So, we survived Spring Break. Barely. Two Snow Days + Seven Days of Spring Break = One Tired Mama. The weather was chilly so we tried to keep busy indoors by decorating Easter eggs, having playdates, going swimming, watching the cliff divers at Casa Bonita, and discovering THE COOLEST story time ever with a toy library and hilarious librarian performer.

All in all, not a bad week.

My dear friend Isabelle is arriving from France this week and we will be swept up in a whirlwind of taking in all that Colorado has to offer. And stuffing ourselves silly with all that glorious European chocolate she has brought with her.

Just remember: Friends Bring Friends Chocolate.

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I attended a social media class last weekend held by the lovely Beckie of Tech Talk for Moms. It was a great class to remind me that I have dropped the ball in so many areas when it comes to this blog. And so after the inception of this blog 25 years ago, I finally added a Share Button that enables folks to StumbleUpon, Tweet, Digg, etc. after each post. I also added a subscribe button to my right-hand sidebar. If you don’t do RSS Feeds, I also included a box for folks to receive a notice via email whenever I post.

That way, you won’t lose sleep thinking you missed something I wrote. I know I do.

🙂

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On the last night of Spring Break, Hadley stole a cucumber from the fridge. Yes, you heard correctly. And she took it upstairs to swing it as a bat at Bode, who was substituting as the ball.

He does have a really round head.

Jamie eventually told her to take it back down to the fridge. She refused.

“Hadley, I said please put it away.”

“Can’t do it, Daddy. You need to do it for me.”

“I will not do it for you. I wasn’t the one who got it out.”

“And that’s why you should do it. I got it out–you put it away. You know: taking turns!”

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog

Last night, a few of my fellow Mile High Mamas and I went to hear Dooce at her book-signing for It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown and a Much Needed Margarita. Never heard of Dooce? In the real world, she goes by Heather Armstrong; to the blogging world she is Dooce and is one of the most popular bloggers in the blogsophere.

We heard her book signings have been overwhelmingly popular so JoAnn and I left early. Really early. As in we arrived there two and a half hours early. Luckily, we weren’t the only losers early birds–Jolene, a health blogger, was first in line. She claimed she got there just a few minutes before us.

I suspect she camped out overnight.

Lori and Sarah arrived soon thereafter and it became a veritable pow pow with the group of bloggers at the front of the line. Everyone started swapping business cards and much to my dismay, I realized a bomb had gone off in my purse and I could not find anything, least of all a skinny little card.

And so I did what everyone should do in a room of bloggers who document your every move: dumped out my purse and organized it.

I was delighted to find several notebooks and even a Christmas stocking stuffer I forgot to give Jamie. During this time, I heard a voice behind me: a pregnant gal who sat down unannounced. When we asked if she had a blog, she said, “Yeah, it’s Glory Ho. Just be careful. If you type it in wrong, you get a** p**orn.”

You can’t make this stuff up.

Heather’s actual reading was hilarious and the Q&A session was fun. Shy lil’ me even asked a question and addressed both Heather and her husband’s funny tweet (Twitter). I was all hot and sweaty with hundreds of eyes on me and it felt like I was on my first date again.

Well, if I could remember what actually qualified as my first date, it was that inconsequential.

When I arrived home, Jamie jokingly accused me: “So, where were you REALLY tonight?”

“What are you talking about? You know where I was!”

“Dooce. She was on Oprah while you were allegedly at her book signing.”

Busted.

What happens with Dooce, stays with Dooce.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog

Find out over at Mile High Mamas today and read about some fun April Fool’s Day pranks I’ll be playing on the poor Canuck Clan. If you wrote an April Fool’s Day post, be sure to leave a link over there!

Got Any Favorite Spring/Summer Recipes?

I don’t know about you but I’m ready for some fresh, fun cookin’ this season. Please, please send your favorite recipes (dinner, salads, appetizers, desserts, etc.) my way! If I get enough recipes, I may just compile them all. Either post it over at Mile High Mamas or email it to me at crazycanuck131 [at] yahoo [dot] com and I will post it for you. Best of all? Anyone who shares will get a free entree from Qdoba Mexican Grill.

Don’t have one in your home state? Post a recipe anyway and I’ll eat it for you.

Because I’m nice like that.

Are you on Facebook?

