149 Minutes

Leave the house at 8:17...

23 minutes to Holden's school
19 minutes to Everett's school
12 minutes to the post office
11 minutes to Costco
16 minutes back home (forgot my check book for Costco-ugh)
18 minutes back to Costco
8 minutes to Everett's school
20 minutes to Holden's school
22 minutes to home

Home at 12:22

I guess I have officially joined the ranks of harried carpool moms the world over. How is it possible that I spent 149 minutes in my car on Wednesday morning? Part of it is my fault, forgetting my checkbook and choosing Holden's school, but still, come on, seriously?

If you can believe this I only have a tape deck in my car! I know, I know, join 2010 Hanous! I told Ian, I need satellite radio-and quick, because my mix tapes (oh, they still sell tapes, and I still bust out the old fashioned boom box to create my masterpieces) are not doing it for me. The good thing is that this insanity is only on Mondays and Wednesdays, but jeeze, it's only going to get worse as these munchkins grow up, join more activities and sports, and make more friends.

Quote of the Day

"No matter what road I travel, I'm going home."

-Shinso

Firsts

We have already had so many firsts, first steps, first words, firsts bites, first falls, etc. But this week...

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!

Ev had his first day at Magical Mornings last Monday. Magical Mornings is a brilliant creation to give kiddies 20 months-2 1/2 years an introduction to a preschool atmosphere. They walk in and choose one of the four stations and complete crafts, participate in pretend play, play in the sensory center, or have free play with the typical toys. They sing, dance, and play active games in the gym. Most importantly, mom's get a nice 1 1/2 hour break while the kids make friends and participate in a sweet, loving, and quality program.

Holden did this class all last school year and absolutely loved it. However, Ev is very, very, very different from Holden. He is clingy and a stereotypical momma's boy. I predicted a grand scene the first time I had to leave him with Miss Donna. I was prepared for the worst, tears, yelling, collapsing, kicking, and pushing. However, that is not what happened. Ev walked through the door and didn't look back. Whoa-I was SHOCKED beyond belief. He ran up to the sensory table to splash in the bubbles and laugh with the other kids.



I snapped some pictures, but he isn't really looking in any of them because he completely forgot I was even there. We returned early, so we could spy and see how he was doing.




Mimi and Holden played pool



while I stood in shock at how easy and outgoing Everett was without me around.

Luckily, I got a big hug when we picked him up!



Wednesday morning was Lil H's big first day. I coaxed her into an outfit I chose, but she picked the shoes and hair flower-too cute!



Holden is attending Happy Valley Ranch Preschool. This place is magical.
Ponies,


pigs, bunnies,turkeys, and ducks



During recess the kids can choose to play with the animals in the barns and take pony rides.
These pics are from open house and her first day. The program is child centerd and promotes independence and freedom. Which is definitely good fit for H! Honestly, at this point, I am not super focused on the academics, I just want her to learn how to be a good, nice, caring, and sensitive person.

I think the painting center was her favorite.



and had fun playing with the baby doll "home" center

She was a bit leery at first, which is quite out of character for her, but relaxed after a few minutes and kissed me goodbye so she could run off and play with her new friends. She was in a fabulous mood when I picked her up, but she was zombie. All that play time is hard work!

I am so proud of these guys and how well they handle change and rise up to new challenges. I hope this spirit of adventure, independence, and fearlessness stays with them!

Quote of the Day

"A tree that is unbending is easily broken."

-Lao Tzu

No Tears Baby

My babies are growing up. I knew it was coming, the day when I no longer have any "babies." I am mildly freaking out that Ian and I agreed on his "little procedure" to ensure we have no more children. To be fair, we have always felt that having more than two biological children is environmentally irresponsible. The world population is out of control, our carbon footprint is giant, and there are tons of kids who need a loving family if we decide on more than two children. It all makes sense to me and I honestly still believe in our reasoning. But, as Ev turns into a preschooler I miss babies more and more.

I miss the snuggles, the closeness, the gurgles and coos. I miss the tiny clothing that's softer than anything else in the world, I miss holding a tiny one in my Ergo carrier, I even LOVED hiking with a baby strapped to me! I miss those quiet and peaceful moments late at night, where my mind would wander to all this baby would do, learn, experience, and love. I even miss breastfeeding and that tether to my babies.

