Bein' Bold and Gettin' Old

This week was an exercise in bein' bold and gettin' old.

First, gettin' old.

The class of 2022 (wha--whaaaatttt?!) graduated from preschool on Friday. They were adorable, silly, looking-too-old-to-be-our-children, and sad. Sad that they "won't even see our friends every single day anymore!" and sad that they "won't even get to sit by ____ every day at circle time ever never again!".

Isabel loved the graduation flower we gave her. Milo? Not so much.

The greatest preschool teacher ever (seriously), Mrs. Bonnema, giving Milo his diploma.

Isabel trying to get away with a side hug. Mrs. Bonnema put the hammer down and insisted on a "real" hug. :)

My four faves.

Keeler was pretty bummed that they didn't all wear "Peter Potter Costumes". Milo was so worried that they would have to wear those dreaded "Peter Potter Costumes". Also known as a cap & gown. Or, apparently, in his mind--something resembling Harry Potter's garb.

Enjoying the preschool picnic with Daddy.

Next, bein’ bold.

Yesterday I ran in the Bolder Boulder. Finished only 2 seconds slower than last year and felt better coming across the finish line. Next year, I’ll try for breaking 50 min. Now, if you haven’t heard, it’s only the greatest 10K ever. Bands all along the way. Belly dancers at TWO different points. Spectators galore. 55,000+ runners. Need more proof? Here are some highlights:

• Getting passed by a guy wearing butterfly wings. Slightly humilating? Yes. Funny? Definitely.
• Seeing fools jump off the course to tear down the slip ‘n slide in one of the yards along the course.
• Seeing a GIANT sign that says “BACON: The other PowerBar!” and the accompanying folks cooking up bacon and attempting to pass it out around mile 5 (not many takers in my wave of runners).
• Finishing with a lap around a very full and loud Folsom Field (where the CU Buffs play).
• Running past drunk (at 7am) frat boys holding up vulgar signs and whooping and hollerin' at all the ladies.
• Sharing the excitement with all of the kiddos.
  

Now, further photographic evidence of the afflication which my children suffer each time a camera is near. Please see Isabel (above) and Milo (below). Sheesh.
After all of the faces Keeler was pulling in that previous post, I worry that we may never have an acceptable family photo again. ;)

Keeler loved walking around the expo afterwards in the sling checking everything out. Some funny older man (who had run the race too and should know better) asked me, in all honesty, "Did you run with him in that thing?!". Um, no.

This is how we roll.

This is how we roll.

First, we run. In a 1/2 mile kids' run at the Fit Family 5 Festival in Estes Park that is.
We get out our summer hats. This Rocky Mountain sun can be intense! Some mornings--like this one--we might have to combine a little fleece with our summer hats.

We visit one of the many fab visitors' centers in RMNP and rock the pioneer costumes and we even ask our mom to take our picture "like husband and wife".

We climb every rock in our path. Or next to our path or any where near our path...especially as we walk around Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.

We (being Sage and me) brave a midday-midweek adventure to the mountains (Viestenz-Smith Park in Big Thompson Canyon). Two moms, five kids, and two slings. We rocked it.

We make ridiculous faces every time someone tries to take our picture. Sometimes, the faces are intentional.

We love, love, love our slings. and our yummy perfect-for-Colorado muslin blankets.

We play in the river (over and over again--never tire of it) and quake in our flip flops at Porter's impression of a ferocious dinosaur.

We play in the river some more. Even when it's a wee bit chilly. (This time with all of the Pierces.)

We put up with our mom's "picnic in the canyon" even though we know that it is simply an excuse to bust out the s'mores already!!

(Again!!) We make ridiculous faces every time a camera is around.

We work on acting silly like a big kid--as opposed to the silliness of little kids. You know what I mean right? 5 years old is already moving us quickly into big kid territory.

Walkin', Lovin', Hearin'

Walkin'
When the weather is nice (read: not freezing, snowing, or raining), we try to take the kids on some sort of walk or bike ride every day. There is so much to be said for allowing them to just run, walk, or ride--feeling the breeze, smelling the air, and enjoying the sunshine. Sometimes, it's just around the block. Other days, we feel a little more ambitious. Thursday was one of the latter. We drove down to Grandma Kim and Grandpa Manuel's house and went for a nature walk around the lake just off their property.

Approaching a group of fishermen. Milo asked me "Mom, do they put fishy toys on the ends of their fishing poles?" You know. To lure the fish. I mean really, who wouldn't hop onto the end of a fishing pole if a toy were being dangled? So cute how their little minds translate the world.

Milo splashing and crackin' himself up.

Wading in. Note that Isabel's skirt is already wet. I swear she would wade in up to her NECK without realizing it. She was on a hunt--find the biggest rock to throw!

