Belated Easter

While we were away, our kids had nothing short of a complete blast. Grandma and Grandpa partied with them for 24+ hours. They played dress up, died Easter eggs, stayed up WAY too late (per Grandma), had Mickey Mouse pancakes for breakfast, saw Horton Hears a Who, and had a birthday party false alarm (turned out it had been rescheduled and I'd missed the change. Oops.).

When the kids were dying and decorating eggs with Grandma and Grandpa, they were horrified that all of the egg glitter paint had dried up. Never fear, Grandpa to the rescue! Our eggs were lovingly and freely decorated with misprinted address labels and highlighters. :) So funny.

Where the real fun was this weekend: dying/coloring/stickering eggs with Grandma and Grandpa.
Letting their Easter Baskets carry on the tradition of "pink baby" and "blue baby" (as Kiana called the twins for 12 months of their lives).
Isabel styled herself in her Easter fake-crocs, Easter shirt, Easter headband, birthday hat and a few other "famous" accessories.
Milo pretended that his dinosaur was the dad of his Peeps. (These were alternately called "Cheeps", "Petes", and "Cheats". And, no, he has not yet consumed even one of them.)
Isabel posing in her new Easter dress (courtesy of Aunty Lissa and Uncle J--for her birthday). Milo was busy running away from the satanic and predatory geese that populate our church parking lot 8 months of the year.

Back and bumperless...

Well, what a way to start a trip! We got rear-ended on the freeway on the way to the resort! Aarrgghh. Traffic was slowing as we were coming up to a congested area and the kid (19 years old I think) didn't even slow down! I'm so glad we weren't hurt. Our poor Honda is now missing a bumper and has some nice gouges in the back but otherwise, it was just a serious cramp in our travel plans.

Should we have been nervous to swim at a place that has to include rule #6 at their entry?

After the police sent us on our way, we headed down to Mount Princeton. The resort that we stayed at was beautiful! I was a little leary--as the outsides of the buildings did NOT match the pictures that I'd seen of the rooms--but apparently the recent remodeling effort hasn't made it to the exteriors quite yet. Our room was so beautiful and serene and had such amazing views of Mount Princeton and the surrounding peaks.

Let's be honest, the best part of our room was that it had cable! I got to stay up late and watch TLC...aahhh the good old days right Melissa?

We got there too late to hit the hot springs and eat so we had to choose--of course, I was highly in favor of food. We drove further south into Salida and ate some wicked good wood fired pizza at a little place called Amica's. The spinach salad that we shared (read: devoured because we were starving!!) was also really good. Their food was very impressive and really hit the spot. The best part was that they felt bad that we'd had to wait longer than usual for our food so they brought us some free biscoccittos (these yummy Italian cookies that my neighbor, Mia Bonacci, used to make when I was a kid!).

This morning, we woke up to find 6 deer on our back deck! I opened the door to take a picture of the view and was face-to-face (okay, maybe three feet away from) a doe! After some lounging around, we hit the hot springs and then went snowshoeing for a few hours.

The view of Mount Princeton from our deck. Notice the deer grazing along the side...a little more tame than I generally like my wild animals.

The view looking the other direction off the deck.

It was so nice to spend so much time together and so fun to explore all of the little towns and the area around Mount Princeton. Before the twins, we used to do so many hikes and snowshoe so often together. We had some good belly laughs about some of the ridiculous things that have happened to us while hiking/snowshoeing.

Spencer snowshoeing and being perturbed that he left his sunglasses at home.

The obligatory couple-self-portrait. Spencer's first attempt left out one key element: the bottom 3/4 of my head.

9 years!

Um, so sweet, yet we look about 14 years old. Wait, we were about 14 years old. ;)
The beautiful roses that Spencer bought me for our anniversary.
All I can remember thinking is, "Holy crap. Did we just do this? Am I seriously married?". I was completely in love!

Yesterday was our 9th anniversary. It's amazing how quickly time flies; at the same time, it feels like I've known Spencer forever. Yesterday, we celebrated by eating at The Cheesecake Factory on Pearl Street in Boulder. We took the kids and, while it maybe wasn't the most relaxing meal I've had ;), it was fun and sweet to reflect on where we are in life and in our marriage.

I am so thankful to have a husband who really is my best friend. We both work hard on our marriage and our friendship and have been rewarded for it. In honor of our anniversary, here are NINE things I love about Spencer:

1. He is the most patient and well-intentioned person--and most especially father.

2. His dedication to rock climbing is matched by no other and it helps take some of the heat off me and my love for working out. ;) Oh and it gets him some sweet abs.

3. He is incredibly selfless in his job and in his love for our family.

4. He loves, loves, loves to sit and laugh with me. :) We could goof around for hours.

5. He loves adventure of all kinds, whether it's trying new food, going to new places, or just hiking around in the mountains, he loves to try new things and see new places.

