Warm and Fuzzy Thoughts

I suck at homework

2012-02-06T20:16:00.001-07:00

my homework habits in high school were not the best, and, quite possibly, worse in college. I'd get the assignment, wait until 3 hours before the due date and scramble to finish the assignment on time. And, miraculously, I graduated with pretty good grades. And I even learned a few things along the way. Homework with my third grader is a struggle. And, honestly... did YOU ever have homework in elementary school? I don't remember ever having homework in elementary school. Anyway, I'm too much of a pushover. I allow our routine to get too busy, to put off homework for another night. To wallow around on the weekends in a no homework bliss... (okay, most weekends we rock the homework. This past weekend, however, we didn't). I feel like I'm contributing to my child's poor study habits that simply reflect my own backwards way of learning. When I'm energized and motivated we have great weeks, everyone sits at the table and gets their work done while I'm cooking dinner and we are a happy cohesive unit. But, then reality sets in, and I'm tired and my kids are grouchy and tired and then. THEN. homework is just so easy to set aside for another night.I just don't have the energy for a colossal argument, which the little buggars know. They can sense when I'm weak. When I'm ready to crumble. When I'll cave at the slightest provocation. I've really got to get my act together... I don't want my kids to suck at homework.

Blast from the past

2012-02-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

I spent a few moments today looking at old photos. This is from a few years ago camping over Memorial Day weekend in the rain. Time goes by so fast.

Happy Holidaze!

2011-12-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

Adi and cousin Rosie making holiday treats....

the doggies really wanted to be included in the festivities....

The Day After

2011-12-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

thanksgiving. We always drive up the Crystal River Road to the little town of Redstone, for their light up the night festival. We walk up and down the main street enjoying the holiday lights, the luminarias that line the street, the songs and sleighs and sights.

And then we make our way to the historic Redstone Castle, to meet Santa and tell him our hopes for the season.

And then we get some hot cocoa and go to the bonfire and sing carols. It's tradition. And I love it.

looking back

2011-11-05T23:17:00.000-06:00

I just found this delightful little note on Theo dated from March 2005, when he was just 1 1/2 years old... I think it must of been from when I had to go out of town for work for multiple nights. The first time leaving my boy!!! The trauma!!! The funny part is.. this is written to MY SISTER.

As if she needed detailed notes on how to take care of my kid.

Theo and Thumpie Dog March 2005

ha ha ha. I wonder what I will look back on five years from now and laugh at myself for...

e notes on Theo…

Evening Routine:

Early Evening:

Theo is usually very tired, hungry and thirsty when picked up from school. He usually has a sippy cup full of juice, milk or water for the car ride home.

Juice or milk if possible is the best option because

it will help him with the hunger issue until dinner is ready.

Dinner:

Dinner on school nights has got to be fast, instant food because Theo is SO hungry. Noodles, Hamburger, Meatballs, Peas, Carrots and Beans are on his current list of favorite foods.

Dessert is fine after dinner, although definitely a special occasion treat and not every night.

Ice cream, Frozen Yogurt Bars, Cookies and Chocolate are favorites…

After Dinner:

Bathtime helps the bedtime routine and Theo loves taking a bath. The water can be quite warm and he is having fun lately with splashing, pouring and putting his face in the water.

He still has a hard time balancing in the water

so please don’t leave him alone in the bathtub (Mommy paranoia).

To rinse shampoo out of hair I generally either lay Theo flat on his back, holding his hand and rub water over the hair or I count to three before pouring water over his head

(which he doesn’t like and will stand up after you do this).

After Bathtime is time to brush teeth, which Theo really enjoys and then storytime, generally reading a favorite book two or ten times (depending on the night).

After Stories, Theo usually will get his yellow blankie and nanny

and is ready for a bottle sometime between 7 and 8 pm.

Bedtime:

Theo always has a full 8 ounce bottle of warmed milk before bedtime. It’s our time to snuggle at the end of the day… after bottle time then it’s off to bed which means that I carry Theo to his crib, lay him down, cover his face with the yellow blankie, give Theo a “nanny”, cover his body with a big blanket, give him a good night kiss and walk out of the room (after turning off the light). Theo is very good about falling to sleep on his own and generally will fall right to sleep. If Theo wakes up in the middle of the night, he usually just needs to be laid back down, given the nanny and yellow blankie and a repeat of “good night, it’s time to sleep now”.

Occasionally Theo has a more difficult time after waking up in the middle of the night

and might need something extra before falling back to sleep.

This might include another bottle, some snuggle time or just a little back rub…

good luck if it is one of those nights!

Morning Routine:

Waking Up:

Theo generally wakes up around 6:00 and 6:20 am. I will bring him into bed with me and we’ll snuggle for another hour before getting out of bed. Theo enjoys a little breakfast snack right way: Yogurt, Cheerios and Applesauce are all time favorites.

He’ll want to have an early morning snack around 10 or so…

Naptime:

Theo really needs at least one nap a day and generally falls asleep between 10:30 and 12:00 and sleeps for anywhere from 40 minutes to 3 hours.

Generally the radio is on, tuned to NPR to create background noise during nap time.

Theo should be allowed to sleep as long as he needs to and not be woken up…

We also sometimes go for a morning stroller ride which generally will mean there will only be one nap,

around 11 or so.

I hope these little notes help out a bit and have a GREAT TIME with the boy!!!

Camping Spring 2005
Have you ever done something like this
and then looked back on it a few years later only to think,
"egads! What was I thinking?!?!"

Trick or Treat

2011-10-31T20:37:00.000-06:00

Trick or Treat

with the West End Village trick or treat gang....

don't blink, you might miss it...

2011-07-15T20:49:00.000-06:00

it's been happening to me a lot lately. I'll be driving along, or walking along, or riding my bike along (you get the picture) and I'll be in a rush because I'm late picking up the kids from camp, or late getting back to open my childcare in time, or mentally checking off the list of things that need to get done (and, right now, that list is pretty big, with moving and all), or coming back from the grocery store and trying to decide how fast I can put all the groceries away because we are late for a BBQ, or somehow being distracted from life because of how... hectic. crazy. busy. insane. my life is right now. And then the light will be filtering through the trees just so.... or the clouds will be settling around the sleeping giant's head preparing for an amazing sunset... or the scent of wild rose will sweep me away... or the full moon will rise over the mountain. And suddenly time stops for a moment or two. And I think, right now. this very second. it's almost too beautiful to comprehend.

life. is. amazing.

MY LIFE is amazing!

I am so lucky. SO VERY LUCKY. and I love life.

and I want it to be just like this forever. this one moment in time. And I don't want to blink or breathe because the spell will be broken. And I glory in it all for a second or two. And then I come up to a stop sign. Or a horn honks somewhere. Or my kids get rowdy in the back of the car... or something.

And life goes on. and the beautiful moment has passed. sigh.

but it's left a warm and fuzzy feeling inside of me that goes on and on and on...

ahhhh summer! It's heaven.

the sunset tonight... fun with silhouettes

2011-06-03T07:16:00.003-06:00

The Rainbow Spectrum

2011-03-27T22:49:00.000-06:00

Adi had the idea first. She was laying on the floor of the living room so that the rainbow that was a result of the sun shining through the prism hanging in the window splayed across her arms. "Look Mom!" she cried in delight, "Granny is hugging me!" It was a few weeks after our Granny had passed away and we had brought the prisms that her hanging in her home to our house. To hang in our windows. And then when they made rainbows we all said that Granny was visiting us, through the rainbows. Adi moved just a bit, and the rainbow slipped across her body and hugged her smile. I took a picture.

The rainbow spectrum project was born. I started taking photos of children in rainbows, loving the way that the rainbows played across the faces.

I'd love to be able to set up a photography studio that could help me take rainbow portraits. I bet with some help from an experienced light guy, we could make some GREAT rainbows (think as big as a garage) to have people stand in... I'm seeing a maternity shoot with a mama's expecting belly covered in an enormous rainbow.

I'd love to photograph all ages of people in my rainbows..... imagine what a 90 year old woman's face would look like with a rainbow covering it...

I'd love to hang a photograph show somewhere in town that is labeled "The Rainbw Connection"

for the lovers, the dreamers... and me.

Saturday Morning

2011-03-26T10:29:00.000-06:00

Saturday Morning

Sleeping in.

Coffee.

Newspaper.

N P R

Waffles & Maple Syrup

Sunlight making rainbows on our walls...

aaaahhhhhh.

Happy Weekend.

busy?

