Fun with kids: September, 2016

Ah, September. The last bits of summer, which is always too short. And the start of fall, and I love love love love love fall in Colorado. I also love looking ahead and planning ways to make the month special. Here's what I'm thinking for September, 2016:

Celebrate Labor Day

We've got some awesome red-and-white-and-silver sparkly garlands to put on our porch railing. And our flag, of course. And we have lots of little fabric flags in a box...perhaps we'll make a centerpiece out of them. Also we have color changing bulbs in our dining room lamp that we'll set to red and blue. But the best part of Labor Day will be little Jeep trip with a super summer-y picnic...can't wait...

Make a list of all the things you wanted to do but didn't this summer*

Put it where you'll see it at the start of next summer. Make sure to make time for those things.

Get back to a schedule

Things have been pretty loosey-goosey around here this summer...on purpose...and it's been great, has led to lots of impromptu evening hikes, evening hot springs trips etc. etc. But I'm ready to get everyone back on a schedule, especially in terms of having dinner together and getting the kids to be on time (8:30)...our bedtime routine always takes longer than I think it will...want to make sure to have plenty of time for baths, tooth brushing, goodnights, drinks of water, stories, tuck-in, back scratchies and songs and kisses from Mommy...

Go hiking

Hiking in the fall is the best...the crowds are gone, the leaves are turning, it's cool but not cold. I hope to do one new trail a week with the kids this month. Plus I feel like their hiking ability has just taken a huge leap forward, so I'm feeling like I can take them on some harder/longer stuff which is so exciting...

Do some crafts

We've barely done anything crafty, being out-of-doors all summer, but I'm psyched to start doing some things with the kids again. What I'm looking forward to the most is painting with custom-mixed colors (and teaching color theory along the way)...I got washable red, blue, yellow, white and black paints recently and the kids and I are having fun mixing up colors and painting with them...I also want to get some simple white frames so we can start hanging some of their creations in their rooms...wanting to start to make their rooms a little more personal and a little more them...but that's a whole other post...

September 12th is National Chocolate Milkshake Day

And we have a great little diner where we can take the kids for said treat...

Make pizza from scratch

We've had a "no oven" rule all summer, partly to keep the house cool (there's no AC here) and partly to just focus on simple grilled and/or uncooked dinners (which was actually a really nice way to do food for the summer...we'll probably do it again.)

Anyway, I'm looking forward to cooking again and one of the things I've been looking forward to the most is making pizza dough with the kids...it's easy and kneading it will be so much fun for them. I'm on the hunt for some good regular pizza dough and paleo pizza dough recipes...will share what I find at some point in the future...

A special school pick-up

One of these days for no reason I'm going to pick the kids up at school with balloons (one of the things they love most in the world) and then take them to the park for the rest of the afternoon...

Movie Night

Another thing we've abandoned with the long summer nights, but Sunday night family movie night is so fun. Each person gets a turn picking and we can make popcorn and/or some other special and fun snacks, curl up together on our big sofa...Heaven...

Celebrate the Equinox (September 22)

We do this with a special meal (including dessert, which doesn't happen in our house that often), and also my brother has a theory that you can balance an egg longways on the counter on the equinox only, so we will be trying that...

Clean, organize, and make the house cozy

Don't get me wrong, we are going to be squeezing all we can out of summer around here, but after the Equinox it's going to be nice to put our fall/winter bedding on the bed, the electric blankets back out on the porch (where my husband and I sit and talk after the kids go to bed almost every night), put candles back out and warm throws and start using our fall napkins on the table, get our closets switched out to cold weather clothes...and also clean out clutter/things we no longer use and get things organized in the process...all feels so good...

Eat apples and pears and on September 29th, a blackberry treat

Love love love love the fruit that's coming into season. And a little known feast day called Michaelmas is September 29th, during which it's tradition to have blackberry something*, and so we're going to do that...

Figure out what you're doing for Halloween*

I know it seems so early, but Halloween is a realllllllly big deal at our house, with my mother-in-law making costumes and so we have to plan ahead. There's lots of anticipation this way too. And less stress when the holiday finally does roll around...

