Happy Fourth Birthday to Little Man Ice Cream!

July 16, 2010 By

Dear Bode,

I’ll admit it: I dreaded it when you turned three. And who could blame me? The Terrible Threes represented your sister’s descent into the fiery furnace and only when she turned four did she become human again.

But you remained delightful this past year. Sure, you were known to throw the occasional fit but really, who wouldn’t given the unjust world we live in? That’s the nice thing about you. You’re even-keeled and easy-going except for when under extreme diress, like when Hadley kills you off in Super Mario on the Wii.

Because death is no laughing matter.

You’re a really sensitive, sweet soul who responds differently to every new situation you are placed in. For this reason we did not know how you would take to skiing. But from the moment Mommy and Daddy joyfully dumped you off lovingly enrolled you in ski school you took to the slopes like your namesake Bode Miller. The snowplow was for woosies and you quickly acclimated to weaving in and out of traffic doing the tuck.

The same could be said of your bike-riding prowess. We’re not quite ready to let you ditch the training wheels but that doesn’t hold you back: you’ve already hit the local skate park, love putting your feet up on the bar and often out-ride your sister. You also left her in your dust whilst hiking the steep St. Mary’s Glacier a couple of weeks ago.

And yes, in this particular instance “Boys rule, girls drool” as you so kindly reminded us.

You just completed your first year of preschool. You have a real gift for math and were beloved by your classmates. You were particularly sweet to a developmentally-delayed boy who, every time he saw you, would scream out, “BODE BOY!” as he ran to hug you.

Our cat Remy says the same thing but runs in the other direction.

You love dinosaurs, Transformers, and watching Scooby Doo but your most treasured toy is a Webkinz named Tabby. This orange cat used to be Hadley’s and has undergone some pretty amazing transformations, including a se*x change when she miraculously turned into a boy after you adopted him.

Tabby went missing a while back and you prayed for his return day and night. If the rest of the family forgot to pray for Tabby, you would interrupt us to include him in our prayers. Mommy and Daddy thought you’d just move on but you prayed unceasingly…and after a few months you discovered him in a desk downstairs. We learned a few things from this experience 1) You have a lot of faith 2) You’re really stubborn and 3) You never forget.

I wish your future wife a lot of luck.

Everything makes you tired these days (or at least that is your excuse to get out of working). Of course, being three is hard. Imagine having to dress yourself. Pick up your toys. Brush your teeth. Eat the food your parents prepared for you. Get waited on hand and foot.

Trust me, being four will be that much better. You’re still in preschool so the rigors of academia have not set in and your main responsibilities will be to play, laugh and learn. Of course, managing the two Type A women in your life is no small feat but you are a patient, loving and joyful little guy who is a delight to be around.

Except for when you accuse the girls of drooling.

Love,
Mommy

P.S. For a stroll down memory lane: Birthday letters three, two and one.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Bode, Humor

The Deal

July 15, 2010 By

I have Crested Butte travel tales and oodles of fun summer activities to share.

But this heat is sucking the life out of me. The house is too hot so I don’t sleep. I’m too tired to workout, clean or write.

Bode’s birthday party is Friday and I haven’t even started planning it.

I’ll be back just as soon as summer is over.

Or whenever I find an ice bath.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Uncategorized

A glimpse at Bode’s brilliance

July 14, 2010 By

Despite all the travels and glorious chaos, I have tried to keep some semblance of structure by carving out some time everyday for the kids to do schoolwork.

With Bode, I am trying to improve his fine motor skills. We have been working extensively on holding his pen correctly and writing letters.

He hates it.

After correcting him for the 1,000th time, he looked at me and exasperatingly exclaimed,

“Mommy, you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.”

Can’t argue with that logic.

Note: Comments temporarily closed due to lame Asian spammers.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Bode, Humor

Literally chalking up yet another crafting failure

July 12, 2010 By

The kids and I recently made sidewalk chalk.

I know. Such ambition chalks shocks even me.

You see, I hate crafts. Always have. And despite my best efforts to be THAT mom, I always will.

I grew up with a domestic goddess mother so renowned that she opened the most acclaimed English tea rooms and gift shops in the city. Such domesticity must have skipped a generation because my daughter Hadley shares my mom’s talent. In an effort to support her ambitions, I recently sent her to art camp.

You know. So I wouldn’t have to do it with her.

Hadley had her birthday late-May and when people asked me what to buy, I cheerfully replied, “Get her anything to do with crafts.” This plan completely flopped because I forgot to include the important provision that “No parental involvement should be required.”

Every single one of her projects requires major supervision.

I’m ashamed to admit her beloved presents have sat all summer until one morning, I waxed ambitious. “Let’s make sidewalk chalk!” I proclaimed, pointing to her kit. “Really?” Hadley suspiciously queried, looking like the world must be coming to an end for me to be volunteering my services.

