W.O.W Children's Museum

Today Katelyn had her first field trip of the new school year. I feel so blessed to have a flexible schedule so that I can go on her field trips with her. I just don't want to miss anything that I have the opportunity to be a part of! And besides I love the smile she gets on her face when she tells the other kids that her mom is going on the field trip. Her face just lights up!!

The W.O.W Children's Museum, in Lafayette, CO, is a wonderful hands-on museum for young children. Katelyn has been several times, and knows her way around the museum with ease & comfortability. Some of the exhibits are permanent like the life-size pirate ship, the stage for dress-up & dancing, the sandbox, music room, etc. But the museum also offers temporary interactive exhibits from time to time. Katelyn's favorite things to do are: dress up in animal costumes, "perform" a show on the stage, and play on the pirate ship.

All aboard!

Making giant bubbles

Learning about money

That's one cute leopard!

Or dinosaur!

And of course a PUPPY!!

Shiver me timbers!

Ahoy Matey!!

Denver Botanic Gardens

Grandma Julie came for a visit last week and while she was here we went to the Denver Botanic Gardens. Featured was "Jurassic Gardens", a special exhibit that began in April and ends September 30th. Since I had never taken Katelyn to the gardens before, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to go!

First of all, the Botanic Gardens are impressive enough as is, but factor in some life-size replicas of dinosuars, fun dino-related activities, and an absolutely beautiful day, and voila you've got the perfect outing! It also turned out to be a special student day with activities set up throughout the park to enlighten young minds about nature, animals/insects relationship to nature, gardening, and dinosaurs' relationship to the plants of their time. We all learned a lot of course, but I think the best feature of the gardens is simply the tranquility. Peace & quiet. Calmness. Serenity. I can see why people would choose to get a membership and come to the gardens often to read, relax, think, wonder around, have a picnic lunch, and get a good workout~i.e., there is A LOT of walking to be done at the Botanic Gardens for sure!

The gardens are also a feast for the senses. There are so many beautiful plants, flowers, and trees to see. All that color! At one of the student stations we were allowed to feel/compare the leaves of different types of plants. And the smells! I love the smell of the outdoors! Even though the gardens are smack dab in the middle of the city, the air smells fresh. In one section of the gardens there are pine trees and plants/flowers indiginous to the mountains. I LOVE the smell of the mountains; it's pine, but there's more to it than that. It's hard to explain unless you've been hiking or to Rocky Mountain National Park, etc. I remember as a kid my mom and grandma would take my brother and I to Estes Park while we'd visit them on our summer break. I remember my mom always saying, "Smell, children, do you smell that wonderful mountain smell?" Well, my brother & I would just look at each other and roll our eyes! Teenagers, right! We thought she was such a dork! But she was SO right, and I find myself telling Katelyn to smell whenever we're in the mountains. And at the gardens I was constantly telling Katelyn to smell! Fortunately she's still young enough to put up with it! Now who's the dork?? HA!

The nose knows!

Katie & Grandma

Katie & Mommy

Fossil digging

One of the student stations had stories related to gardening

Katie & a Dimetrodon replica

SOCCER!!

Katelyn is taking instructional soccer thru the Erie Rec. Center this fall. All I can say is that she absolutely LOVES soccer-it may be her favorite sport, although she really liked T-Ball too. And I've signed her up for instructional basketball this winter. So we'll have to see what sport ends up being her favorite. (We can't forget swimming either-she's getting to be a great little swimmer too.) The bottom line is I, MOM, could not be more pleased that Katelyn loves sports. I was never good at sports. You know the kid who was usually picked last for kickball teams? Yeah, that was me, so I never developed any confidence when it came to sports. And I dreaded P.E. class, we're talking loathe & despair. The worst memory I have is trying to climb that damn rope and reach the top. Our P.E. teacher had that frickin rope sectioned off by color, and so the goal was to see how high you could climb the rope and that would determine your color. White for those of us who barely made it off the ground & purple for those who could make it all the way to the top. And there was red, green, and blue in the middle. Or something like that-it's been like 30-33 years since I had to climb that frickin thing. Amazing what we don't forget, isn't it??

Anyway, I always had a book in my hands and preferred to escape into a good story over anything else, still do in fact! It's true that I tried cheerleading in Jr. High, but I was on the C squad which translates to I sucked! And it's true that I gave tennis a whirl in highschool, but I wasn't very good at that either. When it comes to good coordination, I just didn't get that gene. But Katelyn takes sports very seriously and really wants to do her best. And if I may say so, she IS athletically inclined. It's a dream come true for me!! I really want Katelyn to be athletic and to pick a couple sports she loves and really develop her skills. I never want her to deal with the weight issues I have had in my life. I know if she falls in love with sports now, that love will carry her through her lifetime.