2011-03-23T11:02:00.001-06:00

sheesh. Only two posts this year? Where have I been? And it's already almost the end of March! This year is flying... and I mean FLYING by. At lightening fast speed.
Let's do a little catch up....

Fred Underfoot says "HI"

Theo got his appendix taken out at the beginning of January. January 7th to be exact. A *great* way to start the new year...

it's been snowing. a lot.

we went out to visit Carlito, the horse who was rescued. He's doing great and is very sweet. He got adopted by a great family who just lost their family horse. Yae for Carlito!

Adi finally mastered the Poma at Howelsen Hill.

And had her birthday party at Howelsen Hill, a skiing party.

The banana split cupcakes,(with cherries!), were her favorite part...

Jenny's been having fun "protecting her flock". Really she is such a gentle soul. We are so lucky to have her a part of our family.

Theo had fun playing hockey this year. He missed the season finale because he tore the ligaments on his growth plate. Another trip to the emergency room (that's three so far).

We tried to catch some leprechauns... but they got away.

Snoopy, our nine year old guinea pig, died. We are very sad, but know he had a good life.

We'll miss the little squeaker.

Life goes on.

The snow is melting.

I'll try to post a little more frequently.

Happy Spring.

Animal Cruelty

2011-01-26T21:41:00.002-07:00

Meet Carlito

Carlito is a 15 year old Peruvian Paso gelding that was discovered starving to death and extremely neglected this week in my county. My friend is a horse vet and she discovered Carlito on Wednesday and immediately took action to remove poor Carlito from the horrific conditions that were killing him. The idea of starving to death while trying to survive outside in a Colorado winter is haunting me. This animal has suffered. And it is a human's fault. This kind of carelessness and thoughtless disregard for life causes me endless sadness at the human race. We are so cruel.

So, I've decided to help in some small way, to help Carlito have a better life. Currently Carlito is recovering at Sydney Peak Ranch until he is well enough to travel to Mountain Valley Horse Rescue in the Eagle valley. He needs donations to cover his recovery expenses. So I am supporting a fundraising effort that has been started to cover these expenses. Please donate money! All proceeds will go to a fund that has been set up to help pay for Carl’s road to recovery. Monetary donations can be mailed to “Carlito” 3001 S. Lincoln Ave, Suite E, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487. Carl is currently recuperating at Sydney Peak Ranch. The web link for Mountain Valley Horse Rescue is: http://www.mvhr.net

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T11:49:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year, originally uploaded by DQmountaingirl.

so much to look forward to this year... I hope I'll be buying a house this year. Adi will be starting Kindergarten, Theo will be in third grade. I have such a feeling of hope and optimism for this upcoming year. Bring it on.
I hope you have a great year too!

Trick or Treat

2010-11-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

this year we drove to Carbondale so we could go house to house trick or treat. See, in Steamboat, main street is closed down and everyone heads downtown for some fun. Kids trick or treat from store to store, teenagers roam around in large throngs, families dress up in theme costumes. It's fun, a lot of fun. Buuuuuuut, I thought it might be fun for Theo and Adi to experience the house to house tradition of trick or treat. So, we drove to Carbondale and went off on an adventure. Adi was the Sugar Plum Fairy. Theo was a white ninja, but was very envious of Adi's lollipop magic wand. We stopped at Barbara's house first (of course) and then with a few friends in tow, we set off. And it was fun. Quiet, calm, a somewhat less..... chaotic experience. Adi loved it, she said she wanted to do house to house trick or treat every year. Theo.... wanted the lollipop magic wand. When we got back home and I saw the pictures of the fun that everyone had in Steamboat I was a bit wistful of what we had missed. But, house to house was fun too. ... what about in your town? How does your family celebrate Halloween?

Reading Between The Lines

2010-10-31T22:35:00.001-06:00

I went on a hike today with Theo, Adi, Babes (Gramma's dog) and Jenny (our dog). We walked the mushroom loop trail which is a pretty good hike in Carbondale. You wander through Juniper and Ceder forests and walk over semi-exposed sandstone. Beautiful. About halfway up the trail Theo found a little sandstone shard that he thought was cool because he could write his name with it. He carried the rock along the trail while hopping along the sandstone and hanging from all available branches (boys will be boys). When we were almost to the top of the trail, about 45 minutes later, Theo tripped over an exposed tree root and lost his sandstone shard. And lost it. Totally. Theo was sprawled out on the dirt crying and wailing and finally I said, "Come on Theo, it was just a little rock, we'll find another one." Which made Theo cry even harder. "You don't get it Mom," he screamed at me, "that rock was really special. I really liked it. I won't be able to replace it. I lost my favorite rock... I lost my best friend... I've lost everything!" Ohhhhhhh, I understand. I sighed and sat down on a big sandstone rock overlooking the Crystal River Valley and the little "Happy Valley" town of Carbondale. I invited Theo to sit with me and he did, where he silently sobbed into my shoulder. Theo's BFF has decided that Theo is no longer his friend. It's been happening over the last month or so and Theo's been crying daily after school. He's been waking up in the middle of the night crying and wanting to be held because of it. He hasn't been wanting to go to school anymore because of it..Not only does the BFF not want to play, sit with, talk to or associate with Theo anymore, but the rest of Theo's school gang are no longer playing with him either. They are siding with the BFF. When they organize games on the playground there is no room for Theo. When he asks to play they say, "Sorry, the game is full" or "Sorry, this is only a three person game." So... Theo has lost his entire social network. He says he goes and sits under the playground all by himself. It breaks my heart and I've been feeling so helpless in supporting Theo through this aweful school experience. What words can help him feel better. I understand the pain. The feelings of rejection, loneliness, hurt, anger and sadness that my boy is going through. But, I haven't been able to help. It is useless to say, "Go play with someone else" because that doesn't acknowledge Theo's feelings of loss. I mean, the BFF has been such an important part of our lives up until now. They met in the same infant room at preschool and have been connected at the hip ever since. Thousands of playdates, sleepovers and phone calls later, the BFF can't easily be brushed off. It's too intense of a relationship. That's what I sat thinking about up there on that rock with my boy... I was really wanting to let him know that he was entitled to feel loss. pain. sadness. anger. hurt. rejection. lonliness. fear. So, I started talking about relationships in life. Theo just sat hanging his head and listening. I talked about how when people are older they have boyfriends and girlfriends and how it feels when (in my case) your boyfriend breaks up with you. Or why you might want to break up with your boyfriend. I talked about how long it takes after a big "break-up" to get back on your feet and really function or jump back into the dating pool. I talked about what happens when somebody gets married and what it means to be married. How you commit to spend the rest of your life with that person. And, when that doesn't happen then there is something called divorce. I talked about how it feels to go through a divorce (my parents got divorced when I was 12). How painful it is for everyone involved. How you think the world is ending. I told Theo that I thought that was probably how he was feeling... how I felt when my parents got divorced or when my boyfriend broke up with me. I talked to him about feelings of loss and betrayel. I talked to him about how good it feels to cry and talk about it and let those feelings out. And then Theo started talking. About how no other friend will know him as long as the BFF has. How hard it is when people say, "There isn't any room for you." We talked. And talked and talked. And then we just sat staring at Mount Sopris, big and beautiful in the distance. And then we talked about life after the break-up. How life goes on. And it's hard. so hard. but, it gets better. And it takes a long time, but, eventually, things will get better. And new friends will be made (but won't replace that special place we have in our hearts for the BFF's). And girlfriends will come. And life will happen. We talked about how Theo's relationship with me is forever (another adoption emotional quagmire), how his relationship with Adi is forever and how even though they bicker at times, how they will always be there for each other. We talked about how even though Granny has passed away and we miss her so much, a part of her is still with us and we keep her spirit alive and that is what a "forever" kind of relationship means. We hugged.
And then we hiked off the mountain and went back home to go trick-or-treating. And tonight, in the bathtub, Theo said, "Thanks a lot Mom, I feel so much better about everything now."
And that's what I get for reading between the lines.
I hope my boy survives 2nd grade...

A Haunting

2010-10-22T15:33:00.000-06:00

Beware!

The ghosts are out!

Boo! Happy Halloween!

My baby is sick

2010-10-01T21:52:00.000-06:00

blech. I hate it when my kids get sick... and the fever spikes at night... and their cheeks are flushed and they are too hot to cry and they just sit there rasping for air with dull half lit eyes. I hope the motrin kicks in soon.

I'd rather my girl was looking like this:

A Retrospective

2010-10-01T00:10:00.000-06:00

It all started one day, seven years ago, with a phone call from my social worker. "There's a baby up at the hospital. I don't know anything yet, I'm on my way up there right now but I'm pretty sure this baby needs a mama. Can you be this baby's mama?" Why Yes.
Yes I can.
Please.