However, Ian is quick to remind me of the evil cranky Kim who lived on three hours of sleep a day for months on end. How hard it was to plan anything with a baby who needs feedings and naps constantly. How we never ate a meal with each other because a baby needed to be changed, eat, held, or rocked. How our car rides ANYWHERE were miserable because both of our babies hated the car and screamed for hours on end.

Also, I feel so sad that I will not be pregnant again. I was so lucky and had wonderful pregnancies. Of course there was the usual aches, bloating, and uncomfortableness, but it was minor and for the most part I felt like a million bucks.

I am sure this is something many people go through as their babies turn into kids. It does feel like our family is complete and we are fortunate to have a girl and a boy. A very girlie girl and a boy, boy, boy. We get to experience princesses and car crashes, dance recitals and spiderman.

Last week, I took off Everett's teething necklace and cried. Later that day, I received Holden's supply list for preschool and cried again. Tears because I love them, am proud of the people they are becoming, and proud of us for doing ok so far!

I am trying to peacefully and confidently say goodbye to the baby phase of our lives and enjoy my children and focus on our bright and shiny futures together as a family.

Ahhhh Summer

Yesterday the thermometer finally dropped below 90 degrees and I ever so slightly felt Autumn in the air. It was possible to be in the sun, feel a cool breeze, and actually feel comfortable. This is my favorite time of year to go to the Denver Botanic Gardens. Nothing is blooming in spring, summer is too darn hot, and now is just perfect. Although, the day we went was pretty warm, we will definitely be going a few more times before winter sets in.



We stumbled upon a members only preview of the Mordacai Children's Garden. They were finishing up construction, but had tons of fun exploring what they have so far. It looks to be super cool when completely finished in another week.

There will be a place for digging and harvesting in the vegetable garden, a "mist"erious forrest, great on those hot days, a splash lagoon, and several gardens based on the local landscapes of Colorado.

H and Ev were having fun discovering skulls and fossilized footprints

(this was the big highlight),

running across the bouncy suspension bridge,

tending to the eggs in the nest,

playing in the sprinklers

and chasing butterflies.

We are having so much fun as the kids get a little older, stronger, and cooperative! Getting to do bigger and more exciting things is fun for all of us.

Quote of the Day

"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."
-Nathaniel Hawthorne

Yellow *!*!*! Shoes

These disgusting yellow shoes are my arch enemy.


When we were in D.C. in May, we stayed with Ian's high school friend, Steve and his family. Steve's generous wife, Emy, gave Holden a bunch of cute clothes and shoes their daughter had grown out of. One of the items is these yellow shoes.

Holden likes them.

Holden REALLY likes them.

Holden is possibly more attached to them than she is to purple baby and that is no exaggeration.

She wears them everywhere, all the time. EVERYWHERE (to bed) ALL THE TIME (park, pool, hiking).


Reasons I HATE the yellow shoes.

#1 They don't really fit and H trips and falls in them at the most inopportune moments. Like in the middle of a busy street while we are crossing and holding up traffic.

#2 They are really dirty, because she has worn them every single day for almost three months straight.

#3 They smell, because she has worn them every single day for almost three months straight, with no socks, even all night in bed, seriously.

#4 She refuses to wear her regular cute shoes, and I am ticked that we wasted our money on them.

#5 Since she adores them so much, so does Everett. He tries to sneak them away from her just to torment and taunt her and watch her flip out. They cause much screaming in our house.

Now, lets discuss the rest of Holden's outfit for a moment.



The pink headband, given to her by Braeden one month ago. She wears it every day, all the time, even to bed. The pink bracelet, given to her by Eleanor at the library in Indiana. It hasn't left her arm since she received it.

Are you noticing a pattern?

She also has about 5 articles of clothing she wants to wear ALL the time. That pink tanktop is one of them. She will only wear, "my beautiful things." Which I think means they need to be pink, frilly, or twirly. I put(forced) capri khakis one her to go to the park the other day. She screamed and cried that she, "looked like a brother." I think she meant she looked like a boy since the pants were not 'beautiful."

So, I am even further ticked that she refuses to wear the adorable summer clothing I purchased for her. Someone else is getting some damn good hand me downs from this summer! I have bought her three things for winter, they are all pink, flowery, and supremely, nauseatingly girlie.

