40 North

The Cake

2012-01-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

So Daddy Scott did it again. He figured out how to make a Barbie cake. Driving with it over Berthoud Pass caused Barbie to shift a little in her skirts, but it just kind of looked like she was sashaying.

Barbie Monster Truck Party

2012-01-21T11:05:00.001-07:00

Arden's 4th Birthday, a set on Flickr.

Here are some more photos from the Barbie Monster Truck birthday party.

Four

2012-01-05T17:41:00.001-07:00

Happy Christmas

2011-12-26T15:24:00.001-07:00

San Francisco

2011-12-26T15:04:00.001-07:00

San Francisco, a set on Flickr.

Sawyer has always thought that California was some Nirvana where people go when they leave his realm ... kind of like falling off the end of the world or something. Since he was born his brother, his cousins, his aunts and uncles and his godparents have all come and gone from this mysterious California place.

For the first time in living memory, he got to visit California. We spent 10 days in the Bay area, visiting the redwood forest, swimming in the ocean, touring the Exploratorium, riding the trolley and browsing the farmer's markets.

The whole tourist part of the trip was topped off by a visit from our southern California cousins Gracie and Max in addition to the Bay area cousins Kingston and Kieran.

And if that wasn't enough, Santa came for a visit and left us two suitcases worth of stuff to haul back.

Sawyer decided that he loves California and wants to live there someday. As for me, I think I'll skip the crazy traffic, exercise pants and earthquake threats and just stick with the occasional visit.

Winter Park skiing

2011-12-02T09:25:00.001-07:00

Fashonista on the track

2011-12-02T09:23:00.001-07:00

Arden is a girl with her own sense of style

Falling is hard

2011-12-02T09:22:00.003-07:00

Conversations

2011-11-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

What do you want to be when you grow up, Arden? A mermaid.

Sawyer: That's not a real job. If you, say, worked in a pit stop, now THAT would be a real job.

'Tis the Season

2011-10-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

I think I've mentioned before — I'm not a big decorator, shopper, baker or dresser-uper, which makes me bad at almost all things holiday. This year, short of bobbing for apples, I made a concerted effort for Halloween. We carved pumpkins for the first time since the kids were born, baked pumpkin pies, roasted pumpkin seeds, and I decorated the front porch with a spooky skeleton and spider web. I even got a temporary tattoo of a black widow spider crawling up my neck. Awesome.

Halloween this year was a weekend-long event, starting with a costume party at school on Thursday and continuing Friday with trick-or-treating at businesses in downtown Granby, followed by a big insane bash at the elementary school. The kids headed over the pass to Evergreen for the rest of the weekend with their dad while I headed out with Brussels Sprouts and his little cabbage for an evening of trick-or-treating along the main strip in Winter Park, followed by a delicious meal at the local Indian restaurant.

About that guy

2011-10-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

So after three months, my Brussels Sprouts guy is still kind of a secret. My kids are getting to know him and he's got a plane ticket to meet the family before Christmas. But we are keeping it on the DL around town ... primarily because it's a small town and, if you've ever lived in a small town, you know, that's all I really need to say about that.

Here's some things I like about Brussel Sprouts:
1. He took AP French in high school. (He studied Russian and Spanish too.)
2. He plays the guitar and sings with abandon.
3. He remembers almost every number he sees (like my license plate number and phone numbers he's dialed one time.)
4. He's a Yankee but roots for the Cowboys.
5. He drives 4 hours round-trip to Denver twice a week to see his 18-month old daughter.
6. He plays Scrabble with me (and sometimes even wins.)
7. He can hang out with me all day and then still want to talk to me on the phone for hours at night.
8. He baked an apple pie the other day. Just because.
9. He plays house with my kids. They make him be the kid. He's good at it.
10. His eyes, and heart, are full of kindness.

Snow day

2011-10-08T18:13:00.001-07:00

Snow day, a set on Flickr.

We had our first snowfall of the year in town today. Kids played in the snow and then we hit the coffee shop for hot drinks.

RMNP

2011-09-25T08:49:00.001-07:00

RMNP, a set on Flickr.

Took a beautiful autumn drive through Rocky Mountain National Park.

Smiling on me

2011-09-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

In the past two months: I started a great new part-time public affairs job at the forest service; sold my house in Virginia in a bidding war (miracle of all miracles during a housing bust); finally got divorced a year after being separated; met a great, single dad who plays scrabble and cooks Brussels sprouts; had my new part-time job bumped up to almost full-time so that I could quit my job at the paper (bye bye two night meetings per week) and then had an old editor call to offer me freelance work. I feel like the universe has been smiling on me lately.

I've had the opportunity to take a few trips lately too. I went to Bethany Beach with my family, and have taken weekend trips to Colorado wine and peach country (Palisade) where you can ride bikes between vineyards, camping with the kids near Garden of the Gods and up to the top of 14,000-foot Pikes Peak on the cog (train) and then a weekend to OktoberWest and Strawberry Hot Springs in Steamboat. To tell it straight, I guess I'm kind of glowing (and I've been told that more than once lately.)

Considering that at this same time one year ago I had just gotten separated, had almost every utility/phone in my house cut off and wasn't sure how I was going to buy groceries ... well, I can't believe the difference a year makes. It's been nutty, and I've dealt with a lot of things that I wouldn't wish on anybody. But, life is what you make of it (pardon the cliché). I never have believed more than I do now in the power of thought ... especially the positive sort (again, pardon the cliché). Even if everyone around me worried I was being naive, I wouldn't let myself get down. There was no room to fall apart. I have kids. I had to get up in the morning. I had to move on.

I believe in karma. It just helps now that I'm living with my own and not somebody else's.

Here's hoping the universe keeps smiling on me.

Camping Lake Granby

2011-07-02T22:17:00.002-07:00

There are so many great shots from this trip I wasn't sure which to choose. Dara and I took the kids camping for one night on Lake Granby over the Fourth of July weekend. Brave Dara camped with 6-month old Rye on her own. That's my kind of mama.

Sawyer's a girl

2011-05-30T22:59:00.001-07:00

I'm so far past the point in my life where I sit around thinking of baby names for my own future children. Occasionally, a pregnant friend will humor me for a moment as I make a few suggestions for their babies ... Harper, for instance, is a name I would definitely consider for a girl (although I think it made Top 100 this year, of course). Or Maeve. Boy names are always tougher. It's just a more traditional line of thinking — heck, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John still make the annual list. I like James ... as in Jesse James. No nickname. Tough and western. (Jesse, sadly, was stolen forever by girls back in the 80s.)

So, there are four Sawyers in Granby. A town of 1,200 people. One is in high school. One is the same age as my Sawyer. The fourth we call 'Little Sawyer.' He's a few years younger. But, lately, I've had several people tell me they considered Sawyer as a name for their little girl. Funny they should mention that. I just went onto the website of my favorite baby name book ... it has this cool dynamic name chart ... and it turns out that Sawyer skyrocketed last year as a girl's name.

Arden's heyday was as a boy's name back in the Victorian Era ... probably when people actually read Shakespeare. Happily, we have yet to meet another little one here. I do have a friend from Leadville named Arden — awesome woman. While it was just a coincidence that we chose that name, I'm proud to have her be the namesake. Funny enough, she married a guy named Reed.

Arden biking Part 1

2011-05-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

One unexpected complication with single parenthood is that when you are teaching a kid to ride a bike, you have to be both the runner holding onto the kid and the videographer. Fortunately, it took only one big push and Arden had it down. After a couple spins on our street, we went on a big long bike ride around the neighborhood. Yet again, the balance bike proves to be an amazing invention.

Arden biking part 2

2011-05-29T13:41:00.001-07:00

Arden biking part 2 a video by ReidArmstrong on Flickr.

One big push and she was off

Redshirting Sawyer

2011-05-16T22:00:00.004-07:00

We've made the difficult decision to "redshirt" Sawyer, keeping him back in preschool for another year. (Redshirting is what they do to freshman football players to give them an extra year to develop. It is also the term now used for holding young 5 year olds back from kindergarten.) With a late July birthday, Sawyer will turn 5 only a few weeks before school starts and his teachers have recommended the extra year to allow him more time to mature emotionally.

It's been a year with lots of change here, and it just seems like there's no reason to push him into yet another new situation when he's already struggling to deal with the hand he has. He's clearly smart, but he just doesn't have the same interest in the quieter side of academics as other kids in his class ... he'd much rather build with blocks or play make-believe than write his name or work on an art project. As a result, his handwriting and fine motor skills just aren't at the same level as his peers.

There are lots of articles on the topic, and plenty of controversy. Many experts seem to think holding young 5 year old boys back a year only helps them down the road while others think it's just a fad amongst overachieving parents to make sure their kid gets to be captain of the football team. I assure you, this isn't a competitive move on our part.

Sawyer took the news amazingly well. I'm a little sad he won't be in the same grade as many of our friend's kids elsewhere, and it will be hard for him to watch some of the friends he's made in his class here move on without him ... yet again ... but I really think this will be best for Sawyer in the long run.

Here's a few interesting articles on the topic (click on link to see full article):

From Live Science:

Benefits or not, kindergartners are an increasingly older bunch these days. According to a 2008 paper published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives, 96 percent of 6-year-olds were enrolled in first grade 40 years ago. Now, 84 percent of 6-year-olds are in first grade. The missing 12 percent haven't dropped out — they're enrolled in kindergarten instead. About a quarter of the shift is due to state and school district policies that push age cut-off dates earlier in the year, the researchers reported. The rest is due to voluntary redshirting.

