Beautiful Weekend

We kept plenty busy this weekend! Healthy Kids Day was sponsored by the University of Colorado, and we attended it - then off to Turin's soccer game. A wedding reception followed in the evening. My 2 year old daughter was mesmerized by the table decorations. There were small fish bowls as the center piece with a single gold fish in each. Needless to say, I believe that she attempted to climb up onto each table to see the fish. This made for a busy evening for mommy, and she dipped her hand in someone's water glass, and ate a butterball. Yum.

Fledgling Shredder

Our dear 5 year old son set a difficult reading goal in which the reward was learning to snowboard. Well, as of last Sunday he met the goal! So this week, his daddy took him up the hill (to Winter Park) and they spent the day falling down . . . getting up and falling down again. Dear Hubby said it was a good experience in persistence for our son. To my father, sorry Grandpa, you may have lost another one to snowboarding! My hubby and I fell in love as teenagers as he taught me to snowboard. My father, a skiier- thought I'd gone to the "dark side" - that the trend would pass. Yet here we are. . . 15 years later and teaching our baby to do it to! So, Grandpa, if you can't beat 'em, you better join 'em! Check out the photo below!

Day at the Museum

My son and I had a date today - at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. We picked up Oma and enjoyed the Gold Exhibit, the Alps Imax movie (phenomenal) and a planetarium show about how to become an astronaut. Oma (my husband's mother) was so helpful and read the placards and signs so diligently to my son. Turin's favorite part was, "everything, but the best part was seeing real gold."

Fun Weekend

The kids and I were well fed this weekend on many levels - physically with homemade pizza on Friday night and blueberry pancakes and other yummy treats on Sunday morning. I was spiritually nurtured as I really enjoyed mass this morning - a mysterious haze settled over my children and they were so easy to manage, I nearly forgot they were there! Our hearts were fed by spending time with good friends and their children, who are my children's good friends. . .

Saturday. . .Projects

Dear hubby is at Winter Park, Colorado on a Men's Retreat/Ski Trip with his buddies. I am bouncing from one project to another. . .cleaned out the office closet which lead to two hours of shredding old financial documents. . . decided to paint magazine holders and ran out of paint. . . which leads to a trip to the craft store. . . also painting a toybox and shelf. . . which leads to a trip to the hardware store for another type of paint. . . wanted to rotate puzzles on the game table. . . which leads to taking inventory of puzzle pieces and arranging several wooden puzzles. Meanwhile, I haven't showered and it is 12:00. I might make a trip to the coffee shop for a major caffeine buzz so that I can work late into the night while my dear little ones sleep - or maybe I'll take a hot bath and go to bed!

Bride's "Matron" Dress?

Today I was fitted for a Brides Maid's dress, as I am to share the position of "Matron" of Honor with my sister-in-law for my cousin Lisa's wedding in August. It was an awkward experience, trying on the dress and being fitted with my kids running circles around me in the bridal shop. I could tell by the response from the gal helping me that I wasn't the traditional client that she was accustomed to. Especially as my dear daughter ran immediately to the shoe display while I had my hands out and a measuring tape across my breasts. She plucked the shiniest, pinkest shoe off the shelf and proceeded to put it on - she walked, with one shoe on, in a woman's high heel and didn't fall. Pure athleticism! My 2 year old daughter is full of "mirth" as her Godmother calls it. An ebuliant joie de vive! For a moment I imagined my daughter, as a woman visiting a bridal shop, and I hoped with all my heart that I'd be invited to go with her.

Mom wins! Ha ha!

Today was one of those fabulous days that comes so rarely that I feel the need to write it about it in order to remember it. You see, my kids were more exhausted by the end of the day than I was. In fact, I think I may have hours of energy left in me, and it is 10:22 pm. This is coming from a gal who likes to turn in at 9 pm, if I can. The kids and I went to Catholic Biblical School this morning, then ate a picnic lunch, went to the mall to make a small purchase, then to the Denver Public Library, followed by a trip to the swimming pool. Maybe this doesn't sound too impressive to you, but we were gone from 8:30 am until 8:15 pm. My two year old was grinning and singing most of the day - even without a nap. Let me just follow with a bit more explanation about the library - it is an event for us. Usually, that is the one activity that we'd go do in a day. We bring a huge stroller to carry books (and toddler!) and enough quarters for parking for 2 hours. We go to the kids' library and to various other sections of the building (it has 6 floors, I believe)- and we load up on materials. Today, the books checked out receipt was about 3' long - seriously. I am excited to start the book Eat, Pray, Love. I also found several items on Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, which has been a topic of interest lately. We listen to many audio lectures produced by Great Courses (lectures from highly accredited universities)and checked out the Early Middle Ages. Dear hubby called claims on that one, guess I'll listen to Ancient Egypt! And. . . a wonderful thing happened with my son - he chose his own books by reading through them, and not just relying on the pictures or asking me to read to him. Wow! Next trip he'll graduate to obtaining his own library card.