But even as I write this blog, she's sitting in the family room reading "Go, Dog, Go" aloud and of course that makes me equally as proud. I mean isn't that really the goal? To have well-rounded kids that enjoy all sorts of things. Who do well in school, but also love to play as hard as they work? Well, I think so anyway. I love that Katelyn enjoys reading because we have that in common. I love that she LOVES music because we have that in common too. She will begin piano lessons on Thursday. We have a piano and it's been another dream of mine that she would want to learn to play. I found a wonderful teacher who does small group instruction at Katelyn's age instead of 1-1. The program's called "Kids on Keys" & is grounded in all that brain research that shows a direct correlation between music instruction and learning in school.

It's a great joy for Mike & I to see Katelyn's face light up as she tries and accomplishes someting new. We feel very blessed to have the resources to give her new experiences as she discovers things she wants to try. My own childhood may be long in the past, but I am having a blast living vicariously while Katelyn experiences hers!



Just look at that smile-that's what "proud" looks like!


Get a load of that concentration!

Watch me make this goal!!

Of course having dad there to cheer me on is the best!!

Family Barbecue!

We had a family barbecue on Sunday. Even though we'd had the date on the calendar for a month, Shane & Gina had to cancel at the last minute. We were disappointed, but decided the party should go on as planned! Michael Jr. came down from Ft. Collins and Shelbey, Elton, & Sean came up from Castle Rock. We barbecued brats and burgers, Michael brought his homemade chili, and Shelbey brought her homemade guacomole for chips. We also had fruit, potato salad, beans, & Strawberry Pie for dessert. (With 2 barbecues & a Baptism Reception this weekend, I'm going to be in some big trouble at WW on Wed. OY!)

Katelyn had a wonderful time playing with her big brother and Elton, Shelbey's significant other/partner/boyfriend/common-law husband. ~I'm not sure what do you say when they aren't officially married, yet live together and have a son together. Boyfriend seems a bit immature for that type of relationship, significant other seems too impersonal, yet husband isn't correct either until there's some kind of marriage or document signed. Oh well. Anyway, this was our first opportunity to meet Elton. And Mike & I both really like him. I mean REALLY like him! He was fantastic with the kids. And let's face it, any man who gets down on the floor and plays with his kid or mine gets a favorable vote from me! Mike & Elton bonded out in the garage sharing a smoke and a conversation over plumbing issues, Elton's trade. Nothing impresses Mike more than a man who turns in an honest hard day's work~someone who works hard to support his family.


It's nice to be a family. That sounds simplistic, I know. But it's true & from my heart. My step children are grown with busy lives of their own. And let's face it-relationships can be complicated. It's also very hard to get a date on the calendar that will work for everyone's schedule. But getting together to share a meal, conversation, playtime, etc. is important. The wheels in my head are already turning for the next get-together!


We decided to eat in the dining room. I mean why should it only be used for Thanksgiving, Christmas, & Easter??

Michael Jr. & Katelyn have a special bond

Katelyn warmed up to Elton right away!

Of course there was wrestling with her big brother!

And hugs for daddy!

RALLY DAY!!

At our church, RALLY DAY, marks the start of Sunday School. So today those of us teaching Sunday School (me-5th & 6th graders), those of us attending Sunday School(Katelyn-Kindergarten), and those of us directing the music(Anna) met for the first time. I have a great group of kiddos and I'm really looking forward to embarking on this new journey. Our church adopted a new curriculum this year called "Spark". So far I am very impressed with all of the materials. In fact I'm planning to order some at-home materials from them to use with Katelyn. (their website is: sparksundayschool.org if you're interested) After meeting with her teachers, Katelyn was all smiles and so eager to come back again next Sunday. Terrific! Our church continued the celebration with a barbecue and games like the bunny hop, egg toss, & watermelon-eating contest. Everyone seemed to have a great time!