From the Huffington Post:

A kindergarten teacher commented, "Many schools set up their classroom and schedules to reflect a typical girl learner, not a young boy. Asking a 4 or 5-year-old boy to sit at a table and do prolonged work with a pencil and paper is asking far too much, and yet if we examine the kindergarten or first-grade schedule, they are shuffled from room to room, subject to subject, and we slowly take away their time to play and make independent choices, and recess becomes a distant memory to many fifth-graders. I watch parents as they tour our school and see the anxiety on their faces as they realize that their child is not 'ready' for all this."

From the New York Times:

Kindergarten seemed to go well, but when her son entered first grade, she said, “I got hit over the head. They told me he was way behind.” She watched in horror as her son’s self-confidence tanked. “He was spinning his wheels just to keep up,” she recalled. “He even got pulled out of class for poor handwriting.” At the end of a miserable second-grade year, she withdrew him to repeat the grade at a private school. “It’s been a long and difficult journey,” she said. “I totally regret starting him on kindergarten at 4.”

Easter

2011-05-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

Despite the late April date, Easter was, as always, a snowy event in Grand County this year ... which sort of takes the fun out of fancy spring dresses. But it makes hiding easter eggs a lot easier. Just dump them in the snow and off the kids go.

We were blessed with a visit this year from one of my best high school friends Sean and his wife Melanie and two kids who live in Puerto Rico.

Melanie was brave enough to watch all four kids so Sean and I could ski in a buttload of fluffy, closing-day powder.

Here's a couple more:

Guests

2011-03-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy six weeks at the Purple Palace (an affectionate nickname for our townhouse). We've turned into something of a bed and breakfast for long lost, out-of-town friends. It's great to be back in touch with so many old pals ... all people that I had completely lost touch with over the last decade. But, the advantage of living in a beautiful place is that people are more apt to come visit.

Here's some photos of our recent visitors:

College friends Steve Vierling (Denver) and Evan Fowler (No.Cali) flanking me on the chairlift.

High school friend Dara McDonald (with new baby Rye under cover) on a visit from Salida.

Leadville friend Fritz Howard who stayed at the Purple Palace while preparing for a dog sled race.

Uncle Ross, from San Fran. who managed to squeak out a night at the end of a work trip to Colo.

I've even made trips to Leadville and Salida for rendezvous with old Leadville pals Sarah Creighton (Grand Junction) and Alison Manthey (Salida).

Skiing

2011-03-01T14:55:00.003-07:00

More photos here

Love

2011-02-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

The one constant that Arden and Sawyer have these days is each other. Whether they are at school, with me or with Scott, they are always together. Arden won't got to bed at night without giving Sawyer a hug and kiss. The other day Arden missed the first half of the school day after being sick. When I dropped her off in the afternoon, she and Sawyer ... who had seen each only hours before ... ran across the room and hugged each other. It gives me comfort to know that they will always share something above and beyond anything I will experience with them. Happy Valentines my little loves.

The first married friends

2011-01-23T23:42:00.000-07:00

There were a few people that were harder to tell about our current situation than the rest. Hardest of all, for some reason, was telling the couple we met on our honeymoon in Costa Rica ... the couple we've since been pregnant with and taken vacations with ... our oldest boys are only weeks apart. We started our married lives together. Wendy posted this beautifully-written memoir of our friendship on her blog today:

Just Add Water

I can't write around this any more

2011-01-19T00:10:00.003-07:00

To many of you, this won't come as news ... to some, it may be a shock.

Scott moved out at the beginning of September. In recent weeks, he left Grand County, moved closer to Denver and is again job hunting. Our marriage is over, although there's surely a bumpy road ahead to make that official. We are resolved to make this process as easy on ourselves and our children as possible.

While I intend to respect his privacy, I plan to continue writing about my own life and talking all about the kids, of course. Even though you may not hear about him here, Scott will always play a big role in the kid's lives. He will have them every other weekend and alternating holidays. He's a great father. They adore him. And, because everyone asks, the kids seem to be taking it all in stride. Children are resilient creatures.

As for me, I hate to think that I've become another statistic ... another slash in the column of failed marriages. In the weeks, months, maybe years to come, I will struggle — financially and emotionally. But, I have hope. Falling apart simply isn't an option — there are kids to raise, mouths to feed, a job to maintain. And, I'm 36. Hell. There's a whole life to live, and I have a blank slate again.

My preschool mom friend, who was widowed several years ago when a tree tragically fell on her husband, shared with me some words of wisdom she received in her darkest hours: "You need to put on your big girl bra and get on with it." Talk about putting life into perspective.

I don't want pity. I have so many things to be thankful for ... my family, my friends, my children, our health.

I couldn't survive without my troops. From my friends Steve and Kate who came up over Christmas and replaced about 30 burnt light bulbs in my house, to Sarah Q who secretly sent a Christmas list of things I really needed to all my family... to my family who filled that list on short notice and traveled out here for the holiday... to my coworker who made sure my New Years was one of the most Rockin' EVER .... even my landlord who knocked $250 bucks off my rent and let me divide it into two payments ... to the NNK friends Lisa, Susan, Elizabeth, Catherine who had my back and supported me these past few years, even when I inexplicably decided to rip up my life and move across country ... and my Colorado buddies Dara, Sarahgirl and Alison who gave me an instant family when I moved back to here ... to my new family of friends here in Grand County ... even to all you Internet buddies who lift me up when you don't realize it ... THANK YOU!

Life is only starting to get interesting ...

Day of Fun

2011-01-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

Already Making Candy Canes For Next Year!

As a little celebration of Arden's birthday, I took the kids to Denver Saturday. Sawyer wanted to see dinosaur bones, Arden wanted to see butterflies, and I'd heard the Hammond's Candy Factory was a great FREE tour.

We started the day at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Sawyer got to see his bones and Arden got her butterflies. (Next time we'll do live flutterbys the butterfly pavillion.) Even more exciting in some ways was the wildlife exhibit. Great interactive space exhibit and discovery room to boot.

After that we explored City Park. It reminded me of one particular soccer field from my youth. Every last square inch of the park was christened with goose poop.

Watching candy made ... the same way they made it in the 1920s .... was so cool ... and I ended up getting the kids two big coiled lollipops before we left ... free tour turns out to be a big cash cow for the Candy Shop.

We met up with my friend Kate who took us to a little Italian restaurant in The Highlands where the kids ate pasta and salami sandwiches. For dessert, she ordered them little bowls of real homemade gellato to celebrate Arden's birthday.

We finished the day off with a princess movie that Arden had never seen — Beauty and the Beast — back at Kate's house.

Sawyer official coined it "The Day We Did All The Fun Things."

Ski bunny

2011-01-07T20:00:00.016-07:00

Sawyer (in the green jacket) heads off for his first day of ski class with his preschool teacher Miss MJ. He and three other boys showed Miss MJ that they could ski to a stop on the bunny slope and so she took them up the chairlift ... twice. BIG DEAL. She paired them with other grown ups for the ride. It was the first time Sawyer skied the big hill without a tether. He had a slight meltdown when he saw me mid-session. But at the end of the two hours he was just glowing. "Skiing today was FUN!" he said.

Arden turns 3

2011-01-06T21:45:00.001-07:00

Arden Birthday 3 from Reid Armstrong on Vimeo.

And then Santa came ...

2011-01-02T22:25:00.001-07:00

The best Christmas present opening expression EVER.

New duds from Aunt Niki

Santa even remembered me!

Working that Candy Cane.

Brother love.

Sawyer's new duds.

Justin's famous dimples.

Xmas 2010, Part 3

2011-01-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite photo from the whole trip. Got the family out for a walk on the Fraser trail.

Xmas 2010, Part 2

2011-01-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

We took the family cross-country skiing at Devil's Thumb Ranch.

Cousins. I think Kieran looks like a warrior from Braveheart with that stick.

Helping Arden down a steep section.

The sun came out and warmed us all up. 40 degrees here is practically summer.

Mom making good use of the company SWAG (Stuff We All Get).

Kieran.

Dad contemplates the hill he has to climb.

Niki with Kieran in a Chariot.

Ross with Kingston on board.

Sawyer tries to make a parallel turn on his skinny skis.

But without the metal edges it doesn't go so well.

Arden gave up halfway back to the lodge. I put her in the sled with her skis and when I turned around a few minutes later I found this.

Xmas 2010, Part 1

2011-01-01T17:12:00.002-07:00

My sister-in-law took many of these fantastic photos. The whole family came to Winter Park to visit for the holidays. I'm going to break it up into several posts.

No winter trip is complete without a visit to the Hideaway Park sledding hill. My brother and I ran up and down the hill with the tireless kids. Even Aunt Niki and baby Kingston made a few runs.

It hasn't exactly been warm here lately.

Standing at the bottom of the sledding hill was like being pins at a bowling alley.

Cousins become speeding bullets.

The Armstrongs

New duds

2010-12-29T22:00:00.002-07:00

I bought this shirt at the thrift store tonight.

On the back it says, "La Crema."

My favorite.

Colorado visitors

2010-12-19T21:59:00.001-07:00

Taking you back to Thanksgiving here with a lovely photo slideshow by Sarah Q.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/turdinthepool/sets/72157625473796439/show/

2034

2010-12-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

When I look at this pic of my little lefty with his scrub hat writing on a white board, I feel like I'm glimpsing the future.

