Contraband Popcorn and the Accusations That Bind Us

February 11, 2013 by

Happily, the family has turned the corner and they are on the road to recovery. Bode got the worst of it but was well enough to return to school on Friday. Hadley quite enjoyed her two days off and hunkered down with our big-screen TV in the basement where I walked in on her contraband popcorn-making operation.

Dude, I’m OK with popcorn but let’s not pop it and melt the butter on the carpet, K?

Then, the remote control went missing which, if you’re on your sickbed, is apparently as bad as being sick. Jamie blamed me (as he always does when it goes missing), I denied it (as I always do) and we found it later that night tucked in the duvet I’d hung over the railing to air out.

“I wasted 15 minutes of my life…and I only watched one channel!” Jamie accused.

First-world problems.

Filed Under: Hadley, Humor, Jamie

Smooth operator (and virtual baker)

February 10, 2013 by

We have a ban on cartoons, video games and most electronics on Sundays as we try to spend time together as a family.

At one point, Bode snuggled up to me, grabbed my iPhone and started playing with the Cake Pop Maker app.

“I don’t know, Bode. Does that count as a video game?”

“Hmmmm….no. I’d call it a ‘fun activity.'”

Filed Under: Bode, Humor

The sick and afflicted

February 8, 2013 by

This picture about summarizes the week we’ve had with sickies that resulted in a canceled trip to Steamboat Springs this weekend.

Though it should be duly noted I am the Last Woman Standing and have yet to get sick. If you know anything about me, you know how miraculous this is.

On Tuesday night, I was up with hysterical Bode from midnight-5:30 a.m. as he screamed out in pain from an ear infection. We went to the doctor who prescribed antibiotics and we spent most of Wednesday passed out catching up on sleep. When I woke up from my nap, I found the poor little guy asleep on the floor outside of my bedroom–he thought my door was locked and couldn’t quite make it to his bed.

Then, this picture of Hadley yesterday with Fat Kitty.

I assure you we have beds in our family. And have been using them a lot this week.

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley

Valentine’s Day or Bust!

February 5, 2013 by

Crummy health is the theme chez nous. Bode and Jamie are still sick and Mom is in bad shape. The only people holding it together are Hadley, Fat Kitty and me (and yes, we count him as a person).

Since I’m my slammed tending to the sick and afflicted and my deadlines are on the back burner, check-out my latest hilariously painful Denver Post column about the worst Valentine’s Day ever.

Because we definitely need a few laughs around here.

Filed Under: Family

Who to blame for the 49ers’ loss

February 4, 2013 by

Following our WiiU party, Hadley invited her friend Maeve for a sleepover and we headed over to a new playground the following morning. I’ll confess I’ve been watching its construction for the good part of a year and wasn’t 100 percent sure it was open yet. Regardless, it was totally worth it.

Then our weekend took a turn for the worse when the boys got really sick so H and I had a girl’s day out at church.

By Sunday afternoon, everyone was a bit stir-crazy. Bode has his 100th Day of School Party this week so we decided to make Valentine’s Day cookies for his project (take that you lame people who bring Goldfish crackers or buttons). We also made our Valentine’s Day cards for the grandparents. I had too much to do to be bothered with the Super Bowl but I encouraged the kids to watch with Jamie as he cheered for the 49ers. Before the game, my daughter made a prophetic statement.

H: “I’ll bet they won’t win.”
Me: “The Broncos aren’t playing this time.”
H: “Yeah, but I’ll bet whatever team Dad is cheering for loses.”

Mourning 49ers fans can blame her…and Jamie.

Filed Under: Hadley, Humor

The Anti-Super Bowl Sunday

February 3, 2013 by

While watching Super Bowl coverage on the Today Show, Hadley observed:

“What’s so great about football? All you do is put your head down and shoot a basket.”

I’ve taught her well.

Filed Under: Hadley, Humor

Our Wii U Par-tay all the time!

February 2, 2013 by

The big news around our house is we got a Wii U for Christmas and my kids have been local celebrities because of it.  So when Nintendo offered to throw a party in its honor, we were game.