Although I have never waivered in my faith, I have struggled with what church to belong to. At Lutheran Church of Hope (ELCA), I feel like I've found the right place to grow as a Christian, and also to help my daughter develop, grow & learn in her faith. I know in my heart that GOD really doesn't care which church you go to so long as you go. LCH is a very loving, accepting, & open community of people. I also know that in order to get the most out of going to church you have to get involved, one of the reasons I decided to teach Sunday School. My main reason for teaching Sunday School is so I "can lead by example" for Katelyn. Afterall, isn't that what we as Christians are really doing when we take our children to church? We're teaching them WHY we go to church, WHO we are praying to, WHAT we are praying about, HOW to behave in church, and so on. It's as much my parental responsibility to guide Katelyn in her faith as it is to make sure she goes to school, or eat nutritious foods, or learn how to play nicely with others. Anyway, here's a few snapshots from the day:

There was a lot of food to choose from, but alas Katelyn found the cookies!

Anna & Katelyn

Getting ready for the Bunny Hop!

On your marks, get set, GO!!

We have a WINNER ladies & gentlemen!!

Wrapped Around Every Finger & Toe!!

Today Katelyn's been home from school with a "back-to-school" cold. Yep, this is only her 2nd week of school, and she's already got a little cold. MAN! Anyway, while I was in taking my shower, Katelyn decided to try on my clothes that were laid out on my bed. When I opened the door from our bathroom to the bedroom this is what I saw:

So laughing I say to her: "Katelyn, you silly puppy,(that's right, my kid thinks she's a dog)what are you doing in my clothes!!?"
To which she replys(also laughing): "I just wanted to be like you, Mommy!!" Oh, my heart!! My little girl knows how to pull at every one of my heartstrings and like the title of this blog~she has me wrapped firmly around every one of her little fingers and toes!

So of course I did what any mother would do, I ran downstairs to grab my camera!

So I go back into the bathroom to put on a little makeup and hear her call my name. I look out and there she is wrapped up in my runner. Had to take another picture, of course! Oh and puppy, I think you're well enough to go to school tomorrow!

Let's Celebrate Everything Girl!!!

This was the theme for a party that we had for our girls on September 5th. Tera MADE the most beautiful invitation(she's so creative, I wish a little bit of it would rub off on me!). Included with the invitation was the following poem that Tera WROTE:

These Hands
by Tera Schneider

There once was a baby girl,
so tiny and so brand new.
Her little fist rested close to her face
and her mother already knew.
These little hands would someday be
the hands of a beautiful lady.
Such thoughts she stashed within her heart,
and snuggled her sweet little baby.

She grew.

She grew to be a dancing girl,
with ribbons and bows galore.
Lipstick here and a touch of perfume,
then she's in search of a little bit more.
"Mommy, oh mommy, paint my nails!"she pleads,
"Please oh please use the sparkly one!"
"And a sticker to finish it off!" she squeals.
"Won't I look pretty and won't it be fun!"
Mom settles her down in a big comfy chair,
and sets all her work aside.
For someday these hands, so little and soft
will be grown and waving goodbye.

I know. I was totally choked up by that poem too! So anyway we were all set to have the party at Sarah's house until her youngest came down with "hand-foot-mouth disease". Poor baby!! And poor Sarah!! I understand it's just absolutely miserable and there's no treatment other than ibuprofin for pain. It's also highly contagious so Sarah could no longer host the party since the germ could be lurking around her house. So rather than cancelling the party, I offered to have the party at our house.

Sarah arrived early that morning to help me set up. She brought a helium tank and made lots of pretty pink balloons, covered the kitchen table with butcher paper, and laid out all the party favors she'd purchased for the girls. There were crowns of many colors, sparkley rings, beautiful bead necklaces, heart-shaped lipgloss necklaces, stick-on earrings, everything you'd need for a princess!! I worked on getting the food ready-Cara & I had both offered to do the food: peanut butter and honey/jelly sandwiches, fresh fruit, mini cheese balls, juice, & cookies. (For the moms I had deli-style meats/cheeses for sandwiches, fruit, chips, and lemonade.)

Then the pretty princesses started arriving at 11:00 decked-to-the-nines in their prettiest dresses or Disney princess costumes, and we also had 2 cheerleaders! The young ladies looked so lovely. After a group photo, the moms started setting up to give the girls pedicures. We soaked feet in warm water(some in a spa tub!),massaged feet with lotion, trimmed, clipped, & buffed toenails, and then polished those little piggies in a rainbow of different colors! It was a sight to behold! Moms sitting on my kitchen floor while their daughters sat happily pampered on their throwns looking at books! After the pedicures, we decided to serve lunch to give the polish time to dry.

Next up-manicures. By that time the little girls had made their way downstairs to the toys and many were done with the pampering! Including Katelyn! She was so delighted to have so many playmates there was no way she was going to sit still long enough to have her fingernails polished! So while a few of the girls continued with the royal treatment and had manicures, the rest just played together.