Moo-dy

2010-12-17T18:18:00.005-07:00

Sawyer's behavior problems, particularly at school, are a growing concern to us as Kindergarten approaches. I just don't think a public school will have as much tolerance with his outbursts as the teachers in our little red schoolhouse.

We've also noticed that our little man is a bit explosive in the bathroom – more like a big man. He's been like that for a long time. He'll even sit in there for 30 minutes with a magazine.

So, after a visit to the pediatrician, we are looking into several possible causes. In addition to being tested for bacteria and parasites, we have been instructed by the pediatrician to begin changing his diet. The first thing to go will be dairy, because it's the easiest and will have the most immediately noticeable impact if it's the culprit. Milk, butter, yogurt ... and, yes, milk chocolate. Ugh.

Unfortunately, gluten has also been indicated as a major cause of behavioral issues. I loathe to think of life without bread and all things wheat-related. Getting gluten out of the system is a longer process as well ... so we're putting it off to see how things go with dairy first.

In many cases, sensitivity to one coincides with sensitivity to the other. Just shoot me.

But, we've heard several success stories from people we know about eliminating these things ... enough to convince us that it's worth a try.

And, funny enough, Sawyer's totally on board. Even when I told him it meant no Advent calendar chocolate. He said he wants dark chocolate. (Boy after my own heart.)

Maybe this is something that he'll just outgrow naturally. But, in the meantime, we're going to do everything we can to help him be successful.

Day 1 — No Dairy. No meltdowns.

Godlings (godparent siblings)

2010-11-26T10:38:00.001-07:00

Friends

2010-11-22T17:04:00.001-07:00

Little puzzles

2010-11-18T00:42:00.003-07:00

We had parent-teacher conferences Monday. The teacher started the conversation off by saying, "Maybe we better talk about Arden first, otherwise we may never get to her."

She was completely serious. We had scheduled an hour to talk about both kids. And, talk of Sawyer could have easily filled the entire hour. Our dear son continues to challenge us all daily while Arden sails along with barely a mention. We have an entire "daily program" worked out for Sawyer. We are taking a parenting class to learn techniques for helping him deal with his anger and outbursts. But, I'm lucky to get a end-of-day report on Arden at all.

Arden is the typical "flexible" child. She's highly social at school and has found a gaggle of girlfriends whom she runs around with — Ellie and Allie — just to be confusing. I barely walk in the door in the morning and she's across the room to hug her girls and off they go to play.

Arden, according to her teacher, is amazing at puzzles. I thought Sawyer was our puzzle guy. But Arden isn't even 3 yet and can complete a 24-piece jigsaw puzzle by herself with the most amazing patience. I found this out only after buying her a princess puzzle she insisted on having, despite my concern that it was too difficult. As a parent, I was blown away when she completed the thing alone on her first attempt. But, to hear the teacher say the same thing just confirmed it for me. During free choice Arden usually chooses "puzzles, books and games" over dramatic play, building blocks or arts and crafts, the teacher said.

She's bright, but we knew that, and she's well beyond her age level in every area except gross motor skills — i.e. "playing catch." This is our fault. We don't have balls and we don't play catch.

She's also shy in big groups, and the teacher said that they hope to help bring her out of her shell and get her talking in circle. I asked her about this one night — talking during circle time — and she said, "It's too scary."

Every once in a blue moon she'll let her true colors fly with her teachers, and the EXTREMELY OPINIONATED side of her will accidentally pop out. Then she'll hang her head and sulk. Now, THAT's the Arden I know and love.

Sawyer — big shock — chooses dramatic play during free choice every time. You've never seen a kid spend more time in the land of Make Believe. He's the same way at home. Give him a couple chairs and pillows and about 2 minutes and he'll have concocted a whole scenario that involves cats stuck in trees and a firetruck to the rescue.

He's a natural leader, the teacher said, and often creates extravagant games of pretend at school that he ropes all the other children into playing. He'll assign roles and set the parameters for the scenario. He has the most amazing imagination and the kids are drawn to him like flies to honey, she said.

The good news is that he's spending more time in arts and crafts this year, but he still struggles with perfectionism. In the past, he's often avoided trying things he can't do perfectly, like cutting with scissors — especially as a lefty. But, this year, he's taking more risks in that area. He brings home art projects everyday, which makes me happy.

Socially he floating, having lost his rock — Sylvia — to kindergarten. He doesn't know who his new bff is. And that's hard for him.

Our major struggle — one that brings me to tears — is how Sawyer continues to have extreme anger management issues at school. Several times a week, he'll completely lose it over something that doesn't go his way or something he's been told to do when he doesn't want to. He'll throw a fit and have to be isolated in the middle of the room where he can't destroy anything or hurt anyone.

I can't help but think he's like a little Napoleon. So charismatic and compelling to everyone around him, but with a ferocious temper when things don't go his way.

According to the teacher, we are about one step away from receiving a behavioral referral and we've been told that if we don't get this under control now, Sawyer will struggle for much of his life.

He's incredibly bright, she added, and asks the most brilliant questions. He is still the light of the classroom, but he can just as easily be the cloud that darkens the whole preschool.

We are seriously considering holding him back to give him another year to mature emotionally before sending hm into the big cruel world of Kindergarten.

We feel blessed to have such amazing teachers who are willing to work with our kids so closely and to be so patient with them. Some days I feel like any other school would have written Sawyer off already.

The most amazing thing to me is that at school the kids have totally separate lives. At home, they are like twins, constantly playing and fighting. But, even in a class of just 15 kids, they don't even hang out. They have independent identities. And, that makes me happy.

Where History and Skiing Collide

2010-11-12T21:34:00.014-07:00

Tomorrow I am throwing an event for 160 people. Did I mention that?

160 people. I was shooting for 200. I was incredibly concerned last weekend when it was only 85 people. And I was still worried Tuesday when it was 100. So when that turned, somehow, into 160 people in two days, I was thrilled. Leave it to the Fraser Valley to wait until the last minute, said one of the two fabulous museum administrators that basically did all the hard work. (Tim and Darcy ROCK! *ROCK with a glorifying singing voice). Wait until the last minute people did. 160 people. (Can I collapse into a chair yet?) We may, yet, have a few stragglers signing up or coming through the door unannounced — we'd love that too.

This is my inaugural event both with the Grand County Historical Association and, basically, the whole world ... if you don't count my wedding, which had only 50 people and a ski slope. I was voted onto the board June 10 and immediately assigned chair of the event committee because the marketing committee was already taken and, well, nobody else wanted to do it. When I say committee, in this sense, it's typically a one man show. (Oh, and Tim Nicklas and Darcy Miller ROCK!*) It's laughable, really — ME in charge of events. I can barely organize dinner. But, I have fully utilized the strategy of delegation. (Have I mentioned, Tim and Darcy ROCK!*).

I agreed to join the board in the first place because the executive director was earnest and I had a good friend also on the board. They both resigned one month later. Looking across the table at four dedicated board pioneers in their legacy years, I knew I had to stay and help. Now I am the Marketing AND Events Committee.

Somehow, I talked many wonderful, generous people into jumping on board — in particular author Frank Pilkington whose book about the history behind the names of ski runs, "What's in a name at Winter Park and Mary Jane," became the driving theme. And thank you Kristen Lodge for tossing his name my way. Now go train for Ironman (you seriously ROCK*). I knew we needed something about ski history to make this event exciting, and it was already penned onto the calendar five days before the kick off of ski season. On Tuesday, Aug. 10 I emailed Frank, and the following day he graciously agreed to speak.

Then I made a Hail-Mary, late-August pitch to Winter Park Resort, which is — by the way — the oldest, continuously operational ski area in Colorado. Mistalynn Lee and Gary DeFrange blew me away with their generosity, offering us a place to hold the dinner at the base of the ski area, days before opening. They even helped pay for the food.

Francie de Vos jumped in during September and offered us some help planning before diving headfirst into the campaign to elect Freeta Goodhome as Grand Dog. She won, raising about $1 Billion. (The animal shelter and advocates are the real winners.) Before doing that, however, she sent us Karen Gadberry, HR Director for the resort, who agreed to be our emcee and helped us spread the word.

Our staff and the five other active board members, several in their 80s, went out and canvased the streets for donations to our silent auction. We received more than 60 items including a dog sled ride, a trip to the hot springs and an Adirondack chair made entirely out of skis by the Guest Speaker himself.

We've had 10 volunteers step up to help this week from out of the woodwork — half of them are under 40. I can honestly say that there's a lot of excitement building around this.

I saw the setup tonight. It looks better than I ever imagined. Our tables are named after historic ski runs — marked by Green Circles, Blue Squares and Black Diamonds — tomorrow, before we begin setting up at 4 p.m., the "events committee" is having a major arts & crafts session at the museum with Darcy.

Now, I've just got to figure out how the heck I'm going to have time to get dressed between playing with scissors and glue, sloshing through the mud with our parking volunteers and carrying dusty cardboard boxes of books and silent auction items up three flights of stairs.

And, while I'm at it, I better go figure out what I'm going to wear. Good night!

November chills

2010-11-12T21:33:00.001-07:00

My Indian Summer has definitely turned to winter this week. Time for a new flag.

