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This Crazy Life

What’s going on, you ask?

  • We are headed camping this weekend. We reserved last minute so all we could get was the “group” site which holds up to 75 people (and 15 vehicles). Three families are going so it’s not toooo ridiculous. I’m calling it The Jamboree. I can’t wait. But of course this makes lots of work … to get ready for camping … again. The kids are beyond thrilled and not just because I got them new buckets and bug catchers.
  • My darling over-achieving husband added to our workload yesterday by getting MORE bedding plants at the nursery. He was there to get tomatoes and came home with a bunch more flowers to add to the beds. I was a bit peeved because remember how I hate gardening? Still do.
  • We braised a pork shoulder in Dr. Pepper last night … oh. my. word. We were supposed to take it camping with us but we underestimated how much it would cook down. Unfortunately we were left with about a cup of insanely tasty pulled pork and that will feed … maybe the kids? Maybe me? Not all of us though. Plan B. Costco also has pulled pork.
  • Speaking of cooking, you have probably noticed that the Cookbook Challenge has fallen by the way side. I had fun with it at first but then it got to be a chore, so I chucked it. I have enough chores. I’ll share a recipe when I really really love it. The end.
  • We found a piece of land we’re very interested in. There are about 15 hurdles (big ones) we have to jump through  and very few of them come with guarantees, but we’re very seriously looking into it.
  • I have been pretty slacky on the whole being healthy thing, but I had a serious talk with myself and decided I would correct this. It is actually going pretty well and I’m pleased with myself. Of course this is only Day 3.
  • Relatedly, I am really enjoying running right now. I’ve been chilling more about mileage and just focusing on having good enjoyable runs. Matt and I did a great session at Table Mountain on Saturday. I want to get out to more trails. I love the scenery and the peace.
  • Tabby is doing a photoshoot with some friends on Friday for an outdoors gear company. They will apparently be some sort of team and may appear on a box. The important part (to Tabby) is that they get cash for their efforts. The kid is big on saving money and this thrills her to the core.
  • Ben has a nasty abrasion on his face. He tripped and fell face first this weekend while running … on the side walk. He has been wearing a bandaid over it all week. It looks pretty cute and quite rakish on him. They do feel fast though!
  • I am behind on so many things and trying to get my act together. Work is pure madness right now. I have two very big projects I’m tackling right now and things are falling through the cracks at home as my work hours go longer and it follows me home.
  • I am very much looking forward to a few minutes of peace tonight when I get my hair cut.
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Tabby on the Run

Today, I ran my slowest 5K ever, clocking in at right around 50 minutes. And I couldn’t be more proud. Today marks Tabby’s racing debut. She successfully completed the Rockie’s Homerun for the Homeless 5K. It wasn’t easy and we had to give lots of encouragement, water breaks and walk breaks along the way, but she started what she finished and completed all 3.1 miles under her own power. I’m so so proud of her!!

We got the whole family involved. Matt pushed Ben in the stroller and we all ran in a little pack with our friend and her son. It was a pretty hilly course and there was a fair bit of whining now and again, but she didn’t show signs of fatigue during or after the race and it seems to me that it’s mostly a mental fortitude thing right now – a lot to ask of a five year old, I know, but also a great skill to cultivate as she gets older. I’m sure it didn’t help that it wasn’t a fine sunny Colorado day like I ordered, but chilly and misty.

The race was really fun and really went by pretty fast. By the end Tabby was happy she completed it and chowed down on all the after-party offerings: bananas, granola bars, hotdogs and a rarely-allowed Sprite.

Ben got in on the action too. We signed him up for the kids fun-run (a 1K around the stadium) so he could have his very own bib like Tabby. When we asked him minutes before it started if he wanted to run, the answer was an enthusiastic YES!!! Matt took him over and he ran with the 5 and under crowd and had a great time.