6. He understands the "whys" of me better than anyone on this earth and when he doesn't understand, he seeks to understand.

7. He loves his family so completely. He is devoted to each of them and thinks of them/talks about them/asks about them more than they probably know. He and his brother have a bond that is amazing and he adores his sisters and still feels so protective of them. Even though his relationship with his stepsisters is a little more quiet (as in, Spencer is a quiet person and Mel and Erika are quiet people making for one wicked quiet combo ;)), he reallys cares about them and appreciates both of them for who they are--and how funny they are.

8. He still buys me purple irises (the first flowers he ever bought me--when we were 16!) for no special reason.

9. He wants nothing more than to live life as a close and strong family and to grow old together--while rock climbing every chance he gets of course. :)

Later today, we're heading down to Mt. Princeton resort for the night and going snowshoeing tomorrow. This is only the second time we've ever left our kids--makes me anxious but they could not care less. They are so psyched to stay with Grandpa Manuel and Grandma Kim. Isabel has asked me every day this week if we can pllleeeeeaaaase go "outta town" today instead of Friday.

Yummmmmm...

Once or twice a week, I do a big "food day". I prepare a recipe or two that travels and reheats well so that Spencer and I can both take it to work. It gets portioned out into containers and put in the fridge or freezer. I'm always on the lookout for new recipes that fit this criteria and lookout folks because we have a winner!!

If you've never tried quinoa, this recipe would be a great starting place. This is DELICIOUS. The original recipe can be found on Whole Foods' website. My adaption is below. Let me know if you try it...

Quinoa Primavera

1 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 pound (about 1/2 bunch) asparagus, woody ends snapped off and discarded, spears cut into 1-inch pieces (I've subbed broccoli florets for the asparagus and it was just as good)
1 cup fresh peas or frozen petite peas, thawed
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 cup thinly sliced baby spinach leaves
salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
shredded parmesan for serving

Rinse quinoa under cold running water and drain. Combine water, broth and quinoa in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until quinoa is tender and all the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and asparagus. Cook, stirring often, until asparagus is tender and bright green, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and peas and continue cooking for another minute. Stir in chicken and cooked quinoa. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle (liberally) with shredded parmesan and serve immediately.

What the?!!

Isabel, in her "GramiTamiSkirt" and Milo in his new tie.

This morning, I turned on the t.v. to set up our DVD player so the kids could watch a bible cartoon while I did Isabel's hair before church. A hockey game was on the channel that popped up and Milo said, "What the?!! Ice skating golf?!!"

Self Portraits: MagnaDoodle Style

Isabel's MagnaDoodle self portrait from this week. Notice she's sticking her tongue out in the portrait and in real life. Pretty good likeness really.
Milo's first self portrait ever. This was on the same MagnaDoodle but about 18 months ago (I think). Not sure why he left out the glasses in this one.

Happy Birthday: The Second Act

Wow. Be glad Blogger is having a serious malfunction today or these pictures would go on and on and on and on. I didn't realize that we'd taken so many!

Last Saturday was our little birthday party. This year we had a Camping Party. It was tons of fun--and more than a little chaotic. :) We had a few glitches in our planning that resulted in having a whole lotta people in not a whole lotta space. It was so fun and funny. Milo asked me if it's time for us to have a Camping Party again yet. Um, not quite yet. Mommy needs a little more recovery time.

Warming their hands up by the "campfire" that Spencer made. Please take note of Isabel's sweet accessories. I guess she had to kick it up a notch to make up for the "famous" factor.
Everyone brought their camping chairs to sit around the "campfire". They made cute camping-themed picture frames, constellation cards (with glow in the dark star stickers), and ate their hot dog lunches in their chairs.
Milo emerged from the bug hunt that was going on in the tent. Everyone got to color a bug "map" (really just a map with pictures of the different bugs and reptiles that were all over the floor of the tent under the balloons). Everyone got a bag with their name on it to collect their finds.
Blowing out the candles on their birthday cakes. They picked out the flavors; they both chose lemon cakes with strawberry filling. Issy wanted strawberries on hers and Milo wanted blueberries on his. Combine that with cream cheese frosting and you have a delicious treat right? Um, wrong. They were sick. Bummer. I tried to take the easy way out with lemon cake mixes from Whole Foods. G-R-O-S-S. They didn't even taste like lemon. Oh well, at least they were pretty!
Intently making constellation cards. These were just dark blue cardstock and a billion or so glow in the dark star stickers. Big hit. :)

Everyone seemed to have fun and the kids got such great gifts from everyone! The best part for the adults (okay me) was the yummy s'mores mix that everyone got to take home. Mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, and mini graham cracker cereal. Seriously, that is one awesome combo.