What's old is new

2010-11-08T19:12:00.002-07:00

Construx was a brand of plastic building toys introduced by Fisher-Price in 1983. For a long time, they were one of my brother's most favorite toys. He recalls: "They made the BEST g.i. Joe and muscle men forts." The toy featured beam-like pieces of varying lengths that snapped on to cubical connector knots in order to build large shapes. Sadly, Construx was discontinued in 1988. Stupid people. My mother, God bless her basement, kept the old box of Construx as well as a big box of Capsela (and whole knows what else remains to be unearthed). Mixed in those boxes were a whole bunch of other treasures like some old 1970s Matchbox cars. When Justin came around, we resurrected these toys out of the basement. But, he never showed much interest in these kinds of building toys. The boxes moved with us to Colorado and have been tucked away in the top of a closet ever since. Over the weekend I pulled the one box of Construx down for Sawyer. We didn't hear from him for the rest of the weekend.

He built, and rebuilt, discovered the glow-in-the-dark pieces and — WHEELS! It makes me kind of sad about all the toys we gave away when we were young – the original Star Wars action figures, the Weeble Treehouse, Playmobile, the Fisher Price Sesame Street "People" village.

Ah, the joy of growing up in the dawn of plastics. I did save my Barbie and all her 1970s attire, which will be handed down to Arden one of these days. And the doll house (which needs a remodel) along with all its fancy furniture and tiny little pieces will someday be hers.

My mom's closet also holds hidden treasures. When I went home in August, she gave me these kicky boots that she wore in the 1960s and 70s.

They definitely don't make shoes like they used to (I'm lucky to see my shoes last three years). I pulled out the disintegrating liners, washed the boots out, polished them up and voila! Retro awesomeness.

I think about all my moves — in the past decade alone I've moved six times. Partly because I lack space and partly because I feel like stuff just weighs me down, I shed my things whenever possible and try to keep my sentimental items contained to one box. That said, I sure do enjoy the vintage hand-me-downs.

priceless moment

2010-10-31T20:51:00.002-07:00

I woke up this morning to Sawyer yelling, "Mom, come look, I cleaned the house!"
It had been a long Hallows Eve — lots of candy, little food of any substance — and Sawyer had awoken in the middle of the night, puking and shaking. I gave him a slice of warm bread and a couple sips of milk. "Mommy, you are making me feel so much better," he said. We went back to sleep in my bed. Arden climbed in at some point early. And, the next thing I know Sawyer's downstairs yelling that he cleaned the house. I have no idea how long he'd been awake. I came downstairs and the house was spotless. Everything — every last shoe, every last toy — was off the floor or neatly lined up along the wall. (I won't even get into what it means about a mother's cleaning abilities when her 4-year-old is overwhelmed by the impulsion to straighten the house.) He'd even unloaded the clean laundry basket I'd folded the night before and separated them into his pile and Arden's pile on the couch (maybe not so helpful but super cute). I was pretty stunned and my reaction at the time may have been a bit underwhelming, so a little while later I found him upstairs getting dressed. I got down next to him and said, "Sawyer, you did such a wonderful job cleaning downstairs. I'm really proud of you." He sort of gasped and put his hand on his chest and said, "Mommy, that makes my heart feel warm."

Not a typical morning with my son. Maybe it had something to do with puking up the Halloween candy.

And on the First Day of Halloween ...

2010-10-27T19:22:00.002-07:00

Halloween is a 4-day celebration this year, giving us ample opportunity to wear all our dress-up clothes. Thursday is the preschool party, Friday is trick-or-treat downtown, Saturday is the party at the school and Sunday is trick-or-treat in Fraser. The doctor outfit is my personal favorite, but Arden really wants to be a princess. Sawyer just wants Arden to be his prisoner.

Top or bottom?

2010-10-27T19:14:00.004-07:00

We finally moved the kids out of their cribs. They were still sleeping in modified cribs, Sawyer's converted to a Daybed. Arden's was just a crib with the front panel removed. Scott scored this bunk bed from one of the properties he manages. It isn't in perfect condition, but the kids are just thrilled. They think it's a rocket ship. One thing's for sure — nobody's sleeping tonight.

Counting

2010-10-18T20:53:00.003-07:00

Yet another hilarious moment with my kids. God bless preschool.

Counting from Reid Armstrong on Vimeo.

Chinese, Spanish and, um, Gypsy Kings.

I'm pretty certain Sawyer's voice only possesses 26 octaves.

School work

2010-10-12T18:54:00.005-07:00

When I picked the kids up from school today, the teacher gave me a picture Sawyer had made of a fire truck. The outline of the truck was formed by a line of very tiny holes. I looked at the picture closely and couldn't figure out how Sawyer had made such a straight line. When I asked, the teacher showed me a big square piece of styrofoam and a tack. The preschoolers place the paper on top of the styrofoam and use tiny pen-dots drawn on the page to guide them as they punch the tack into the dots on the page to make the picture. The teacher showed me a sample from another kid. The punch holes were all over the page and I could see the dots she was supposed to use as a guide. Looking back at Sawyer's picture I still couldn't see a single pen mark on the page. I pointed this out the the teacher, and she stared at it kind of baffled and then took it to the window. Even holding the page up to the light there wasn't a single pen dot visible. Sawyer had used the tack to perfectly punch through each pen dot on the page. The teacher was almost speechless. Not because this means Sawyer is destined to be a genius. It's just so quintessentially Sawyer. He's a perfectionist about some things. I don't know where he gets it. But to hit each of those hundred tiny dots so exactly must have taken incredible patience — something he doesn't always have. And because he's a perfectionist, he often get frustrated about projects like that. I can't even imagine how long it took him. I'd have taken a picture of it and posted it here or framed it or something, but as we were walking out the door he gave it to his little friend Sydney who was crying because she'd skinned her knee. And that, too, is so quintessentially Sawyer.

Church Park Fire

2010-10-10T13:00:00.008-07:00

It's been a rough and interesting two weeks around here.

Following my last post, we have met "Shoulder Season" in Middle Park. Summer sweetly lingered through the first weekend of October. Then, in a literal fire storm, winter reared its head.

The fire broke out last Sunday. I was home by myself, supposedly cleaning. I hate cleaning. And, I'm really slow at it. My house eternally suffers for it. Scott called and asked me if I'd heard about a fire near Fraser. He'd received a call from a coworker who was packing his stuff to evacuate. I looked online and the county's emergency website was down. I called my editor. No answer. I called our photographer. Yes, there was a fire. He was on his way. My editor was on a mountaintop somewhere looking down at the fire.

I called my editor again. This time he answered. Yes, he could see the fire and it had doubled in size in the last 15 minutes. I threw one sentence to that effect on the newspaper website and then made a call to the county's emergency public information officer. She said the fire was now 300 acres and that every firefighter in the county was responding. She told me where it was — Sheep Mountain near Church Park, which is located 5 miles west of Fraser. The Town of Fraser is 15-mile-drive south of my house by road, 12 miles as the crow flies. I walked out onto my back deck and looked west. No smoke. I craned my head to the south, in the direction of Fraser. No smoke. I wrote another update online.

The phone rang again. This time it was another coworker who lives up the road from me. "I have pictures," she said. "I can see flames shooting over the ridge." From her house? I looked west again off my back deck. Nothing. And craned around to the south. Nothing. I needed a map so I walked out my front door to the car and — there it was, like an atom bomb had gone off.

What I did not realize, being so new to the area, it that the mountain 5 miles south of my house — the one that appears so clearly as the backdrop in all the photos I take of my kids running through fields — is Sheep Mountain. My heart hit my stomach.

I put photos online and another update. People were being asked to prepare for evacuation. The winds started picking up. I couldn't help but stand there are stare at that cloud of smoke. It was mesmerizing. The slurry bombers came in and for the rest of the afternoon it was a full on air attack and I had a front-row seat. We all did.

From the other side of the mountain it looked like a volcano had exploded.

The weather grew cold and damp that night and hundreds of firefighters poured into the area. They fought to save roads and fought to keep the fire from coming across that ridge. The fire grew to 500 acres and came within 2 miles of houses and a young life camp. But not a single structure burned. Sawyer wanted to know if his Uncle Brian and Uncle Sam had saved everyone from the fire.

In the days ahead, I wrote a least 15 more updates on the fire and two long, feature stories. By the end of what turned out to be a very long week (in one 14-hour day I wrote the story about the fire, put it online, edited fire photos from readers, helped design the paper and then drove two hours to pick the paper up at the press and deliver it) snow had arrived and blanketed the mountaintops. The bone-chilling, moist weather put a final finish to the fire. It is now 100 percent contained and crews are breaking down camp and pulling out.

This was the biggest fire of its kind that Grand County has ever seen. But with 3 million acres of dead trees surrounding us in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests due to the pine beetle epidemic, it won't be the last.

Adams Falls

2010-09-26T18:49:00.003-07:00

We had a great playdate Saturday, hiking to Adams Falls with our summer friend Cash and his mom. He's started preschool down in Denver now, but — since his dad runs the local bike park — we'll see him again next year. He doesn't have any brothers or sisters and decided on this trip that he's going to adopt Arden and Sawyer as his siblings. Too cute.

Roll the 'Little House' theme song ...

2010-09-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Steamboat

2010-09-19T19:07:00.004-07:00

I met my Leadville roomie and great friend Sarahgirl in Steamboat Springs last weekend for a little bit of girl time. We enjoyed a drink by the river and dipped in the Strawberry Hot Springs. Fall has finally arrived in the high country and the aspen and cottonwood trees are vibrant yellow. It was a perfect little get away.

The hot springs were far better than I anticipated. Great, even, for kids — although I left mine behind.

This was the bathroom.

We didn't stay, but next time I really want to. They have these great little gypsy caravans that you can camp in during the summer. They also have rustic cabins and nicer places for those who'd rather not rough it. It'll be a great side trip for folks who visit us.