When he came around the last curve, a bunch of little boys were up in the stands holding out their hand to him and he ran over to them, wanting to give them 5, but way too short to do so. So Matt picked him up and he was able to high-five the little boys – he told me all about it in great nonsensical detail later.

The race was a real winner and I’m so glad we did it. And we’ll get to go see a Rockies game later this summer as part of our race fee!

After showers, we joined some friends for brunch (my own mom is in Boston – we celebrated last week) and had a nice calm and quiet rest of our day. Hope you and all of yours had a wonderful Mothers’ Day!

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Big Boy

A few weeks before Ben’s 3rd Birthday, we got down to the potty training thing in earnest. With Tabby, we essentially laid down the law and she said okay and we have rarely had an accident since (3+ years). Ben was an entirely different proposition. He fought the whole process like you would not believe, particularly going #2. On the first real day of training, we had a 30 minute stand-off in which all I wanted him to do was TRY and he wouldn’t. He finally got sent to bed … it pretty much went against every instinct I had, but I was sick and tired of waiting for him to decide it was time to do this and decided I had to force the issue.

Happily, I think it was the right decision. Shortly after that, he finally went and it’s just gotten easier from there. I also found out the most effective method for training Ben: bribes (and I make no apologies on this account). He hasn’t been the same as Tabby, but who should expect that? We’ve had accidents and we’ve also had to remind him more that it’s time to go and force the issue when he doesn’t think it’s yet time. It’s been much slower and we’ve had fits and starts. Finally he is asking on his own to go pee. I wouldn’t say we’re 100% yet with #2 though and while it’s a bit frustrating, the fact that we can take him out of the house without a pull-up on is very very worthwhile. He is still wearing a pull-up at night though I think it’s more for our peace-of-mind (read: sleep!) than because it’s necessary and I do not plan to buy more pull-ups when these are gone. We won’t travel without extra pants for a while yet, but it’s so much an improvement that I’m delighted.

Though it’s been a bit more drawn out and frustrating, he’s doing really well and he’s as proud of himself as we are of him. He was very upset yesterday when he accidentally peed on his shorts and underwear (not an accident – overshot while on the toilet). He’s very excited that he will get to go to daycamp with Sissy and we can now register him for preschool in the fall with no reservations. He’s a real big boy now and it still feels kind of strange to pick him up and realize he doesn’t have a padded bottom anymore. Strange good though.

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Ben is Three

I want to know who the heck swooped in while I wasn’t looking and swapped that teeny tiny little baby for this big boy. *sigh*

The bad news? He’s just not so little anymore. The good news? He’s awesome. So let’s focus on that. I’m madly in love with that little boy. He’s funny and cute and smart and sassy and so very sweet. I don’t think in his three years he’s ever refused me a kiss and a hug. He loves snuggles more than almost anything. Even Buzz.

I could write a long rambling post, but Ben isn’t the kind of kid for long rambles.

What he loves: BUZZ! and blocks and tea parties and David Shannon’s books. Playing with other kids, his people. Trains, cars, anything that goes.

What he says: “It’s not my fault!” and “Just five more minutes!” and “No! I not talking to you. I talking to [whoever I think will do what I want]!” and “Aww Mama, don’t cry!” (if I give him a pouty look when he’s being ornery).

What he eats: loves fruit and most carbs … meat is kind of secondary but well received. Defaults to his favorites as chicken fingers and hot dogs but eats most of what the rest of the family eats.

What he does: he loves to play with other kids, be outside, sing with Tabby (loudly), snuggle, RUN

What he has accomplished recently: he is ALMOST potty trained (after such a rocky start I’m immensely relieved), he is also getting pretty good and quick about picking up (at least when it suits him), can buckle his own car seat (we check, tighten) and get the mail from the mailbox

What he’s looking forward to: camping, summer camp at Tabby’s preschool, big boy school in the fall

He is such a joy to have in our family. Never a day goes by that he doesn’t make me smile. He has a great sense of humor and is at his core a kind little guy. We all enjoy him so much it’s hard to miss him being little and we’re incredibly lucky to count him as part of our family. Happy third b’day, my Benji.