Two more pictures coming your way...the invitation and the cute lights...

Isabel is on a roll...

One of her first attempts at self-accessorizing. She wore my hat around for days.

Numero Uno:

Isabel has a very keen sense of fashion and LOVES to dress herself. I hear that Aunty Abbie was also a big fashionista from an early age. Isabel also has a penchant for liberally using words she likes but whose meaning she does not even know.

In the dressing room at The Children's Place:

Me: "Oh, sorry Issy that skirt is too short and they don't have it in your size. Let's try these pants on instead. It's okay, you can wear pants to your birthday party this year--that way it will be easier to jump around an play with your friends!" (Please note that this is me trying to head off a meltdown that could very easily occur over the mere prospect of not being able to wear a skirt or dress for a special occasion.)

Isabel: "Aaaaargggh. Okay mom. I'll try them on but only over my tights."

Me: "That's fine Isabel."

We get the pants on and she stands there examining herself from all angles.

Isabel: "Mom, I don't really like these."

Me: "Why not?"

Isabel: "Because, they're....well, they're just....they're just so...you know...FAMOUS. Mom, they are just so FAMOUS." (Note that this is said with complete disgust in her voice.)

Me (trying not to laugh): "Oh really? And what does the word 'famous' mean honey?"

Isabel: "Oh, you know Mom! It just means like tight and pants and tight and kind of like...pants."

SIGH. For those who are interested, we got the pants. :)

Numero Dos:

Earlier this week, my lovely dad was nice enough to watch my kids in the middle of the day for a bit so I could attend a funeral. My dad works from home and is on important conference call after important conference call all day long. It turned out that my niece was also sick that day and had to stay home. So, poor grandpa was running a daycare while trying to continue with his busy day at work. He told me everything went fine "but they ate corndogs for lunch" because he was so swamped. :) Funny because many of you know my distaste for hot dogs and, thus, corn dogs. Seriously, BARF. My kids thought the corn dogs were an awesome and tasty treat, as they always do.

Yesterday in the car, Isabel says "Hey Mom, tonight for dinner can we have corn on a dog?" I started to giggle and then she started to laugh and said "Oh Mom! I mean can we have corn on THE dog?". :)

One picture, two funnies.

So many curious things from a four-year-old's perspective.

Recently, our babysitter Kate (also known as Kate the Great--as in greatest babysitter/nanny ever in the history of the universe) was driving with the kids through Old Town F.C.. On the side of the road, was this guy (or one of his lovely cohorts). Tax season is upon us and the onslaught of people dressed in Statue of Liberty or Uncle Sam costumes is making sure we don't forget it. Milo was completely perplexed and asked Kate why the guy was wearing a costume. She did her best to explain why a grown man was in a costume in the middle of the winter on the side of a fairly busy road. Milo then asked her what the Statue of Liberty is. She, again, did her best to explain. She told him that it was a very important building in New York etc. etc.. He paused for a minute and then said, "That building is funny. He has a very strange roof." (Referring, of course, to the hat that guy is wearing.) :)

Now for the second guy in the picture: smoking man. Because we're not really regularly around anyone who smokes, it's a very fascinating topic for Isabel and Milo. We've talked about it umpteen times...why people smoke, why people don't smoke, why it's not good for our bodies, etc. etc. etc.. Isabel, for whatever reason, is especially fascinated with it. A few weeks ago, she was trying to get me to explain to her exactly how people smoke. I had no idea how to explain it and, quite frankly, didn't really want to give my almost-four-year-old step by step instructions for lighting up. :) After I gave her some sort of lame variation of "I don't know", she paused and then said, "Oh guys! I know! I know how you smoke! It's easy. See, you just climb right up the chimney like Santa and then you get in the chimney and you scoop that smoke right up and drink it. That's how you smoke!". Creative eh? So, if you ever want Isabel to tutor your children in other delinquent habits just let me know. :)

Happy Birthday!!

I can't believe it! Milo and Isabel turned four yesterday! What a day--and what a wild ride the last four years have been. I feel so blessed to be a mother--to be their mother. They are so funny, so unique, and so full of life. I am definitely a better person because of my children.

After we opened presents, we went out for hot chocolate and a little "breakfast" before art class. My kids are obsessed with sitting at Starbucks drinking their hot chocolate. I once tried to talk them into getting their hot chocolate to go--big mistake! They enjoyed themselves as always today. We even saw my friend Suzanne in line. :)

After hot chocolate, they went to art class. As usual, they had a blast. They love Miss Jodie, the art teacher, and they always come out with paint in such funny places (ears, tops of their heads).

Then, it was off to brunch at The Egg and I! Spencer had taken the morning off; it was so nice to hang out together and not be rushing anywhere. Our food was yummy, of course!

