Introducing the newest member of our family!

June 25, 2010 By

This is the most important week of a pumpkin grower’s life:

Pumpkin se*x.

Yep, folks it’s pollination time. Jamie forced me to plan our summer travels around this two-week period.

Not familiar with how a pumpkin is pollinated?

Well, when a boy flower loves a girl flower….


I only wish I was joking.

When it’s time to give our kids the “Birds and the bees” talk, we’ll talk about pumpkin loooove.

From here on out, the growing season actually gets fun and pretty soon the pumpkin will start packing on 30 lbs per day. Tune into Jamie’s blog Denver Pumpkins for the updates. I will periodically post about it here as well.

Because what’s the point of being married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin if you can’t mock him about it.

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

The week of the family: Jamie

June 24, 2010 By

Between working, growing The Great Pumpkin and serving in the Bishopric, Jamie has been slaving around the clock. Last weekend, he took a break to have a fabulous weekend at play.

For Father’s Day, we grilled steaks and gave Jamie memorable presents such as the children’s book I Can Be Anything. Why would we do such a thing? The very first job it talks about is being a pumpkin grower.


If you could even consider that a job.

The kids and I made him a card listing our favorite things we like to do with him. Visiting the pumpkin patch, wrestling and playing games were favorites but Bode’s No. 1 choice?

“Taking a break with him.” (See previous post about his recent laziness phase.)

On Friday, we had a very refined dinner on the back patio at Paris on the Platte.

Or not.

We then did a walking tour of Commons Park, one of downtown Denver’s coolest areas. We cooled off with caramel popcorn ice cream and raced down the slide at Little Man Ice Cream.


Sometimes, pictures defy words.

We explored new trails along the Platte River, were puzzled at obtuse sculptures, marveled at the tree tightropers and rolled down a steep hill.

Saturday, we attended the Highlands Street Festival, a cornucopia of some of the cutest vendors and booths I have ever seen. I wore a new shirt with a big flower attached to it. As we prepared to leave, Jamie walked over to me and poked my new accessory.


“I just bought this. Don’t you love it?”
“It looks like a nylon is stuck to your shirt.”

For the Week of the Family’s final post, stay tuned for a big announcement of the newest member of our family!

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

The week of the family: Bode

June 23, 2010 By

I am dedicating each day of the week unto a different member of the family. Today, is Little Man.

Bode

While Hadley was at art camp last week, Bode and I bonded a lot. I haven’t spent copious amounts of one-on-one time with him since he started preschool so it was an eye-opening experience.

On Wednesday, he started T-ball with his bestie Seanie.


And yes, greater lover hath no mom than she who enrolls her son in a sport that bores her to tears.

Bode has always been sweet, thoughtful and loving but he is going through a phase that is driving us nuts: he is lazy. The little dude has the same excuse for everything.

“Bode, go wash your hands.”
“I’m too tired.”

“Bode, I asked you to finish your smoothie.”
“I’m too tired.”

He has always been a lot more shy than his sister but usually rises to the challenge and delves into new situations with her. Without his wingman, he completely reverted back to being much more introverted and often begged me to just take him home.

Evidently everyone needs a Type A, brazen, man-hating older sister around (see yesterday’s post for details).


In tomorrow’ Week of the Family, I am featuring the Lord of the Gourds who committed the ultimate fashion faux-pas: he dared to criticize his wife’s outfit.

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

The week of the family: Hadley

June 22, 2010 By

A good friend recently criticized my slothful blogging practices. I did not deny it. We just started a two-week-long swimming session and following that, our summer travels begin.

I was on a conference call last week. As we waited for the other parties to join us, another lady and I made smalltalk. She asked if my family was going anywhere for the summer.

I divulged we were going to glorious Crested Butte, on an inglorious camping trip, on a mommy-daughter weekend in Puerto Rico, to Utah to see the grandparents (hopefully), topped off by the Outer Banks at the end of August.

After rattling off my list I turned the question back at her, to which there was a long pause and she replied, “I’m not going anywhere. I don’t have any vacation time left.”

I would hate me, too.

Anyhew, back to my assignment at hand. My form of repentance for past and future blogging indiscretions is to write every day this week about what is going on with each member of our family. I will wrap it up on Friday with a much-anticipated announcement about the newest member to join the Johnson clan. Today’s spotlight is on The Hurricane.

Hadley

Hadley is an aspiring artist.

And no, she does not get it from my stick-figure inspirations.

When she was three, there was a groundbreaking at her new preschool and she drew this picture of the balloon arch.