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Ben’s Birthday

Ben’s birthday falls on a Tuesday this year … a really busy Tuesday as it happens. So we wanted to do it up right on Saturday while we could. Ben  is big into trains right now so we made a visit to the Colorado Railroad Museum. I’d asked my parents to get Ben a membership for his b’day which they were game to do. The membership there is extra nice because it includes 7 people and either my folks or Matt and I can take the kids. My parents, sister, grandma, Matt’s mom (in town for the weekend) joined us as well as our good friends and their boys. Continue reading “Ben’s Birthday”

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Po’ Boy Sandwiches

We have been having a great time trying out the recipes from Moosewood Simple Suppers. This one was one I probably wouldn’t have tried on my own, but a friend from work who I first pointed towards Moosewood cookbooks, tried this one out and was raving, so I gave it a go. It was like so many things Moosewood. Simple, but so so tasty.

Po’ Boy Sandwiches

  • 4-6 filets of firm white fish (we used tilapia)
  • 1/4 C corn meal
  • 1 T butter or olive oil
  • 1 tsp old bay or other seafood seasoning
  • 4-6 rolls
  • mayo and ketchup or tartar sauce
  • lettuce and tomatoes
  • thinly sliced onions

Directions

Mix together the cornmeal and seasoning. Pat dry the fish fillets and dredge them in the cornmeal mixture. Heat the butter or olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Place the fish in the skillet in a single layer and cook for about three minutes per side flipping only once, until cooked through and flaking when piereced with a fork.

Serve the fish on the rolls spread with tartar sauce or a mixture of mayo and ketchup. Garnish with lettuce, tomatoes and onions. We had our homemade pickles on the side and these would be great with some potato chips or something similar.

Everyone in the family loved this, though only Matt and I ate these as sandwiches. The kids just dug into the fillets and the two extra I’d made for leftovers wound up in happy little bellies.

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Water Color Resistance

One of the things we got Tabby for Christmas was a nicer set of watercolors … not extravagantly nice, but a good student-grade set. I’d read an article at some point in time about getting kids GOOD art supplies with the reasoning that it is more fun with them if the outcome is better and predictable. One specific example they cited was water colors and it hit home with me because I remember smashing my brush into those solid water colors you get in art class, trying and trying to get vivid colors and barely coming up with anything darker than dishwater. Grrrrr …

Since she got them we’ve used them a few times. They are definitely fun to play with and produce everything from nice vivid colors to beautifully pale colors depending on how much water you add. Anyhow, as is our tradition, following birthdays, we write thank you notes to those who sent gifts. We generally skate by on the notes for those who were present, though with some people, like my Grandma, Tabby wanted to write a note anyhow, so we did. Gratitude should never be discouraged, right?

The standard format is to cut 8.5×11″ cardstock in half and then fold the halves to make quarter-page sized notes. We have a box of envelopes that will probably last until the kids are in their teens that neatly hold this size card. Then we decorate. We’ve done everything from Tabby coloring printed images of Tinkerbell and Minnie mouse to thumbprint cards to stickers. And this year, I proposed we do water colors. I sent Tabby away and then I wrote THANK YOU! on a card with a white crayon and then brought her back in told her to water color the heck out of it. She did so and was delighted to see my written message appear. After that she directed what we write on the cards and requested “fancy writing” on the next one.

At some point in time, Ben came in and wanted to get in on the action, so I drew him a ton of sqiggles on a half page and he went at it in his 2-year-old way, mixing colors with abandon and cross-contaminating our paints. The result (below) was rather beautiful, but I had to get him out of there (Maaaaaatt!) so we could finish. He was about done anyhow.

Tabby decided she loved the squiggles so much that she had to do her own card with them. It was one of her favorites.

