Grace in small things, August 23, 2016
- Kids running up and down the stairs and sidewalk waiting for Sissy's haircut
- And Sissy's new sparkle tennies...love...
- Working on getting the upstairs clean and organized...
- Kids painting yesterday morning and mixing the colors themselves...love Luke's dark lavender rain/snowstorm especially
- Peppers from my mom's garden roasted with cheese...yum...
XOXO
Grace in small things, August 14, 2016
- Kids have each been spending 2 nights with their Grammy and Papa...and it's been a wonderful experience for us to have some one-on-one time and kids have LOVED being with their Grammy and Papa...love seeing their relationships with them develop
- My husband and I (and Sis) worked very hard today to clean out the store unit we've had...feels so good to be getting rid of that! We need to make our stuff fit in our house...
- The kids and I ordered a bunch of used books on Amazon the other day and the first one was in the mail we picked up today...Sis and I had a great time sitting on the couch reading it...
- Butter pecan ice cream today...yum...
- Trying a new way of working starting this evening looking ahead at the week...scheduling the time when I'll actually do each project vs just having a big long list that either doesn't get done or it's 10 or 11 at night and I'm trying to get on top of things and exhausted...I'm excited to try something different in an attempt to keep my hours from creeping up to the point where everything becomes unmanageable, which is my biggest weakness in running a business. I feel good about this new strategy...we'll see how it pans out...
XOXO
Grace in small things, August 11, 2016
- Big day for Miss Zo today...we met Grammy in Glenwood and she went to Junction for 2 nights alone with her Grammy and Papa...she was so excited about it, picked out her favorite dress to wear for the trip...packed her bag carefully (and brought a whole pile of stuffies she must have to sleep)...she's going to have a great time...
- My husband had a work dinner tonight, so it was just Luke and me...we saw a double rainbow as the sun was going down that then the whole sky started to turn pink and orange with the sunset. "Look," Luke said. "Now the whole sky is a rainbow!"
- Luke and I sitting on the porch before bed looking for meteors...and I'm about to head out there again to watch with my husband now that it's darker...I hope we see something...
- And speaking of stargazing, we've had Jupiter in our view all summer, and it's starting to be there just briefly, going under the horizon before I generally make it out to the porch. It's been cool to hang out with Jupiter this summer...
- Peaches and plums and tomatoes and peppers and eggplant from my parent's orchard/garden...the tomatoes and peaches are already gone, so delicious...I feel so loved getting these awesome treats from my mom and dad...
Happy meteor viewing!!
XOXO
Grace in small things, August 8, 2016
- Yesterday (I forgot to mention this yesterday, don't want to forget) Luke out of the blue starting to talk about floating little boats (aka sticks and leaves) down the river for Uncle Luke to receive up in Heaven...like once they were out of sight Uncle Luke would get them...he's (my Luke) so sweet...I know it's an unconventional connection/relationship, but I love that Uncle Luke is part of my kids' lives...someone they think and talk about...someone they want to do nice things for...
- Zo today with a journal Grammy and Papa sent her playing hotel. She sat down with a pencil and opened to a page and started asking me questions and writing down the answers like she was checking me in. "Name?" she asked. "Phone number?" "Nail polish color you're wearing?" "Who's your favorite princess?" Etc. You know, the standard check-in questions, lol... Too cute...
- My husband watching after the kids so the dog and I could go for a walk...a lot of it was in the dark, the days are getting shorter quickly...it was lovely but I think I'm going to have to start walking more in the mornings...
- A good night's sleep last night...the best I've had in a while...
- About to join my husband on the porch...we've got Jupiter and Mars and Saturn and Scorpio in our view (our deck faces SW) at the moment...it's pretty cool...
XOXO
Fun with kids: August 2016
Some things we're looking forward to doing as summer winds down:
Individual kid trips
Papa and Grammy have graciously offered to host our kids individually 2 nights each—a first for us, and at 4 years old it seems like a good time to do it. They are beyond excited. Zo gets to go first, this Thursday, then we'll swap kids Saturday and then I'll be going down for a week-long visit with both kids starting Monday...can't wait...
Orange creamsicles
I want to try this recipe...in our dino and monster pop molds
Camp out on the porch and watch the meteor shower
The Perseid meteor shower is back the night of August 11–12...I'll have just Luke (see above) and am thinking of making a cozy sleeping area out on the porch and watching...
Backroads exploring with a picnic
So many places to go around Steamboat...we'll be doing this more than once...
Float the river
I don't think the kids are old enough to float yet, but my husband and I could go...this is something we haven't done yet...
Go to an outdoor concert
It seems like wherever you are this is an option...a nice thing to do on a warm summer night...we're going to see Fantastic Mr. Fox...
