Grace in small things, July 6, 2016

1. I volunteered for our local Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) steering committee and we had our first meeting today...I've never done anything like this and am really excited...
2. Followed by the hot springs with some friends...
3. And another friend has been house hunting and found a place in Steamboat that sounds divine...little 2 bedroom cabin in the woods...ahhh...so glad she will be staying in town...
4. Cute little bento boxes packed for lunch out and about...you can go so crazy with bento boxes but I am just happy to get a nutritious lunch out the door for my kids, today PB + J + carrot sticks + corn chips + cherries + water...
5. We are experimenting with no naps and it seems to be going pretty well...no meltdowns and that's what counts...hoping to get the kids onto a more regular sleep schedule vs Luke in bed at 11 PM and Zo up at 5:30 AM
6. A walk with my husband on a road I'd never been on and at the end of the road my dream house, log cabin, lodge-like, Colorado perfection...totally unaffordable I'm sure, but a girl can dream...
7. Reading to each kid individually in bed tonight (books about hugs and manners and nursery rhymes), and snuggling with each one...they are so incredibly sweet and precious...love our bedtimes together...
8. Headed out to the porch to spend some time with my husband...clear night, should be perfect for stars...

XOXO

Should I take my kids to Strawberry Park Hot Springs?

The short answer:

At night: No!

During the day: Yes!

The long answer:

Strawberry Park Hot Springs, aka the "hippie hot springs," is just outside Steamboat. It's up a beautiful road that turns to dirt but is easy to navigate in the summer (other seasons 4WD is recommended, there are also year-round shuttles if you don't want to drive). The setting is amazing, very rustic with dirt paths and stone steps and the cutest little buildings imaginable, trees and flowers all around, the pools of course and a beautiful little river. I took my 4-year-olds there in the spring and again last week (high summer), and here's my advice for other parents:

You can't go at night

First off, it's clothing optional at night, and kids are not allowed, so if you're going to take your kids it's got to be during the day.

Some pools are hotter than others

There are pools that the kids loved and they could in theory stay in for hours (the 2 closest to the bridge seem to be best). The other pools get hotter, and some may be too hot for little ones.

Some pools are bigger and deeper than others

Some pools are super shallow and small and felt very safe...and were favorites for my kids...others were bigger and deeper and I felt better with life jackets on.

Bring a picnic

There are lots of chairs and picnic tables and some shady spots...bring a meal, drinks too...

Make friends

Everyone is so ridiculously friendly, truly everyone, but especially other moms and dads and the kids seem to congregate around one another, so go ahead, share your toys and snacks (like my son especially likes to do) and make some new friends.

There's more to the hot springs than the hot springs

Especially in the summer when the air is warm, my kids like searching the river and the cool pools for fish, watching bugs, scrambling around on the rocks...you know how kids are not linear, it's fun to see how for them the hot springs are more than just the hot springs.

This is a Steamboat spot not to be missed! Enjoy!

XOXO

Grace in small things, July 4th weekend

So great to have my parents up for the 4th of July! Here are some lovely things that happened to us...

1. Great dinners all cooked on the grill by my wonderful husband...
2. Yummy apricots that my dad brought up...
3. Seeing my mom and dad play with my kids...love seeing their interactions...
4. Little fireworks from the fireworks stand...kids loved the snakes and the poppers especially...
5. The ranch rodeo, with the kids loving playing on the playground and Luke especially enthusiastic about the rodeo because he could yell and cheer as loud as he wanted...
6. The parade the morning of the 4th (the dragon pictured above was my favorite there...apparently this dragon is quite the Steamboat tradition...) there were also horses and a camel and the kids loved the Steamboat ski area float with their polar bear friend...
7. A nap with the kids on the 4th...I never nap...it was amazing...
8. A great walk downtown and back with my dad...
9. Fireworks at Howelsen Hill...spectacular... 

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, love making it special...

XOXO

At the ranch rodeo...

We went to the rodeo over the July 4th weekend, and it was a ranch rodeo, which I'd never been to before...more real tasks that cowboys actually do on the ranch...it was super fun...

Learn more about the Steamboat Pro Rodeo (it's terrific, highly recommended) here.

XO

12 fun things to do with kids: July, 2016

Some fun things to do this July:

1. Have a slumber party

And have some fun and special stuff planned, like favorite-colored helium balloons for the kids, pizza and a movie, a disco dance party, pillow fights, a trip to the playground the next morning and/or and this princess cupcake game...

2. Set off July 4th fireworks

Hello, poppers and sparklers! Take the kids with you to buy them...