Hope you all have a lovely September!

XOXO

*Credit goes to the book Simple Abundance for these ideas...

Steamboat with kids (and for artsy parents): September, 2016

Some things we're looking forward to this month:

Sep. 3 and 4: Wild West Air Fest

We went to this last year and it was such a beautiful warm day, and the air show was super fun. There were also some fun kid things eg a bounce house and big plastic bubbles that rolled around in water. They also do airplane and helicopter rides, which I would love to do with the kids...they've never been on a plane, can you imagine that being their first experience? But it's super expensive, so... Learn more

Sep. 8-11: Crane Festival

I think we're going to do the Friday Sep. 9, 5:30-8:00 event, "Family activities, dessert, and crane viewing." Yum...s'mores... Also Sunday Sep. 11, 10:30–2:00, live owls on the library lawn... Learn more

Sep. 10, 11 AM: Rubber Duckie Race

We happened upon this last year at the library, it was charming to watch all the little duckies in the river...will be fun to have our own in the race and also to watch them get put into the river this year... Learn more

Sep. 10, 7 PM: Big Lebowski Festival 

My husband loves this movie...this will be a fun little date night. It's at the Chief Theater which is such a cool downtown venue... Learn more

Sep. 24, 3 PM: Steamboat is Magic! Family Show

How fun will it be to take the kids to a magic show?? Learn more

Sep. 28, 7 PM: Free Foreign Film

"The Automatic Hate," which is actually an American indie film...trying to go to this series each month for a little culture and adult time...

Learn more

Leaves Turning

The peak should be the latter part of the month...I'll be doing some drives with the kids and as a family we'll go out on the Jeep trails a weekend or two...

I love fall in Colorado...

XO

Grace in small things, August 31, 2016

1. Everyone up and cheerful at 7:30 AM today...we seem to be past Sis's crazy early wake ups, at least for now...kids were so chatty and lovey with me first thing while I sat on the couch one snuggled on each side and drank my espresso...
2. Got everyone up and out of the house today on time for a 9 AM meeting...a true feat...
3. Kids have started feeding the dog, Luke in the morning, Zo at night...their first chore...they're doing great...
4. "Kitty in a purse" getting sent to work with me today by Miss Zo...
5. Daddy's got the kids tonight and I'm about to go see some weird Japanese rock band documentary with my mother-in-law, who's pretty much up for any movie I throw at her...he (Daddy) thinks I'm crazy to want to watch stuff like this but it's going to be great...

XOXO

Grace in small things: First day of preschool edition (August 30, 2016)

1. Luke told me I could have one--just one--going back to school picture this morning. Zo, on the other hand, hammed it up for me. Luke had some fear this morning, you can see it on his face. "I don't want to be away from you, Mommy," he said. I didn't want to be away from him either, but off to preschool they went, just 2 1/2 hours 2 days a week is what they'll go, and they had a lovely time. The house was deathly quiet with them gone...it was so strange. I was sorting through boxes of old photos and letters while they were gone today too and it's been such a strange day...how time and life passes hugely magnified...
2. There's a John Denver song that I sing the kids sometimes, "Matthew," and the start of the chorus is, "Joy was just the thing that he was raised on." "Mommy," Luke said, "Am I being raised on joy?" "Yes," I said. "And what else?" he said. "I pick up garbage on the side of the road wherever we go, so maybe I am being raised on joy and garbage." And then Zo chimed in with a hug for me: "I'm being raised on joy and flowers!"
3. Speaking of flowers, Zo picking me a little bouquet from the weeds on the side of the road today...she does that a lot...so sweet...
4. Jeff bringing home dinner...thank you, Jeff...
5. Kids using the word "apparently" all of a sudden, eg Luke: "Apparently, if you use the brakes on your bike, you stop." (He has been using his hands to brake lately, which is awesome.) Or: "Apparently, if you leave the blinds open, you can see the stars." Adorable.

