Off the Grid....

Not online much this week - Oma & Papa (my parents) are in town helping us with the deck, garden and other yardwork. It's SOOOOO nice to have help! I don't know how we would get this stuff done without them. We're hoping to have it done tomorrow - Daddy has taken today & tomorrow off work to work at home. If our work is done, we're thinking of taking Oma & Papa out to see Red Rocks. We've been there for concerts (totally awesome venue!) and once for Film On the Rocks (to see Carbon Leaf play beforehand), but never just to explore the trails. Hope Papa is feeling up to it by then - stomach flu today.

Dog Tired

It's been a busy, busy day and I think we pretty much went non-stop - besides the small break trying to get Nellie down for a nap. First up was the Mid-America Boston Terrier Birthday Bash that we go to every year. It was well attended this year and perfect weather. With 2 dogs and 2 little kids, my sister and I had our hands full. Daddy ran sound & DJ'd the event, but he was able to help watch "the kids" some. We would leave him with a dog or child and take the other ones around. Charlie (all black dog) entered the tricks contest, but then wouldn't stand or dance. It was okay though, there were 3 other dogs there that danced the same anyways. Charlie decided to shake hands instead - knew there was no way I would get him to army crawl or play dead in the grass. At nearly the last minute, I decided to buy a few raffle tickets and had B-Bee decide which buckets (had a bucket for each prize) to put them into. We ended up winning 2 prizes! B-Bee was super happy when I handed him the Boston Terrier sculpture and I love the watercolor print we won. As you can see here (above) when all was said & done, we all loaded back into the car....exhausted but still eager to watch out the window for a few blocks.

After an afternoon of yardwork, deck deconstruction, gardening & playing, we decided to treat ourselves at our favorite Indian restaurant. MmmmMmmm.... they even had Tibetan Momos on the buffet, though they weren't spicy like they are if you order them off the menu.

In 2 days my parents will be here.... The thought of getting the basement cleaned for them to stay with us and rebuilding the deck (with their help) is too much for my exhausted mind to think about right now.

Hope your weekend is as wonderful as ours has been!

Some Days Have A Cherry On Top

We started our day with another bath (to help B-Bee along with his post-cath complication - but he's feeling better now), tutu modeling and storytime. Nellie has just begun to take interest in books and turning pages in the last couple weeks and B-Bee loves books! What a great way to start a rainy day.

After a good morning nap, we headed over to a friend's house for a playdate. We let the kids play outside until it started to rain & blow & hail....and just a little NE of us there was a funnel cloud and a tornado warning. Kyle called to check on us and let us know about the sirens (since we have a hard time hearing them at our house). The first year we lived in our house I had a backpack packed to take into the pantry downstairs because we had so many tornado warnings that summer.



After an exhausting day, B-Bee got almost half a nap in before going for his very first dentist appointment. Poor Bee, he was so tired that he just wanted to lay down right there in the waiting room. They cleaned his teeth with chocolate flavored paste and he did fabulous. I'm hoping both the kids inherited their Daddy's perfectly (and naturally) white and straight teeth. As a reward for doing so well we took Bee to Village Inn for Pie Rush Wednesday.

They were sharing the cherry pie so well... until Nellie decided to use it as body paint and color B-Bee's hair with a few fists full of cherries. It was one of those moments that you just had to laugh and laugh and laugh.

Many smiles. A day that started early but off with a decent start, a great end and good through and through. Wishing you many wonderful rainy days! (...and avoiding thoughts of how pummeled the garden is right now.)

Fun With Daddy!

For Easter my mom decided to buy the kids a bike trailer. A what? Yeah...and me a bike. Whoa, I haven't ridden a bike since....well, my age has since doubled. But I remember it used to be fun. This will likely be a more effective workout than going to the gym as well, being that I won't be hearing Nellie scream from the childcare room the whole workout. (She's a screamer, very happy baby unless Mommy's not there.) B-Bee, of course is going to LOVE this!

This morning when B-Bee saw my bike in the garage his reaction was "WOW!" as he stood there, all big-eyed at the bike. I told him that after school we would put together a new bike stroller for him and Nellie to ride in and that I would take him for a bike ride after his nap. I don't know if I've ever seen his listening ears work so well than with this promise! We put it together after school and he had to help. As if the directions weren't difficult enough. Try putting together while keeping an 11-month old out of the dog food and a 3 y/o from taking the parts and trying to "fix" it himself. Decided to leave the hitch part to Daddy since he was to get home shortly after nap time.

The promise kept those listening ears working and B-Bee was down for an early nap at 1pm! He slept for a full nap and actually woke up happy, with just enough time to share the last piece of ice cream cake with Mommy before Nellie woke up.

When Daddy got home, it was coloring with markers while Daddy "fixed" the bikes and Mommy got things ready to go. Apparantly we ran out of pages in the coloring book and had to get creative? Actually I'm surprised this hadn't yet happened. If you look closely, you can see that my tableclothe also has a new orange flower colored so beautifully into the pattern. Needless to say, the markers are now on suspension until further notice. (Praying he doesn't start experimenting with the toliet next, though I think that will be Nellie's hobby.)

It was perfect weather to be out riding. We definitely got our workout, the kids enjoyed it and Daddy & B-Bee got to see a train go by the lake. Now to figure out how to get it to hitch onto my bike instead of Daddy's - different kind of axle.

For supper we had texted a few friends to meet us up for gormet pizza and to watch open mic night at a local venue. Our friends Oz&T and their daughter, Glor met us there. This was the first time T had met Nellie! Guess that just shows what busy lives we all live, being that we only live about 2 miles from each other. B-Bee was elated to have a big kid, a teenager! to play and dance with. Nellie was happy to have a space that she could chase after B-Bee, plus she's already showing a strong interest in the musical arts.

Thankfully I Was Only 1 Post Into This

*SIGH* Oh Blogger, you fail me right off the bat and lost my ENTIRE blog - name, layout, customization, post....ground zero.

I came to type up a quick post this morning and share a few funnies from our Thursday & Friday adventures, but now - after re-establishing this blog - we're off to start our Saturday. B-Bee chose his outfit: SpongeBob shirt & overalls ("train pants") and Nellie is matching him in her hand-me-down "train pants". I LOVE overalls on little kids.

I leave you with a little Blake song.