3. Make home-made lemonade

I'm going to try this Paleo version...

4. Picnic among the flowers

It can be as easy as picking up sandwiches at the local deli or fancier and homemade with this basket (which we've had forever) and these bento boxes (which we just got...amazing), these water bottles (which I'm lusting after...pricy, but you'll have them forever, right?) and these cloth napkins (I'm thinking you could just get any cute cotton fabric and tear into squares...which I may do this month as well). We're going to be going here.

5. Celebrate Bastille Day (July 14th)

I'm not a big cook but I do like making fancy French meals occasionally... and this seems like a good occasion to do it. Julia Child is one of my heroes. I'm going to make a new receipe from this book.

6. Stargaze

We've got a covered balcony that faces southwest...we have a rectangle of sky we look out on and I always think of the cliff dwelling Indians (eg the Anasazi) and how they must have had similar views of the sky. Seeing the stars is a little challenging this time of year with it staying so light so late but it's so delightful to sit out on the porch in the evenings. Right now we've got both Mars and Jupiter in our view, which is really cool...

7. Go camping

We did a day trip to Steamboat Lake the other week, and an overnight is in order...

8. Have ice cream cones

Lyon's Drug is another recent discovery of ours...they've got an old-fashioned soda fountain and ice cream cones for $1...

9. Draw with chalk

The kids are so excited to do this...

10. Catch bugs

When the kids went on "summer vacation" (aka stayed with their two grandmas while my dad and I did an amazing Pacific Northwest trip about a month ago), we got them a bug hotel and nets as a present. They love catching bugs and having them stay the night (there is a one night max stay at the bug hotel.) We haven't caught a ladybug yet...that is our goal for July...

11. Build a sandcastle

Make it as big and as fancy as you can...

12. Go to a baseball game

Ours is going to be Daddy's work's softball team, on a Wednesday evening with a picnic and a few cold beers in tow...

Enjoy July!

XOXO

 

Grace in small things, July 2, 2016

1. Discovering a new place with the kids: the sand volleyball court at Howelsen Hill which we have unimaginatively dubbed "The Sandbox"...soft, clean sand and tons of it, the only thing is I wanted the kids to put it back to how it was after building their mountains and volcanos, which they happily did pretty much with just a few big jumps
2. My mother-in-law has been making granola from my mom's recipe...makes our house smell sweet and warm like my childhood...
3. "Rio" with the kids last night while my husband worked (he has to work a weekend evening once a month or so)...we were all tired from the night before's slumber party...we watched on the couch, both kids cuddled up close...lovely...
4. Seeing a huge mama moose and two babies driving by the trail that goes right past our house on our way to date night...won't be hiking there for a while...
5. Walking with my husband in a light rain after dinner

XOXO

Grace in small things, July 1, 2016

1. Practice face painting sessions for the kids this morning with a couple of my husband's co-workers (who will be doing face painting on the 4th for hotel guests)...kids had such a great time...
2. A walk for me in the middle of the afternoon...
3. Rainstorms again today...
4. Kids' very first sleepover with a friend here tonight...I'm a little nervous about everyone getting some sleep, but also the kids are so excited and I love to see them over-the-top-excited about things...we're about to go pick up their friend and then pizza and Ms. Pac Man at Blue Sage and then a movie back here...should be a fun night...
5. 4th of July Weekend is here! Yay!

XOXO

Grace in small things, June 30, 2016

Some lovely things that happened today:

1. Quiet "pajama day" around the house with the kids. (On "pajama day" the kids don't get out of PJs...we're on the go a lot but I also think it's good for us to have down time...)
2. Zo got her fingers caught in a door today...thankfully she appears to be OK...grateful...
3. Rain today, smelled so fresh and ozone-y, and when I was working this afternoon it was dark and stormy and I lit a candle first time in a while...so cozy...
4. Girls night tonight with some moms I know...yummy food outside in one of the women's gorgeously green yard, aspens everywhere and after The Bachelorette...
5. Kids so full of hugs and love...love them so much...

Grace in small things, June 29, 2016

1. $1 ice cream cones at Lyon's Drug (best deal in town...), and the kids sharing with each other not just once but the whole time...love having twins...
2. Strawberry Park Hot Springs this morning with the kids...so fun...
3. We were expecting two packages today and the first one came and was opened and then I had a phone call and Luke made off with (and popped) all the bubble wrap, leaving Sis in tears. I told her she could have all the bubble wrap in the next package and why don't we go downstairs and see if it's come? I said to her and so we did and just as we opened the door the UPS truck arrived with bubble wrap for her...
4. A full week of days over 10,000 steps with my new FitBit...that little gadget is so motivating...
5. Nice talks with both my mom and dad today...love them so much...