Oh Please Please Please Please Please!

And then I went into the nursery at the hospital and this little baby boy was placed in my arms.

And my wishes came true. And I became a mom.

To this little guy.... isn't he cute?

We had a lot of fun together...

When Theo was one, we had fun in the sun and the snow.... we visited our Minnesota cabin and took nice long doggie walks in the mountains around our town. We grew.

When Theo was two we camped up the Oregon coast (playing in the great big sandbox) and went skiing...

And Theo became a big brother, overnight (such is the way with adoption). From the very first second that Theo met his sister, he has loved her. Although a bit confused at HOW a baby came into our lives "Mama went to the grocery store and bought a baby for me.", Theo loved Adi from the beginning...

When Theo turned three, his enthusiasm for life was contagious. I always loved this picture of my three year old boy. I think it shows his personality so perfectly....

At four, Theo and his best friend became enthralled with BUZZ LIGHTYEAR. And other superheros. One time, Theo jumped off of a large brick wall and, after landing and rolled, stood up and said, "Look Mom, I didn't even break my wing (arm)." I was constantly telling Theo to stop jumping off of things or he would break a leg. or arm. or wing. or whatever. He never did stop jumping, but he has never broken a leg (yet) either....

When Theo turned six, it snowed on his birthday. Boy was he excited! Theo loves winter... and summer. And most anything outdoors where he can run, shout, jump and play.

At six, Theo still loves the outdoors, is loving (most of the time) towards his sister and loves his dog, Jenny.

My boy turned seven today. It's gone by so fast. Full of great times, some worry and anguish, happy times and sad times. It's been an adventure. And I am so lucky to be sharing it...

Happy Birthday Theo. Mommy loves you, so very much. Thank-you for making my life so full.

Fall Foliage

2010-09-26T19:09:00.000-06:00

we spent the weekend camping in the northwest corner of Colorado, enjoying the annual display of fall colors. the best part of camping? my kids love each other when we get back home. It lasts at least an hour. lol.

this was the view we woke up to from our tent. I loved how the reflection in the water was brighter than the actual image. What a wonderful way to wake up. And, even better, I was served coffee in my sleeping bag. I sat sipping my coffee, watching Adi sleep and taking in this gorgeous view.

after breakfast we got the canoe out and paddled around. The trees were just glowing with color. What a great way to spend the week-end!

The Toth Feree

2010-09-18T00:51:00.002-06:00

Dear Toth Feree,
I lost a toth.

Pleese send 2$85.

Thak-you. Love, Theo

Scrub Oaks

2010-09-16T21:57:00.002-06:00

Pam and Ella

there is just something about the fall... the cooler air, frost on the windshields, harvesting from the garden, enormous sunflowers, canning and making jellies and whatnot, fall leaves and birdseed and, most of all the glorious "crazy quilt" of colors that transform the emerald green mountains around my little mountain town into a celebration of everything that is good about life. and not wanting to miss one second of it by being indoors. It happens every year just when the scrub oak trees turn to maroon and russet and the little acorns turn brown and pop off the trees (to the absolute delight of my children), I start thinking of my friend Pam. When I moved back to my hometown after college in my late twenties, I started working at a local preschool, Kinderhaus. Pam was the cook. We instantly became friends. shared tea and cooking recipes, taking our dogs for long ambling doggie walks and talking about... life. And laughing. And crying. And crafting. We followed each other to another preschool in town and became teachers together. There is something about teaching preschool with someone. If it's a good relationship it bonds you to that person, forever. We explored favorites like Bev Bos and Steve Spangler. We laughed over dirty diapers, two year old tantrums, sledding mishaps. We christianed "The Momma Tree" and spent many hours underneath her (she's been cut down now) with small children, showing them how to wonder at the world. We painted, glued, sang and danced. I will never forget Pam teaching me how to dance the RIGHT way to Ernie's (of Ernie and Bert from Sesame Street) favorite song "Doing the ooh ooh Pigeon". I cried when Pam's life took her away from our little valley. And, we kept in touch. I visited her, she visited my cabin. She wrote much more than I did (I'm so bad at that). I was a little envious when Pam became pregnant, getting to be a Mommy before me, which is something that I SOOOO wanted. But I was so excited for her too. And then, just a few months after Pam had her beautiful baby, Ella, Theo came unexpectedly into my life and there we were, two friends who, really, should be raising their kiddos together but were seperated by a few states. And then Pam moved again. To Maine.

Pam's view of Maine

So far away. But, still, we kept in touch. And laughed over the phone. And then facebook came along and now, at least, we can touch each other's lives daily. And we WILL go visit her someday. I'm saving up money now (it will take a few years, and I want my kids to really be old enough to remember it) But, still, whenever the scrub oaks turn to that beautiful dark red color, I really start missing my friend Pam. and wishing that Colorado and Maine were just a little bit closer together.

We Play.... color mixing with milk

2010-09-13T22:34:00.005-06:00

We're talking about fall colors around here... the leaves are just beginning to transform from green to yellow, orange, brown and red. In honor of this yearly event, we've been exploring colors and how they can change when mixed with another color. And then I came across this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPFwDaR1g70&feature=fvw
really cool you tube video that showed me how to do color mixing with milk. So we did. It was pretty neat. You can do it too... here's how:
Materials needed: shallow dish (clear works well), food coloring, dish soap, milk.

Step One:

Pour milk to cover the bottom of the dish. Place drops of food coloring around the edge of the dish.

Step Two:

Add a drop of food coloring to the middle of the dish.

Step Three:

Prepare to be amazed....

And then, just for fun? I dropped a drop of yellow and blue food coloring into everyone's milk and guess what? It made GREEN... wow. what fun!

This post is linked up to the Childhood 101, We Play Tuesday.

Come play with us

Just a few photos of my babies

2010-09-12T22:19:00.001-06:00

I haven't posted anything in awhile, my computer got a virus and crashed and I didn't have it for three weeks (!) and I've been playing catch up ever since... but these photos were too cute to pass up. Happy Monday!

Growing up... otherwise known as premature empty nest syndrome...

2010-07-25T17:35:00.002-06:00

It's been a big week for Theo... on Thursday my baby left for his very first overnight camping trip without me, but with his summer daycamp. He was so excited. So very excited. And, aside from the lost SPORK and the entire spilled canister of mosquito repellent in his clothes bag (the smell may never come out of some of his clothes) he had an amazing time. He got to whittle a stick, make s'mores around a campfire, go on a few hikes and swim at a few beaches... his best friend Toby shared his tent with him. These are the only things I know about his time at camp, but it sounds wonderful. Perfect. What a summer should be.
And now, two days later.. I packed up my boy and sent him off in the wee morning hours with Uncle Terry to spend the week in Aspen. When we were packing last night and talking about all of the fun things he was about to go do, Theo counted the days he would be gone from me, gave me a big hug and said, "it's just that I love you so much. So so much." and then he went and got his blankie and packed it too. This morning he was so delighted to be traveling in a car that had a DVD player (!) that he completely forgot to say good-bye. *sniff* I'm sure he'll be fine, better than fine even. My boy, after all, is growing up. Maybe just a little bit too fast.
On the flip side, Adi and I are having tons of fun one on one time together. Today we played with the Pollys (polly pockets), took a hike up Emerald Mountain and now we are getting ready to go to the pool for a little after dinner dip. It's been a good week for her too...

The Great American Watermelon Hunt

2010-07-13T01:08:00.000-06:00

Every year around the Fourth of July I plan a treasure hunt for the kids. And the treasure? A watermelon. What could be better when you are hot and tired on summer's day!
Here we are just starting out...

And then, the hunt began... and we started looking for the clues that had been planted all around town. By the big elk...

By the gazebo in the park...

Thank goodness there were people along that already knew how to read. They were a BIG help...

We passed by old friends, like Hazie in front of the library. (the clue was behind her book on her lap)

We crossed bridges...

We looked all around local springs...

And down by the train tracks...

We climbed over sculptures....

Through the long grass....

And along the bike path...

We had to take some breaks because it was SO hot and SO hard....

But in the end, it was worth it. Because WE FOUND A WATERMELON!!!!!

And we ate it...

And it was good.

This post has been linked to Childhood 101's WE PLAY weekly blog on play. Check it out!

Sleeping Giant

2010-07-11T22:20:00.000-06:00

just wondering when the giant will awake...