The rest of the day was spent playing with new games and hanging out with mom. They also talked to many grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We felt pretty loved!:) A pretty nice and relaxing day overall. Milo was so excited for his birthday that he started crying when he had to take a nap. "Mom, but will it still be my birthday when I wake up?" So cute.

Saturday is the little birthday party. I'm sure we'll have some good stories and pictures to share!

Best Friends.
Running to "the hot chocolate store" a.k.a. Starbucks.

Proudly displaying his art project from today.
That smile is totally sincere. :)
Drinking hot chocolate with Daddy.

Isabel doing her favorite art class activity--the felt board.

Milo, trying his hand at the stickiest sculpting dough ever.

Keepin' it real...

Milo, in 2005, smashing his pea-holding nose against the sliding glass door.

Season asked for a "naughty kids" story. :) Here's one for you...

Anyone recall The Great Pea Incident of '06? No, well, let me 'splain it to you.

In the fall of '06 when Milo was just starting to really spiral into his worst period of illness/hospitalizations/ER Visits. One afternoon, he and Isabel were in their booster seats eating lunch. Milo was really showing off his pincer grasp, picking up one pea at a time and eating them. While I was flitting around the kitchen, cleaning up and putting away dishes, I noticed that all of his peas were gone...and that his nose looked a little strange. I stared at him for about 1.2 seconds before realizing that the peas that had previously been on his tray were now LODGED SOMEWHERE NEAR HIS BRAIN!!! Good grief. After borrowing a flashlight from a neighbor and cursing the idiot (me) that thought it was a good idea to by $2 flashlights from the grocery store when our MagLight died, I used giant tweezers to delicately remove the peas while trying not to injure my screaming/flailing child. I was completely freaked out and convinced that some rogue pea was definitely, absolutely lodged in his sinus or dangerously close to being aspirated. We quickly made a visit to our pediatrician's office for confirmation of full pea evacuation and soon became a legendary story in their office. Great. Just what I wanted: to be known as a frequent flyer AND as the kid who stuck 8 peas up his nose. Milo ended up in the ER that night and spent two nights in the hospital for respiratory issues totally unrelated to the peas. Not our best week ever.

Flash to last week. We're driving home when I hear Milo gasp loudly (in shock/preparation for a serious tattling). He then yells at the top of his lungs, "Mom!!! Issy just stuck a wrapper up her nose!!!!!" Ack. The Panic of '06 from The Pea Event of '06 nearly drove me off the road. I (sort of) calmly told her NOT TO TOUCH HER NOSE. Just as I'm saying that, I look in my rearview mirror to see her shoving her finger up her nose to, ooohhh, midbrain level. I repeat, "DO NOT STICK YOUR FINGER IN YOUR NOSE. GET IT OUT!" I am ever-so-slighly more calm once the finger is removed. Then I hear, "SNIFFFFFF. SNIFFFFFFFF." from the backseat. Now it's, "DO NOT DO THAT!! DO NOT SNIFF!! DO NOT BREATH THROUGH YOUR NOSE. ISABEL, PLEASE. BREATH. THROUGH. YOUR. MOUTH." Trying desperately to remain or at least sound calm, I somehow drive the rest of the way home whilst watching my daughter and the road. Be glad you were not behind me.

Once we got home, I whisked (ripped?) her out of her carseat and into the house. I layed her flat on her back on the table and instructed her to continue breathing through her nose. I gathered my instruments (tweezers and the same crappy flashlight), cursed myself for STILL not having a good flashlight, thought about the potential embarassment of having to borrow a flashlight from the same neighbor for the same reason nearly 18 months later, and opted to go in under the guidance of the dining room light instead. Luckily the wrapper was removed in one fail swoop. PHEW.

The end right? Wrong.

Isabel consequently had a runny nose. Apparently, a persons body does not like having foreign objects lodged up its nose and will start rebelling. Exhausted and relieved, I sent her into the bathroom to wipe her nose. A mere nanosecond later, I hear "UH OH" and the toilet running. You guessed it: the toilet was clogged. In a panic, I reached for the water main and scramble to turn it off. Too late. The toilet started overflowing and soaked my foot. I jumped in disgust and SLAMMED my head into the edge of our slate counter, saw stars, got teary, took a deep breath and plunged the heck out of the toilet.

The end. (Sort of. My head hurt so bad that I couldn't sleep on that side of it for 5 days!!)

A day at the zoo...

Isabel, Milo, and Porter checking out the pachyderms.

On Thursday, we went to the zoo with Sage and Porter. The weather was perfect, the kids had so much fun, and it was so nice to just be outside! Sage took some amazing pictures (as always--she's so talented). Check out her post for even more shots of our trip!

This is, easily, one of my favorite pictures ever. :)