XO

Day in the life, June 28 2016

I'm always curious to see how other women make it all happen in a day. It's not like I have all the answers, but here's how today went, and it's a pretty typical day for me:

• 5 AM—I wake up, marvel that Sis isn't up yet
• 6 AM—Give up on going back to sleep, get up, make coffee, do some work on social media projects, proof files for noon presentation
• 7 AM—Sis is up, we snuggle and talk about the dreams she had
• 7:30 AM—iPad time for Sis and Bubs, I talk with my husband, walk the dog, make breakfast
• 8 AM—Paleo blueberry pancakes and strawberries and milk for breakfast at the breakfast bar (kids eat everything but pick out the blueberries). I also order library books from my computer on the kitchen counter
• 8:30 AM—Bye to Daddy, get kids dressed
• 9 AM—Fourth-of-July flag crafts, which is not very structured, more just involves red white and blue paper for Luke and stars I cut out for him and pink paper for Sis with pink hearts. I get dressed, brush my hair, put on a tiny bit of makeup, call a friend and leave a message, load and start the dishwasher
• 9:45 AM—We go upstairs to play "Restaurant"
• 10 AM—Sis continues with restaurant and Bubs builds with his wooden train tracks. I go downstairs to do a quick call where for the most part I just have to listen. Make the bed while on the call. Fold the blankets outside as well
• 10:15 AM—Errands: Cable company to replace remote I can't find (closed), gas for the car, dry cleaners where the kids are fascinated with the spinny thing with the clothes
• 10:45 AM—Back home for quick work call (prep for presentation), kids gather bug catching stuff
• 11 AM—Kids decide they are hungry and that we should catch bugs later, eat the lunch I was fixing for later: Salami, orange peppers, cherries, 1/2 small bagel with cream cheese, water. I write the first half of this post and answer a few emails
• 11:30 AM—Kids watch a dump truck dumping gravel at the construction site outside our window, play with Little People princesses on our bed, I pop in and out with them, deal with some little urgent work stuff, snack on some slices of salami and pepper, drink water
• 11:45 AM—Snuggle and talk time on our bed for me and the kids
• 12 PM—Presentation conference call and after that some other work for me, 2 episodes of "Miraculous" for the kids (actually this is atypical...we rarely do TV mid-day but this call was last minute and needed my full attention...)
• 1 PM—Luke has a meltdown because he wants to catch bugs instead of nap, I calm him down, read him "Dem Bones" and Zo "Cinderella."
• 1:30 PM—Kids try to nap, I go downstairs to work (client revisions, screenshots). Snack on Rainier cherries and water. Monitor non-sleeping kids
• 2 PM—Grandma takes over and kids probably go to sleep for her. Sigh. Work calls for me
• 3 PM—Spend time on a personal project
• 4 PM—Tie up loose ends at work, emails
• 4:30 PM—Bug catching time! We go down by the river and catch a fly. (Not very exotic, I know, but even flies are fun when you're 4.) In he goes to the "Bug Hotel," which has a stay limit of 1 night.
• 5:15 PM—Back at the house to do puzzles (kids) and prep dinner (me)
• 6 PM—Walk with my husband and dog. Grandma watches kids/gives them a bath
• 6:30 PM—Dinner of hamburgers, grilled squash, guacamole for us and sliced avocados for the kids. They eat great
• 7 PM—Letters (with a cupcake craft on the front) for Grammy and Papa
• 7:45 PM—Toothbrushing, stories ("The Only Child" and "Rosie Revere, Engineer") on the blue couch with a kid on each side, Luke bringing Zo a stuffie and them hugging each other goodnight, scratchies and song with each kid individually (Luke: "Little Bird, Little Bird," Zo: "North Mountain"  [aka "Let It Go" from Frozen])
• 8:30 PM—Lights out for kids, I go back to work at the dining room table, they are playing sweetly together even thought they are supposed to be trying to go to sleep...lots of giggling...
• 9:45 PM—I go up to check on kids and Sissy's doll clothes are everywhere. Make kids get in bed and turn out lights. I'm not happy. Tomorrow morning they're going to clean everything up
• 10 PM—Finishing this blog post and then short walk for the dog, wash my face and put on PJs, join my husband on the porch (probably with a small vodka with lemon over ice) to have some time together and watch the stars (a nightly ritual), then reading in bed until I fall asleep, hopefully by 11 PM

Never a dull moment around here...

XO