Am I Back?

This blog has been hanging around my neck like an albatross. I so want to post, but every night, I stare at the keyboard, and five minutes later I'm wiping drool from my lip and dragging myself to bed.

Like all of America, I am struggling with the working Mom syndrome. When I am at work, I am there, straight, no breaks, proving myself. And when I am home, I am with her 110%. No phones, no tv, just dinner, playing and family time. By the time she goes to bed at 8pm, I'm either falling into bed myself or a complete waste.

That being said, this poor little old blog is taking the brunt of my neglect. One of these days, I'll dust her off and be back to business as usual.

What Sound Does Papa Make?

In the realm of fart noises are always funny, I taught Hadley how to immitate her grandfather by making *pfft* noises. It only took about a day of positive reinforcement to produce this behavior. And once it started, there was no stopping it. On repeat, driving around in the car. "pfft *giggle* PAPA", she would say, over and over like a broken record.

When we were in Connecticut visiting my parents, my Dad captured her on camera in her priceless moments. You can see the video here.

Toddler Tea Party

It wasn't until we were sitting in Kinderschuhe, a children's shoe store in Connecticut looking for a pair of shoes for Hadley that I learned she knew how to have tea parties. In a play area at the back of the store, she picked up a tea kettle and started pouring fake tea into cups for my mom. My first thought was *sniff* what else is she doing that I don't know about. But as soon as we got back, I opened the tea set that her Aunt Jinnie had gotten for her first birthday. At the time, Jinnie insisted that all little girls love to have tea parties and boy did she know what she was talking about. The day I opened the set, I had to limit our tea parties to 3. Of course, I also taught her how to invite her stuffed animals and serve them all tea and crumpets, and how you have to be all hoity toity and stick out your pinky as you sip (not slurp) your hot brew.

In Our Shoes

iPlay Sand and Water Table

Hadley loves playing with water. She loves putting her hands in it. She loves pouring it on herself. If we are outside, she wants her pail filled with water. If it is hot out, she wants water in her pool. After Mommy, Daddy, Tica, and Gibson, Water was probably her 5th word, which she says as if asking a question, on repeat like a broken record. Wawa? Wawa? Wawa? The way she says Wawa reminds me of Gilda Radner's Barbara Wawa skit. Until I correct her, and then she says WaaaTer.

Because of her love of all things water, when we were in Connecticut on vacation and I spied iPlay's Sand and Water Table at a toy store, I knew I had to get it for her. I called a few toy stores when I got back to Denver, and thanks to my friend Cynthia who has a 25% off coupon, I was able to get this for her at a store down the street from us. Total Score!

It was super easy to set up out of the box and I love how colorful it is. Despite DGs crotch in this shot, this picture is great because Hadley is having a blast.


Water and boats and ducks go in one side and sand in the other. You can pour water into the funnels at the top and watch them spin the wheels.

This is RATED A for Awesome!

Actual Conversation

This is an actual conversation that took place last night during dinner while talking about the potential of playing badminton on the outdoor court of the Mountain View Grand.

Mom: I will beat your butt so bad at badminton that it will make your head spin.

Me: Are you kidding me? I could tie one hand behind my back, be 9 months pregnant and still kick your butt.

Dad: Oh yeah? Well I could stick the badminton racket up my butt and kick both of your asses.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Square Foot Gardening

The 3rd week-end in May we planted our gardens. Each are 4' X 4'. I was testing 2 new vegetables this year, Kale and Broccoli. A week later all 4 Kale were gone as well as the broccoli. I didn't realize we had rabbits, I thought. Until one night, as I sat on the patio, I witnessed Mr. Gibson's little weiner body propped up on the edge of the garden reaching over for something. And then I knew I had found the culprit.

So I replanted more Kale, more broccoli, and I added some eggplant AND A FENCE! Fool me once, shame you. Fool me twice...you get the picture.

As I went out to pick lettuce, I noticed all my Kale was again gone, broccoli gone and a few carrots were dug up. The little bugger broke through the fence.

Therefore, I have one dog for sale. He likes to bark, snuggle, burp up the smell of poop and eat ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.