Oh, the best part of Steamboat — a drink by the river with a best bud.

Recipes for Picky Eaters No. 4

2010-09-19T16:44:00.001-07:00

Burrito Night

This one is simple. It's all about the process. Put out a lot of different ingredients and let the kids decide what goes in. A little piece of tinfoil around the bottom makes for easy holding (and keeps the bottom together). This is by far the most common dinner in our house. We shake it up with different kinds of leftover meat, chicken, cheese, veggies, sour cream, etc. But, for my kids, we pull out a batch with no taco seasoning. Then we season a batch for the adults. Always a winner.

About the Quilt

2010-09-14T04:00:00.001-07:00

I've been working on this quilt since long before Arden was born. The batting — the heart — is an old tattered bedspread from my very early childhood. Other children cling to a blankie. I clung — apparently — to an entire, quilted, twin-sized bedspread. You'd probably even recognize the pattern — if you could see it. It's one of those recognizable early 70s bedroom patterns. Like, um, this:

Orange roses on green vines. Woodies, maybe Hecht's circa 1976. My parents tried to match the color of the stems when they painted their walls. Ah, good times. It was like that for years ... That green room used to be my sleepy place. I think about that, sometimes, when one of the kids crawls in bed with me at 5 a.m. I think about the green room.

Back to my quilt. The old comforter traveled with me and got softer and more wonderful straight through college. By the time I headed into my outdoor life I had made a white duvet for it out of two old army sheets my mom had in a trunk in the basement. I decorated the closure with buttons I'd collected over the years. I have no idea what happened to it — probably made way for a real down comforter.

When I moved into the Leadville house I found a huge popcorn tin full of pre-cut fabric and started stitching the squares together for fun. Then life got interesting, and sitting around stitching things for fun became a thing of the past. The quarter quilt and my giant binky moved around with me six times and across 5,000 miles before landing here.

IN THE MEANTIME — we got this awesome wedding gift from our dear friend Joanna. A quilt. It lived on our bed for a while. Then I had to rescue it from the boat, where it was growing too comfortable. I washed it up and made a baby mat out of it:

Learning to crawl

Last winter, the wedding quilt became Arden's winter bedspread and kept her warm until it was literally shredding on the backside from love.

AND SO — I have taken the three sentimental quilts — the Giant Bedspread Security Blanket, the Leadville Quarter Quilt and The Wedding Quilt — and married them into one crazy but much loved and far-traveled blanket. There is some serious sentiment in that thar' blanket. And, assuming, if I manage to finish it before winter, she will love it forever. Until she decides she'd rather have a Dora bedspread. (Over my dead body.)

School Notes: Vegetable Garden

2010-09-13T19:39:00.001-07:00

The preschool grew a vegetable garden this summer and the kids have been helping harvest it over the last few weeks. Unfortunately, this mom has been enjoying the fruits of their labors more than any of her kids. But Arden was willing to try a sugar snap. Otherwise, it was really fun to see their excitement as they unearthed and picked vegetables.

A friend of my mother's recently posted on Facebook that she was in the check out line buying acorn squash and that the cashier said: "Oh, so is that acorn squash? I heard about it on Farmville."

I hope to never hear one of my kids say something like that.

A sad farewell to these cute boots, which Arden has finally outgrown.

Our beloved Miss Molly.

Funny things

2010-09-12T14:47:00.002-07:00

Arden, after falling down and getting a boo-boo: I need a new Arden.

Sawyer, What is Easter? I start with spring and rebirth... But, Mommy, it's snowing and cold at Easter ... and, then ... Will I be born again?

Arden, sobbing after being told to go to bed: That makes me sad!

Arden, What is the deal here?

Arden, I want to cuddle.

Arden, Whenever there is mention of snow, reindeer or Santa ... My birthday's at Christmas!

The bells go off

2010-09-10T21:17:00.004-07:00

Sawyer has just started creating his first representative artwork. Always before it was pretty much just scribbles. The breakthrough came — I think — with all the coloring he did on the plane to Virginia.

I love kid art, so I've had art materials around my kids since they were 12 months old. I've been waiting and waiting. But, its just been scribbles, and Sawyer never really took much interest in art at all. The teachers kept saying: It will come.

The first thing he drew this week was a picture of his family, which is hanging on the wall at school. I cried and hugged him. (I can't believe I had to wait until he was 4 and to see his first stick figure.)

This picture, he said, is of Mommy and Daddy getting married — which is why we don't have any kids. I'm on the right, playing the guitar for Daddy to calm him down ... although originally I think that was supposed to be me on the left with my wedding dress. So, maybe I'm really just marrying myself. I love it anyway.

Arden, who has always had a better since of color and line, painted me this, which she said is an eye.

Camping: Flat Top Wilderness

2010-09-06T19:47:00.013-07:00

Cold Springs Campground, Flat Tops Wilderness near Yampa, Colo.

We took the kids camping for one night this weekend — get this — for the FIRST TIME EVER! I can't even believe it. Me. The woman who camped more than 200 days in 1998. We drove about two hours west to the beautiful Bear River valley at the entrance to Flat Tops Wilderness — where all the mountains are ... flat!

We camped by a clear blue/green pond w/waterfall.

The last time Scott and I camped like this, we didn't have Sawyer and Arden. We went camping a handful of times with Justin in Virginia — winter camping once, beach camping two or three times, and camping with the boat twice. I have a negative-30-degree down sleeping bag that I've owned for almost a decade and this was the first time I actually slept INSIDE of it.

Scott's custom marshmallow roaster travel with us everywhere.

Other than the sleeping bags, most of our campgear is 15 years old. We pulled the trip together on a last minute whim when I had a Labor Day, "How-has-an-entire-summer-flown-by?" revelation that I had not fulfilled a promise to my kids to take them camping. In the rush to pack, I didn't check the camp stoves. Despite my expert skills at disassembling and then reassembling Whisper Lite stoves — the VW of all camp stoves — our fuel pump appeared to be shot. We resorted to cooking our meals, hot drinks and dessert by campfire. Scott did a fabulous job. Never has saltless ground beef/red potoato/carrot scramble tasted so good (uh, remembered spice kit, forgot to replenish it). Eggs and bacon at breakfast were to die for. (The 7-year-old Tabasco sauce would have made my parents proud — separated and chunky — that stuff could survive nuclear warfare, just not 7 years in storage.)

""""""
O O
V
—

In the blank space above should have been a photo of Scott circumnavigating a small lake with a bundle of four long dead trees trunks hoisted on his shoulders. It was a total Survivor Man moment. As much as I laughed at the time, I was glad to have all that wood by the fire ring.

Kids enjoying a cuppa before bedtime.

Camping – with all its wild and elemental experiences — can test the most traveled adult, not to mention play with the mind of a preschooler. Arden slept and ate like a trooper — basically the perfect camper. She hardly complained about being cold (even when it was). Sawyer, on the other hand, had a harder time — eating/being cold/pooping/falling asleep. I eventually pulled him out of the tent so he could have that post-dark camping experience sitting by the fire roasting marshmallows, playing with headlamps and watching the stars emerge.

It was — hands down — the starriest sky I've ever seen. And I've slept under hundreds of night skies. Snuggling by the fire with Sawyer, stargazing and just talking, was one of those intensely special kid moments that make me wonder: why don't I stop and enjoy this more often?

Keeping us safe from small, high-alpine varmints.

There was one thing that completely shocked me when the stars came out. Low on the eastern horizon there was an object so intensely bright that I thought it had to be man made. So intensely bright — it nearly blinded me in my right eye — that I figured it had to be the International Space Station. Which I've never seen before. It was only beginning to be constructed in 1998 and was barely visible when I moved east, where you are lucky to even see a star in the sky at all. So I googled the International Space Station and tracked it. Turns out, it couldn't have been the space station.

Which leaves only one possibility: It was JUPITER! Read this Earth and Sky article. Jupiter is closer to the earth that its been in 60 years.

Happy summer's end everyone!

Recipes for Picky Eaters No. 3

2010-09-06T19:36:00.005-07:00

Spaghetti Carbonara

This is another meal my mom used to make. One of my all-time favorites and a nice change from regular pasta. It's basically breakfast pasta.

The key is to warm the bowl in a 200-degree oven. Cook the pasta, save some hot water when you drain it (add it back in to pasta if it begins to look dry). Transfer pasta into warm bowl. Beat two eggs and then add them to the hot pasta. (The heat from pasta and bowl cooks egg). Add crumbled, cooked bacon, grated parm and salt.

Voila! A meal even picky eaters will love. (Unlike all my other recipes, there is no butter in this meal, but it's still a guaranteed artery clogger.)

Back to School

2010-08-31T19:28:00.006-07:00

So, as it turns out, I felt more like I was on vacation the day I returned to work than I did all 10 days I was in Virginia. Eight whole hours without kids felt like bliss. I kept checking the clock thinking, I can't believe I have four more kid-free hours, three more, two more ... It's kind of sad, isn't it, when work is an escape, a break, a vacation from kids? By day two, I realized that checking the clock all the time was really me missing the kids, feeling their absence, wondering how they were doing at school.

Sawyer got a time out on his first day. Go figure. I brought it up in the car on the way home and he asked how I knew that he got a time out. "A little birdie told me," I said. He wanted to know where I keep my little birdies and whether we have any bird food at home. The next day at school, Sawyer told his teachers: "My mommy has little birdies that tell her when I'm bad!"

