First Day of the Rest of Her Life

Last spring I was stressed out trying to figure out where to send Brooklynn for preschool.  I really wanted her to go as a 3 year-old, since she has limited structure and kid interactions staying home with me.  At the time she was a needy girl who had trouble leaving my side in public.  She rarely initiated conversations with other kids, and I was worried, even in tears at one point - thinking I'd done her a disservice by staying home with her.  (As moms, I think we all questions our decisions and their impacts on our kids)

Fast forward to today, September 6th, and we have a new kid!  Over the past few months she has been independent and outgoing!  She always initiates conversations with other kids wherever we go.  She has excelled at her dance class (without mom and dad) and now runs off to play with her sister or other kids around, so it was no surprise that she was ecstatic about starting school and meeting new friends.  Last Thursday we went to the open house and met her teacher, Mrs. Baker, and oriented ourselves with the school.

After talking about her excitement all weekend, she didn't disappoint this morning.  She's ready to go:

Even Chandler is excited for her sissy  (for now......)

Taking the walk

Putting her backpack in her own cubby

Day 1 was a success!  The only one to cry was Chandler - she didn't know what to do without her sister.  I felt the same way, because it's never been just the two of us, but now she'll get some quality mama time.  

Brooklynn had a great time and told us her favorite part was "learning" (just what a teacher's kid should say, right?)

This experience has been emotional, but not in the way I thought.  I figured I'd be going through the "my baby is growing up too fast" syndrome, but I just felt so happy for her - happy she gets to participate in a great experience to prepare her to be a kid - to learn how to interact with kids, a teacher, and follow a routine with rules.  And I was proud she was so independent (and wasn't the kid across the hall melting down leaving his parents).  Brooklynn, you're an amazing girl and we can't wait to see what the future holds for you!

Could it Really be the End of Summer Already?

Labor Day always marks the unofficial end to summer, but with the extreme heat we've been experiencing lately, I feel like Labor Day is a kick-off to summer for us, because now we'll be able to do outdoor activities everyday! 

Steve stayed in Vegas all week for a conference, and for some reason I decided to take on a barbeque for Saturday after having the girls by myself all week.  What was I thinking?  We pulled it together and the girls were so excited to see their friends!  During the week the girls and I worked on our pinata - they did a great job with the paper mache and then painting their work of art.

 The kid takeover - notice the adults don't even get chairs anymore!

 Jackson takes a swing at the pinata

 Then Brooklynn (we were proud she looked coordinated and had a decent swing)

 Owen knocking down the pinata - success!

 Chandler's reaction after the pinata fell (poor girl - she was so upset all that hard work for nothing)

 The BBQ was fun, but it was yet another reminder of how much the kids have changed our lives.  Our BBQs used to be yard games, beers, and music, but now the yard has been taken over by slides, jumpy houses, and adults chasing their kids. 

Sunday we drove to Tiny Town, which is a miniature town with a railroad just outside the foothills.  We were surprised at how engaged the girls were with the buildings - making sure to take a look in each one.

 On the train

 They were so cute sliding down together at the park!

If this was the "end of summer", we sure went out with a bang! 

Vegas Baby!

So our 3rd adults-only trip this year was another memorable one.  (I promise the next trip we'll take the girls on - feeling a little guilty about that).  We planned this trip around one of Steve's conferences, which is always nice, because they put us up in a posh hotel.  We arrived early Friday morning, and with the tremendous Vegas heat (110s), we decided to hang out in the room and have our own room party. 

 After resting up, we headed downtown for some cheap drinks, gambling, and good people watching.

 On our limo ride back to the Strip

 The boys dancing to their Party Rock Anthem

Saturday was spent hanging out at the pool and then off to a show - a must-do in Vegas.  We saw "Defending the Caveman" with the Deegans, and it was funny!  We got a couple pics in before we got yelled at.  Take that!

Dinner at the Venetian

Then we headed out to check out the Bellagio fountains.

 The boys

 Sweet ladies

 Awwww......

 We had to finish the night classy at Bill's and O'Sheas when we ran into this lady in the bathroom.  (We weren't the first ones to get a pic with her).

What a great trip!  We feel so blessed to have the *@!%#&^ best friends ever.  Already need to start planning our next kids-free vaca!

The Girls of Summer

Last week we did our first Rockies game as a family of four.  We've taken Brooklynn before, but were hesitant to take Chandler, because she's such a mover.  Brooklynn's been asking to go to another game, so we couldn't turn down the free tickets.