Ice Plants

These are my favorite summer flowers in our front xeriscaped bed. They are perennials that made it through the winter and they do not need a lot of water. You can tell from their leaves that they are a succulent. The flowers open up in the heat of the day and close up at night.

Father's Day

Father's Day Hike up Mt. Falcon


View of Red Rocks Amphitheater from our hike.



Followed by Father's Day Out at La Fogata

Then Father's Day Pool Time

And finally, Father's Day Dairy Queen where we learned that Hadley is purely a vanilla girl. To which I again ask, whose daughter is she?

Art to Fill Empty Walls

Every year we go to the Student Summer Art Fair and every year we kick ourselves for not getting anything. Not this year we yelled. We gave ourselves a budget and got a few really cute pieces from artists Lisa Wharton and Jane Hunt.

To go along with my bird theme in the office, we got 3 of Lisa's 5 x 5 silk screens on wood. They are fun, modern and give us good inspiration in the office.

For our bedroom, we bought one of Jane Hunt's 8 X 8 tree pieces. It's still hard for me to believe that David and I mutually agreed on a piece of art. Our conversations on art usually go a little something like this:

CG: Your art sucks, put it in the garage.
DG: Nuh huh, you have the worst taste ever.
CG: Your art isn't even good enough to be hung in our bathroom.
DG: Oh yeah, well, you buy your crap art at the TJ Maxx home store.

And so on and so on and so on.

Right now you are probably wondering if DG's art is really hanging is garage and my reply to you is YES. I'll leave the door open and you can come and get it. He'll never even know.

Pic of the Week

There is no amount of muck and goo on her face that would make me resist this look when she wants to be picked up.

Stormy Weather

Spring is going out like a lion, and as Hadley would saw "RaWR!"

For the past 2 weeks, the storm clouds roll in everyday at 4:00 pm, bringing with them weekly tornados and hail ranging from pea to gobbstopper size. "But how can you get tornados in a big city?" you ask. Just east of Denver you might as well be in Kansas.

Hadley's First Hike

Last Sunday morning, we took Hadley out to Bear Creak in Morrison, CO for her first hike. It is pretty short and fairly easy smooth terrain for little toddler feet. Here she is really excited about the water bottle.


This picture screams, "running water makes me really have to pee".


Once we got away from all the bikers, Hadley insisted on walking the ENTIRE way. We took our time, watching the river, sniffing flowers, and picking up rolly polly bugs. I LOVE that she is not afraid of critters. Yet.


Finally in the end, she was all about hydrating. Though we carried her most of the way back it was good exercise. Even the dogs had a good time.

The Many Faces of Hadley

Sneaky.


Deliriously Happy.


Freaking Excited.


Mischievous.


Expectant.


Caught in the Act!


Joyful.

First Day of Daycare

The night before my first day of work, Hadley had a fever of 104.5, freaking us out and keeping us up all night long. By Tuesday she was better, and here she is ready to rock her first day of daycare with her backpack. No, I don't make her tote her things around. It was all a ruse for the camera. But she loves saying the word "Backpack", you know like Dora the Explorer.

So what has changed in two weeks? Well, she gained ONE POUND! Holy crap. Forget Pediasure, Carnation Instant Breakfast and months of double buttered bread. All it took was watching 15 kids eating to garner an interest in food.

She is doing really well during the day and has been called an 'Independent Spirit' who goes all over the place doing her own thing. The look on her face when I pick her up is priceless. She immediately drops everything she is doing, jumps out of arms or climbs out of the sandbox to come running over to me all the while yelling 'Mama'. Warms the cockles of my heart.

The only issues we are currently having is that she has brought home the concept of "MINE" said ad infinitum at loud volume followed by screeching. She also has taken to throwing completely hysterical fits, but just with me, not DG. It's like she is punishing me for leaving her all day. I'm not sure how to deal with it and may need to do some reading online. For example today, David picked her up from daycare and came to get me at work. She was calling my name out the whole way and the two of them were having a great time, until she saw me. Upon seeing me and having me hug her, she grew hysterical and wouldn't let me touch her or hold her. She was INCONSOLABLE. So much for Mama's touch. Any ideas?