Back East — Part 4

2010-08-31T16:06:00.003-07:00

To celebrate all the summer birthdays in the family — Sawyer, Ross, Kieran, PopPop *and Justin in absentia — Aunt Bonnie threw her 2nd annual Unbirthday Party. Please note the cake — Oreo bottom, Cheesecake middle, strawberry candle holders and grape spears. We all sang happy birthday to ourselves and received fun gifts like this:

"What Happens at Grandma's never happened."

Back East — Part 3

2010-08-30T17:21:00.003-07:00

It's amazing how you can live your whole life in a city like Washington DC and never see all the museums and sites. This visit, we took the kids to the National Building Museum. I never even knew it existed. This building used to hold the U.S. Pension offices and has some of the largest indoor columns in the world. Now its a lovely space that honors architecture and building.

We went specifically to see an exhibit by Adam Reed Tucker who created LEGO replicas of some of the world's most famous buildings. 4-year-old Sawyer was probably the only child old enough to appreciate the architecture itself. The other kids breezed through the display straight to the huge room of LEGOs where they could create their own designs.

Downstairs in the museum there is a children's room filled with all things building oriented. Arden played with a doll house. Kieran built a block tower. Sawyer organized half a dozen children in a game inside a giant playhouse.

For a minute there I thought I'd lost Sawyer and I ran around the museum in a panic. Turns out I just didn't recognize him:

Back East — Part 2

2010-08-29T21:52:00.002-07:00

I'm sorry, was I just complaining about traveling alone with children? Because, if I was ... I take it all back. Several days into the trip my dear brother arrived in Wash. DC, put his wife on a train to New York and drove two hours south to the Northern Neck with his 2-year-old son and 3-month-old (unweaned) baby for three relaxing — HA! — days by the Rivah with me. Was it fun? ... I can't remember.

We provided backup for each other. We both had our melt downs. And if you think swimming in a freezing cold pool with two young non-swimmers is challenging, try swimming in a freezing cold pool with one non-swimmer in the water and a fussy baby on shore.

By the way, my brother out-parents me on many levels, but he takes the gold star in playground participation.

Back East — Part 1

2010-08-29T21:23:00.006-07:00

This vacation started in a Korean barber shop in Northern Virginia. The sign out front should have read 'slaughterhouse' cause that's what happened to everyone's hair. There was a plan to go short with Sawyer, start over. Arden, however, had never had a haircut and her bangs were nearly grown out, they just needed a little angle to help keep them out of her face. Long story short — I was focused on the hack job that was happening to Sawyer and all the hair going down his neck. I kept turning around to check on Arden. One time I turned around and she had bangs. Just like that.

For both kids this hair cut seemed to lift a curtain. Perhaps it was the mirror of family and old homes and Virginia — but the kids seemed to age years before my eyes. Arden stopped being a baby/toddler and suddenly transformed into this vivacious, willful, little preschooler. Sawyer became "all boy" not only in looks but in personality. Like most 4-5 year old boys he suddenly seemed too energetic ... too BIG ... for any room he occupied.

Traveling alone with multiple children is challenging, especially when trying to keep everyone on best behavior for the family. Throw in a two hour time shift, toss out routine and sprinkle on a healthy serving of stimulation and HOLY SHIT. Enough said about that.

Between melt downs — theirs and mine — we had some great adventures. Check back all week long for photos and stories.

The pastel horror

2010-08-19T19:55:00.005-07:00

I could say some pretty awful things about this stroller. I bought it for $5 when we moved. It's exclusively for airport use. I don't care what the airline does to it. The only downfall is that I have to be seen in public pushing something that looks like it belongs to ... this is where I have to stop myself. But you can go there quietly in your mind. It's just too rude to say out loud. Despite the yellow elephants, blue lady bugs and tattered edges, it's actually quite functional. Big basket underneath, cup holders, single handle, sunbrella. We don't use strollers anymore in our everyday life. I sold our good one when we moved. Arden wasn't even 2 yet, but we're not big mall shoppers and there's very few places we frequent requiring a stroller. Most stores have carts, and Arden doesn't really want to be confined when we're out exploring some place. So it's a novelty when I pull it out. I just won't be surprised if I find my brother and sister-in-law walking on the opposite side of the museum from me.

Recipes for Picky Eaters No. 2

2010-08-19T19:45:00.003-07:00

OK, this one is super duper simple. French Toast. I love it for several reasons — it's a great use for stale bread. Often you can sneak in a healthy grain bread and the kids won't even notice. And, it was — for a long time — the only way could get my kids to eat eggs. Proportionally, it's all just guess work for me. I crack a few eggs, and toss in some milk. The proper ratio of the two ingredients seems somewhat key to their success, but it all has to be carefully divided by the amount of bread (and the absorbency of said bread). Just make sure you beat the mixture well and cook it on a medium temperature and it's almost fail proof. Butter, syrup — a guaranteed success. Another idea — make extra, freeze the leftover and warm them up in oven on a morning when you have less time.

A love note from Riverside

2010-08-16T21:18:00.002-07:00

This video card from the Cali cousins was exactly what I needed.
Had to repost. Thanks Jami.

Skate Park Kids

2010-08-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

Justin wasn't the only one who spent most of his summer at the skate park. My kids went almost every day with their summer camp. They took their own bikes to school and adventured to the skate park in Granby from there. Scott caught some footage of them over the last month or so and I strung it together. Music is by Rusted Root "Send me on my way."

On My Way from Reid Armstrong on Vimeo.

BTW — I used to go off on moms who dressed their kids in helmets and pads: "Nobody ever bubble wrapped us when we were kids," I'd say. Well — as you'll see, my kids all wear helmets and the boys both have all the pads for when they're practicing tricks. Sawyer fell no less than 10 times at the bike park with Scott last weekend, trying to learn a new trick he saw some teenager doing. He never cried. But he was surprise to find that his knees were pretty sore that night when he was going to bed.

There's a reason I don't shop at Cosco

2010-08-11T09:50:00.010-07:00

My athletic little kids have many talents — such as moving one of their kid-sized chairs , using it to climb onto the kitchen counter, getting into the narrow cabinet by the microwave where I keep things like THEIR VITAMINS, opening the "Child Safety" cap on said bottle, and having little snack before breakfast — like, 40 vitamins between the two of them.

In one of my finer moments of parenting, I was still sleeping after being up until 1:30 a.m. covering the Colorado Primary Election for the Associated Press. The kids — I thought — were zoned out downstairs in front of The Backyardigans. The dog barked. I popped out of bed and came downstairs. And there they were, casual as ever. Sitting in front of the TV, throwing back gummy vitamins like popcorn. My daughter still had a fistful, but the almost new bottle was basically empty.

So I go online. Because what else does a good mother who sleeps while her kids are playing to do? I googled "Overdose On Gummy Vitamins" And got a bunch of WikiAnswers and Yahoo! Answers — websites where people ask questions and other people respond — highly recommended course of action when you think your kid's been poisoned (NOT!). And these answers were like: "OMG get off this website and take your kid to the ER right away because if you don't have their stomach pumped right away they will probably die."

So I clicked on one last link that took be to some Baby Gaga Forum and there's some story about a kid spending five days in the hospital with iron poisoning. But there's also four or five people who said: call the Poison Control Hotline and gave the number — 1-800-222-1222. I used to have that number on my fridge but I'm not sure it survived the move. I honestly thought that number was more for when your kid drinks a gallon of bleach. I didn't even think about using it for the vitamin question. I've never called a hotline before.

I dialed, and the VERY NONJUDGMENTAL woman, Kirsten, at the Rocky Mountain Poison Center asked me a few questions about the kids ages and genders and had me read some information off the bottle and estimate how many vitamins they ate between them. She asked about other medications and general health. Then she plugged it all into a computer and said that the kids would probably have a stomachache, diarrhea and maybe even vomit a few times. She said I should give them water and a snack. BUT — there was no need to race off to the emergency room and have their stomachs pumped.

Calling that number probably saved me hundreds of dollars in Emergency Room bills and/or an entire day of grief and worry. Here is a worthy cause, if there every was one. FREE medical advice. That number again is 1-800-222-1222. If you've googled "My kid ate the whole bottle of vitamins" and landed here, then call it. Every situation is different and they can help you decide the best to do in your situation.

Several hours in, and the kids seem fine so far. We'll see how the rest of the day goes. I've had a big lecture with them about how vitamins aren't treats, and I'll be moving everything up one shelf. I'm just glad I don't shop at Cosco. That could have been a bottle of 200 vitamins, and this story would have had a very different ending.

I'd also like to thank Duncan. Who barked.

Small milestone

2010-08-08T20:49:00.005-07:00

This blog is about to turn 20,000 ... hits that is. I know, I know. Small potatoes. It's an average of 22 hits per day and an average of 150 hits per week. But it's a milestone nevertheless. And — would you believe it — far and away my most popular post of all time is THIS! (Responsible for at least 20 hits a week) ... Believe it!

Happy Day

2010-08-08T20:28:00.006-07:00

For the third week in a row, weather and circumstance has kept me from hiking Byers Peak. But Sailda Dara and I took advantage of this soupy-sky day to hike to Columbine Lake. It was a beautiful climb up a mountain valley alongside a gushing stream. Wildflowers abounded — Indian paintbrush, aster, arnica, parrot's peak, elephant's head ... yellow, purple, orange, fuchsia, red, white, green. As we neared treeline, rock cliffs jutted into the low clouds along the valley's edges, leaving us to imagine what the peaks looked like. Definitely have to go back and find out.