Pun intended.

We’ve had a great time becoming acquainted with our new Wii U GamePad controller and the kids love the fun new games, camera, microphone and the LCD touch screen. I like that the console is Wi-Fi-enabled and supports HD content, Netflix, Hulu+, Amazon Instant Video, etc. Jamie loves the Nintendo TVii where you can input your favorite movies and TV shows and then build a custom TV guide around your preferences. The Wii U GamePad acts as a big, easy-to-read touch screen remote control.

But enough of the logistics and onto the party! Nintendo told us we could invite 20 friends. At first I was stressed we wouldn’t have enough people but turned out we had way too many (there is no middle ground in my world). Nintendo sent two fun and informative “ambassadors” Lauren and Amy to get the party started.

My friend Kristen told me her kids had been counting down for the big event all week. A huge spread of food from Qdoba Mexican Grill + unlimited access to the Wii U? Those kids thought they’d gone to heaven but without the death part.

Of course, being me, there were a few hiccups. We had not yet installed Nintendo Land (which has 12 mini games in a virtual theme park) because Bode has been too busy playing all-things Mario and Kirby. So our lovely ambassadors had to take the time to download the software. And then, right as we were ready to play, the Wii U GamePad died because Bode had forgotten to recharge it, which caused me to joke, “Worst. Wii U. Party. Ever?”

Fortunately, Jamie came to the rescue, plugged it in and our party was finally underway. With so many kids, I figured some would filter in and out but I was wrong. They all sat by, patiently waiting their turn as they went head-to-head in Mario Chase, Animal Cross: Sweet Days and Luigi’s Ghost Mansion (there was a lot of screaming in that one). The kids played asymmetrically: one player had the GamePad and faced off against everyone else with Wii Remotes, a fun new feature. I appreciated that they were playing with each other and not against one another.But I didn’t bother to point that out for fear they’d be anti-kumbaya.

Following Nintendo Land, our ambassadors switched us over to Sing Party, a karaoke bash on steroids where we chose two teams, took team photos with the GamePad, chose our songs out of their collection, passed off the microphone every few verses to our teammates and a winner was chosen in the end.

The cool guys ran for cover by my gosh, it was hilarious to watch the girls dancing, screaming and laughing as they sang to fan-favorites like “Call me, maybe.”It’s like we have tweens or something.

The party was a raging success and at the end, our ambassadors gathered us around for a little quiz with prizes. I thought they would hand out stickers or less-inspired swag but they actually awarded our guests with real games and a Yoshi. The grand prize was won by my friend Tina’s daughter Rowan: a Nintendo Sing Party game, complete with the microphone. We had laughed at her as she sang her favorite song, Bieber’s “Baby.” When she won, she clutched it like it was her most prized possession and wouldn’t let anyone hold it. “Do you think she’ll want to sleep with it?” I joked with my friend, Tina. “She already said she was,” she divulged.

It looks like Tina will be buying a Wii U really soon.

Thanks to Nintendo for the fun party!

Filed Under: Bode, Family, Humor Tagged With:

YMCA of the Rockies: Reliving and Inventing the Glory Days

February 1, 2013 by

In case you haven’t figured out it, I’m a lover of all-things winter so ice skating under a covered pavilion, snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, or tubing at YMCA of the Rockies’ Snow Mountain Ranch = my personal paradise. But there’s so much more!

Kiva Recreation Center

The first night we arrived, we headed over to the newly-remodeled Kiva Recreation Center where my kids roller-skated for the first time (many activities are free when you stay). For kiddos 5 and under, they even had tricycles.After a rocky 15 minutes on skates, Bode momentarily wished he was 5 again.

I relived my childhood glory days of spending Saturdays cruising around to Boy George with my big bangs and winning Shoot the Duck contests. Not familiar with that? Get some speed, lift your leg in the air, squat down, balance on the other leg while holding your extended one and the longest person who can do this without falling is the winner.

As an adult, that is also called suicide.