How tough could it be? The kit contained colorful powders and all we had to do was add water, shake the bottle and pour it into some cute butterfly-shaped molds.

Evidently, I can’t even handle just-add-water directions.

Part of the problem is Hadley, being an artist, wanted to have a kaleidoscope of colors within each mold. This would have been fine except the solution was fast-drying and if not poured immediately, it would become lumpy.

We found that out the hard way with Yellow.

That was the beginning of the end.

I suggested she add some more water to the bottle, put the lid on it and shake it up again. This may have been a seamless solution if she had adequately screwed the lid on.

Yellow paint shot all over the table, Hadley’s face and the ground.

I rushed her inside to cleanup but by the time she had returned, the other bottles had dried up and we were in the same predicament as before. A frenzy followed as we tried to revive the other colors.

In the end, we looked like a rainbow threw up on us but miraculously, THE END RESULT WAS ACTUAL SIDEWALK CHALK.

You know. The same stuff we could have bought at the Dollar Store.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Hadley, Humor

Crested Butte: The Honk, the Miracle and the Luxury

July 8, 2010 By

The kids, Aunt Lisa and I are currently in Crested Butte. Colorado has many fantastic resorts but visiting this mountain hamlet in July is one of the best family vacations you will ever take (find out why here). Jamie was supposed to join us this evening but he now claims he is coming down with the flu.

I’m still trying to ascertain if it’s just a ploy to stay home so he can give his pumpkins more undivided attention.

Our road trip has been eventful thus far. A few highlights:

1) We stopped in Poncho Springs for ice cream. As we were departing, I plugged the DVD player into the cigarette lighter and created some kind of short circuit in my Pilot. The result? The horn would not stop honking.

2) I somehow misplaced both power cords for our Nintendo DSi and DSi XL, a major diversion for both kids. We pulled over in Gunnison and visited the second smallest Wal-Mart in the U.S.

It was so small it didn’t have what I needed. #Fail.

3) One of my most perfect family travel moments was the free outdoor concert at the base of Mt. Crested Butte last year. This year, the conditions for this Wednesday night tradition were less-than-idyllic: a moody daughter and a threatening sky.

Thankfully, her moodiness was forgotten as we devoured grilled burgers, rocked to the tunes from TBird & the Breaks and the kids rolled down the hill.

And got completely and gloriously drenched from a refreshing summer rain.

4) We are staying in a three-bedroom condo at the slope-side Lodge at Mountaineer Square. We went swimming in their gorgeous pool and face-in-the-water-phobic Bode mastered the kick board all by himself. Evidently, miracles happen here.


I just hope such luxury does not go to their heads.

On tap for Thursday: Exploring the Adventure Park, riding the chairlift and hiking the summit, playing in town and more swimming.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Family travel, Humor, travel Tagged With:

Food, friends and summertime fun in Denver

July 6, 2010 By

One of my favorite activities in the summertime is to enroll the kids in a two-week-long session of outdoor swim lessons. This year, eight of our good friends joined us so everyday at the pool was like a party.

Hadley excelled and by the end, she could do the front crawl and go off the waterslide into the deep end by herself.

When Bode started his swim lessons, he refused to get his face wet.

And two weeks later he still would not get his face wet.

Any guesses re: who flunked and who moved onto the next level?

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One afternoon, we celebrated my friends Eva and Lisa’s birthday by having a party at Westminster Center Park.


This newly-minted park is part-spray fountains and part London-themed playground and is one of the coolest in the Denver area.

This is Bode standing in their makeshift river.

And no, he still did not get his face wet.

===================

One of Jamie’s clients makes ornate olive wood handicrafts out of Bethlehem. As a token of thanks, Mike invited us to come for dinner at his house that she shares with his brother George and sister-in-law Rhonda, their two kids and his parents.

The Middle Easterners redefine “All in the Family.”

I’ll admit it: I was a bit reluctant. It was a thoughtful gesture but going to a client’s home ain’t exactly common practice. But there was no tactful way to get out of it so we consented.

And am I ever glad we did.

First, they were absolutely lovely and I enjoyed reliving the time I spent in Israel, Jordan and Egypt on a Study Abroad.

Second, The Food.

And yes, it deserves capital letters.

Hands down, it was the best Middle Eastern food my mouth has ever had the privilege of partaking. Rhonda must have spent hours–maybe even days–preparing dishes that included grilled lamb and chicken on skewers, tabbouleh, grape leaf rolls, cabbage rolls, hummus, Turkish salad, pasta salad and homemade pita bread that made me weep from its sheer perfection.

The family was tight-knit and so generous. When Jamie mentioned he’d love to go to Israel, George raved, “Just let us know when. We have six homes in Bethlehem and we will set you up with everything you need.”

