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?