Leaving Mommy and Keeler in the dust as they race to the launching ramp (nonmotorized boats only, thank you).

Milo following the trail south the other end of the lake to look for "nature treasures".

Isabel's "nature treasures". These were all put in a giant old canning jar that is now the centerpiece on our kitchen table.

Lovin'

Friday was the Mother's Day Tea at preschool. The kids gave us corsages, sang a few songs (of their choosing and including a Halloween song--no joke), served us snacks, and were generally hilarious.


Holding up the tiles they made for Mother's Day. Note my TWO paper corsages. "For when you get married!" said one of the little boys in their class. Nevermind that his mom is already married. To his dad.

The lovely spread--served up by I&M. They were HILARIOUS. "Can I get you anything else?"

Isabel's wrapping paper--I had to take this picture so fast because she was already ripping the paper off the tile!

Once I got Milo's wrapping paper off and looked at the entire pictureI could see that it was a picture of him holding Keeler. :) (All those lines across his chest--Keeler's limbs!) That boy loves his brother.

Hearin'
Turns out that this super-happy-face-pullin'-baby can hear. Out of his right ear at least. He still has not passed a hearing screen on the left. We're gettin' there though. We'll see an ENT in a few weeks and they'll see if they can figure out if he can or cannot hear out of that ear and if all looks structurally normal. As you can see, Keeler thinks this is fantabulous news.

The Many Faces of Keeler and Hippie Haystacks

This weekend, after Keeler's birthmom told us about the difficult weekend she was having, we decided to try to catch one of his killer smiles and post the picture on the private blog we have set up for her.

Well, Keeler had other plans for this photo shoot. Please see the evidence below.

Almost. Not quite a smile.
I swear that this is the look on his face 75% of the time. He is a very intent baby (and appears to be a little suspicious of our activities).

This could be what he REALLY thinks of us posing him on the couch and making ridiculous noises and faces at him.

Dr. Evil. That's all I can say.

Hilarious. Again, that's all I can say.

Tonight for Family Home Evening, we made cookies. Spencer affectionately referred to them as "Hippie Haystacks". Well, he can call them whatever he wants because they were so good!! We're definitely making these again and heads up Abbie because they are egg-free! :)

~

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip (or raisin) Cookies

By Terry Walters, Clean Food Cookbook

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup unbleached white flour or brown rice flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1/2 cup white)

3/4 cup shredded coconut

1 tablespoon cinnamon (yes, a TABLESPOON)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup maple syrup (or agave nectar)

1/2 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (optional--I used 1/2 cup of dried cranberries instead)

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or raisins

Oven: 350ºF / 180ºC

~

Combine oats, flour, coconut, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl whisk syrup, oil and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry and combine. Fold in nuts and chips/raisins. Press dough together into small balls and place onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake 14-16 minutes or until lightly browned.

~

Now, DON'T PANIC. The dough is super crumbly. Just do your best to smoosh it together and rinse your hands often. When you're done, they will totally come together and look like real cookies, I swear.

~

Also, I found a link to this recipe on my favorite non-family-or-friends blog, SouleMama. If you haven't read her book, The Creative Family, you totally should. So inspiring and lovely. :)

Hittin' the Rock

Last week Sage and I took six (6!!!) kids up to Picnic rock for a full day of splashing, relaxing, and snacking. The weather was beautiful, our chairs were comfy, and the kids were great. It reminded me so much of hitting Huntington Reservoir with my mom when I was little. All we needed was some Tab, some lounge chairs, and some baby oil (to work on our sweet tans, of course).

Keeler kickin' it in his cute, cute hat.
Climbing trees with the kids.

How I spent about 75% of the day. Sweeeeet.

Showing off their Tootsie Pops. I guess great minds think alike because, let's just say that Sage and I both brought the kids all kinds of usually-contraband treats like suckers and Twinkers--I mean Twinkies. (Having never consumed the most shelf-stable of all foods before this day, all of our deprived children were calling them Twinkers!)

Milo exploring the river.

Beckett just chillin' on the chair.

Helping Isabel to search for a lost "fish" from the end of her fishing pole.

Isabel showing off the remains of her Twinker.

In theory, those little toy fishing poles are a great idea. In reality, four toy fishing poles being flung about is a recipe for the biggest tangled mess of your life. Then, repeat said tangle 20 minutes later.

Eating lunch (and a little bit of sand) on the rocky shore.

We heart summer.

Too soon and Tomorrow

Milo's hand wrapped around Spencer's thumb just days after birth.

Tomorrow, we walk in the March of Dimes annual fundraiser (the March for Babies--formerly known as Walk America). Every year when this even rolls around, we find ourselves reflecting on our luck, our children, their lives, their births, and all that is possible for them now--that may not have been possible if they'd been born even a decade earlier.