We had a huge egg and potato breakfast for lunch and, later, we took the kids for a quick hike up in Rocky Mountain National Park. Twas a perfect day as far as I'm concerned.

Recipes for Picky Eaters No. 1

2010-08-07T16:48:00.011-07:00

I'm going to start a regular series on this blog called, "The Domestically Challenged Mom: Recipes For Your Picky Eaters." (Basically Jessica Seinfeld without the time or talent.)

All around me, I see kids the same ages as my kids eating all kinds of healthy, interesting foods — deli sandwiches with mayo and lettuce, vegetables of all varieties, dishes with several ingredients mixed in together — gasp. Not my kids. They are strictly no-food-touching-any-other-kind-of-food purists. Between 18 months and 3 years, Sawyer's entire diet consisted of dairy and white-colored carbohydrates. He just this year added apples and oranges to his fruit repertoire and I about fell over when he asked for broccoli. He's finally trying exotic new things — like meat and chicken.

Arden's no less picky, but she's likes the opposite things. I can actually get her to eat an entire bowl of broccoli (as long as there's a vat of melted butter nearby) but she won't eat a single piece of chicken. Ask me tomorrow and they will have both flip-flopped their preferences. I can't keep up.

So, I have come up with a few interesting meals to improve the variety in their lives, which I will share from time to time here. I'd like to dedicate this to my mom who taught me everything I know about melted butter and who invented many of these Domestically Challenged recipes for me — the original picky eater.

RECIPE NO. 1: CHICKEN ON A STICK

The first lesson for any chef trying to please a picky eater — it's all about the packaging. The big wigs in the food industry figured that out a long time ago. I mean, look at the Sarah Lee Sandwich Bread with the Toy Story wrapping. My kids are convinced that the bread was hand-kneaded by Woody himself. Pleeease can we get the Toy Story bread? Who cares that it's a full dollar more than the generic brand. And, just try to get them through the soup aisle without cans covered with Cars and Princesses magically ending up in the basket — who cares what's inside — they don't even like soup.

So, Armstrong family legend also has it that one of my early favorite foods on Guam was Chicken Yakatori — aka chicken on a stick. A perfect example of how it's all about the packaging. My kids won't eat plain cubed up chicken, but put it on a stick and watch out. It's oh-so-fun.

I make up my own sauce, which involves melting a big scoop of creamy peanut butter in a sauce pan and adding drizzles of soy sauce and drops sesame oil until it tastes good. My kids think its chocolate sauce. The grocery store also carries Thai peanut sauce in a jar, but it tends to be too spicy for my kids.

I soak the sticks in water, coat the raw cubed chicken with the sauce and then skewer it. (Cut off sharp tip for little kids.) I bake it on a tin-foil lined cookie sheet at 350-400 degrees until it's done (white and flaky).

For the side dishes this time, I made plain jasmine rice and edaname — something green that the kids actually seem to like in small doses as long as it's doused in soy sauce.

Don't forget an extra bowl of sauce for dipping!

Funny things 2

2010-08-03T20:19:00.007-07:00

"Skunkus" = Arden's word for skunk

Sawyer: Mommy, do you remember when we were at the beach and Mimi and Pop Pop were watching Arden and there were fireworks? (An exact memory of our rather uneventful Fourth of July last year — which I had forgotten.)

Sawyer: I had a dream that Pop Pop had a really long 'munstache.'

Sawyer: I really liked our "babysister" today. (babysitter)

"Paydo" = Arden's favorite thing in the world (playdough)

Sawyer: "Mom, I've got to go poop. Can you get me a magazine?"

You know how kids call their preschool teachers Miss Molly, Miss Jamie, Miss M.J.? Well now Arden calls me Miss Mommy.

Having just given Sawyer pajamas out of the laundry he says: Mommy, if you was my pajamas a lot I'll give you a big heart cookie. (perhaps he hasn't noticed — I actually do his laundry ALL THE TIME.)

Skittles

2010-08-02T19:53:00.004-07:00

Skittles from Reid Armstrong on Vimeo.

Justin leaves Monday after seven wonderful weeks. It was pure summer for him this year. I had intended to enroll him in camp, but after a week hanging out at the skate park across the street from Scott's office in Winter Park, he was hooked. He was at that park from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. almost every single day. He would come home at night, take the dog on a long bike ride, eat a refrigerator full of food, help put the kids to bed, soak his wounds in the bathtub and pass out on the couch by 9 p.m. And ... repeat.

As Scott describes it, the whole Hideaway Park skate scene reminds him a lot of his own surfing days. Justin made buddies with a bunch of other kids at the skate park and several times a day they would walk over to the skate shop to play with the tools, tweak their boards and pick up some stickers. Scott said the guys at the shop took Justin under their wing, like he was a little sponsored gromit or something. They gave him pro deals on gear, stenciled his skateboard and all shouted his nickname whenever he walked in. The culture at the skate park was also interesting, Scott said. It was a super athletic, positive group of kids. Everyone supported each other, and a lot of the older skaters gave Justin tips along the way. I witnessed this when I took this video today — the support, the positive vibes, and the tips from more experienced skaters.

So, Justin went from barely being able to ride his board down the street to what you see here in this video. A huge accomplishment in seven weeks. It took him the better part of that time for him to get up the nerve to drop into the pool, (he's always been one to watch and listen quietly and to take only carefully calculated risks when he's good and ready) but once he made the plunge — he advanced quickly. We're both super proud of him (Understatement — Scott is beaming), and Justin's rightfully proud of himself too. We can't wait to see how much this helps his snowboarding.

HMI

2010-07-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

In another life, ages ago, I was a teacher and a wilderness expedition leader. I took high school kids on back country hiking, rafting, trail building and skiing trips across the western United States. During that time, I spent more than 365 nights in my sleeping bag, under the stars. I carried 70 pounds on my back almost everywhere I went. I taught real life skills like making coffee without a filter, map reading and leadership. Part of me still feels a little sad that I didn't stick with it longer. After five years, I was worn out, but once it was gone, it was probably gone forever, and I don't think I realized that when I made the decision to quit and walked into the local newspaper office, landing a job on the spot. The school recently posted some old photos on Flickr and I finally had a chance to look back at myself as I was then. Now I get to share those skills with my kids. I can't wait to take them on some of our own back country adventures.

Cooking dinner with Pam, my roomie in the tent and at home.

Facials after trail building.

I was barely older than the students back then. Some of them are already married with kids.

Making coffee the way nature intended.

Teaching class with an impromptu chalkboard.

Better than a salon. Washing my hair after two weeks in the Utah desert.

Birthday Bash, Take 2

2010-07-25T08:07:00.008-07:00

I had a hard and fast rule in mind that we wouldn't have a really big birthday party for Sawyer (after his first) until he turned five. The second birthday was celebrated with family friends at the beach and the third birthday was an impromptu gathering of our closest family and friends at the local playground. But, this year, he was so excited about his birthday that — for the first time — we allowed him to invite friends from school. We applied the most basic rule — four years, four friends — and so he invited Luke, Andy, Cash and .... you guessed it: Sylvia.

I wanted to have a party that was fun for adults too, so we turned it into a barbecue at our house at 4 p.m. and invited each kid's family as well. Everyone was to bring bikes and outside toys and we blocked off the street so the kids could ride around the neighborhood. Of course, we had to invite the neighbors, who are living here for the summer. They are semi-retired but their two daughters and four grandchildren are here and the kids have been playing together almost nonstop. The total invite list quickly crept up to 30 people.

Scott had a platter of pulled pork from his catering job last weekend that we froze, and he made a huge thing of vinegar-based coleslaw that was to die for. He also marinated and barbecued some chicken and made the best baked beans I've ever had. For the kids there were hot dogs and chips. I saw almost everyone go back for a big plate of seconds.

This year, Scott outdid himself on the birthday cake. To be honest, things weren't looking so promising at 11:30 p.m. on the night before the party. High altitude baking is a challenge to say the least and Scott forgot to add flour and lower the oven temperature. The cakes sank in the middle and fell apart coming out of the pan. But when I came downstairs the following morning, the outlook was much improved.

There was a plan.

And things were shaping up quite nicely.

The finished project, complete with handmade tootsie roll fencing:

And happy faces.

The sound of 30 people singing "Happy Birthday" made Sawyer happier than I think I've ever seen him. This isn't the world's best video, I was trying to do three things at once. But the moment when everyone sings is well worth the wait.

Scott serves up cake.

More photos:

Birthday Bash, Take 1

2010-07-21T20:15:00.004-07:00

As a kid, I always loved my birthday more than any other holiday all year long. It was the one day of the year that was all about M.E. Later in life, I chalked some of that up to the Aries in me. Sawyer — who is supposed to be a Cancer but is clearly a Leo (cusp baby) — has been talking about his fourth birthday since March. He decided then, well before Toy Story 3 was released, and for reasons I still don't quite understand since we don't catch the movie trailers on T.V., that he wanted a Buzz Lightyear and Woody birthday party this year.

He has been counting down the days ever since. My kid who just wants to grow up so fast. He's already bummed that all his friends are moving up to kindergarten and he's always talking about how things are going to be when he gets big. Every morning he comes downstairs and asks his dad to inspect his limbs to see how they've grow. Quite literally, some days, it seems he's grown overnight. Three inches of ankle peek out of pants that fit just yesterday.

So we went big this birthday. We opened some presents this morning and more presents this afternoon. We took pumpkin muffins to school and the whole day at school was Sawyer Day. We even took him out to a German restaurant with Scott's good friend Jim (Milt) who drove up from Leadville for the occasion (or maybe just the German food – it's his favorite restaurant). And, tonight, all the boys are camping downstairs on the floor (Sawyer in his new sleeping bag), eating popcorn and watching movies.