In their Rockies gear (one of my fave pics - it's a hug not a choke hold...promise)

 After a Rockies homerun

 Chandler loved eating the peanuts - the whole thing....shell and all!

The girls were great!  We actually got to see the Rockies pound the Astros, so that was a bonus too.  We're hoping for many more family baseball games and hopefully more Rockies wins!

Mt. Democrat

On Saturday we were lucky enough to have Adam to get our group together to hike our first 14er!  Steve and I have been wanting to do this for awhile and told ourselves we needed to do it this summer.  So Friday night we headed up to Fairplay to stay the night before the early morning hike to Mt. Democrat.  There were about 20 of us eager to get started and figure out what we were in for.  We had some experienced hikers, some 14er virgins, and 1 dog.  It was a 2 mile hike to the summit, ascending 2,000 feet in elevation.  Boy, was it steep and rocky! 

Our Journey:

Looking back at Kite Lake (where we started at 12,000 feet)

 Getting closer....

 Finally there!  14,148 feet.....whew!

 *I'll have to post the group pic later. 

 Stopping to enjoy the wildflowers on the way down

Our entire group made it to the top and some even went on to hike the nearby 14ers.  We only made one,, fearing our bodies maybe wouldn't hold up.  Next time we'll try 2 in a day for sure!

Hiking a 14er was a much different experience than leisurely hiking through the woods enjoying the scenery.  In the tundra there is little scenery around you.  And you're on a mission to get to that summit, so the enjoyment comes then, rather than throughout the hike.  Overall, it was a great experience and we're already planning on our next one!

After we did this I thought I'd revisit my "goals" or "resolutions" for the year.  Not too bad........

1. Run a 10K race (no walking)



2. Continue to workout at the gym at least 3 times per week    Have done....so far.....


3. Take a class to learn something new - sewing, cake decorating, or photography  Did sewing and cake decorating.  Check!


4. Scrapbook at least monthly! I'm so behind on the girls' scrapbooks -  uh.....oops.  Haven't had a chance to do this even once this year.


5. Buy myself at least 1 article of clothing a month (I know this sounds strange, but I've gotten really bad about spoiling myself)  This one was easy to fulfill!


6. Go on a date night with my sweet hubby at least once a month - We've gotten better, but haven't kept track if our dates are monthly


7. Read more books! (at least 10 this year - 1 done....9 to go) - 4 1/2 done - need to read more to make it!


8. Pursue a business opportunity (don't know what i want to do, but this is the time to try it, right?) We'll be worldwide, right Carrie? - Working on the cake business - Sweet Somethings


9. Find a mommies group nearby to connect with more moms.  Will work on this in the fall and winter


10. Hike a 14er with Steve!  Done!  Check!

Secret Spots

This summer we've been to some pretty amazing places with the kids.  Along the way we've found some "hidden" gems - places you don't always hear about but are worth checking out!  Some of these places we just happened upon by chance and some I've found in some good blogs and websites I've come across from other moms.

1.  WOW Museum in Lafayette - small childrens' museum not nearly as crowded as Denver's and you only pay for the kiddos!
2.  Berry Patch Farms - pick your own berries and then picnic at the farm with the chickens and pigs
3.  Denver Puppet Theatre - Steve's parents took the girls here, but they absolutely loved it!  And you even get to play with the puppets after the show.
4.  Dragon Boat Festival & Edgewater Kids Fest - We've done the boat festival before to see Kenz hula, but now they do a kids' festival across Sheridan, and the kids loved it!  They had train rides, jumpy houses, face painting, pony rides, and lots of free samples!
5.  The Bay - Broomfield's mini water park with small slides for the kids, and you can even take any kiddo any size down the slide with you.  And it's a fraction of the cost of Water World!
6.  E B Rains Park in Northglenn (120th & Grant)- this park has fountains for the kids, a COVERED playground, and you can rent paddle boats for a small fee.  There's even vendors hanging around selling yummy food.

At the puppet theater

 Dress-up at the WOW museum

 Dragon Boat Festival

 Meeting Tinkerbell at the Edgewater Kids Fest

 Brooklynn yelling "All Aboard" on the train ride

 Paddle boating at the park (Yes Brooklynn is steering - yikes!)

 On the tractor to find some berries!

 Admiring the chickens on the farm

Of course it's always fun to make a trip to the zoo, museum, or the other "can't miss" spots, but finding these gems has made for an adventurous summer!

Our Little Readers

Brooklynn has started reading to Chandler nightly, and it's the cutest thing ever!  I love that my girls just love their books!  Notice our little teacher (Brooklynn) already praising her sister and getting her to predict.  Wow!