.

Milo and Isabel were born too soon. They were too small. They spent too long in the hospital. They--Milo especially--have endured too many doctor's visits, too many ER visits, too many hospitalizations, and too many surgeries. But, here's the thing--they are alive. They are relatively healthy and their quality of life really is quite good.

.

I will never forget the moment when Isabel was born. She was the only one of my three children that I was able to see immediately after their birth. She was tiny (3+ lbs), blue, and limp. She was a flash and then she was gone. Whisked away to the NICU for intubation, medication to help her breath, IVs in her umbilical cord, monitors, assessments, medications, feeding tubes, threats of surgery and a long stay. She was "healthy" by NICU standards but, as a parent, it was terrifying. Every time the phone rang my heart raced. Every time I left the hospital, my heart ached. When she finally cam home, we were overjoyed. But, at the same time, this was just the beginning of our life as parents of preemies.

.

Milo's birth was something I missed. Well, I didn't really miss it per se, I was just knocked out for it. He was the proverbial "splash and slash". Yanked from the depths of my body in a mad rush to save his life. And it did. His journey was just as complicated as Isabel's...only so much more so. Days and days on ventilators and backup ventilators and positive pressure ventilation devices. Life-threatening bradycardia, life-threatening drops in his oxygen saturation levels. And then. He left the hospital. And our journey really began. So many doctor visits. ER visits too numerous to count. Hospitalizations that I've lost track of. Procedures. Surgeries. Rescue medications. Knowing more than any child should about what to do if he can't breathe. More surgery. More plans. More doctors. More specialists. But still, he's here. And he's really relatively healthy and well.

.

20 years ago, this would not have been a given. 10 years ago, the positive outcome still would not have been a given. Because of research funded by the March of Dimes, both Milo and Isabel benefited from steroids given to me while I was pregnant. They both received medication to help their immature lungs stay inflated shortly after birth. They both received testing for a variety of metabolic disorders like PKU (so did all of your children!).

.

Premature birth is increasing. Every single year. And, truthfully, no one knows why. For our family, that is the most important piece of what the March of Dimes does. They support research into potential causes of premature birth and into potential treatments. But they do so much more.

.

We walk tomorrow, as a family. We walk tomorrow, with my department at the hospital. We walk tomorrow with other loved ones who have lost babies to premature birth. We walk tomorrow because we truly believe in this cause and in all that the March of Dimes is hoping to support, protect, and help.

.

If you'd like to walk with us or if you're able to make a donation to support the March of Dimes (No dollar amount is too small! Every donation counts--especially during times like these.), please visit our webpage at www.marchforbabies.org/pvhnicu.

Celebrating the big FIVE with their preschool teacher, Mrs. Bonnema.

Issy does research and we all do the zoo.

Issy Does Research
A few weeks ago at preschool, the class was discussing sea life. Starfish--or as they are properly known, Sea Stars--were talked about. Isabel came home wanting to know even MORE about them. She most specifically wanted to know how they eat. So...Spencer helped them look up Sea Stars online and, together, they learned all kinds of things about them (They have no brains! No blood!). They asked Spencer to print the information off and Isabel proudly carried it off to preschool to show her teacher. Well, the teacher took it one step further and had Isabel present the information during circle time. :) She told Isabel, "Isabel, I will probably remember you forever and ever now! You will always be "Isabel: The girl who was only five years old and did a research project on Sea Stars for preschool!". Isabel, of course, was overcome with both embarassment and pride. :) Me? Mostly pride.

Her next research project was not nearly so...intellectual.
Isabel: "Mommy, can you show me where you keep those one pointy shoes that you sometimes wear to church?"
Me: "Sure. Why? Are you going to use them for dressup?"
Isabel: "Well, I was just looking in my Fancy Nancy books about ways to be fancy and I saw a picture of something fancy and it was shoes like those."
Me: "Ooohhh. Okay, um, let me get them down."
Isabel: "See Mom, look right here (pointing to a picture in one of her Fancy Nancy books). Look how FANCY she is!"

Research into how to be fancy. So cute. And so funny. And so...Isabel.


We Do the Zoo.
Last week, my mom took a day off to babysit Keeler while I was teach parent at preschool and we all headed down to the zoo for a lovely afternoon.

Keeler was a little suspicious of his first zoo trip. Well, mostly of the stroller I think.
Enjoying ice cream at the end of our afternoon at the zoo with grandma.

Keeler. Just being adorable.

Keeler doing what he did for 75% of our zoo trip. Sleeping. In the wrap. In his cute giraffe sweater. (In honor of the giraffe baby born just days after Keeler.)

Milo and Isabel checking out the elusive Red Panda (Grandma Kim's new favorite animal).