I loved doing this project with the kids and one of the things that I loved best about it was that just before we started, they’d been watching TV (something we don’t often allow in the evenings). Tabby instantly abandoned the TV when she heard we were going to create and Ben followed shortly after. Tabby cannot wait to watercolor again. She wants to play with some other techniques I mentioned like putting salt on the damp watercolors and blotting them with textured things. I look forward to it too.

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The HAPS

As usual, it’s our own version of semi-organized chaos over here. Just a sampling of what we’ve been up to:

  • We’re busily planning our summer camping trips. Sites book up FAST. We’ve already got two trips planned, one to Sand Dunes in May and one to Rocky Mountain National Park in June. Add to that our trip to FL in May, two other camping trips we want to take, weekend trips to Vail, and a possible 10th anniversary trip and I’m pretty sure we’re going to spend half of the summer away from home. So what else is new?
  • Matt took Tabby to the store with him on Saturday to pick up some groceries. She spied a coconut and wanted to try it, so he bought it for her. He used a corkscrew to drill a hole in it and then she sampled the milk through a straw. She wasn’t a huge fan. Next they will do something with the flesh. For now it’s sitting on the counter.
  • I ran a 10 mile race on Saturday. It was very hilly which is unusual for me since I run mostly on the treadmill or a few tried and true outdoor spots, and I hit it HARD. My body hurt pretty much the rest of the weekend and I had to take naps and go to bed early. Good wake up call for my half marathon in April.
  • Most of our Nashville family (Matt’s stepmom, brother, sister, brother-in-law, and niece) are arriving on Thursday. I’m super excited to meet my niece, now 3 months old!! And it will be good to see everyone else too. We have some fun plans including, of course, skiing. Continue reading “The HAPS”
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Weeeeekend!

You’ll hardly ever hear me complain about a weekend. I love my job but man, I’m always so glad for a weekend. This one was particularly CHILL. Friday we didn’t leave the house at all (so so rare). We watched the snow. We took naps. I finished up a freelance project (and yelled at the kids because they were disturbing me). My family came over.

Saturday we had great plans to take the kids to the Zoo (the big reason I finished up my freelance work on Friday), but on the way to the car dealership to drop off Matt’s car for service, Ben screamed the whole way there, saying he had a stomach ache. Tabby was tired too and the weather was less than stellar, so we headed back home. The kids had naps and lunch and quiet time. I worked on my site (like the new look?) and we attempted to go to dinner (Ben’s stomachache had disappeared) which was thwarted by a 40 minute wait (at 5:30!!). After a tossed together homemade dinner the kids went to bed, Matt and I tore apart the kitchen and reorganized it and got rid of a bunch of junk. We finished off the evening watching old eps of How I Met Your Mother.

Sunday we started off the morning with a run on N Table Mesa with some friends. It wasn’t long, but it was a good tough run and we both enjoyed it. Then we took the kiddos to the zoo – everyone had a wonderful time, even though it wasn’t really warm. After a stop by Starbucks for tea for me and a donut for the kids, we grabbed a few groceries and headed home. The kids settled in for quiet time while Matt and I FINALLY took down Christmas. I made some Crack Broccoli and Quinoa Mac ‘n’ Cheese for dinner – both winners, I HIGHLY recommend!! While the mac was cooking, we installed Ben’s new tree decal on his wall. I wasn’t sure about it before we put it up, but I love love it!

Now the kids are in bed and so are we … dueling laptops, getting this and that done before a busy week starts. Can you believe it’s almost February???

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Ben’s Treehouse Bed

We seriously LOVE having our friends’ kids over. They’ve grown up with our kids and so when they’re together, they just pick up from where they left off last time and play together so well. They know our house rules and follow them (at least as well as our own kids d0) and best of all, they are a great distraction for our kids.

So with the kids good and distracted, we leapt into the final stages of Ben’s treehouse bed. We just had a bit of sanding and polying to do and then we took all the pieces of wood up to his room for assembly. They started out looking like this:  Continue reading “Ben’s Treehouse Bed”