We Play Dino Monopoly

2010-07-05T22:10:00.000-06:00

well, it was raining today and so we pulled out a Monopoly game that one of my friends had brought over. I was hesitant to use it with my little group of four year olds because... it takes too long.... it's too complex...it's too "commercial"... I have seen other "Junior" versions of games and haven't like them at all. Buuuuuut Adi had noticed it in the corner the other day and was begging me to play it so we did. And I loved it, every little part of it.

First of all the board is small and simple. And the properties tell about different kinds of dinosaurs. The property cards tell all about that dinosaur. It was really important for everyone to know if they had just bought a meat eater or plant eater. One person decided to just buy meat eaters which proved to be an interesting strategy.

The money was fun for everyone to count out, exchange, use to BUY things with, have to pay out and make change with. What a great math activity!

Taking turns was important. Bartering happened. Social networking.....

The game didn't take too long to finish...

We learned A LOT about dinosaurs. Some people definitely left with a peaked interest in dinosaurs.

We had fun. And that rainy day? Zoomed away.

Find more great PLAY ideas at the WE PLAY link-up...

“Come play at the Childhood 101 We Play link up”

Colorado National Monument

2010-06-16T15:16:00.002-06:00

We drove four hours to deliver Gramma's bike to her for Ride the Rockies,

a seven day Colorado bike tour. And my friend who we were going to stay with cancelled at the last minute...

So, I threw the camping stuff in the back of the van and we camped.

At Colorado National Monument.

What a hidden gem!

The campground was gorgeous, small and filled with families...

there were other kids around for Adi and Theo to play with.

The views were spectacular...

The hiking trails were great for kids!

We were in the DESERT!!!!!

My kids got to experience the thrill of scaling standstone like spiderman... (and loved it)

if you are ever by Grand Junction, Colorado visit Colorado National Monument.

Dress Up OUTSIDE

2010-05-31T23:30:00.004-06:00

Come play at the Childhood 101 WE PLAY link up!

Finally the weather is nice enough for us to venture outside. We've all loved rediscovering the joys of playing in the yard and I've been busily packing away winter clothes (finally!). Due to a happy accident of leaving a tub of halloween costumes uncovered in a sudden spring storm while rearranging the storage shed, we went through our halloween dress-up clothes (to sort, dry and put away) and had OH SO MUCH FUN playing with the dress-up clothes outside. Try it sometime. It's so much fun.

The wicked witch chasing small children.... bwaaa haaa haaa haaa

The wicked witch visits the fairytale cabin in the woods...

Out for a little horseback ride....

Purple Hair? I don't care!

http://www.childhood101.com/

Truck Painting

2010-05-25T08:42:00.007-06:00

Our town is under siege by road construction. The main road through town is being repaved, and traffic is being diverted, rerouted and delayed. Everyone is grumbling about the chaos, added time to busy schedules and common courtesy to fellow drivers. Everyone, that is, except the children. They love seeing the big machines tearing up the roads and making new roads. They love the noise, the crowds...the BIG TRUCKS. In celebration, we've been playing with trucks. I added dirt to the sensory tub and added trucks. The sandbox has been a bustle of road construction activity. We've drawn roads on paper. And, today, we painted with truck tires. Here's how to do truck painting:

Pour paint into a tray, we used the three primary colors (Red, Yellow and Blue) to encourage color mixing.

Add small cars and trucks, look for cars that have interesting tire tracks.

Paint away.

Sound effects are helpful.
This post has been added to Childhood Magic's We Play blog.
Please click here to see more play ideas:

http://www.childhood101.com/2010/05/we-play_2.5.html

Potty Training

2010-05-07T23:07:00.004-06:00

Well, sitting zombie like in front of the computer before bedtime and I'm thinking I should write a post.
This morning while cleaning up the endless pee accidents (thank god it was just that) of potty training two less than inspired boys (but their parents are inspired to have them be potty trained) I thought up the perfect "vent" blog. I had it all layed out in my head. How I was going to go over some successful potty training techniques and some not so successful potty training techniques. I was going to add some encouraging words of advice and a few warnings. I was wondering if I could go back and actually find those cute pictures of my kids sitting on the potty when they were going through the process, and add them to my perfect potty training blog. And, as I was leaning over the toilet bleaching the heck out of the underside backside of the toilet where boy pee ends up puddeling, I was thinking of adding the sage words of advice, spoken from Bear in "The Big Blue House" (no kid these days even knows who "Bear" is) which is: "If you THINK you have to go potty you probably DO have to go potty!" Anyway, I was thinking of all this and then I washed my hands with really hot soapy water. It was soothing. warm, nice. Kindof like a mini spa treatment. And then I forgot all about my blog rant. Because, by then, it was lunch time and I needed to go cook lunch.

Happy Friday, have a nice weekend.

The Best – and Worst – Places To Be a Mother

2010-05-05T15:04:00.000-06:00

Just read about this report, and I must say... I agree! Six or eight weeks is not a long enough maternity leave! I have friends who have died in childbirth. Thank GOD I've never known a child to die before the age of 5... but come on America! Let's change!

The Best – and Worst – Places To Be a Mother

Earth Day

2010-04-25T16:48:00.001-06:00

Earth Day, originally uploaded by DQmountaingirl.

we picked up trash along the Yampa River. during a slush storm. Happy Birthday Mother Earth!

Poochie Paddle

2010-04-24T11:55:00.003-06:00

Every spring the local pool empties out the water to scrub, clean and paint. On the day before the pools are emptied, there is a fundraiser event for the local humane society called "the Poochie Paddle".

In the last few hours that the pools are opened, the people are kicked out and the dogs are let in, paying an entrance fee that goes directly to the Humane Society.

It's a great fundraiser and a lot of fun. The dogs seem to like it too. Because Jenny is not a swimming dog, we take Gramma's dog, Babes.

Another Fun Mess

2010-04-22T19:41:00.001-06:00

SHAVING CREAM PAINT
directions:
fill muffin cups (or other containers) with shaving cream.
add copious amounts of fingerpaint

(go to http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/ for the best preschool art supplies)
we used glitter fingerpaint
find a surface to paint
and go for it.

the neat thing about shaving cream fingerpaint is that the colors don't immediately mix.

True Smiles

2010-04-21T15:45:00.002-06:00

What on earth happened to make my children smile like that?

I told a joke? nope.

Bribes of lollipops for good picture bahavior? As if!

Pure joy of being together as a family enjoying a doggie walk through the forest?

Ha!

Someone farted! And I'm not tellin' who.

Sycamore Falls 5

2010-04-18T17:45:00.001-06:00

Sycamore Falls 5, originally uploaded by Kaibab National Forest.

This was my college stomping ground.... .ahhh. There is nothing quite as wonderful as wondering around the canyons of Northern Arizona with your buddies. And finding PHENOMINAL swimming holes. It makes for good memories.

tattoo belly

2010-04-17T23:46:00.002-06:00

I love doing maternity shoots.

It reminds me that I used to do art every day. And loved it.
And, I miss it.

Thanks Kate, for the fun day!

Being just like Mommy...

2010-02-08T14:30:00.004-07:00

"When I'm a grown-up I can drink iced tea and coffee and make beds and feed the baby and play with anything I want to and go shopping with my own cart and eat salads when other people are eating other food and do the dishes and help Theo with his homework and take pictures with a camera and make rice and popcorn.

When I'm a grown-up I can do anything I want to..."

Spoken by Adi, five days before her Fourth Birthday.

Happy Birthday Sweet Pea!

Playing on flickr

2010-01-05T08:32:00.002-07:00

I've been learning lots about photoediting on a flickr mentoring site. Scooterpeg did this edit of Theo, what do you think? She cloned out the dog hairs, did the black and white conversion and made the eyes pop. I love it. I wish the nose wasn't so washed out, but that is my only, small, complaint. I can't wait to take my photoediting class!

Our nightly advent

2009-12-16T08:59:00.005-07:00

Last year we did one of those advent calenders you buy at the store that have little pieces of cheap chocolate behind doors that you eat every night. This year I wanted to reduce the sugar intake while still celebrating the days leading up to christmas. So, we came up with an advent activity chain.

I typed out 25 activities on paper that had a holiday design on the back.

We cut the paper with activities printed on them into strips

We made paper chains and numbered the chains.

Every night we rip off one of the chains and do the activities.

Activities like: Eat by candlelight...Go ice skating...Make cookies...We've done MOST of the activities. Although there was one night when I was sick, we didn't make potatoe latkes and applesauce. But, so far, it's been fun. I think we'll do it again next year.

