The coolest bathroom ever and why I’m suing DIA for discrimation

November 9, 2012 by

Here’s a quick update. I’m currently in Dallas for the Family Travel Conference and I’m staying at the luxurious one-year-old Omni Hotel.  Just how opulent are the 1001 luxurious guest rooms and suites? In addition to floor-to-ceiling windows and sleek furniture, there is a TV screen hidden in the bathroom mirror.

I would never be able to drag Jamie out of there.

I’m having a great time hitting Dallas’ hot spots like Iron Cactus (OHMYGOSH–guacamole made table-side with a splash of orange?) and Chop House Burger  (don’t miss the Parmesan truffle fries). I arrived a day early for meetings and woke up my first morning at 5:30 a.m. “Don’t worry,” I groggily consoled myself. “It’s 6:30 a.m. Denver time so it’s OK to get up.”

And so I did. I worked out in their state-of-the-art fitness center, grabbed a quick breakfast and showered. It wasn’t until I turned on my computer that I realized the horrible truth: Dallas is on Central time not Pacific like I’d assumed in my sleepy stupor. I had, in actuality, woken up at 4:30 a.m.

Apparently Haddley isn’t the only one who struggles in math.

And here’s another blonde moment. I signed up for Instagram app several months ago without fully investigating its photo-sharing program. I have been primarily using it as a digital filter to make me look like an ace photographer on my iPhone without realizing its social networking capabilities. And that people have actually been following my pictures. I posted the following revelation on Twitter:

Thanks to Kim-Marie’s Instagram tutorial at #FTCDallas, I realized I actually have followers & am supposed to follow back. And I also learned I’m being followed by “ThirdBoob” on my account. #KindaUnsettling

Consider yourself warned.

Then, there is the Granddaddy of them all: My HAIR got searched at at Denver International Airport’s security. Big enough to hide an entire drug cartel?

Filed Under: Humor, travel

Following in the Anasazi’s (Extreme Adventuring) Footsteps at Mesa Verde National Park (Part II)

November 8, 2012 by

Hadley’s third grade class camping trip to Mesa Verde National Park wasn’t just about play (see Part 1). We were there to learn and spending only a few days exploring the archaeological sites and hundreds of cliff dwellings was worth weeks in the classroom.

Spruce Tree House

And what a cool classroom it was.

We were given National Park Service handouts that were specific to school groups with great questions like, “Visit the spring area and describe how a deep spring functions.” “Count the number of kivas and describe two possible functions.”  After exploring the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum (be sure to watch the free, 15-minute film) we hiked the short, steep trail down to the Spruce Tree House.

“I feel like I’m gonna cry!” Haddie excitedly squealed.

She held it together but was thrilled to discover the third-largest Anasazi village in the park with 130 rooms and eight kivas (places of worship) that was constructed sometime between AD 1211 and 1278. Because of its protected location hugging the cliffs, it is well preserved and made for some fun explorations.

Grinding food

When I informed Haddie she could climb down into a kiva, she cut me off and hurriedly prepared donning her headlamp, gloves and compass. I didn’t have the heart to tell Adventure Girl she was simply climbing down a ladder and not doing some extreme backcountry mountaineering expedition.

Also, it helps when your headlamp doesn’t cover your eyes.

From there, it was onto the Balcony House for the highlight of our entire trip. This is a ranger-guided tour only (purchase $3 tickets for the one-hour tours at the Far View Visitor Center) and Ranger P.T. was informative, fun and engaging. This medium-size cliff dwelling had 45 rooms and two kivas but what made it so awesome was the adventure that went with it.

From the stellar views.

To the beautiful hike.

To crawling through a 12-foot tunnel, then climbing a series of toe-holds in a cleft of the cliff.

Precipitous cliff scaling

But the coolest feature of all: a 32-foot ladder. Well, cool unless you’re afraid of heights in which case, it was terrifying for a few people.

Of course, Adventure Girl had no problem. She could have even done it blindfolded blinded by her headlamp.

After scaling the ladder, we huddled together on the edge of a kiva. P.T. shared the rich history of the Ancient Puebloans and how they believe their ancestors emerged from the Third World through a sacred hole known as Sipapu to the Fourth World where we were sitting.

