After field day, I got to hang out with the kids and get ready for Bunco. My turn to host. I bought quiches from costco and then turned my attention to making sangria, a nice salad, and some salted caramel pie. Everything was a hit and we had a great evening. I opened up the patio and we enjoyed the beautiful Colorado summer night.

Saturday Tabby had her last soccer game of the season. Ben would have had his too, but he went to a friend’s b’day party at the fireman’s museum. I was his escort and he had a good time playing in the gear and driving the rig. Some cupcakes and hotdogs didn’t hurt either. After the party, the kids went to my parents’ house for the rest of the day.

Matt and I had some awesome mexican food at a new place and then we went to see Star Trek: Into Darkness. I am an unabashed Star Trek fan, but I loved this movie! I never even once checked my watch – the sign of a great movie for me! After the movie, we got down to business. We commissioned and inventoried the pop-up for the summer and did our grocery shopping and some house cleaning.

This morning we cleaned out the garage, got the photo booth stored and did some laundry. We picked up the kids and Tabby and I went to b’day party #2 while Ben and Matt got Ben a haircut. During the party, Tabby started feeling crummy with an upset tummy. Luckily my friend had a tums with her and that seemed to do the trick!

Around 3:30 after the party was over I finally got my run in … just a few miles … before I showered for the day and we headed to The Kitchen for Matt’s very belated birthday dinner. A yummy time was had by all.

Favorite Daydream: check out this awesome attic movie theatre. I think what really appeals to me is the soft surfaces and cave-like look of it. I think I could watch movies or just sleep or read in here for hours.

Favorite Purchase: I tried some of this ice cream at the Mother’s Day Race I ran on the recommendation of my girlfriend. Man, she was right. I am not sure I’ve ever had better ice cream. Sweet, salty, creamy, crunchy. AWESOME.  Not sure how widely available it is, since they’re a CO company, but if you can find it, BUY IT!! Coconut crunch is great too.

Favorite Savory Delight: This orange chicken with asparagus looks awesome. I think we’re heading out of asparagus season, but I want to make some next week.

Favorite App: This game’s a little hard to explain, but easy once you “get” it. You and a friend both say a random word, then you both try to find something in between your two words. Then again with the next two words you come up with until you both say the same thing. It’s also great because you can get it on Android and iOS. Interesting side note, it was developed by the band OK Go! (a personal fave).

Favorite Craftiness: Just saw this great article on how to make your own paper tape!!  You just get some double-sided adhesive and put it on wrapping paper or whatever you like. Such a fun idea.

Favorite Destination: This is Faroe Islands in Denmark and it is definitely going on my must-visit list. So beautiful.

Favorite Workout: Bob Harper’s 20  minute crossfit workout is all things I love: Bob Harper and Crossfit. All you need are some dumbells and this little vid.

Favorite Sweet Thang: Check out these avalanche bars. One of my favorite candy stores, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, sells something pretty similar. It won’t happen soon because I’m trying to behave myself vis-a-vis sugar, but I will have to try these out!

Favorite Funny: bwwaaaahahhahahah! His expression says it all!!!

Favorite Wise Words: yep … well said, Sirius.

Favorite Breakfast Nom: I am constantly on the lookout for new breakfast ideas because while I could (and do) happily eat the same breakfast repeatedly for months, the kids like variety. This breakfast pizza looks great and has the protein that is hard to fit into a quickie breakfast on the way out the door. Going to try it soon – maybe for camping!

And that is it! Hope you have a great weekend!

Well not quite. First, we had some friends and their kids over for a trial run. It was a success and he learned some things … more importantly, our friends loved it!

So Matt and I went to Tabby’s class last Friday to give the states of matter lesson.

First he taught them all about atoms and the states of matter (in a kindergarten level way of course). Here they are being a cold solid, all huddled together for warmth.

Then he demonstrated changing matter from one state to another, first with water (an ice cube melting in your hand) and then with CO2. He let dry ice melt into a balloon and fill it and then he poured liquid nitrogen on it to

Re-freeze it. We cut the balloon open to show the kids the dry ice dust.