The kids lost interest after a while and went to play with Jamie as I wound around the rink, marveling at my friend Bryan who mastered the art of roller-skating gangnam style. By the time I sauntered over to Jamie and the kids, they had wrapped up playing basketball and dodgeball and had moved onto floor hockey. I’m ashamed to admit this is the first time my half-breeds have played and Bode, in particular, took to it quickly.

The second I grabbed that stick, something deeply Canadian was ignited within me as I wove in and out of my competition (vicious elementary-school kids), relishing all those days I spent playing hockey with my brothers. My friend Aimee tweeted:I was so fired up after playing that I Googled local teams for Bode and me, resolving women’s floor hockey was in my future. I might even make it an Olympic sport! And then I woke up the next morning in such pain from my plantar fasciitis-prone heels that I pronounced early-retirement.

It was great while it lasted.

Also new since our previous visit was a three-story-high rock climbing wall, which Bode rocked.

Pun intended.

Hadley, on the other hand, was really great at indoor archery. She’s now begging to take additional lessons, along with horseback riding.I think she fancies herself to be Merida from Brave. If only she had inherited my hair….

Sleigh Ride

We had the time of their lives dashing through the snow on Snow Mountain Ranch’s hot cocoa sleigh ride. We met at Sombrero Stables, an on-property private vendor that also offers trail rides and steak dinner rides. (Adult prices are $28, kids 6-11 are $25, kids 3-5 are $12 and under 3 are free).

We bundled up under the provided blankets and were whisked away across snow-covered meadows against a Rocky Mountain backdrop. After a half-hour, we stopped near the old Rowley Homestead, site of the Rowley Nature Museum in the summer. We sipped hot chocolate, roasted marshmallows over a crackling fire, pet the horses and got stalked by a bull moose. It’s no wonder it was our favorite activity of our trip to the YMCA of the Rockies.

 So Much More

At the top of my bucket list is dog sledding and for only $15 for one ride, $25 for two, YMCA of the Rockies is the cheapest I’ve ever seen. However, spots fill quickly and we had already signed up for our Nordic skiing lesson so we opted out. We didn’t have time to head over to the craft center, swim or do any of the activities at the library for our blogger retreat but I have no complaints. At almost every turn, there were games and one night, the kids made a makeshift movie theater under the stairs with NO PARENTS ALLOWED.

When our family travels, I try to capture our final, fleeting moments in a memorable way and some of my favorites have included flying kites with Hadley off our balcony at the San Juan Marriott in Puerto Rico or having the pool to ourselves on a freezing night aboard our Disney Cruise. At YMCA of the Rockies as we prepared for bedtime, it started snowing.

“Mommy, do you see that?” Bode squealed.

“Let’s go to the playground!” I suggested.

So, despite the whirling snow, frigid temperatures and a pitch-black sky, we walked out of our cozy room at Indian Peaks Lodge and giggled our way across the deep snow. Holding hands, we vaulted onto the playground, marveling about our adventure and that it was one night to remember.
And we plan to make many more of them at YMCA of the Rockies.

Thanks to them for hosting a great retreat!

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Just tuning in? Don’t miss Parts I and II.

YMCA of the Rockies: My Colorado Love Affair

YMCA of the Rockies: The Nordic Redemption

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

YMCA of the Rockies: The Nordic Redemption

January 31, 2013 by

Now, when I entitled this blog post “Nordic Redemption,” I didn’t mean this.
But rather, this.
The back story: As a Canadian, I grew up cross-country skiing the golf course across the street from my house. Jamie is an avid alpine (downhill) skier so I figured his transition to Nordic would be a snap. It turned out to be a different kind of snap when he fell over going 0.0005 mile per hour and claimed a concussion.

That was ten years ago and I figured it was time he got back on the horse again. I signed our family up for a group lesson at YMCA of the Rockies’ Snow Mountain Ranch’s world-class Nordic Center, which offers more than 100 km of trails—from beginner loops to advanced ski trails. The kids are both becoming good skiers so I figured they were ready to add another style of skiing to their repertoire. Though I get a passing grade in cross-country skiing, I’m not an expert and would like to take up more advanced techniques, like skate skiing or mastering backcountry climbing skins.