The lore wove its mythical spell and the children were entranced. As we looked out at the hundred-mile views of Mesa Verde’s wind-swept mesas and the azure desert sky in our outdoor classroom, anything seemed possible.

And I guess that’s the point of an experiential education.

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Hadley, hiking, outdoors, travel

Surviving (and thriving) a class camping trip to Mesa Verde National Park

November 7, 2012 by

The main reason we switched Hadley to her new Waldorf charter school was for their experiential, arts-based education. The week before school started, we received an email from her new teacher announcing the first class field trip in early-October would be a three-day camping trip to Mesa Verde National Park.

[Insert Haddie’s squeal of delight here. OK, if we’re really being honest I did it, too. Hence the reason I signed up to chaperone.]

Spruce Tree House

I had only been to Mesa Verde briefly many years ago when I was writing about the Four Corners region (see the article here). With some of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in a world, the 81-square mile national park in southwestern Colorado features more than 4,000 archeological sites and 600 cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloan people.

In third grade speak: “This is soooooo cool.”

It had the makings of a disaster: 23 kids, a 7.5-hour drive and many children were away from their parents for the first time or were camping newbies. But it was one of my most enjoyable camping trips ever. Not only were the kids angels but 12 incredibly capable parent chaperones took three days off work to accompany the class.

Getting There is Half the Fun

Remember the 7.5-hour drive? That’s not counting gas stops and a lunch break so we spent a good portion of our day in the car. Before you start feeling sorry for me, it was one of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever done in Colorado and the fall colors were at their peak. In the wintertime, Wolf Creek Pass outside of Pagosa Springs is treacherous. In the fall? A different story.

Durango, Colo.

View from car window from Mesa Verde

But still, after a long drive like that you have to wonder is this going to be worth it? That, and more.

 Campin’

We stayed at Morefield Campground in Mesa Verde, which has single and group camping sites. The first item of business was helping the kids set up camp. Hadley was assigned to a tent with five other girls and my co-parent Christine and I helped them set-up, after which there was plenty of time to explore, eat, snuggle up for storytime and eat some more.

If there’s a tree, Haddie will climb it

The party grove. I was never invited. #shocker

Tent mates at breakfast

Dinner

Bustling camp

I scored and set-up my tent in a cossetted site tucked away in the trees.

Christine made the mistake of pitching her tent mere feet away from the girls so guess who they went to all night long for their needs? “Don’t worry,” I assured her. “I’ll take care of them on our second night.”

They miraculously slept straight through. [Insert evil, relieved cackle here]

For once, luck was on my side.

Stay tuned tomorrow for our adventures in Mesa Verde National Park, including scaling a 30-foot ladder. Go here to read that post.

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Hadley, hiking, outdoors Tagged With:

Steamboat Springs: Adventures at the Upper Fish Creek Falls

November 6, 2012 by

Every Colorado resort has one: a popular hike that is bombarded with tourists in the summertime. In Steamboat Springs, that hike is 283-foot Fish Creek Falls in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. And for good reason. It is:

1) Lovely. The falls spill over a hanging valley, formed at the junction where a small glacier joined a larger one.

2) Accessible (only four miles from downtown Steamboat Springs).

3) Easy. From the upper lot (which has a $5 fee to park), it is only a 1/4-mile trek to the falls with some scenic picnic areas.

During my October visit to Steamboat Springs to speak at the Governor’s Tourism Conference, I resolved to hike the still-popular yet not as frequented Upper Fish Creek Falls, a 4-mile round-trip hike. But here’s the catch: a storm was blowing in and I needed to drive back to Denver. And the trail was pretty unrelenting and steep.

But I was a woman on a mission. I hoofed it through the conifer forest with its Englemann spruce and Douglas firs for what seemed like an eternity (really, it was only 50 minutes) until I was finally rewarded above treeline with this stunning view of Steamboat Springs and the Yampa Valley.

I chugged along another 10 minutes before I finally reached the falls. For anyone keeping track, it took me one hour to hike 2 miles, attesting to 1) The trail’s steep pitch or 2) That I’m more out of shape than I thought.

The Upper Falls. This picture taken as a testimony I actually made it.

For those ambitious sorts, Fish Creek Falls is the jumping-off point for miles of hikes and the 6-mile hike to Long Lake leads to the Continental Divide trail where the real backcountry explorations can begin.