Good day.

XOXO

Hike to Picnic Rock, late summer

Grace in small things, August 26, 2016

1. Zo in her new fuzzy pink vest...and her "unicorn horn" hairstyle which is still a favorite look...
2. The beach with the kids today...nice summer day as well, despite the fact that it was cold enough that I could see my breath when I took the dog out first thing this morning...
3. Luke on his bike feet off the ground 100% balanced...Zo is getting there too...
4. Hot dogs and corn on the grill tonight, and peppers with cheese from my mom's garden...
5. Going to see Kubo and the Two Strings with the kids after dinner..it got great reviews and I am excited...

Grace in small things, August 25, 2016

1. Kids doing a singing, dancing, jumping show for me tonight before bed, which involved--in part--putting a pink leash on Zo's green and scaly T Rex, tethering him to the door, and trying to fly over the leash (I think this came from briefly watching Olympic high jumping recently)...tons and tons of laughter ensued...too cute...
2. Luke's impersonation of a slug, crawling slowly on all fours with his forehead down on the ground...
3. Zo throwing a little fit yesterday wanting to get out of my arms for something that was very important to her. "You don't have to throw a fit," I said to her. "Maybe we should have a code word so I know when something is important and can let you go. Like Code Red. Or Code Pink." "How about Code Princess?" Zo asked. And since then both kids have been saying "Code Princess" to me, like Luke tonight when he wanted me to stop rocking him so he could go tell his Sissy a secret. "Code Princess, Mommy," he whispered, and I let him go and everyone had what they needed...
4. Preschool visit today and we met their teacher Miss Meg, who seems wonderful, young and warm and did a great job engaging with the kids. Zo was sad we had to leave after 1/2 an hour, said she wanted to stay. Luke keeps asking and asking how long 'til Tuesday, which is when they start preschool. So they're going to do just fine. What I didn't expect was how blue visiting made me. But that's a long topic for another day. I cried some tears and reached out to some friends and am just letting it be what it is, you know? It's going to be OK...
5. Daddy doing "emergency cartoons!" snuggled up in bed with the kids this morning when I had an unexpected work issue that needed to be dealt with. Love the support he gives me whenever I need it...he is the best.

XOXO

Summer Vacation, Grand Junction, August 2016

We had such a fun time with my mom and dad over the past week. From catching a frog in the basement (Mommy, according to the kids, "freaked out" when she saw it hopping down the hall) and letting him go in Grammy's garden the next day to rides in Papa's race car to running through sprinklers to playing with the hose to the bike park and Papa fixing bikes to the playground and peaches and ice cream and dancing at the Palisade Peach Festival to water balloons and buckets of water on the lawn to playing in a fort made out of sheets drying on the line to a couple early-morning hikes on the Monument with my mom (and running into a big-horn sheep, so cool...) to a dinner and balloons at Alice's...always so special...

Thanks for having us, Mom and Dad! It's so wonderful spending time with you.

XOXO

Jeeping Road 433, Routt National Forest

In at Seedhouse Road, out at Hanhs Peak. Great drive, enough 4WD stuff to be fun but not scary. A creek for a picnic and some hikes along the way. Spectacular views. Wildflowers and wildlife everywhere—we even saw a bear. Excellent (if a bit long...but then again we took a lot of side routes) for kids. Bring a map. Tons of aspen...going to be spectacular in the fall.

XO

Grace in small things, August 24, 2016

1. After-dinner-treats with Daddy...kids both ate all their avocado and cherry tomatoes and peppers and watermelon and paleo pasta...so nice when I can get lots of good food into them!
2. Zo up super super early, but snuggling up in bed with us so sweetly...
3. Friends at the monkey park this morning...oh, and Zo went across the monkey bars swinging from one hand to the next...the first time I've ever seen her do that...
4. Work projects with friends this afternoon...
5. Reading to the kids before dinner and at bedtime...library books before dinner, Herbie and Lottie books before bed...

Preschool orientation tomorrow...big day...

XOXO