And he meant it, too.

I interjected: “Just so long as you have Rhonda’s cooking waiting for us.”

George wasn’t the only one who meant it.

============================

I served a mission in Switzerland and France in ’92-’93. One of my dearest mission companions–Soeur (Sister) Fagerstrom–later roomed with me at BYU. I have not seen this little spitfire since my wedding so when she and her endodentist-husband announced they were passing through en route to Colorado Springs for a family reunion, I jumped for joy.

My vertical these days is about 0.5 inches, in case you were wondering.

I have never met her beautiful children so we spent a couple of hours showing them our favorite Denver haunts, which included taking them to dinner at legendary My Brother’s Bar.

Or rather, they took us out and ended up generously picking up the tab.

Note to out-of-town friends: We are happy to “take you to dinner” anytime you want.

Comments still closed due to obnoxious Asian spammers.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Hadley, Humor Tagged With:

A Fourth of July to remember, the torrential downpour to forget

July 5, 2010 By

Many people are surprised when I tell them we don’t like to travel for the Fourth of July. The reason is two-fold:

1) It’s the two-week window for The Great Pumpkin’s pollination. Duh.

2) We live on a hill overlooking where the fireworks are shot. Our neighbors collectively petition to have our street closed off and the partying goes late into the night.

We started out our festivities by making coconut ice cream after church, a Fourth of July tradition.

Or rather, it would be if only we could remember to actually do it every year.

The plan for this Fourth of July was to setup canopies in a park area across the street and do a huge potluck starting at 6 p.m.

At exactly 5:57 p.m., it started raining.

Big time.

We scrambled together and our neighbor Bernie generously offered up her house.

Because there is nothing like cramming 50 people inside.


In the end, it didn’t matter. The kids played with their besties .


And the city still set off the fireworks. Early that morning, Jamie had staked out our usual spot on the hill. Due to the inclement weather, when we arrived we were among only a few hearty families while everyone else watched from their cars.

Woosies.

Or at least so I thought until the grand finale when the torrential downpour began. At the last minute, I had returned to grab our new Sport-Brella and I’m so glad I did. Jamie and I snuggled up to nine giggling kids as we marveled at the kalaidescope in the sky

Most of our past Independence Days all blur together but this one will go down in infamy as one of my favorites. The reason? After several weeks of 90+ degree weather, this was the one evening it rained and yet everyone still banded together and made the best of the less-than-ideal circumstances.

The same could be same about my Muphy’s Law life.

I’ll take it.

Kind of a pain but I’ve temporarily closed comments as I combat problems with Asian spammers!

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: holidays, Humor Tagged With:

The rescue mission that wasn’t

July 2, 2010 By

Our family has been going on evening bike rides when the temperatures start cooling off.

Note: “Cooling off” is a relative term. This Canuck still considers 80+ degrees too hot.

Hadley is doing great on two wheels and barrels down the local hill. Bode is a little daredevil and likes putting his feet up on the bar, zigzagging on the sidewalk and giving me a heart attack.

Even though I think he would be physically capable of riding without his training wheels, he’s just not mentally there yet. Jamie raised his training wheels up as the final step before removing them altogether.

It initially did not go well.

While he was carefree in the past (natch: hanging off the bar), this was a whole new ballgame and he repeatedly tipped over onto the grass. After several failed attempts, he was finally able to cautiously ride.

We decided to test his mettle by biking to the local water tower where we like to play hide ‘n go seek amidst the prickly sow-thistles.

Trust me, it’s more fun than it sounds.

During our return trip, an accident ensued but it was not with Bode. Hadley was closely tailing Jamie when she swerved out of the way to miss an overgrown bush, clipped his foot and crashed. Badly.

Actually, she somehow ran over the back of his leg. He had the tire track to prove it.

She claimed she could not ride so Bode and I volunteered to go on a rescue mission to get the car while she and Jamie started walking home.

In retrospect, taking the wobbly 3-year-old on a rescue mission? Not one of my brighter ideas.

But the kid’s resolve was impressive. With each near-accident, he made an impressive recovery and proclaimed, “Need to help ‘Sissy!’”

After 20 long minutes, we made it back and drove the ambulance to transport our patient even thought they were only a few blocks from home at that time.

Never one to miss a milestone, I took a picture of her following her first bike crash.

And then reprimanded her for smiling. “You just wiped out. Make a sad face,” I begged. In an instant, I got this.

If the professional cycling thing doesn’t work out, the kid has a career in acting.

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I’ve been having problems with Asian spam bombarding my comments section. As I will be in and out the next several weeks (and will be unable to moderate and rectify the problem) I’m just going to temporarily close comments. I will miss all your great feedback but I promise to reopen soon and visit your blogs! XOXOXOX

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Bode, Hadley, Humor
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