Her teachers raved the illustration was indicative of a child well beyond her years.

Last week, was her dream come true: she participated in a week-long art camp at school. She was introduced to clay, watercolors, painting and a lot of crafty stuff that simply makes me want to throw up.

It was the best $120 I ever spent.

Possibly my favorite creation was a clay heart. As I strained to ask what was the picture in the middle, she said it was her…looking angry.


And so the embittered, man-hating years begin.

Stay tuned tomorrow for Bode’s spotlight, which includes why he needs his man-hating sister.

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

Here I go ruffling feathers again (your opinion needed)

June 21, 2010 By


Last week, I received an email about local moms staging a “Nurse In” as a protest to the Colorado Rockies’ response to a nursing mom.

And I have to admit I almost hit the “delete” button.

It’s not that I don’t believe in breastfeeding in public because I do. Nor am I one to usher women’s rights under the table, which is what the woman promoting this Nurse In claimed it was all about.

It just seemed like such an extreme response to something I thought had already been smoothed over.

A bit of background: Colorado Springs mom Sandra Snow was seated in the nosebleed section at a Rockies game. Her baby needed to eat so she moved back to a closed-off section to nurse her. Sandra was allegedly being discreet by covering up when a Rockies usher told her she was not allowed to nurse her baby there.

A manager later came over and told Sandra because of the many cameras and “perverts taking pictures” it would have been more appropriate to feed the baby in the family restroom, which, it turns out, is nothing more than a toilet.

If I was Sandra, would I have been ticked? You betcha.

But do I think this has been blown way out of proportion? You betcha.

First, Sandra was somewhere where she READ ON

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

Happy Father’s Day to the Men in My Life!

June 20, 2010 By

I was raised by an amazingly tolerant, patient and loving dad whose entire life has been an example of quiet service. He taught me to love the outdoors and gave me wings to fly.


I inherited a fun father-in-law who raised his son in righteousness, puts up with my wisecracks and wisely predicted Jamie would someday marry a Canadian.


I married a hilarious, kind, wise, doting man who is a great dad, hard-working provider and is beloved by everyone he encounters.

I am numbered among the blessed today.

Happy Father’s Day to dads everywhere!

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

The Kindergarten Dilemma–To Enroll or to Hold Back?

June 16, 2010 By

(Originally published at Mile High Mamas).

With summer break on the horizon next week, I can almost say I survived my daughter’s first year of kindergarten.

And am fretting about my son’s entrance into it.

Why would I do such a thing when he is only 3? The reason is simple: I already feel pressured to make major decisions on his behalf. When he was born in July of 2006, I figured he was well within the range for the mid-September cut-off for when he could attend school. I enrolled him in our local preschool last September and he has loved it. He has learned all the sounds of the alphabet and is at the top of his class of 3 to 5-year-olds in math.

It’s a good thing, too because I am counting on him doing our taxes in a few years.

He still has one year left of preschool and then I planned to enroll him in kindergarten the following year. Until the peer pressure began.

“Do you really want him to be the youngest in his class?”
“He will be at a huge disadvantage if you don’t hold him back.”
“I held my child back and have never regretted it for an instant.”

At first, I was puzzled. Why would I hold him back when he is progressing nicely? At a recent parent-teacher conference, his teachers told me his fine motor skills still need developing (normal for a 3-year-old boy) but intellectually, socially and athletically, he is thriving. I shared my worries with them and they said it should be a personal decision based on each child.

“So, if I did hold him back to do three years of preschool, what would I do with him that third year?” I queried.

They didn’t have an answer and acknowledged that he would probably have intellectually outgrown most preschools by that time.

So, call me crazy but isn’t that what the next stage a.k.a. kindergarten is for?

We all want our children to be well-adjusted and ready to enter kindergarten. Of course, I’d love my child to be among the smartest in class but at what cost? Holding him back and running the risk that I am delaying his development? Is making the wrong decision going to cause angst, failure and ammunition for future therapy sessions?

I volunteered in my daughter’s kindergarten this past year. Those who were 6 years old often outperformed their younger peers. The smartest girl in my daughter’s class is also the oldest–and is bored most of the time. The teacher spends much of her day scrambling to find more challenging materials for her. Would this girl be better served in a classroom that engages and challenges her?

Conversely, a friend informed me that a teacher told her that out of the three kindergarten classes at my daughter’s school, only 66 percent of the students are moving on to first grade. If this is true, that means 34 percent of the kids were not prepared for kindergarten and will be repeating it next year. Our school’s assessment test scores are higher than most surrounding schools and we are not considered a high-risk area. But am I alone in finding this a staggering statistic?