But that time around, I was perfectly happy with my four-miler.

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, hiking, Humor, travel Tagged With:

My Denver Post column: Budget room makeovers and being consumed by the jaws of Hades

November 6, 2012 by

The two most dreaded words in my vocabulary are “assembly required.”

So the whole DIY (do-it-yourself) trend gives me hives. I am the very antithesis of handy, and eagerly defer to The Husband for home projects.

That is what makes the following story that much more shocking: I attempted to restore a set of cabinets. By myself.

While my house generally gets a passing grade for cleanliness, I fail when it comes to organization. I recently decided to do something about it and ascertained that a storage cabinet for my daughter’s art supplies would be a good start.
Read more: Johnson: One mom’s lessons from a budget child’s room project – The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/smart/ci_21922553/johnson-one-moms-lessons-from-budget-childs-room#ixzz2BM6vV0ib

Hadley with Grandma after making over her room

Filed Under: Humor, Jamie Tagged With:

Political Ads: Are Your Kids Noticing Them? (My 9News Interview)

November 5, 2012 by

The end is near.

No, this isn’t some doomsday announcement but rather I’m voicing my relief we will finally be witnessing a ceasefire for all the political ads, tweets and Facebook postings. I almost resolved to go on a media fast but then remembered, “Oh. That’s what I do for my job” so I’ve muddled through it, trying to remind myself this is a privilege! We live in a free, democratic society where people can openly voice their opinions!

Now, after tomorrow’s election, will everyone please shut-up? 🙂

Last week, TaRhonda Thomas from 9News came to my house to interview me about what to tell kids about the scathing political ads on television. Click here for the video.

If you haven’t already voted, remember to do so tomorrow. I’m Canadian so will be doing it in spirit. Last weekend, I scored this great “voted” badge from Colorado Ski Country USA at the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Expo.

I’m what I like to call “politically neutral.”

Filed Under: 9News, Humor

It’s a fall frenzy: in pictures!

November 4, 2012 by

My computer refuses to read my iPhone picture files so I have a backlog of pictures waiting to be uploaded. Which means I’ve had to email myself each picture and then save it on my desktop. Which means I can’t be bothered to do it.

However, fall is flying by and I’d be remiss if I didn’t make mention of at least a few things we’ve been up to. Haddie has started piano lessons and Bode has wrapped up soccer. Other activities include:

Swim team at the YMCA. Haddie is loving it and I’m loving I can go workout in the weight room during it.

Except for on Fridays when I bring Bode and his bestie Sean to swim. And yes, I said swim. If you’ve followed Bode’s swimming missteps, you’ll realize how truly miraculous it is that he’s finally swimming.

Then there was the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey’s DRAGONS.

Tennis. We’ve been playing every Monday night for FHE for almost two months. Bode, in particular, is obsessed and is begging me for lessons.  I told him he has to wait ’til spring. Even this Canuck has standards about running around the tennis court in the snow. But apparently no standards when it comes to taking over the skate park and using the bumps as a net.

Bode started basketball at the YMCA. Though all the players were a year older and a full head taller, he held his own. This is Jamie coaching nervous Bode about the rules moments before his first basketball game ever. It’s called death-bed repentance.

There was stargazing with our besties at the Pine Valley Ranch Park observatory.

That activity deserves an entire post unto itself. Which I plan to write in all my spare time.

Though I’ve been crazy-busy with work and meetings, I try to carve out a few days every week for an adventure. I’ve become moderately obsessed with biking every trail at North Table Mountain Park in Golden.
Well, in this case hike-a-biking because some parts were STEEP.

Then, there was Mount Falcon Park. Denver recently received a healthy dose of snow so my hike started with views like this. And changed to this as I reached the summit.
And yep, I was in my element.

Speaking of snow, we hit the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Expo where we skied.
If you count that makeshift ramp.

The kids also attempted the Gibbons’ Slacklines (think: hip tightrope), an insanely popular up-and-coming sport. They attempted it over and over again, only venturing out a few feet. Apparently balance ain’t our thing.

And my favorite activity of all: the Denver Curling Club brought a curling demo! As a Canuck mom, I finally felt like I was not failing my little half-breeds in the Ways of the Motherland.