I have been so swamped these days that I haven’t had time to visit all my favorite blogs. Fortunately, I have connected with many of you via Facebook and love reading your short ‘n sweet status updates. If I’m not already following you, please send me a request here.

Enough homework for one day. Perhaps my new tagline should be:

Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck:
It’s just like Junior High, only exponentially less painful.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog

Bad days. We all have them. I’m not talking about the life-altering ones where there is a death in the family or a terminal illness is diagnosed. I’m talking about the day-to-day ones where life just seems to kick your butt. I recently had a doozy and the fact that is was *that* time of the month impacted everything that happened. A sampling:

• I was stressed about money and the direction we are supposed to go with employment.
• I had not had a break from the children after a month of quarantine and illnesses.
• I am on the PR committee for an event this summer and felt like too many responsibilities were getting dumped on me. I put my foot down and fortunately a sweet lady came to my rescue.
• I took the kids hiking, something we usually enjoy. Just not that day. They were lucky I did not leave them on the trail.
• I got a speeding ticket on the way home. I cried in front of the police officer and all the way to the house. The children, worried I did not have the money to pay the ticket, raided their own piggy banks.
• I will now have to appear in court next month. Since when are you not able to just pay the wretched ticket and be done with it?
• I had an evil plan to reacquire lice before my appearance and infect everyone in the courtroom but decided against it because then Jesus would be mad at me.
• Jamie, who should have been annoyed with me, brought me flowers.
• It was that time of the month. Or did I already say that?

I whined to my dear friend Isabelle who will be visiting me next month from France and she shared this hilarious doozy with me. Her family was living in Madagascar at the time and were trying to return home to France for Christmas.

• During the 3-hr drive from their home to the airport in Tananarivo (the capital city), Daughter throws up. Supportive Brother catches a whiff and throws up too.
• Arrive at airport. Enraged husband Chris attempts to clean SUV while Isa changes the children’s clothing.
• Only flight departures from Madagascar to France are at midnight. Children became unglued at airport from their stench. Isa kept faith they would soon be boarding. Flight was delayed until 4 a.m.
• Endured night of complaints, horrid smells in dirty airport with thumb-sized cockroaches and mosquitoes.
• Children pass out aboard the plane at 4:30 a.m. Arrive in Paris to discover baggage handlers on strike. Two more hours delay.
• In their stress, they forgot about the TGV (fast-speed train that goes directly to their city) and waited for another train. Had no winter coats. Children freezing. Finally board wrong train at 4 p.m., which dropped them off 100 miles away from destination.
• Isa calls her dad and pleads with him to pick them up. Takes an hour to find him. They collapse in his car, dreaming of hot showers and sleep. Fate has a different plan. Once on the highway, the car dies. Isa and children officially lose it.
• Call for tow truck. It arrives an hour later. Car dead beyond repair. Finally take a taxi and arrive home at 10 p.m.

It kinda makes you want to go on a roadtrip with your kiddos, doesn’t it?! My friend Lisa also chimed in with her own “worst day” rendition that involved scissors, spray paint, boxing gloves, blue ink and flooding. Read about it here.

And so now it’s your turn. Had any bad days lately? And if not, feel free to rub it in!

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog

I never aspired to be a stay-at-home mom.

Reflecting back upon it, I never aspired to do much of anything. It was not that I was lacking in ambition. I was that annoying overachiever in athletics and academics but I just didn’t know what I wanted to do when I “grew up.” I didn’t declare Broadcast Journalism as my major until my junior year of college. Even upon graduation, I did not know if I wanted to purse journalism or a career in public relations. Decisions were made day-by-day, minute-by-minute and I ended up dabbling in both.

Getting married and having a family were not on my radar in my 20s. I was too busy “finding myself,” traveling the world and having a good time. I never aspired to be the president of a company but opportunities came–an account executive with the corner office at a PR agency, a freelance gig as a travel writer. It wasn’t until my 30th birthday that I stopped to reflect upon it all and I surmised I had spent all this time climbing the ladder, only to realize it was leaning on the wrong wall.

Shortly thereafter, I met my husband, moved to Colorado, married and was pregnant six months later. My wanderlust life was grounded. When we discussed our childcare options, my husband humbly submitted he would like me to stay home and raise our children. I agreed. I never really saw it as a sacrifice but as the next step. I had seen what I wanted to see, done what I wanted to do.