We froze lots of things… like a flower an a banana. Matt showed the kids how to hammer a nail in with a banana. You can do it if you freeze it rock solid first. The big finale was ice cream making. At school we used the kitchen aid mixer to keep from having to stir and stir.

At home we used a bowl. Either way, this is about what it looks like: kinda soft servy. But very tasty.

The kids had fun and I honestly think they learned quite a bit. Tabby had retained most of what she’d learned from the demo at our house and I heard some other kids talking about the different states of matter. It was fun for us too and I know Matt would love to give it another go!

I need to sit down and write a real post pretty soon (er go this is a fake post). Lots of cool things have been going on, but all those cool things have been taking time and energy. So I haven’t been able to sit down, pull photos off the camera and reflect on things. Maybe tonight. For now, teasers. Just a sampling of things going on at Casa de Nichols:

1. playing with liquid nitrogen
2. running races
3. getting our art on
4. soccer!!
5. birthdays!
6. school stuff, including …
7. homework!!
8. grocery shopping
9. me going insane and signing up for a big race

…. and much much more. Stay tuned.

Favorite Craftiness: Look at this great light up constellation! A fun piece for your wall and so adaptable to other ideas.

Favorite Savory Delight: Grilling season is upon us and I cannot wait to try out these mushroom crusted turkey burgers with Havarti. Bring it on!

Favorite Purchase: I bought a new skirt at Athleta this week … this one in black. It’s super cute and great for everything from work to play!

Favorite Adventure: And speaking of play, I saw this amazing swimming hole not to far from us, Guffey’s Paradise Cove. Can’t wait to explore it. It never ceases to amaze me how many amazing places are right in our backyard.

Favorite Sweet Treat: SkinnyTaste’s Unfried Ice Cream. Tasty and lighter. Yum.

Favorite Workout: 7-minute, research-based workout that exercises your whole body. We do a lot of these in bootcamp.

Favorite App: This is fun … Pocketbooth does photobooth style photos on your phone.

We have had a crazy month or four. Big decisions. Extra work. Crazy schedule. He has been there right by my side, my equal in every way (probably my superior, honestly), supporting, picking up slack, working hard and doing it with his cute Matty grin (most of the time anyhow). Just for fun, I’m going to list 33 things that are awesome about Matt:

1. He is always thinking of cool things to show the kids and wants them to learn and experience.
2. He can seriously rock a woodshop.
3. He likes good TV.
4. He is an excellent date.
5. He is a super hard worker.
6. He cleaned up two episodes of puke in the middle of the night and didn’t wake me up.
7. He can knock out an IKEA build in record time.
8. When I leave him with the kids, I have no doubts that they will be well taken care of and happy.
9. He does laundry.
10. He gets along well with my family.
11. He is responsible with money.
12. He is tall dark and handsome.
13. He is an excellent friend and I love spending time with him.
14. He always goes the extra mile.
15. He loves Colorado.
16. He is a grill master.
17. He is very social and loves to have people over.
18. He never begrudges me a girls night out.
19. He researches every purchase to the nth degree.
20. He loves to travel.
21. He takes and picks up the drycleaning … there are donuts involved, but he still does it.
22. We have a great time talking together.
23. He is an excellent teammate and partner.
24. He has loads of enthusiasm.
25. He is very generous.
26. He loves a good road trip.
27. Ben and Tabby adore him.
28. He has the dubious task of taking the kids to school every morning.
29. Even without training, he can usually beat me out in a race.
30. He is always keen to try something new.
31. He is always keen to learn something new.
32. He places no restrictions on Tabby because she’s a girl or Ben because he’s a boy.
33. Life with him is never dull or ordinary.

We don’t tend to do major gifts for each other and since he recently got his mountain bike fixed and bought a new mobile phone – both of which were big ticket items – I’m doing something smaller.

After school and work today, Ben and I will be making him a lovely Victoria Sponge cake, filled with lemon curd along with a nice dinner. There may also be one or two other little surprises in there.

This has changed since I was a kid, I think. It’s a good change. I would be happy with some more changes. Strong and fit can replace skinny. Tolerant can replace narrow minded. Home cooked food can replace fast food and junk food. Recycling and conservation can replace mindless consumerism.