I miss Mrs. Garcellano’s kindergarten class. I played house. I had snacks. I kissed my first boy at recess. I plugged the toilet. Those are my kindergarten memories, and what fond ones they are.

Well, most of them. :-)

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

Proof that the good Lord (or devil) is working against me

June 16, 2010 By

Last week, yet another gargantuan hail storm hit our house (go here to see last year’s massacre). I had numerous phone calls and emails from friends who were concerned to see if The Great Pumpkin survived.

This is evidence that he is making everyone as obsessed as he is.

We have two different patches because really, doesn’t everyone?

Jamie is growing his pumpkins on our neighbor’s lot behind our house. The kids’ pumpkin is located adjacent to our fence. Jamie spent umpteen hours protecting his pumpkins from potentially fatal storms by installing poles to hold the hail netting. Here is how they fared during the storm:

After the storm.


The hail netting held up and for the most part, his pumpkins were unscathed.

But the children’s pumpkin that he did not protect with hail netting?

Think drowned rat.

The vines will eventually bounce back but for now, there is mourning at the Johnson house.

Jamie continues to toil relentlessly in the patch and I continue to relentlessly mock him. Lest you think I am not supportive, welp, you would be only partially correct. I am supportive within reason. An hour in the patch a day is not a big deal. Sometimes he even spends two and I’m OK with that.

But entire weekends where you spend more time with the pumpkin than your family? A big deal.

Last week, Jamie was in the pumpkin patch with our neighbor and bishop. Jamie mentioned to him how I was giving him a hard time about the many hours he had just spent installing his hail netting.

As they were chatting, an airplane with a sky ad trailing behind circled overhead. They strained to read the message and Jamie joked, “Does it say anything about growing big pumpkins? That could be my sign.”

As the plane turned, the message (which was likely from the pothead mari*juana dispensaries that have taken over Denver) was revealed:

“Grow it up.”

Now, the argument is regarding from whom “The Sign” was given.

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

Colorado family travel and a mommy blogger’s proudest moment

June 14, 2010 By

Like many of you, summer is gloriously busy with activities and vacations so posting will be more sporadic. What have we been doing?

We went to Learning How to Train Your Dragon with about 15 of our closest friends and then to Elitch Gardens with our Besties.


We did a staycation in nearby Golden, which ranks right up there as one of our favorite trips.

Contributing factors? Hadley’s new ambition to become a “Chick Mom,” barreling down the Alpine Slide with Uncle Chris at Heritage Square, fighting over trains at the Colorado Railroad Museum, riding the free horse-drawn carriage at the First Friday Street Fair, devouring the Golden Farmer’s Market’s mini-doughnuts, playing Frogger on the Clear Creek bike path and so much more in the post that follows.


Clarification: My children are making those faces because the sun was in their eyes. Or maybe I really do smell that badly.

Parties, parties, parties. Every year, our neighbors hold an amazing birthday bash for their three boys (all born in May). From their flown-in-from-California rib-eye hamburgers and steaks to the veritable waterpark in their backyard, this is the not-to-be-missed event of the season.

At one point, two 7-year-old boys with water guns and play swords approached me.

“Is that your daughter over there?” they accusingly queried, gesturing to Hadley.

“That depends. What has she done now?”

“She called us a bad name.”

Now, I don’t know about you but I was interested to hear what that might be. Hadley has a pretty limited vocabulary as it pertains to insults and going up against two heavily-armed older boys takes guts.

“That’s terrible, boys. What did she call you?”

“She called us babies.”

It was one of the proudest moments in my life.

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

Golden: The Ultimate Family Staycation Right in Your Backyard

June 14, 2010 By


Golden is where every eccentric person who doesn’t reside in Boulder chooses to live.

-Jane, the Clear Creek History Park’s “Chicken Mom”

I am all about impromptu living and Golden is chock full of it. Visit the Golden Kayak Park on a Wednesday evening in the summer and you will be delighted to witness an unofficial freestyle kayak competition with free schwag and spontaneous tailgate parties.

Drop by Woody’s Wood Fired Pizza at 7 p.m. on the last Tuesday of every month and you’ll see an onslaught of bicyclists congregated for the “Golden Cruise” (all ages are invited).