Or not running into your friend Aimee when she’s trying to take your picture, which was my memorable wipe-out that day.

Our husband-wife instructors were excellent but the conditions were not. The snow was hard-packed so it was baptism by icy fire when they opted to start our lesson by taking us down a short, moderate slope while demonstrating the hallowed snow plow. Crash after crash occurred but the only one who took it to heart was Bode, whose confidence was shattered early-on.

“It’s OK,” I consoled him as I wiped away his crocodile tears. “You’re the youngest one in the group and you’re doing great.”

And he really was. When we moved to the beginner practice track, he started to regain his mojo as we all learned to stride, kick, push and glide like “neanderthals.”

I somehow didn’t think neanderthals were all that graceful prior to our outing.

The tepid skiers in the group stuck to the practice track and Jamie offered to stay behind with Bode while a handful of more courageous folks ventured out and followed a trail alongside Pole Creek. Hadley started mastering the smooth cadence and I was thrilled to see at least one member of our family take to Nordic skiing.

“So, when do you want to do it again with Mommy?” I queried, salivating over Snow Mountain’s bright winter sky, frosty trees, long mountain views and fast tracks.

“Maybe in, like, a couple of years,” she replied.

Though Jamie had a much more positive experience, he still wasn’t sold. “It was OK but I like downhill skiing more. Besides, it’s a different breed of people out here.”

“What do you mean?”

“There are no, ‘hey dudes’ or ‘let’s hit some bumps.’ These people are more like the marathon-running crowd.”

That’s his nice way of saying, “NO WAY” and I’m on my own. I’ll take it.

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Don’t miss parts I and III of our adventures.

YMCA of the Rockies: My Colorado Love Affair

YMCA of the Rockies: Reliving and Reinventing the Glory Days

Filed Under: Bode, Family, Family travel, Hadley, Jamie, outdoors, skiing, travel

YMCA of the Rockies: My Colorado Love Affair

January 30, 2013 by

YMCA of the Rockies, 2006

I had an epiphany during our latest trip to the YMCA of the Rockies at Snow Mountain Ranch: I love their two Colorado properties. Now, let me qualify that. I am a fickle traveler and have many love affairs with destinations all over the world but most of those places are one-time deals. We visit, capture memories, check them off the bucket list and move onto the next.

For me, YMCA of the Rockies is a soul-stirring, this-is-where-I-belong kind of haven where I yearn to repeatedly return with my family and envy the couples who retire and move nearby to live out their days volunteering. Now, that is some serious amour.

I can’t put my finger on what makes it so special for me. Maybe it’s that YMCA of the Rockies was our first really fun vacation with Hadley (we coined it our “Crazy Fun Family Weekend,” a phrase that has stuck). Or that Jamie’s family had a memorable family reunion there.

It’s not fancy like many of the destinations we visit–in fact, it’s one of the most basic, even rustic. But it doesn’t matter. Between the natural beauty, family-building activities and outdoor fun, it’s about developing traditions and the simple joys of family and friends.

Bode lost (and swallowed) his second tooth, Snow Mountain 2013

Last summer, the kids and I joined some other Denver bloggers and their families for a retreat at YMCA of the Rockies’ 860-acre Estes Park Center. This time around, we congregated at Snow Mountain Ranch’s 5,100-acre family ranch located between Winter Park and Grand Lake. We last visited that location in 2007.
My, what a difference five years makes.

Stay tuned for our favorite activities in what I have deemed Colorado’s most fun and affordable family destination. And be sure to check-out my write-up about summer and winter highlights at Travel Mamas.

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Don’t miss parts II and III of our adventures.

YMCA of the Rockies: The Nordic Redemption

YMCA of the Rockies: Reliving and Reinventing the Glory Days

 

Filed Under: Colorado, Family, Family travel, outdoors
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