Over The River

2009-11-30T09:12:00.006-07:00

We went to Granny's house for Thanksgiving. Or, should I say now, our house. We've been going a lot ever since Granny passed away unexpectedly on St. Patrick's Day. I wonder if other people think it's odd that we go to her house for Thanksgiving... something that has been a tradition in our family. We did the things we always do...

visit with her best friends: Barbara, Monk and Marie.

We celebrated Cisco's birthday.

We cooked a BIG turkey, and had many many people for dinner...

We went to visit Santa in Redstone the day after Thanksgiving.

We watched a little football on TV and played a few games.

We all got along surprisingly well.

We even did some new things...

Grampi came with us this year.

We had a campfire down on our new beach.

It was a good "mini-vacation". Happy Thanksgiving!

Alphabet Pancakes

2009-11-14T14:25:00.005-07:00

Adi's friend Sunny slept over for the first time. The girls are getting so big! And we celebrated by having Alphabet Pancakes for breakfast.Here's how you do it:
Make the batter:
In a blender mix together:

1 1/2 Cups flour

3 T. sugar

1 3/4 t. double acting baking powder

2 whole eggs

3 T. melted butter

1 1/4 C. milk

The trick is to make the batter as smooth and lump-free as possible. Then pour the batter into a ziplock bag, snip a tiny tiny hole in one corner. After heating the griddle, write away. Older kids can make their own...

Happy Eating.

And then, we went sledding!

Wishes Do Come True

2009-09-29T23:19:00.004-06:00

October 28, 2003
Theo came into my life rather unexpectedly on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 five hours after he was born. As many of you know, I have been suffering the emotional roller-coaster of foster care/adoption for about six years now and recently had experienced numerous heartbreaks within the process. Here is our story:
Em moved out of my life (at the age of eight) after being in it for six years and I felt incredibly empty and sad. I realized that I could be a parent, even a single parent and that I really wanted to be a parent. So, with the completed Foster/Adopt packet that had been started with Em, I decided to formally pursue a permanent adoption. I had been talking with a social worker in Boise, Idaho about a 13 year old girl whom the Idaho Department of Human Services was very interested in having me adopt. On Monday I came to the agonizing decision that this was not the child for me and made the heartbreaking phone call to her social worker to inform her of my decision. That night, after work, I went for a long walk up Emerald Mountain with my dog. Toward the top, I found a large rock overlooking the Yampa Valley and sat on it to enjoy the spectacular fall colors and to watch the sun set. When the first star popped out of the evening sky, I made a wish. I wished for a child. A forever child. My child. Please.
Tuesday morning while at work, I got a call from another social worker very interested in me adopting a nine year old girl from the eastern slope of Colorado. The nine year old had a “few behavior issues from a traumatic and chaotic past”, but nothing the social worker felt I couldn’t handle. After hanging up, I was discussing the situation with my assistant director, Jenica, and feeling like adoption was just not working out for me. After six years of heartbreak and hope and constant searching and self analysis and frustration, it seemed as if I was sliding backwards and all of the tears were for nothing. I was crying and telling Jenica that I was done with adoption. I quit. I had decided to stop trying to adopt and that adoption was not the path that my life would take. I just couldn’t continue to tear my heart apart on a daily basis and continue to hear the horror stories that came with these potential children. And to turn these children away from my heart felt as if I was closing the last door of hope for them to have any shred of a happy, normal childhood. Nope, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I quit. I quit. I quit. That was at 10:00 in the morning.
At 1:00 I was giving a tour of our new preschool to some political leaders from Denver and a few of our big grantors… In the middle of the tour one of my teachers ran up saying that Human Services was on the phone. It was an EMERGENCY (which, when you are the director of a child care center, can mean nothing good) and I had to come to the phone RIGHT NOW! I thought something had happened to one of my numerous preschool children who had an open case with child welfare. Panicked, I ran into my office, grabbed the phone and said, “Tina what’s up? You are really scaring me…” From a cell phone Tina’s voice was speaking about one hundred miles a minute… “I’m on my way up to the hospital, there might be a baby up there. I don’t know anything yet… but if there is we’ll need foster care for it… can you do that? Do you want a newborn baby? I’ll call you as soon as I know more…”
OH MY GOD.
A BABY.
A NEWBORN BABY.
Jenica started screaming and crying and saying, “Oh my GOD, Tracy has a baby… A BABY!” I told her not to get excited. We didn’t know anything yet. Don’t get your hopes up because it will just end up in heartbreak…. After an eternity of waiting, and not accomplishing much at work, Tina called again around 5:00. "It’s a boy, 6 pounds 10 ounces. He was born at 10:42. He’s beautiful and perfect and he’s ALL YOURS and you can come up and meet your son.” Oh my God. A baby boy. “Tina,” I said, “is it okay to get excited about this? I getting excited about this… how sure is this?” Tina replied “Tracy, I’m excited about this, YOU better be excited about this… this is about as sure any adoption will ever be… come meet your son, MOM.” Oh my God! A baby boy!!!!!!!
My Mom and I drove me up to the hospital and nervously I walked up to the nurse’s stand. They led me into the nursery and there was my baby, all wrapped up in swaddling and sleeping peacefully in his crib. Gently I walked over to him and looked down.. “Hi Baby, Hi” and then I started to cry… I stayed in the hospital until 11:30, feeding my baby, asking the nursing staff lots of questions, watching the hospital mandated videos “Recovering from Childbirth” and “Breastfeeding” (I still think it’s dumb that I was mandated to watch these videos…) and holding and rocking my baby. When George, the night nurse, came in for his shift, he looked down at my baby’s chart and said, “What’s his name, Mom?” Uh…. Not ever in a million years did I ever think I would actually be able to NAME a child. Uh….I always liked the old Italian family name, Diodatti, which means “Gift from God” and is the name that is given to all orphaned children in Italy. Uh… Theodore also means “Gift from God and is more English in origin and is a popular name on my mother’s family tree. “What’s your name?” I asked my baby… happily asleep in my arms. John kept popping into my head every time I looked at him so I figure he really wanted John somewhere in there. Theodore John DelliQuadri: the little gift that God orchestrated to be given to me.
At 11:30 I left Theo sleeping in his crib, certain that he was a dream, not real, and that the second I left his sight he would be gone… not reality at all. Desperately needing baby supplies, I left the hospital and drove over to Jenica’s house. Jenica loaded me up with a bassinet, onesies, and various other newborn supplies left over from when her son, Ethan was a baby. I took all of her things home and assessed my house and my supplies. I was ill equipped for a newborn baby and my house needed cleaning. Everything I had was for a girl, between the ages of two and eight, left over from Em.
The next morning, Wednesday, I was at the hospital by 6:00, to give Theo his morning feeding. As I walked up to the nurse’s station, I was terrified. Completely expecting Theo to have disappeared in the middle of the night, I timidly asked the nurses if Theo was still there… The nurse laughed and said that she had saved the morning feeding for me… unbelievable! Theo was lying in his crib, waiting for me. I left the hospital at 10:00 to scurry around and find baby things (an infant car seat, for starters) and figure out my maternity leave and train Jenica to cover me for the next eight weeks. The excitement at my preschool was overwhelming, people had already brought in bags and bags of baby supplies for me (word travels faster than lightening in small towns) and well-wishers kept popping in to give me hugs and words of advice. At 5:30 I went up to the hospital to spend the night with Theo… our first night together.
On Thursday morning I packed Theo up and we headed home! Our lives together had begun! Theo is four weeks old today and I am happy, content and WHOLE! I finally have something that I have wanted so badly for so many years. And I paid my dues in heartbreak. The feeling of responsibility for this little life is overwhelming at times. I LOVE LOVE LOVE not working and spending my days taking Theo for walks on the bike path or staying at home and watching Theo grow. I can spend hours just watching him and am thoroughly entertained just watching him sleep. The amazing thing is that I truly believe that Theo and I were destined for each other. Somehow our lives were meant to be together. Wishes do come true.
Take Care,
Theo’s Mommy.

Win a totally cute backpack!!!!

2009-09-24T14:29:00.002-06:00

These backpacks are super adorable and perfect for a preschooler. Check out the link:

http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2009/09/made-by-rae-jackpack-backpack-guest.html

All About Apples

2009-09-19T08:47:00.004-06:00

We're talking about Apples.
We eating apples, painting with apples, picking apples, counting apples, graphing apples... you get the idea.
This apple crisp recipe is really good. I should know, we've made it three times so far this apple season...