My foray into motherhood with a colicky newborn was not smooth but I made the best of a sleepless situation. We hiked several times a week with Colorado Mountain Mamas. We were a regulars at the library’s storytime. We were in playgroups. I was a joiner, a doer as my Type-A single life transcended into motherhood. I desperately clung to some kind of structure as I tried to fill the daunting 12 hours before me every day.

Baby #2 came. I bought a double stroller and we did Everything X 2. Life continued at a frenetic pace as I immersed myself in everything around me. I started freelancing from home. Time passed, children grew.

One day not long ago on a lazy afternoon, I looked at my children playing in the backyard and a wave of joy overcame me. Somewhere along my journey, I had fallen in love with being at home with them. I wasn’t just filling my days, I was feeling them.

Not long after, a head hunter contacted me with a tempting offer to return to full-time work. I originally refused but my husband encouraged me to pursue it. He recently launched his own business that is going well but sustainability is always in question with our current economy. We decided that perhaps I would be the one to provide our financial stability.

And so with a heavy heart, I met with the team, the VP and the director. I loved the company, love the vision but agonized over the inevitability that working moms face every day: a lack of time with their children. Of course, most of us do the best we can and rationalize it is not quantity, it’s quality. But I was greedy: I wanted both.

I finally came to the decision that I would do what was best for my family. If offered the position, I would take it. If not, I would continue down our previous path. Those weeks were agonizing to me as I played with my children. Would this be the last time we would climb to the water tower in the morning? Would this be our final daytime playdate with friends who have become an important part of our lives?

In the end, I was not offered the position. I felt a hint of disappointment and then an overwhelming gush of relief. Now was not my time. I was given the gift to stay at home with my children for at least a little while longer. And while this is not necessarily the life I would have chosen, it is the life I am blessed to be living.

And I plan to take full advantage of it.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog

There are a few accomplishments I am proud about. Like when I convinced my friends that flushing the toilet purified the water, making it safe to drink. Or when I went all the way to France to attend a wedding and got lost and in a car accident, ultimately missing Said Wedding.

But today, I almost nailed it. I was #1,001 on the sign-up sheet for 5 Minutes for Mom’s Ultimate Blog Party–better late than never, right?

For first-time visitors, I am originally from Canada, went to college in Utah and moved to Colorado six years ago. My American husband and I have two little half-breeds: Hadley and Bode. They are known to run around outside in their bathing suits when it is 40 degrees and sing “Oh Canada” at inopportune times.

I am raising them correctly.

Unfortunately, I have absolutely no control over my husband who is obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin.

And no, there was not full disclosure before we got married.

I used to be an adventure-travel writer and publicist in the outdoor industry. I started my blog back in 2004 and have thousands and thousands tens and tens of readers. I launched a site Mile High Mamas for the Denver Post, which is Colorado’s largest gathering of mommy bloggers.

I recently became active on Twitter (you can find me here) and am two people away from having 1,000 followers. Please follow me! Because as Ellen Degeneres recently said in her monologue of Facebook vs. Twitter: “Followers are much better than friends.”

I certainly hope we can become both!

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog

Scene–Ravenous Hubby walks into the kitchen after working out with his dad. Wife is making cookies for a sick friend.

Wife: I just wrote a post about the Disney on Ice “Influencer” event.

Husband: Yeah?

Wife: The jist of it was that ALL moms are Influencers, not just those in the public eye.

Husband: Oh, really. Aren’t you supposed to save that kind of stuff for Mother’s Day?

Wife: Mothers want to be appreciated year-round, James.

Husband: I don’t argue with a woman making cookies.

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Jamie writes little reminders for himself on Outlook:

“Conference call at 3 p.m.”

“Send mock-up to client by 5 p.m.”

This is what one would expect and many of his entries are along these lines. Until I noticed he had two very peculiar entries:

“Turn lights on” and “turn lights off.”

I did not think to ask him about it and forgot about the whole thing. Until I went to our basement and discovered this little gem in the closet of the children’s playroom:

Yes, my friends. This makeshift greenhouse means that Pumpkin Season 2009 has begun. Actually, it never really ended and he has been out rototilling his new pumpkin patch and dreaming about seeds all winter. His goal is to tip the scales at 1,000 pounds this year and he will also grow one for each of the kids.

You will note the fourth member of the family is not included in the pumpkin plans.

Evidently, I don’t have as much influence as I would have liked.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog