Walk the Line

Sophie is determined to do it. Walk the line, that is. 

We went to pick up big sister from an after school activity the other day. I had a hard time containing Sophie for ten short minutes while we waited for Lil to be finished. It was finally time to go, and Sophie actually held my hand through the school (for a change!). But once we got outside, it was a different story. As soon as we went through the front doors, she took off like a shot, as fast as her little legs would carry her, straight for the parking lot. My heart jumped into my throat as she headed for the asphalt. I knew I'd never catch up with her before she got to the curb, and I've told her a MILLION times not to go out into the street alone. She has a mind of her own, that one! So I watched helplessly as she got closer to the end of the sidewalk and then all of a sudden....she came to a screeching halt, toes literally hanging off the red curb. She knew where the boundary was, and she ran straight for it and didn't even slow down until she got there. And even then she barely stopped in time!

I couldn't help but think this had to be a metaphor for her life. Sophie is my child who likes to push the envelope, all day every day. She generally knows where the boundary lines are, but she likes to walk right up to them, tiptoe along the line, jump back and forth and back and forth, and occasionally take a GIANT leap across. It definitely makes life interesting and sometimes entertaining, but man, she is something else. I don't know what I'm going to do with her sometimes! I just hope we can help her learn to stay on the right side of the line. I have a feeling she is going to spend her life running full speed for the red curbs, landing with toes hanging off, and she's going to take us along for quite a ride as she does it!

It's Official!

Today was a very big day! I registered my baby for kindergarten! She told me a million times yesterday, "I am so excited for tomorrow!" I don't know if filling out paperwork met her expectations for an exciting day, but she was very good. She picked out a dress to wear and even brought her own camera so I could take some pictures for her. She was too cute!

 Here we are at the new admissions office.

 Class of 2024!?!?! That sounds so crazy to me! (I was the class of 1994. I am getting old!!)

Here she is inside the admissions office. She was so well behaved, despite the fact that she told me on the way there that she was "full of wiggles". I was proud of her! 

In a strange twist for the day, I didn't shed a single tear! I was proud of me too! However, Lil shed enough tears for us both this morning. Lil told Sophie she was getting too big and she should stay in preschool forever.  It was so sweet. I then mentioned to Lily that she would be the big sister next year for Sophie instead of the little sister, because her brother is heading to middle school. She looked me in the eye as her little lip started to quiver, and then the tears just started to roll. Until that moment, I don't think she had ever stopped to realize that big brother won't be at school with her next year. She was devastated. I had no idea that it would affect her so much to have Hunter leaving for another school, bless her sweet little heart. She just sat on my lap and quietly cried her eyes out. I feel very blessed that she and HK share a special bond, and I have no doubt that big sister will step up next year and help Sophie every bit as much as her big brother has helped her.

Love is in the Air

"I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day.  When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon."  ~Author Unknown


I was thinking the other day how Valentines Day has changed its meaning for me over the years, from romance to chubby toddlers. It was always fun in elementary school because everyone brought valentines and candy, and everyone was your friend. Then I got a little older and the success or failure of the day depended on whether or not I got noticed by a boy. I was watching a middle school aged girl walk home on Monday this week carrying a single red rose, and in a flood of memories I thought about what Valentines Day was like when I spent the whole day waiting for recognition of my existence by a single other person.


By the time I got to college, I was pretty apathetic about "heart day".  (I guess I hadn't received enough single red roses in my younger years to care one way or the other!) But then in January of 1997 I met Tyler and had my first Valentines with a REAL valentine who wanted to be mine. We visited my parents that weekend and they met Tyler for the first time. (We'd been dating less than a month and I was bringing him home to meet me parents! And they didn't even panic! At least...not that I know of.) At any rate, I truly enjoyed that Valentines Day and the next few after that with my true love.


Then once the kids came, Valentines Day became less and less about romance and more and more about "chubby toddlers with weapons".  And I decided that I am totally ok with that.
I have a valentine who is mine every day of the year, not just on February 14th. And I have three beautiful kids to go with him. This year Valentines Day was all about family, and I wouldn't have it any other way.


So, I guess that was just a really long way of saying....here's what our Valentines Day looked like this year. I hope your day was as filled with love as mine was!

We started the day with heart hairdo's for the girls.
It's become a tradition.
Even the kids at school waited to see Lil's heart shaped hair!

  Sophie had heart hair too. I can't believe 

that I haven't learned by now that I have to take a 

picture of her before she plays all day!

My three "little" valentines!

We enjoyed a glamorous candle lit dinner together. 

There were lots of homemade cards and handmade hearts, 

just the kind I like best!

 Our glamorous dinner: heart shaped pink pancakes with strawberries and 

whipped cream.  It may not be gourmet, but everyone at my house eats it 

without whining, and that makes mom's heart day dinner a truly happy one!

Lunch of Champions

The perfect lunch for discerning four year-olds? Hot wings and pistachios, of course! Sophie had this more than once for lunch this week. She wanted it again today. She just walked into the kitchen and said "mom, I want the lunch of champions". You got it girl!

For my little Bieber Fan

I couldn't resist this. I can't believe my seven year-old is already boy crazy! (Just a little...)
You'll have to pause the music player at the bottom of the page.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Late Start Limbo

What do you do when it's snowing (again!) and school is delayed?

You do the Late Start Limbo, of course!

You gotta do something when the kids are up and you have extra time before school starts!

Yummy!!!

A four year old's dream....

 When Aunt Tonya was here in December, we had to take her to a new fun spot...Yogurtland. If you haven't tried it yet, you really should! You get to fill your own cup, pick whatever flavors you want, and then top it all off with whatever looks best! What's not to love?

The Museum

Over winter break we took the opportunity to visit one of our very favorite places, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. There is always something fun for the kids to do there. I found these cute pictures on the camera today.

The Amazon Voyage Exhibit - Who wouldn't love to put their kids is a fish tank? 

Lobster Sophie gettin' down. This was also in the Amazon Voyage exhibit.

Lobster Lily

Look at that pirate scowl!!

 We really enjoyed the temporary exhibit, "Amazon Voyage". HK especially is looking forward to the new pirate ship exhibit coming next.

New Year, New Look, New Start

Well friends, it's been a while. I have contemplated just letting this blog go "the way of the world". As 2010 progressed further and further, I could see the missed blog posts stacking up in my mind until I was positively drowning under them. Well, feeling overwhelmed tends to make me freeze in panic, like a deer in the headlights. And before I knew it, 2010 had passed without a single blog post to mark its coming and going. So instead of trying to catch up, I have given up on 2010. It will forever be the "black hole" of this blog, and I have decided that I am ok with that. I just couldn't face the monumental task that I created for myself of catching up, and in the interest of trying to retain my sanity, (which is already questionable at best), I am moving on.

However, since I am not good a keeping a journal and many of our loved ones live miles and miles away, I have decided to give this blog another try. I'd like to put the year's events I blog about into a book eventually so I have something to keep and look back on when I am old and gray and all my kids have left the nest. (Wait, I am already old AND gray. But I still have kids in the nest, so I think we're ok!) So, here's to 2011 and a whole new year of blogging. I hope you'll join us.