It could be awesome, right?

We cancelled dinner with friends and on Ben’s insistence tried to go to dinner, but he just laid in my lap and wouldn’t eat a bite. We went straight home.

Saturday I took off bright and early to do a race with a couple of girlfriends – Shape’s Diva Dash. It’s a pretty darn tame obstacle course, but lots of fun. Just three miles and 8 obstacles … running through hanging balloon/ball things, over a pile of tires, over a canal, under a net, up a rope wall, over a wall, through some spider-web kinda bungees, monkey bars, and a teeter totter. We made good clock time and had a great time.

Meanwhile back at home, Matt asked my sister to watch T and he and a much-improved Ben took off for a b’day party at a roller rink. For 4 year olds.  A bit weird, but they had a good time.

I picked up T at my sister’s and then met up with Matt and Ben. We had lunch and Ben went down for a nap and Tabby and Matt went off to soccer.

After soccer, we packed everyone up and the kids went to stay with my parents. Matt and I went on a date … a quintuple date …? Us and 4 other couples, well actually 3.5 other couples – one hubby ended up staying home. Drinks, dinner, trivia and more drinks. We got home at a very respectable hour and watched a movie and crashed. This AM we grabbed some breakfast and headed to my office so I could get a few things done. We weren’t there long but it was quality time. Then we ran errands and cleaned up the house. I thought we’d see the kids around lunch time, but they ended up staying with my parents until dinner time! They do love their grandparents.

We had Sunday dinner and a little homework and again … weekend is done.

Favorite Savory Delight: We are having quite a few people over on Tuesday and I think some pulled pork in the crockpot is the perfect dinner solution!

Favorite Funny: I do love Grumpy Cat and I saw this great painting on Etsy … I’m very tempted. It makes me laugh.

Favorite Daydream: This is actually a bit more in reality than the normal – we’re hoping to head to Utah next summer for a family road trip and this looks like a great book of hikes to do with the kids!

Favorite Sweet Treat: Look at these nutella popicles – just three ingredients. YUM.

Favorite Photo Fun: Owling? Planking? Move over – Vadering! Think I could get the kids to do this.

Favorite Workout: Moves for below the bellybutton … surely I don’t need this? Nah.

Favorite Purchase: I bought this guy a couple of months ago, but it wasn’t really smoothie season then. Now it is (sorta) and I’ve been using it every day to make awesome spinach smoothies. Very happy with it. Favorite App: The latest installment of Cut the Rope is great! It’s one of those apps that everyone in the family loves – cute graphics and fun problem solving.

Another month has come and gone!! It was a great one, a crazy one. One filled with much fun and loads of changes, big and small. I instagrammed them all! Except the third. Don’t know where the third went.

Favorite Ben Photo: love him hanging with his chalk b’day art (21)
Favorite Tabby Photo: Tabby playing chopsticks (20)

Favorite Other Photo: I love the photo of Hedgie because that is precisely her cute look (and she’s hard to photoraph!).

A key for posterity’s sake –

1. Ben intently watching sissy at swim lessons
2. Hedgie Hijinks
3. oops
4. First day of soccer practice
5. Here Goes Nothing!
6. Sewing Notions from a different time and place
7. Enjoying the gorgeous weather at the park
8. Best cookies ever
9. Celebratory Frozen Yogurt
10. At the theatre with my best girl
11. Ben makes pizza … and then runs away
12. A noble hound, he is
13. Matt checking out the Howard Hughes desk
14. Cruisers of Many Colors
15. Snow falling on bench
16. More of the white stuff
17. Tabby rocking out at swim lessons
18. Nom Nom time
19. Boy did I pick the wrong line
20. Tabby plays Chopsticks
21. Almost Birthday Boy
22. Flipflops on the wall
23. He’s still KINDA  a baby, right??
24. Happy b’day to the sweetest little guy ever!
25. Tabby’s fierce Soccer Face
26. The first bit of me in my new office – my birdie from Birdie
27. Tabby appreciates the last licks of pie
28. Something tells me it’s ALL happening at the zoo
29. New week, new office #thisisweird
30. a berry pretty cake for a berry happy retirement