I have spent a lot of time in Golden but truly fell in love during my family’s recent 24-hour-long staycation. With the gorgeously-appointed Golden Hotel as our basecamp, we delved into many family-friendly activities in this charming enclave that is nestled between two volcanic mesas and against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Our whirlwind trip included:

First Friday Street Fair

Golden’s First Friday has been around for a while and consisted of merchants offering extended hours and special deals the first Friday of each month. But now through October 1st, First Fridays include a lively Street Fair from 5-8 p.m. on Washington Avenue.

My family toured downtown Golden in a free horse-drawn carriage ride pulled by Burt (allegedly the largest horse in Colorado). We bought juicy buffalo burgers from a vendor, danced in the streets to the live band, giggled at the entertaining magician, valued our life too much to attempt the free climbing wall and checked out Golden’s charming stores.

Hands down, the Windy Saddle Café’s cupcake walk was our favorite activity. I love to stumble upon family-friendly places and with their little “Buckaroo” lunches and toy-filled back room, this restaurant epitomizes kid-friendly. At 6:30 p.m., 26 kids participated in their cupcake walk where everyone was eventually a winner.

Unless you were the second-to-last kid like my daughter and casualties almost ensued (see last week’s post for the sordid details).

Clear Creek History Park

If you have elementary-school-aged children, you’ve probably heard of this park dedicated to showcasing how early settlers worked and played in the late 1800s. We were first-timers and my kids loved this recreated mountain ranch complete with gardens, a working blacksmith shop, schoolhouse and chicken coop.

Stroll around for free and peek through the windows of these beautiful old buildings located directly off Clear Creek Trail. Want a fantastic summer diversion for the kids? Take part in scheduled activities such as bee keeping, making old-fashioned toys, woodstove cooking and more. A $5 donation is requested. Check the Web site for the full schedule.

Hands down, visiting the chicken coop was the highlight for my daughter Hadley. The “Chicken Mom” Jane (a.k.a. the chicken’s caretaker) gave her a freshly-minted egg and told her if she kept it warm for 21 days, a little chick would hatch. Hadley had a new mission in life: to become a “Chick Mom.”

Luckily for us, her maternal instinct lasted only two hours when she accidentally cracked the egg.

Heritage Square

Storybook Victorian theme park Heritage Square may be getting old (over 30 years) but playing there never does. We zoomed down the Alpine Slide for the first time, drifted in our swan paddle boats, played miniature golf, browsed in the artisan shops, and rode the rides to our heart’s content.

Or rather our heart’s discontent, which was frequently the case.

Not to be forgotten is the Music Hall and Children’s Theater. The swashbuckling tale of Robin Hood will be playing Saturdays through July 10 and The Frog Prince will make its debut July 17 and run through November 13. Children and adults are $6.

Colorado Railroad Museum

Unlike 99 percent of little boys, I do not consider myself a train aficionado but even I was sufficiently entertained by the 12 acres of narrow and standard gauge locomotives, cars, and 50 thousand rare old photographs, papers and artifacts. The museum itself is a replica of an 1880-style masonry railroad depot and has become a popular venue for birthday parties. The gift shop has over a thousand railroad books, videotapes, posters, prints, jewelry, and other memorabilia. Adults are $8, kids ages 2-16 are $5 and children under 2 are free.

Tip: Plan extra time in the gift shop to play with the Thomas the Trainset or meltdowns may ensue.

Saturday Farmer’s Market

On Saturday morning, we leisurely rolled out of our cushy beds at the Golden Hotel to attend the farmer’s market at 1019 10th Street from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. We gorged on hearty crepes for breakfast, bought fresh focaccia bread for lunch, and strolled around shopping for farm fresh fruit, veggies, flowers, mini-doughnuts, gourmet pastas, salmon and unique hand-crafted gifts.

Burt the Biggest Horse in Colorado was back for free horse-drawn carriage rides. There was also a puppet show, master garden presentations and that climbing wall we still refused to attempt.

But possibly my favorite moments of the entire whirlwind trip were exploring the Clear Creek Trail. My children biked along the verdant greenbelt, often stopping to read interpretive signs and pose with the statues. They slid down the “secret slide” randomly located next to the Washington Avenue Bridge, threw rocks in the river and cheered on the kayakers at the Whitewater Park.

It was a magical morning as we relished each other’s company and ingested the scents and sounds wafting from the market. I marveled as my newbie bikes wove in and out of the heavily-congested bike path, like Frogger hyped up on caffeine. They were often successful.

Sometimes not.

But isn’t that what family vacations to eccentric destinations are all about?

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