Lest you think we’re all play and no work ’round here, service is always worked into our routine. Here are my boys at building clean-up day at the church. Haddie’s charter school threw a huge harvest festival that was a throwback to yesteryear with butter making, straw crowns and corn husk doll stations, chili and a charming dragon play.

My little bird

And, of course, these activities don’t even touch upon all our Halloween festivities, pumpkin patches and parties. This week, I’m supposed to go to Dallas for a conference Thursday through Sunday. Poor Bode and Jamie are sick so I’ll be nursing them back to health with chicken noodle soup and lots of snuggles the next few days.

I think we’ll all welcome the break after a fabulous but frenzied fall.

Filed Under: biking, Bode, Colorado, Hadley, hiking, outdoors, skiing

Another warning to parents everywhere

November 3, 2012 by

My dad and brother Jade are middle-of-the-night eaters. I am not.

However, I recently had an extreme lapse in judgment as I trudged to the bathroom at 2 a.m. We had eaten a light dinner and I spotted the kids’ candy bags, which we were erroneously storing in our bedroom to prevent them from snacking.

And at 2 a.m., Snickers sounded like a really good idea.
I partook of the forbidden fruit and within minutes, I was BUZZZZZZED. And on speed.

So, consider yourself warned: Snickers Really Satisfies…All. Night. Long.

P.S. Today is my brother Jade’s birthday. I dedicate my late-nighter unto him.

Filed Under: Family, Humor

Halloween 2012: The Slime Bucket, Digging for Eyeballs and the Pumpkin’s Celebrity Encounter

November 2, 2012 by

This year, Jamie was delighted when The Great Pumpkin had an encounter with celebrity. TaRhonda Thomas of 9News fame was at our house interviewing me for an unrelated story and was flabbergasted with what she found when she pulled up to the house. And unlike some broadcast journalists I’ve worked with in the past (read: snobby), she’s every bit as fun and lovely as she appears in the picture.

One of the bonuses of having kids at different schools is they had their Halloween parties at different times so I was able to give each of them my undivided attention. I started with little B. The volunteers were divided up into different stations. The Room Mom asked if I wanted to do the craft.

“Err, no thanks,” I politely declined.
“Really? You look like the crafty type,” she responded.

I assure you that’s the first time THAT has ever happened.

I instead volunteered for the messy slime bucket, which was green jello that was refrigerated with plastic body parts. To demonstrate, I stuck my hand in it and pretended it was getting devoured. What’s Halloween without a bit of traumatizing?

For Dorothy’s party, she was thrilled she was the kid who got to put the finishing touches on her teacher’s mummy wrap and did a muzzle over her mouth.
I’m sure she was thinking, “That’s for all that miserable math homework.”

They did plenty of crafts and games and once again, I volunteered for the messiest of them all (sensing a pattern here?): Searching for eyeballs (marbles) in a mass of brains (spaghetti) with their feet. Disgusting. Especially when the brains got accidentally flicked down my shirt.

That evening, we met at our fire station where they handed out drinks, cupcakes, cookies, free HarperCollins children’s books and then a fire truck led a parade.

From the archives: 3-yr-old Bode at the parade. #Love

Our neighborhood pretty much rocks Halloween.

This is the first year we’ve been able to carve The Great Pumpkin because it’s usually rotting down the driveway. Since the weather was so nice (it’s been 70 degrees), we sat on the porch to hand out candy and could hear the stunned reactions of the trick-or-treaters. A large crowd was usually congregated around the pumpkin to take pictures. The Pumpkin Man was in his element.

Our neighbor Steve told us his wife Angella took a picture of their family with The Great Pumpkin. She’s a pharmaceutical rep and made it into a card to hand out to various doctor’s offices and clients. He said it was an awesome conversation-starter and opened a lot of doors.

Next year, I’m demanding a commission.

Filed Under: 9News, Bode, Hadley, holidays, Humor, pumpkins Tagged With: ,

Mother of the Year Advice: How to comfort a child

November 1, 2012 by

On Sunday morning, I found sweet Bode melted down in a pool of tears in my bathroom. I had sent him in there to scrub off his Mario mustache from our ward Halloween party the previous night. His attempts were in vain.
“I CAN’T GET IT OFF, MOMMY.”
“Oh, don’t worry, Sweetie. You won’t be the first 6-year-old to go to church with a mustache!”

Filed Under: Bode, Humor Tagged With:
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