Ode to Ashley (not a poem, just a response)

I thought I'd take care of a little request tonight and I will preface this by saying that if it weren't for the fact that Ashley is my very very very good friend and she asked me...no, more like commanded me....to answer the questions to this "tag" thing that seems to me very similar to the chain emails that I promptly erase the moment I find them in my inbox, then I would not be responding to her "tag" game. But since Ashley is my very very very good friend I will answer her tag game and then I will impose this game on some of my unwitting friends. So here it is..........

Tag you're it!...here are the rules: Post these rules on your blog. Answer these 15 questions about yourself on your blog. List 3 Joys, 3 Fears, 3 Goals, 3 Current Obsessions/Collections and 3 Random/Surprising facts. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Joys: 1. The random hugs from my kids when for no particular reason they wrap their arms around me and tell me that they love me then they give me one those cute little kisses and then they go happily on their way. 2. Spending a few hours with my husband when he's not feeling stressed out from work and the kids are really happy and for just a moment the cosmos seem aligned and everything is perfect. 3. Thinking back on all the wonderful memories from my life so far.....

Fears: I don't have any, I'm WONDER WOMAN! (Well, actually I am scared of Ashley if I don't do this little tag thing and Brooke if I don't blog daily, or at least relatively often, as in more frequently than I have been this past week or so because Brooke is one tough woman and Ash, well, she instills fear in all who cross her.)

Goals: 1.To find something happy about each and every day because sometimes lately I feel a little sad, but then I remember those little joys in life, and really I want to always have a cheery disposition. 2. To let William know that I have found something happy and great about each and every day because he doesn't like it if I'm sad or stressed or overwhelmed, and he really likes it when I have a cheery disposition. 3. To find some way to help Luke actually learn how to sleep even though I don't really think he will learn how to do this until he is a teenager when they don't really know how to wake up, but until that time, even though I am still sleep deprived because of my two year old, I am going to try have a cheery disposition.

Obsessions/Collections: 1.The gym; an obsession..because someday I might actually stop eating cookies and peach dream dessert and brownies and ice cream and then, because of this little gym obsession, of mine I might really lose those last baby pounds but until I stop eating all those yummy things the gym is keeping me from putting the baby weight back on. 2. Diet Coke cans...a collection, in my recycle bin; maybe that's actually an obsession. 3. Garden gnomes...an obsession that has turned into a collection because I really wanted a gnome in my garden even though they are really kitschy and then Brenda and Ashley filled my backyard with gnomes and now every time I'm out back in the garden I move them around and think of how much I love my kitschy little guys and then I realize they are, in fact, one of those little joys in my life right now.

Random tidbits: 1. I love whole wheat toast with a little slice of cheddar cheese very late at night (another reason I need to go to the gym). 2. I don't like to wear red because it makes me feel like I'm yelling to the world "hello world, here I am" and even though sometimes I might want to yell to the world and make it notice me I don't want the color I'm wearing being the thing that is yelling, but I do like to wear color even though my mother thinks I really only like to wear black, which I do like, but I also like turquoise. 3. I love that my first date with William was to a museum...and museums are places he likes visiting almost as much as me.

So now I have to tag a couple of you.......Brooke, Deb, Jessica, Susan and Laurie have fun, or don't but you should probably feel just as obliged to do this as I did because I might stop reading your blogs otherwise.

A Day in the Life of an Adventurer

I really had no idea that Murray Park was the place to cruise on a Saturday night. It's a nice park, but really, just what's so special, so alluring, that you would drive loops around the park? Perhaps I should amend that statement in light of our high adventures in just such a spot. Thanks to our good friends Wes and Ash, Murray Park, yes little Murray Park did indeed become the place to cruise in order to watch the acrobatics of a little group of monkeys literally hanging from trees as they flew about 60 feet down a zip line, swung on rope swings and ran around jumping on each other.





And speaking of monkeys, Mitchell has truly found his inner monkey...his Spider Monkey, he tells me. I really don't know what clicked in his mind at the pool the other day, but all of a sudden, he is fearless! The zip line, which a month, no, a week ago would have been quite scary was nothing more than another day in the life of a true adventure boy. That's my boy Mitchell! Can we take your training wheels off now?

Wet Adventures

"My butt is wet!" That was what Luke yelled just before he started to rip off his swimming suit and swim diaper. As much as I tried to convince him that is indeed what happens when you go to the pool, he wasn't convinced. And he didn't like that swim diaper, because he looked at me with a that look of disgust only a two year old can really give, repeated "my BUTT is wet" and spent most of our pool time with his hands desperately trying to pry off that diaper.