Aa is for Apple Crisp

4 medium peeled cooking apples, sliced. (about 4 cups)

3/4 C flour

3/4 C packed brown sugar

1/2 C oats

2 t. cinnamon

1/2 C. soft butter

Heat oven to 375
Spread apple slices in an ungreased 8 inch square pan
Mix remaining ingredients with a fork, sprinkle over apples
Bake, uncovered until topping is golden brown and apples are tender. About 30 minutes.

This recipe is from the Gold Medal Flour Children's Cookbook: Alpha Bakery. A really cute little cookbook from the Gold Medal Flour Company.

It's all about the apples.

Hello Autumn! I wish you'd stay longer...

2009-09-15T09:33:00.004-06:00

Autumn Fires

by Robert Louis Stevenson
In the other gardens And all up the vale, From the autumn bonfires See the smoke trail! Pleasant summer over And all the summer flowers, The red fire blazes, The grey smoke towers. Sing a song of seasons! Something bright in all!

Flowers in the summer, Fires in the fall!

We are loving fall, but we're not ready for winter yet!

Making Paper

2009-09-10T22:29:00.004-06:00

I got the idea here <http://filthwizardry.blogspot.com/2009/07/paper-making.html> and decided to give it a go.
First we put toilet paper into a big tub of water:

Next, we added colored tissue paper. I wouldn't recommend using pink and yellow. It turns out looking like the contents of a throw-up bucket.... just so you know.Next, we stirred and mixed, and stirred and mixed. And stirred and mixed. For days. Until I started wondering if it was possible for paper pulp to get moldy...

After it was niiiiiiice and pulpy, we smooshed it onto a little screen... that was fun, wet and full of delightful textures....Then, we let the paper pulp dry on newspaper for a few days....

And voila! paper!

We ended up tracing everyone's hands, painting it and sending it home for a little handprint wall hanging.

Cute project. Thanks for the inspiration, Filth Wizardry!

Walking On The Moon

2009-08-21T21:59:00.009-06:00

We ended up our trip to Minnesota by stopping off at the Badlands National Park in South Dakota... wow. It feels a little bit like walking on the moon, and there are great trails all around that let you clamber around on the rock formations. Perfect for kiddos who have been cooped up in the car for over 10 hours. Grampi wanted to stop there so we did. And, in the words of both Adi and Theo, "This place is AWESOME Mom!" Thanks for the suggestion, Grampi!

Adi's First Dance Class

2009-07-30T21:39:00.003-06:00

She danced. She fell in love with her instructor. She grew up.

Right before my eyes.

*sniff*

I LOVE NEW ART PROJECTS

2009-07-17T14:37:00.005-06:00

Here's a new fun one I got from the August 2009 issue of Family Fun magazine.... I'd link you to the article but haven't been able to find the article at the Family Fun website... a totally fun project!

Step 1:

spread shaving cream in a tray or flat baking sheet, making it look similar to smooth cake batter.

Step 2:

Squirt drops of food coloring in the shaving cream.

Step 3:

Swirl with a popsicle stick, knife or spoon.

Step 4:

Using thick cardstock paper, cover the swirl design and press firmly down. Don't be shy, smoosh the paper in there!

Step 5:

Carefully pick the paper up, off of the shaving cream, squeegee the excess shaving cream off of the paper (I used a long spatula).

The Result:

Beautiful (and good smelling) Marbleized Paper! Fun!

Rainbow Weekend

2009-07-14T23:25:00.002-06:00

A lot of balloons, originally uploaded by DQmountaingirl.

So much to do this week-end! Wake up early, oh so early! Trek out to watch the balloons get blown up and float around. Walk around Art In The Park, listen to some of the music playing, be inspired by great art, buy a shirt or two... ahhh. I love this week-end!

Happy Adoption Day Cash

2009-07-14T09:30:00.002-06:00

Happy Adoption Day Cash, originally uploaded by DQmountaingirl.

Finally! After over a year of worrying about the outcome, Cashie is finally a forever member of our family. Welcome, David Cash DelliQuadri!

Lemonade for sale

2009-07-11T22:41:00.002-06:00

Lemonade for sale, originally uploaded by DQmountaingirl.

forget the $40.00 some odd bucks I donated to the cause (for sugar, napkins, cups, fresh lemons, ice... etc), they each made about $10.00 for a couple hours of HARD work!

Little Kids

2009-07-08T13:54:00.002-06:00

Little Kids, originally uploaded by DQmountaingirl.

BIG WORLD

SAD

2009-06-15T23:25:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine died on Saturday. She tried to rescue her son who had slipped and fallen into Fish Creek Falls, a fast moving rocky mountain creek. Her son, an 8 year old boy, grabbed a branch and crawled out. Rebecca still has not been found. I am devastated. Rebecca was such an inspiring, soft-spoken, gentle and kind soul. I can't imagine the feelings of loss that her family, children... husband are feeling right now. Please say a prayer and send out mental hugs towards Rebecca Green and her family tonight.

Summer Fun

2009-05-29T14:16:00.001-06:00

Week 22/52, originally uploaded by DQmountaingirl.

with school winding down, we've easily slipped into our summer schedules: late bedtimes, sleeping in... cartoons in the morning. lingering over cereal and the newspaper. bring it on. I love summer!

Week 15/52 Awfully Cute Easter Bunny

2009-04-09T18:59:00.003-06:00

Week 15/52 Awfully Cute Easter Bunny, originally uploaded by dqmountaingirl.

We are beside ourselves with excitement for Easter. Adi is particularly excited for the Easter egg hunt. She's been practising all day. Adorable.

BIG Easter Hint

2009-04-09T17:57:00.000-06:00

Muffin tins make the best egg dye holders, just perfect for little hands and a lot less messy. For what it's worth...

I wonder if we would have been friends...

2009-04-02T22:15:00.004-06:00

I posted some pictures on flickr and noticed that a photo of me skiing at age 5 was right next to one of my son skiing at age 5. I wonder if some strange time warp happened and I turned into a five year old, would we be friends?

Little Bear Playdough Recipe

2009-03-31T11:57:00.005-06:00

My friend, Kelly, wants to make some playdough with her girls.... here's the recipe:

1 Cup Water

1/2 Cup Salt

2 T. Oil

2 T. Cream of Tarter

Food Coloring

Heat over medium heat in heavy saucepan until you have a rolling boil.

Turn off heat and add:

1 C. Flour

Knead. May add scent (Peppermint Extract) at this point. Or glitter... or both.

2009-03-27T23:07:00.000-06:00

you know, she had a great life. so many stories and perhaps, a few tall tales. Yes indeed, my Granny was one in a million.

I wrote this a long time ago...

2009-03-18T22:36:00.003-06:00

Grandma’s Backyard
By: Tracy DelliQuadri

Annie loved to visit her grandmother’s house. The house, which stood at the top of a hill, at the end of the street and on the edge of a great forest, was old and curious. Every room in the house was overflowing with treasures from Granny’s life. There was the China Cup Collection in the kitchen, next to the front door. Each little cup was delicate and beautiful. Annie would stand for hours in front of the collection, imagining her grandmother as a child: attending afternoon tea in the parlor in her crisp white linen dresses, a parasol held in gloved hands. Button-up leather boots peeking out from underneath layers of petticoats. “How odd that people are not smiling in old time black and white photos…” Annie thought to herself one day, while looking through the picture books of Granny as a small child. You had to be careful NEVER to slam the front door, because a cup might be shaken from it’s delicate perch and shatter to the floor. The musty mothball smelling wooden trunk in the attic held Granny’s childhood clothes; treasures of another era. Sometimes, when Annie had been VERY GOOD, Granny would open the trunk and they would explore the contents inside: elegant white lace gloves with fingers long and pointed, white linen dresses with layers upon layers of underclothes, fancy hats with velvet ribbons and ostrich feathers. Annie and Granny would spend afternoons with the treasures laid out before them. China Dolls with hand painted faces and real hair would attend tea parties and Granny would fill the afternoon with stories from her childhood. Stories of how Mother expected children to be seen and not heard and of how Father would sneak the children out for a ride in the car (when they just got their first car) for an ice-cream…. How glorious and adventurous life sounded! And what fun to spend cozy afternoons up in the attic, looking through the treasures.

Annie’s favorite thing about the house, however, was the backyard. Granny’s backyard was huge and wild, on the edge of the mountain and the beginning of a great forest. There was a bay window in the living room where Annie would sit and watch for the animals that came from the forest to eat the seeds that had been put out for them. There were birds, deer, raccoons, squirrels, marmots and chipmunks. But the wild rabbits that lived underneath the shed in the winter were Annie’s favorite animals to watch.