Lay under a tree with a book
I think we're going to head to the Botanic Gardens for this (pictured above)
Hike to the top of something
Maybe Emerald Mountain, that we see from our house? Or maybe in Junction my parents and I will do this...
Make gazpacho
I'm going to try this recipe
Go school shopping
I have such great memories of doing this with my Mom, one of the few times during my childhood that I remember being alone with her. We'd go to the big city (Denver) and spend the whole day finding just the right clothes and supplies for school, eating lunch, talking about things that mattered. I'm going to spend a few hours individually with each kid while we're in Junction doing the same...
Pick a big wildflower bouquet
I've got my eye on some purple flowers that I've seen when we're out Jeeping...
Hope you enjoy August as much as we're planning to! XOXO
Grace in small things, August 7, 2016
- A little Jeep trip today that took us up to the trail that goes to the top of Hahn's Peak...want to hike that someday...
- And then a picnic by the river...so delightful...and my husband looking for cool rocks and the kids totally getting into it...
- Kids are so affectionate lately...loving it...
- Also so loving the new sun shades we have out on our deck...they help so much with the afternoon light...
- "Sleeping Beauty" for our Sunday night movie...it was pretty wonderful...the music is amazing...
- Kids making "bed angels," aka moving their arms and legs like you do with snow angels while I was doing tuck-in tonight...
XOXO
Grace in small things, August 5, 2016
- Luke and Zo both full-on swimming by themselves...Luke for the very first time yesterday right after his last swim lesson, and Zo her first time today...I'm such a proud mama...
- A super delicious asparagus recipe I made for dinner tonight
- Rodeo with the kids and my mother-in-law...so fun...it went so fast this evening. The kids did the Ram Scramble (which they called the Lamb Scramble), where they try to get the red ribbon off the sheep's tail along with about 50 other kids under 6. They (Luke and Zo) were disappointed they didn't win, but they had big smiles on their faces doing it...
- About to go sit on the deck and watch the stars and chat with my husband...always one of the best parts of my day...
- Luke, giving me tons of hugs before the Lamb Scramble, and Zo following suit and then Luke saying, arms wrapped around me, "Mommy, you'll remember this day because it is so full of love." I'm tearing up just typing this...he is so right...
XOXO
Steamboat with kids: Events, August 2016
Here are a few fun things we're doing this month (for more complete listings of goings on in and around town, see links below):
August 4: Dido and Aeneas
I first heard this opera as a freshman in college in a music survey class. It's so beautiful. And in English, which is cool, because you can understand what's going on. We had a CD of it and used to listen to it at dinner parties when my friend Chris and I lived together on the Hill in Boulder. My mother-in-law and I are going and Daddy's taking the kids for the evening. This is being performed at Strawberry Park Hot Springs and I'm not really sure what to expect. Are there going to be chairs and a stage? Are we all going to get into the hot springs and watch from there? We shall see...
August 5: Rodeo
We went to the Ranch Rodeo over the 4th of July weekend, which was fun, but I wanted to squeeze in a traditional rodeo in before summer is over. They do such a good job in Steamboat. I love the barrel racing. Luke loves that he can be as loud as he wants (I'm always asking him to pipe down because we live in a townhouse). Zo and Luke are really excited to get the ribbon off the lamb's tail. Should be a great night.
August 12: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Kids theater at the Larson Barn, which I've never been to. Zo will be doing her 2 days alone with Grammy and Papa so it'll just be Luke and Daddy and I...can't wait!
August 18–21: Routt County Fair
Ah, the fair. We haven't been yet, but you can't go wrong with kids at the fair...
August 31: Foreign Film
I love love love love indie and foreign films, but it's one of those things that I haven't been doing, there's just no time it feels like. But after going to the Seattle Film Festival earlier this summer I'm making time for this kind of thing. These movies aren't generally kid-friendly, but t's good for me to get out of the house and my husband's so great about taking the kids. The library does a film once a month at the Chief Theater, which is a really cool venue, it's free (although you can do donations), there's beer and wine for sale, the building is so cool...so glad I'm committed to doing this...
Links:
Grace in small things, August 3, 2016
- Water and some kitchen utensils on the deck...nothing's more fun...
- I am loving the friends I'm making here in Steamboat...
- My husband volunteering to go to the grocery store on his way home from work whenever I need it...this is nothing new, but so grateful for the help, always...
- A walk after the kids went down this evening, me and Newton the boxer...last month when I was doing walks at 8:30 or so it was light the whole way...today I was making it home in the dark...I love how things like the lengths of the days change so gradually and yet also so dramatically...
- Beautiful "art letters" from my mom—one for each of the kids and one for me as well. What a delight these pieces of snail mail are...thank you Mom!!
XOXO