By 3:00 or so everyone was ready to get going, but what a wonderful time we'd had! I hope that our little girls will remember this day and always feel like princesses! I hope they'll remember that their moms tried to put the spotlight on them. I hope they'll always feel special and valued. I hope they'll always remember how much we tried to make their little girlhood fun and fancy-free. I hope they'll always know how much we love them.

The Library

Katelyn & I go to the library just about every week. We've been doing this since she was very little. She LOVES to go to the library! When she was a toddler, we went for a story hour every week. But as she's gotten older and because we read so much at home, we usually just go to get new books. Especially books about dogs. Fiction. Non-fiction. It doesn't really matter as long as there's a dog in the story somewhere. I am so pleased that Katelyn loves reading. I may not have passed on good math skills to her, but the love of reading definitely comes from me!

We are fortunate enough to live within driving distance of 2 new libraries and also the College Hill Library which has a wonderful children's section. All of them offer wonderful free programs throughout the year. This past summer we saw a one-man show about Johnny Appleseed and another show where a lady sang silly songs. This fall the College Hill Library has some really neat programs coming up too: "Marvelous Mammals" with the Denver Zoo, Puppet Theatre, Mad Science: Fire & Ice, Working Model Train Show, and my personal favorite R.E.A.D. Dogs. Your child gets to read aloud to Tallulah the dog & her trainer, Carolyn.~You know Katelyn will be thrilled!! ALL FREE!

If you think about it, the library is one of the last "free" places. I say "free" because if you're late returning your items you'll probably get fined. I owed $0.80 today. Oh well. If I had to go back and actually buy all the books, CD's, & DVD's that Katelyn and I have borrowed in the last 5 years, we'd be in the poor house. So I'm grateful for libraries just like I'm grateful for parks, another "free" place I can take my daughter where I know she'll learn and have a good time.

The word LIBRARY was one of the first words Katelyn could read

You do?? Really??


There are other fun things to do at the library too!


And when you get home, you can dress up as a cheerleader & listen to the new books- on-tape that you borrowed from the library.

And your cat, Josie Marie, might want to join you...

But she'd probably rather listen to a book about cats!!

I Have a Kindergartner!

It's official. Today was Katelyn's 1st day of Kindergarten. How am I feeling today? One word: bittersweet. Did I come home & cry buckets of tears or just go back to bed like my good buddy Jen Copeland did when her daughter had her 1st day of Kindergarten? No I didn't. I'm not sad. But I'm only sort of happy. I'm happy that Katelyn loves her school, that there were no 1st day jitters, that this is her 3rd year at this school so she knows the routines, where to find a potty, who to play with already, who her teachers are, etc. I take great comfort in all of that. As a teacher-mom, I love that she's been asking when does she get to go back to school for about a month now. I love that she'll learn all kinds of new stuff this year. I look forward to the monthly field trips, school parties that I'll help with, and all the other special events her school will have such as the Christmas program in December, or Back-to-School Night, or the Art Fair.

So why bittersweet? Because when we moved to our "new" house 3 1/2 years ago, Katelyn was 20 months old. She was a baby-toddler. She was still little. And now at 5 years old, she just seems so "all-growd up", as she puts it. Five. Might as well be ten. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I know these next five years will just fly by and then the next five, and before I know it we'll be doing the "off to college" shopping. I wish I could slow down time. What's the rush? Why do the days just fly by? One season turns into the next and before I know it another year has gone by too. Fortunately Katelyn is only in half-day Kindergarten, so I only have to endure about 2 1/2 hours of silence. You know what I'm talking about. It's quiet at my house. A constant reminder that she's at school and not with me. That she's growing up.

So, I picked Katelyn up at 11:30 & I didn't see her at first on the playground. I was talking to her teacher when all of a sudden she slams into my body wrapping her arms around my leg. I love that she's so happy to see me, but most of all I love that she's all smiles. She's had a wonderful 1st day of school & can't wait to show me a "work"(Montessori referrs to all school-work as a "work"). She & her friend Rylee have completed the hundreds board together and she's very proud of herself. I am proud of her. On the way home she calls her daddy (our tradition since preschool to call daddy every day after I pick her up), and tells him, "Daddy, I had my first day of Kindergarten and it was AWESOME!" What more could I ask for?? Well...I would ask for time, a lot more time.

Dear sweet Katelyn,
Mommy & Daddy are so very proud of you! We're so happy that your first day of Kindergarten was "Awesome". And we love you with all our hearts.