The rabbits were small and brown and would hop around the yard only when they thought they weren’t being watched. “Rabbits are very quiet animals.” Granny whispered to Annie one day as they watched from the bay window. “Could I touch them?” Annie asked, longing to stroke the soft, brown fur. “Perhaps,” Granny answered, “if you show the rabbits that you won’t harm them, maybe they will learn to trust you.” “How do I do that?” asked Annie, excited at the thought of making friends with the rabbits. “With patience…” Granny nodded, knowingly.

Granny went into the kitchen and took a carrot from the bag in the refrigerator. “Rabbits can hardly resist carrots,” she said, “maybe, if you could be quiet and still and patient, the rabbits will come to you and eat some of this carrot.” Annie was determined to be still, and quiet, and patient… she wanted to feed the carrot to the rabbits so badly. Annie quickly put on her snow boots and jacket, took the carrot and went outside to the shed in the backyard.

The old shed, where the rabbits lived, was at the far end of the yard, right next to the great forest. Annie slowly tip-toed over to the shed, to where the rabbit’s entrance. She looked back towards the house and saw Granny watching her from the bay window. Quietly Annie knelt down and held the carrot in front of the burrow. Annie sat and sat, she sat until her arm ached from holding the carrot and her feet, inside of her snow boots, ached from the cold. Annie hadn’t even seen a rabbit peek out at her to sniff at the carrot. “Maybe the rabbits are asleep today,” Annie thought sadly. She broke off the tip of the carrot and dropped it into the burrow. “Tomorrow,” she promised, “I will come again.”

When Annie awoke the next morning, she ran to the bay window and looked out at the backyard. The sky was a brilliant blue and the sun was shining down upon the snow, creating sparkles wherever Annie looked. The rabbits were outside too, hopping around the backyard looking for good things to eat. Granny was waiting for Annie in the kitchen. “Maybe you should try talking to them, so they get used to the sound of your voice.” Granny suggested, handing a carrot to Annie. Determined to feed the rabbits, Annie walked out into the backyard and over to the burrow. Holding the carrot as far into the burrow as she could reach, while lying on her stomach in the snow, Annie whispered to the rabbits. She told the rabbits about the China Cup Collection in the kitchen and how, once, when she slammed the door a little too roughly, the pink cup (her favorite) had fallen and shattered into a million pieces all over the floor. Annie was so earnestly whispering all of her deepest secrets to the rabbits that she almost didn’t notice the little pink nose that was peeking out of the burrow.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, “What a perfect little nose you have!” The pink nose wiggled a reply. Annie became as still as she possibly could and held the carrot as far away from her body as possible. Slowly, ever so slowly, two black eyes appeared behind the nose. Annie looked at the rabbit and the rabbit looked at Annie…not quite sure if it could really trust the little girl. Suddenly Annie had to sneeze. She closed her eyes and wrinkled her nose and tried to stop the sneeze from coming, but it came anyway. “Aaaaachooooo!” When Annie opened her eyes, the rabbit was gone. Frustrated, Annie broke off another piece of the carrot and dropped it into the burrow. “Tomorrow,” she whispered, “I’ll visit again.” And stomped into the house.

The next morning Granny made french toast for breakfast and Annie smothered her plate of french toast with homemade raspberry syrup. While eating her breakfast, sitting under the China Cup Collection, Annie pondered the rabbits. She wondered if they had eaten their breakfast too, if they had been cold during the freezing winter night. Most of all she wondered if the rabbits would eventually learn to trust her. “Granny,” Annie asked, “Will the rabbits let me feed them today?” Granny reached into the refrigerator for yet another carrot. “If you are quiet and still then the rabbits will no longer be afraid of you, and they will eat your carrots.” Annie took the carrot and frowned. “But I have been quiet and still, and the rabbits are still afraid of me…..” Granny smiled at Annie’s frustrations, “You’ve forgotten the most important thing of all, you need to give the rabbits time to trust you, you need to be very patient.” With a sigh, Annie opened the door and tip-toed out to the rabbit burrow by the old wooden shed.

Every morning of her visit at Granny’s house, Annie would take a carrot from the bag in the refrigerator and go out and feed the rabbits. And every morning the rabbits would inch closer and closer only to be frightened away at the last second. Finally the last day of Annie’s visit had come; her family had arrived to take Annie home. There was only one small carrot left in the bag. Granny took the carrot out of the bag. “Here,” she said as she handed the last carrot to Annie. “Why don’t you feed the rabbits the last carrot.” Annie took the last carrot and asked, “Do you think today will be the day the rabbits eat the carrot from my hand?” “Have you been patient?” asked Granny, with a twinkle in her eye. Annie looked at her grandmother and smiled, “Yes!” she beamed, “I have been very patient!”

Annie tip-toed out to the shed, to where the rabbit burrow was, and laid down on the snow. “Please little rabbit,” she whispered softly into the burrow with her eyes closed, “Please come out to eat the carrot today.” Softly Annie started to sing, her eyes still closed. She sang every song she knew… (except for Little Bunny Foo-Foo), some of them she even sang twice in a row! In the middle of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” Annie felt a tug on the carrot. Slowly and quietly she opened her eyes… Annie looked towards her hand and saw two beautiful little brown rabbits eating the carrot! “I knew you would come today!” she whispered to the rabbits. The rabbits only looked at her and continued to munch on the little carrot. Annie grinned and looked back at the house where her family was watching through the bay window. Granny grinned back at Annie…

……. And at the two little brown rabbits.

devastated

2009-03-18T00:16:00.000-06:00

my grandmother, affectionatly known as "Granny" or "Mrs. Mac" was tragically hit by a car tonight while crossing the street in front of her house tonight on the way home from a dinner party. a devastating loss that I am unprepared for... not that you can really prepare for death but, really, I kindof thought she would outlive us all. She was one spunky lady. And, OH! How I will miss her stories! A magnificent soul, who really knew how to live, has left this earth. We are all the worse for it, but the better for having her touched our lives. She will be missed. Deeply.

another rainbow shot

2009-03-13T15:59:00.001-06:00

another rainbow shot, originally uploaded by whitneyarlene.

an idea from someone on flickr... looks like fun. Maybe we'll try it for St. Pattie's Day.

Free Winter Fun

2009-03-13T07:43:00.002-06:00

We've been sledding. Not just any kind of snow sledding, but extreme snow sledding. It is exhilirating to hike up Emerald Mountain, a nice uphill walk and then zoom down the trail on a sled. I even took all of the little ones up there for a day of sledding. If you ever are in Steamboat and are looking for some free fun in the winter, try it. You will love it. We do.

2009-02-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

Reminding myself of Han's Solo, frozen in carbon...

25 Things About Me Game

2009-01-27T19:59:00.003-07:00

1. I love live outdoor music. Weekend music festivals (especially bluegrass) are heaven to me. Camping at the festival etc... love it. I love RockyGrass and Telluride Music Festival, although I haven't gone to either since I've become a mommy.

2. Sometimes I dream about things before they happen. The trick is filtering out what is just a dream and what is a "premonition".

3. I hold on to friendships dearly. I would rather have a few REALLY GOOD friends than a lot of social friends. If I call you my friend, I will love you for life, unless you betray my friendship.

4. I love meeting my grown-up preschool kids and seeing the two year old that is still in them. It is beautiful.

5. I would love to quit working for the next four years (or so). I would love to be a "soccer mom", but can't because I'm working so *!$* much.

6. I adopted both of my children from foster care, am an advocate for foster parenting and adoption. Even though both of my children were adopted, I firmly believe we were meant to be a family... it was in the stars.I'm still a respite care foster parent, and firmly believe every social worker should have a foster placement in their own homes for at least a week before they place a child in mine.

7. I love wooden roller coasters. It reminds me of downhill ski racing.

8. I love to play games with people (board games and card games I mean), because it lets me get into their minds and see how they think. Pictionary is especially good for this.

9. I love to go to garage sales on Saturday mornings with my Mom in the summer. Mostly because this is one of the few things we can do together in agreement. We differ in opinion on most other things.

10. I love food when it's made from scratch. Especially anything from Antares.

11. I live for traditions: Waffle Sunday, Potluck Night Wednesdays, Friday Night Bar-B-Que...etc. Any fun activity with friends or family that happens on a regular basis that I can count on. I'm sad when they end.

12. I'm interested in learning more about Waldorf Schools, would love to go train with Reggio Emilio schools in Italy, would love to become certified in Montessori. And, although I feel like I need to work with the school district to have summers off, I would love to figure out a way to do that at the preschool level.