UGH, my independent princess gives me a run for my money. But at the heart of it all, I LOVE her independence, opinionated ways, and belief in herself!!!

Midwest Getaway

AAAAHHHH....relaxation. We had a wonderful, wonderful visit with Ian's parents. Well, we didn't see them for very long, but the kids did! We flew in on Sunday morning ( Ev is still crazy airplane man, no sleep, and no sitting still) and by 6pm Ian and I were on the Megabus waving goodbye to Grandma, Opa, Ev, and H. Ian had a work conference in Chicago and I tagged along while our children got some quality time with their grandparents.

The kids were awesome while we were gone! The slept well, played well, ate well, and got along well. Which made our getaway even better. Ev went to a Dr. appt. with Opa and Great Grandpa while Grandma and Holden walked to the amazing downtown library and read and played all morning.

They went out for pizza, went to a county fair, played in sprinklers, and had a fab time without mom and dad.

When we got into town we headed straight to Geno's East for ridiculously delicious pizza.

Now, being form the East Coast, my kind of pizza is super thin, like it flops over when you pick up a piece, and super greasy. This was a whole different animal. You can barely call them both pizza because they are so different. However, I am now a BIG fan of Chicago style pizza. Fresh mozzarella, a pastry like scrumptious crust, and don't even get me started on the sauce.

There was a Cub's game on the TV in the bar, we enjoyed some local beer and were in complete heaven! Ian was pretty busy with work most of the time, but I was content exporing a new city on my own.

Just the highlights (other than the pizza):
1. Double decker bus tour where I got to learn about Chicago's architecture and see Little Italy, Chinatown, Greektown, Harpo Studios, the original Playboy mansion, and Wrigley Field among other local favorites.

2. Our hotel was one block off of Michigan Ave. in the middle of the Magnificent Mile.

And it is magnificent! H&M is FOUR stories!

The best shopping I have EVER seen. I spent tons of time exploring the stores.
3. We were eight blocks from the Oak Street beach on Lake Michigan and I pretended I was at the Jersey shore and laid out all afternoon with a good book (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo).

4. An entire day at the Art museum, which was heaven.

I forgot how much I miss art museums. The quiet, the peace, the beauty. When I lived back in PA I would travel down to the Philadelphia Art Museum often.

5. A fabulous and romantic dinner with my husband at a great italian restaurant.
6. SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP

We got back to Indie on Wed night and spent Thur. visiting Great Grandpa, going to the library, walking the beautiful canal that goes through downtown,

and going out for a family Mexican dinner in a a cute kid friendly place.

It was SUCH a nice getaway and totally appreciate our wonderful babysitters!

Quote of the Day
"Travel and change of pace impart new vigor to the mind."
-Seneca

P.S. We had so much fun and were so relaxed we forgot to take any pictures. These are all form google

Brand New Basement

Our basement has been finished for a couple of months, but I just realized I didn't show it off yet. Right now, the best part is that it is FREEZING! Sweet relief. All of our playdates are here lately so we can share our refrigerated playroom.

Jeff did a fabulous job and we couldn't be happier with the results. Our big open living space is organized into "kid central"

and peaceful adult space.

At first I was trying to keep it all grown up and then I thought, what the heck. It is mostly for the kids, so let's do it!I did so much research on playrooms and basement family rooms and found tons of cute ideas.

Like the strip of clouds with the fun orange background and the curtain rods to hang the kids artwork and our roll of drawing paper.

The funky retro letters on flickr

and the vinyl rain gutter bookshelves, which were so easy and inexpensive to make and hang. The tutorial is found here

http://raisingolives.com/2009/07/raingutter-book-shelves-tutorial/comment-page-2/

Down the hall there is a closet and then full bathroom on the left. A large storage area straight ahead and a bedroom on the right.

I am sure our visitors will really enjoy the privacy and space. Hopefully it will entice more people to come visit!

I sometimes still forget we have this awesome extra space. So does Everett! The basement door was open and he did not realize it, because it used to always be closed. He was teetering with his back to the stairs chatting with Ian and just stepped backwards and fell down half a fight of stairs! UGH He survived. I actually forget what he looks like without any bruises!

Quote of the Day

"We don't stop playing because we grow old;

we grow old because we stop playing."

- George Bernard Shaw