wanted me to get him a bagel and some warm coffee (as opposed to hot coffee), he said "that would be lovely". That same day, as I tried out a new pair of clogs around the house, he said "Mommy, you have darling shoes". Where does he get this stuff?

At Grammy and Pops' house yesterday, he found an over-sized rubber duck on the patio. He sat on it and said - in a British accent- "Rita, I'm sitting on the duck"- as in a scene from his current favorite movie, "The mouse one" (Flushed Away). That brings me to movie titles.... "Move it Move it" is Madagascar (for he and Nora), and "Squirelly get the nut!" is Ice Age, the Meltdown, of course.

Ian's little sayings are getting more complex all the time- his sentences are often more than a dozen words now, and they make sense! His grammar is usually correct these days (when asked how he slept last night he'll often say "I slept well, I feel good now"). But it seems like just yesterday that his sayings were as simple as "rhino scary too?" (elephant scary too? glolilla scary too? polar bear scary too?.....). I think it all started with "Hey Dave, Hi Tom" in reference to our beloved contractors that worked on our siding, porch, and kitchen remodel. He then graduated to "yike it", while shaking his head no and scrunching up his little nose (likely to indicate disgust at something green on his plate). "Oy self", "See that again", "Mooooooooore" (with an upward lilt that might have caused some hearing damage), and "you ARE???" were other favorites along the way.

But we'll never, ever forget the famous "Guy Scary, 'POW'". This gem, that we heard over, and over, and over, was born when some admittedly creepy tall and skinny guy with a German accent, dressed up like a wild cat of some sort was dancing at the farmers' market one Wednesday evening last spring. To this day, I have not heard an equivalent blood-curdling scream from him. It darn near ruined our Wednesday evening meet-ups with Daddy at the farmers' market for the whole summer! But the "POW" part of this Ian-ism was created by Grammy, who, Italian to her core, offered to off this guy the next time she saw him. Thank God we never saw him again.

Every time Ian has a rough sleep and/or behavior patch, we are rewarded with new vocabulary and new acts for his repertoire. Now, little Maggie is trying her darndest to be heard amidst all this chatter. She is the LOUDEST baby you've ever heard! Her squeals are turning into consonant sounds now, and her giggles are contagious. I can't wait for the Maggie-isms to emerge!

I can't believe he got the egg...

2008-03-04T16:00:00.005-07:00

The cadbury egg, that is. When he wanted that egg sitting so sweetly on the counter, I told him- facetiously- that he could have it if he took a nap in his Lightning McQueen sleeping bag. He said "Oh, I can do that", and he crawled into that sleeping bag and fell asleep all by himself! Now, if you know Ian, you know that this is not something he has ever done, nor did we have hope that he ever would. It's one day, one nap, but a huge milestone. So we took a proud post-nap and post-cadbury egg picture!

The other thing we have to be proud of (and another milestone prodded by the promise of "chloklate") is that for three days in a row now the big man (Ian, not Matt) has gone pee-pee in the big potty (don't worry, Matt has too, but has gotten no chocolate for his accomplishment)! Our little man is growing up. Notice the double chin in the picture- he's been eating like he has a hollow leg, and that always means we're in the middle of another growth spurt. He's going to be taller than me soon.

Not to be diminished by her amazing big brother, Miss Maggie-bel has had her own accomplishments lately. She first sat up on Superbowl Sunday, but now, a month later, she's solid as a rock. She loves her new vantage point, and never complains when she topples over! She's also added baby oatmeal, bananas, and just today, applesauce to her menu. I can't believe how fast she is growing. We never had that "fog" to emerge from, like we did after our first 3 months of parenthood when Ian was born. This time, we had a toddler that just kept on going and so did we. It's been a totally different newborn and baby experience, and Maggie is so full of her own wonderful big personality that we just may have to do this again (just kidding Matt):-)

Proud Mama, signing off for today!

Lightning McGuido

2008-02-22T21:58:00.002-07:00

We've been on what can only be described as a 'Cars bender'. Hour after hour of tractor tipping, pit stops, jumps and big crashes. Cars when we wake up, Cars when we take a nap and Cars when we go to bed.

Finding the popular die-cast characters is no easy feat, but fortunately we have undercover operatives scattered throughout the Front Range. Grammy found the coveted Mater at an obscure Walgreens in Longmont and Cousin Nora has been scouting a Target down in Littleton. The collection is growing and we now have 'Rebbie' (Red), 'McGuido' (Guido), 'The Bus' (Filmore) and of course Lightning, Doc, Sheriff, Sally, Mater and Mack.

A few things to note if find yourself in Radiator Springs (aka somewhere near the bean bag in our living room): (1) Our vacuum is Frank (the angry combine) (2) Tractors are to be tipped on Ian's mark - no sooner, no later and (3) When opening Mack's trailer, you need to sing the first verse of the song 'Real Gone' by Sheryl Crow. Oh, and 'McGuido' sometimes flies around on a twisty straw.

Signed, 'Big Lightning' (aka Dad)

Picture Perfect

2008-02-20T21:57:00.000-07:00

Matt makes fun of me, but I have a thing for photographers. I don't know what it is, but I think I have this idea that they can capture some angle, look, moment, or something else that those who know us well can't. This is not always true, as Matt has taken some pretty awesome pictures of the kids, but I think there is some truth to it. Matt jokes that I think they are starving artists and I need to shovel money to them. But I guess I just like the opportunity of some great photos that will capture this particular moment in time. Anyway, when the opportunity came up through a parenting circle here in Boulder to have an amateur-turning-pro take some free shots of the kids, of course I did it! I think they turned out really nice.... here is the link to the photographer's blog to see the full selection:

http://staceypotter.blogspot.com/2008/02/maggie-5-months.html

She took like a million pictures, but these were her pick. She usually only posts a few from a session, but we were "so cute" that she posted a bunch:-) I'll take the kids back this summer (before she starts charging, of course!) and maybe Ian will be in a smiling mood. Of course, when you ask him to smile for a picture he scrunches up his face and may grace the camera with his special double-eye wink. You have to catch those smiles on the fly....

Mary

Me, a blogger??

2008-02-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

I've tried journals. I've tried baby books. I've tried photo albums. I'm hopeless at keeping up, and our babies' milestones, new words, and cute anecdotes are at risk of slipping by if I don't do something! I've never even written down our birth stories- not that I expect to forget them... So this is my attempt to document our relatively simple life in Boulder. I'm not sure what I'll write about on a weekly basis, but there's always something. Only we may find it interesting, but it may help us capture what matters... the little moments- happy, exciting, perplexing, sad, disappointing- that make up our life as a family. So Matt and I will occasionally update our page with current events, pictures, and our current thoughts on whatever we may be thinking about. Subscribe below, and never miss a beat:-)

Mary