13. Taking art classes in college really taught me how to SEE things. I didn't really see the beauty in the world before...

14. I love social history. I love art history.

15. I love to read books that have happy endings and take me to different worlds... fantasy books (with wizards and stuff) are a lot of fun for this reason.

16. I love that my kids are finally old enough to go on decent "doggie walks".

17. We've been a foster family for pregnant animals from the Humane Society. It's a great, responsible way for your kids to experience birth and baby animals, which is something everyone should experience...

18. I would love to buy a spruced up Westfalia on EBAY and fly out with my kids to get it and then spend six months driving it home. But wait, what would we do with Jenny Dog?

19. I really want to go to the Sand Dunes NM, I've never been. Or the white sand dunes in New Mexico... another reason to have a Westfalia...

20. I wish my kids saw their cousins more. They are such a great group of kids.

21. I'm so excited that my sister is a Mom, and it's so fun to share it with her...

22. I really want to have my own chickens.23. There were a few years that I vowed to be outside enjoying every sunset and I did... being outside in nature is my religion.

24. I loved eating churros and drinking hot chocolate in Spain, it was like drinking liquid chocolate pudding. I've tried unsuccessfully to recreate it. If you have a good hot chocolate recipe, send it my way. I wish I had taken a few art history classes before I went.

25. I feel so lucky that I had so many freedoms as a child... something that my children don't have. I spent days skiing the Christie lifts all by myself (and my friend libby) before kindergarten. We spendt the summer basically alone together in California when we were 15/16... we were so free!

2009-01-10T23:46:00.003-07:00

Tonight is the January Full Moon. It has me thinking and daydreaming back to my life before children, whenI would spend winter nights backcountry skiing... Full moon nights were prized and revered in the winter, giving light to night time wanderings in the mountains. Skiing at night is peaceful, quite, natural. There is something magical about a forest covered in snow in the middle of the night with moonlight making the snow sparkle all around you. It is a time of magic, the beginning of "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" and of simplicity and peace. Tonight, as I type away on my current addiction, THE COMPUTER, as the tv is blaring in the background, the washing machine, dryer and dishwasher are humming and my two kids are asleep in their beds I pay tribute to a life past, to the energy and peace I found being outside in the middle of the night... and maybe sending out a wish for the future... that someday I will again ski mountains... under the magical night of the winter full moon. If you can, tonight, go outside and bath in the magical light of the January full moon. There are only two full moons left until spring... take advantage of them!

Steer Wrestling

2009-01-09T22:26:00.007-07:00

It took us one hour and fifteen minutes to go outside today, beating the all-time record of forty-eight minutes made a few weeks ago. About halfway through, when I was "wrestling" a kiddo into their snowsuit I thought to myself, "Damn! I've made the wrong career choice, I would have made a real good steer wrestler!" That's how it goes when you care for eight kids every day. Let's go outside and have some fun in the snow!

Fred Underfoot

2009-01-07T20:50:00.004-07:00

Little Fred Underfoot came to live with us last winter. The people two houses away moved away and left him behind. When the cold of winter set in, I let Fred come into the house. Colorado in the winter is no fun for a stray. He's a friendly little guy, always underfoot and just wanting to be loved. He sleeps with the kids, will sit on anybody's lap and Jen and WebbyKitty are both afraid of him (I guess he's a bit of a bully). Last night he pee'd on my pillow. MY PILLOW. Now, why would a cat do that? I told Fred he would have to leave this comfy little life if he pee'd anywhere but the litter box again. And then, he pee'd in the kid's tent. So, I called the animal shelter. I'm not the type to take pets to the animal shelter. I foster animals, rescue them... save them. But, this! I have eight kids in my home, every day. My house is a mess on top of a mess. It NEVER feels clean. NEVER. I just can't handle one more stinky, messy thing. I can't do it. So, I called the shelter. They didn't have room. The animal control officer recommended that I call my vet. So last night I took Fred to the vet. Try doing that at 7:45 at night with two small children. Fun. It turns out that Fred has a urinary tract infection. He's on antibiotics. Theo says we can't get rid of Fred just because he's been peeing in the house. Afterall, he noted, last winter he threw-up in my bed and I didn't get rid of him (Theo that is). And, Fred is a member of our family and you can't just get rid of family members. You work with their problems and love them forever. Hmmmm, he has a point. My boy is pretty smart. And he hit all of the important things. Family, Forever... Love. All important concepts for a kid, especially one that has been adopted. And so, $186.00 later and I think we'll keep the little guy. All he wants to do is just sit on a lap and purr...

Marley and Me

2009-01-05T22:13:00.005-07:00

I went to see the movie, Marley and Me with my friend, Jenica, the other night. I had read the book, so I knew the storyline and was prepared for it (or so I thought...). I cried. I cried hard. I snorted. I sobbed. I didn't have any tissues. Actually, the movie was not that great. Of course, the story had been abbreviated and important details had been left out. It annoyed me that the two main characters (besides Marley that is) didn't age. Much. The kids grew up, the dog got old... Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson stayed the same. It was irritating. But, what really got me, is when Marley could no longer walk up the stairs to sleep with his family. And then, near the end, when the boy said "He Knows"... tore me up. It got me thinking about my Marleys... I've owned three dogs.: Tellico, Thumpie-Dog (Bubba) and the current beastie, JennyDog. I found Tellico in Tennessee as a little puppy. Her eyes were still closed. I was still a free spirit in college and decided to let her experience motherhood (who was I to deny her the joy of motherhood?) so along came Bubba, Tellico's son. Tellico had every vice that a dog could have: leg humper, feces eater, barker, yipper, barker, garbage hound, fence chewer, crotch sniffer, barker, cat chaser (except ours), people herder (especially children). Did I mention barker? One time, while on a doggie walk, Tellico backed out of her collar, ran into a house with an open door and came barrelling out with a loaf of bread between her jaws chased by a large man. She had, apparantly, in a matter of seconds, gone into the house, bee lined to the kitchen counter, stood up on her hind legs, grabbed the bread and ran out. Unbelievable. Her nickname was "Beast" and I called her "My Beastie", I told everyone: "To know her is to love her..." People, like my Mom, would just roll their eyes. When Tellico was 13, she was diagnosed with cancer. I didn't want my baby to die, and thought she should die on her own. My biggest regret is that I waited too long before I put Tellico down to rest. Her death was long, painful and aweful. She suffered. A lot. I was selfish. Three years later, when Bubba was 13, I vowed not to make the same mistake. He had diabetes for years, was blind (from the diabetes) and, suddenly, dying of kidney failure. I didn't wait. I asked Bubba if he was ready to go, he kissed my nose, laid down and closed his eyes. It was time. Although I was devasted to be losing THE BEST DOG EVER (he really was a great dog), I felt really good about the decision. I didn't want my baby to suffer. And he didn't. We went for a walk on Sunday (granted it was very slow) and he died on Tuesday. I thought I would wait a long time before getting another dog but within a day or two I was looking online at shelter and rescue sites. That's where I found Jen. Jenny Dog was a puppy mill mom (she's a Great Pyrenees) who "wasn't producing show quality pups, so the breeder was going to euthanize her." On Friday. It was Wednesday. I took Thursday off of work and drove 9 hours to save her. And I'm ever so happy that I did. Jen is THE SWEETEST dog ever. It kills me that she spent her first three or four years in a chain link cage with no human contact. Dirt floor, tarp roof, dirty water bucket, small doghouse. Her teats were swollen and infected. She was dirty. She was scared. I can't imagine the stress of raising multiple litters of puppies in that kind of environment. She had never been in a car, on a leash, in a house, around people, around children... poor Jen. poor poor Jen. I want to go into animal rescue when I retire... Anyway, when the time comes, I will thank God for the the time I could share with Jenny, sweet Jenny, and I will not be selfish with my need for her to stay on this earth. I hope it's a long time from now. Because we love our girl.

52 Weeks of US

2009-01-04T23:50:00.000-07:00

I've started a photo project on FLICKR, it's called "52 Weeks of Us" and, hopefully, it will document each week for the whole year, of some aspect of our family. We'll see how it goes...
This week's photo, although blurry, is from Auntie's birthday night... we made homemade chocolate pudding and had a nice dinner for her. Gramma came. We sang happy birthday. Theo and Adi got to lick the spoons. It's fitting that this is the first photo of our set, as Auntie is such an important fixture in our lives. And the traditions of family dinners and birthday parties are so important to us. It's a good way to start the year. So, here's to 52 weeks of... US.