So, I decided that it might be important for Mitchell to begin to get over just one of his fears or phobias that I perceive are keeping him from being the rambunctious little boy I think he really wants to be. Maybe I just remember my older brothers jumping out of a second story window into snow drifts. I think they were teenagers at the time, but that's beside the point, right? My five year old should be tough! So I spent a considerable amount of time trying to coax Mitchell off the end of the diving board and in the process probably did plenty of things that one might consider made me look like a fool, which is probably why when I tried to get Jane to jump off the high dive she told me that if she got up there I had better not do anything to embarrass her. Since when did my almost eight year old decide that I was an embarrassment? I had hoped to hold that off until she was closer to those teen years. At any rate, finally Mitchell decided that really jumping off the diving board was pretty awesome; no really what is totally awesome is to speedily run off the end of the diving board...dozens and dozens of times. And apparently Jane was too worried that I really might do a flip off the diving board and that would just be too embarrassing so she thought she'd wait until I wasn't at the pool to actually make her jump. Then again, maybe its Luke she's worried about. He might actually get that diaper off and go streaking around the pool yelling successfully "I'm naked! I'm naked!"

The Age of Freedom

Luke has a really bad habit of bolting into the street, any street, as fast as he can regardless of cars or other dangerous obstacles. So today as I informed him that he needed to hold my hand or Jane's hand in the street he emphatically told me no. I emphatically repeated that he must hold a hand; in fact, all two-year olds need to hold hands in the street. He looked at me with a very serious face and said "I not two, I seven!" Apparently in Luke's mind seven is the age of ultimate freedom.

No Way, Jose!

No way, Jose! No way, Jose! Pretty much that's all I hear out of Luke these days.

"Luke, you have a stinky diaper. Can I change you?"
"Now way, Jose!"
"Luke, it's time for bed."
"No way, Jose!"
"Luke, put your sandals on."
"No way, Jose!"
"Luke, let me have just one moment of silence."
"No way, Jose!"
"Luke, go play with Mitchell."
"No way, Jose!"
"Luke, can I have a hug?"
"No way, Jose!"
"Lukey......"
"Okay, Jose....."

Ode to Vail

Oh Vail, Oh Vail
how other places simply pale
compared to the beautiful mountains
and fun splashing fountains
the Teva Mountain Games
and blue skies fighting off the rains



















Winter brings the snowy elements
but summer is simply heaven sent
the kids rock climb
and the kayaking is sublime
as we hike along the river
the cool air brings a slight shiver



















The mountains bring a calmer pace
unless you're in the mountain bike race
but as spectators we soaked it in
as we watched the elite women win
and the bouldering world championships
made us feel like total wimps



















Oh Vail, Oh Vail

how we long to return to hike more trails
and play at the pirate park
until it gets dark
but next year, Luke, remember not a peep
as through the night you readily sleep

The Snoggy Nose

The snoggy nose, it never stops
but ebbs and flows and finally drops
upon my shirt, my pants, my floor
but cleaning it is such a chore
the constant streaming
could leave me screaming
but I have finally realized
the virtues of a mother most prized
(and with this some might have an issue
but not I, because I often forget the tissue)
are simply, clearly, not
defined by the massive amounts of snot
sitting on his upper lip

Triumphant Moments Revisited

In the months leading up to her moment in the spotlight her creative angst was definitely felt. She struggled and struggled to let her inner artist out. The art and artist just would not meld...until that night. She was perfect. Her music was incredible. I am a proud mama!

Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum

There are museums that are beloved, some that are simply amazing, those that certainly are worthy of repeat visits and then there are museums that generally are entirely forgettable...but apparently my children see things a bit differently than I do. In my younger years, when I studied the discipline of museology, it never occurred to me that someone could be so fascinated with taxidermy. Then I had kids.

This past week we visited (for the umpteenth time) the Monte L. Bean Life Science museum, otherwise known as the "animal museum"; as in dead, stuffed animals. We read the labels (which don't actually have much information about the animals), we watched the videos (which didn't tell us much more) and we talked and talked and talked about the various animals and the fact that they were all, in fact, dead. And finally I was done...but not the kids, no, no, they had at least another half hour in them because we hadn't made it upstairs yet. Why can't that happen in an art museum? In the end, it was a happy afternoon, which is why I would actually rate the museum with one whole star out of five. Jane, however, gave it 4, or maybe five, well actually she finally decided on 4 1/2. Mitchell...well he gave it 19 stars!

Soccer Season

Early in the season
they run and kick with little rhyme or reason
but sometime in the middle
they seem to figure out the riddle...

The ball goes in the net!

Now they block and defend
sometimes they even pretend
to pass the ball and work together
and no longer ask forever

Is the season over yet?

Their uniforms have seen some wear
and their knees have had one or two tears
they've realized what it takes to work
and I simply have to look at them and smirk

They finally broke a sweat!


Good Season Jane and Mitch!

Brenda's Gift

So everyone has been great over the past couple of weeks, really helpful and compassionate. We have felt so much love and support from our friends and neighbors and I have really come to know so much more about everyone and our shared griefs because of losing someone close. But sometimes...just occasionally...I don't actually feel like talking. So I have to shout a huge THANKS to Brenda who knows just how this feels and has so lovingly solved this problem for me. So if you happen to find yourself on the wet end of my spray bottle don't be offended, just zip it!