The celebration continues Saturday when I've taken the opportunity to invite half of Granby over to our house for a real party (adult beverages included). It's a good excuse to have some people over who we've been wanting to get to know a little better. We'll block off the street and the kids will ride bikes and play with sidewalk chalk and the such while us adults get our buzz on – Sawyer did say he wanted a "Buzz" party. I figured we'd have more fun doing that over beers and barbecue than playground and cake.

Oh, but there will be a cake. A Scott cake. With Buzz Lightyear and Woody. Somehow. He always pulls off the magical cake decorations, no matter how challenging (remember the Double Backflip Cake and the Lightening McQueen Cake).

Sawyer was perfectly wiped and overwhelmed tonight, but he did have a few more things to say:

Sunday drive

2010-07-19T19:30:00.004-07:00

We took the kids for a Sunday drive up Trail Ridge Road — the highest continuous paved road in the nation — which bridges the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park with the east side. It was the best way to get them all above treeline and into the high alpine environment — wildflowers and all — that I adore. In fact, we were sweltering down in town. It was 80 degrees and like 10 percent humidity and we all thought we were going to MELT. It's all relative, right! Everywhere else in the state/country people were sweltering in 100 degree weather with 100 percent humidity — AND WE'RE COMPLAINING. So the drive above treeline had another advantage. It was about 64 degrees up there and it cooled us right down like a splash into the pool. We even had time for a few lessons — botany, geology, glaciology, biology and cartography.
Arden and I ran into a yellow bellied marmot (almost literally) and we saw an American pipet (one of the few song birds that loves the altitude). We also rediscovered Crunchy Granola Bars. Man, those are good.

To the Devil and Back.

2010-07-14T08:13:00.005-07:00

In Virginia, I had a book club and a supper club. Here I have something of a hiking club. It started with just me and my coworker. We made a list at the beginning of the summer of all the hikes we wanted to do as the summer progresses, our group of women is growing. Our last hike to Devil's Thumb was by far the best.

The wildflowers are out in force - high alpine wildflowers in the spring is one of the things I missed about Colorado the most. (I feel like I say that about everything.) There are literally hundreds of wildflowers this time of year. Lupine, bluebells, columbine, indian paint brush, locoweed, orchids, lilies, the list goes on. I needed a book. I've forgotten more flower names than I ever knew. These are wild alpine sunflowers. Like real sunflowers, they stand up and face the sun.

When we got to the top there were still fields of snow and the cold wind was whipping.

All these hikes are building up to the summer pinnacle - Long's Peak, one of the more treacherous 14ers in the state. Treacherous, I think, because there's a lot of people trying to climb it, a lot of folks who probably shouldn't be up there. Next on the list, I think, is Byers Peak. It's the most prominent peak in town and can be seen from Granby and Winter Park. That's one that we'll have to park and then bike to the trailhead. Should be interesting!

Here's Devil's Thumb up close. I think it looks like a carved bear totem. Indian legend has it that there was a big battle in the valley here and when it was done, they buried the devil there, leaving only his thumb sticking up.

We're back

2010-07-13T18:53:00.003-07:00

Our Internet went out about a week ago when a Comcast Cable guy showed up at the complex to work on the neighbor's cable. Despite my repeated attempts to convince people at customer service that the two things were somehow related, they insisted it was my modem and that I'd need to take it to a retail outlet and exchange it. Which I did. GUESS WHAT? My Internet still didn't work. Finally, I got somebody on the phone who saw things my way and submitted a service ticket for me. This is where living in a small town comes in handy. Having the service guy come to the house was going to require that an adult be home for at least four hours in the middle of a work day — you know the drill, right? "The service guy can be there some time between 1 and 5 p.m." You get there at 12 :45 but, of course, he doesn't show up until 5:15. In this case, I about fell out of my swivel chair at work when the tech called me at 9 a.m. and said: "I'm sitting in your driveway and I've fixed the problem." I could hear the chorus of angels singing in the background. "I installed the cable there initially," he said, "so when I saw the ticket I realized that the guy who went out there to disconnect the cable to Unit 100 accidentally disconnected the three paying customers as well." Seriously. When was the last time you had service like that? I'm almost inspired to write a letter. Except I think I should be credited for the week we went without and the 15 stupid people I talked to just to get to Mr. Right.

Happy Fourth

2010-07-04T21:10:00.005-07:00

We have had such a wonderful Fourth. It's one of those weekends that has felt perfectly long and full. And I still have TOMORROW.

Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day — the three patriotic holidays — are by far my favorite holidays of the year. They are summer's capital letter, comma and period. Being holiday-bound to grill, drink and spend as much time outside as possible with friends and family, all in the name of history (one of my favorite topics) can't be a bad thing. And, while I don't always agree with the direction our country is headed and am sad when our nation's leadership can't function together; I know I am fortunate to have been born here — rather than, say, a vast desert in the middle of an impoverish, warring nation where women have to raise the kids, cook the meals, clean house, wash dishes and do the whole family's laundry on top of performing hard labor all day in the factories and fields ... ok, well that is kinda like here ... but, I would like to thank the Founding Fathers and those great American heroes that followed for creating a nation where it is possible for me to have a washing machine — in my house — and water that I can drink from the tap. I am grateful that my husband and I both have interesting jobs (for the moment) and that, when we didn't, my country didn't let us starve. I am fortunate that, on a day like today, my kids could ride their bikes around the neighborhood and the worst thing I had to fear was a skinned knee. Or that I can hike through the woods with my family anywhere in the nation and our worst enemies are the ticks, snakes and bears. I am lucky to have the luxury of worrying about whether we can pay the cell phone bill and cable bill. The summer trifecta celebrates those freedoms and those gifts from our ancestors. And, now for a little confession. Primarily because I'm getting sick of singing the only five songs I know at bedtime, I've been busting out a few patriotic tunes for the kids. After I sang the National Anthem for Sawyer at bedtime, screeching "land of the FREE" at the end and all, he told me I was a really good singer and should sing for other people, clearly indicating that he's inherited the tone-deafness from me and my father.

Laughing at the new designer Pampers.

2010-07-02T19:59:00.002-07:00

I haven't bought diapers in months. I just had to say that out loud. NO MORE DIAPERS!!!!! (Not even at bedtime).

Rebuttle

2010-06-30T15:45:00.002-07:00

Heard this song on Folk Alley at work today and the lyrics totally cracked me up.
Couldn't help myself. Had to share.

Eddie From Ohio, "Old Dominion"

you think you'll find some mountains
in western colorado
fifty weeks of snowy peaks
is where you're gonna be
but babe the rocky mountains are gradually eroding
the hills of coors are nothing more
than blue ridge wannabes

a turkey on it's belly
a chicken on it's back
anyway you look at it
you'll find her on the map
she revels in the seasons
shakes hands with the north
hugs the land of dixie while dancing on the porch

you think that autumns in new england
are the greatest of them all
but give me sweet virginia for the fireworks of fall
the prettiest october in all the fifty states
just drive up to the skyline
park the car and wait

so grow up colorado
excuse me tennessee
if you don't mind, north caroline
here's where i want to be

(chorus)
when you're talking home
you mean the old dominion
just southeast of heaven to the surf and the hills
she's the best of thirteen sisters
and thirty seven more
sweet sweet virginia always keeps an open door

they're fiddlin' in galax
pickin' up in floyd
and in the land of patsy cline
they're songs you can't avoid
when you're walking back after midnight
i'll fall to pieces, too
i'm crazy back in baby's arms with sweet dreams of you

they're sailing down in norfolk
skiing up in bryce
climbing up the devil's stairs against the ranger's advice
they're harvesting in loudoun to shenandoah winds
and in the land near washington they're rooting for the 'skins
fight for old d.c.

so grow up colorado
excuse me tennesse
if you don't mind, north caroline
here's where i want to be

(chorus)

pack up your impala
and make your move out west
past the blue ridge mountains
you'll find you passed the best
and when your dreams have ended
where mountains are concerned
me and sweet virginia will await for your return

(chorus)

Summertime Blues

2010-06-29T08:49:00.001-07:00

VID 00021-20100627-1633
Originally uploaded by reidpierce

One thing I've been looking forward to the most this summer is outdoor music festivals. June is here, temperatures are in the 70s with zero humidity and no bugs. That's right, Virginia. NO BUGS. ZERO humidity. This is our reward for two months of mud and 40 degree temperatures when everyone else in the world is watching daffodils bloom.

The family had VIP passes to Blues from the Top this weekend. Can you say FREE sushi? And, pizza, barbecue, Chinese noodles and bomber burritos. The kids think lush green grass is heaven sent. Running around barefoot and rolling around was the highlight of the festival for them.

From here on there will be about three outdoor concerts every week.

Funny things he says

2010-06-23T18:49:00.002-07:00

I've been writing funny things the kids say in a column on the left, but then I realized that I'm not saving them anywhere and I don't want to forget. So now I'm going to randomly post them on the main page so I can keep them.

Daddy, I love you more than the whole earth and the whole sun.

Look behead of you. It's another tree. (Makes sense. Behind. Between. Behead.)

I'm just prekidding.

I can't see. I need to get the 'noculars.

When I grow up I want to spend a lot of money on a monster truck that drives through the mud. And I'm going to wear a black suit and a helmet that covers my face to keep me safe. And, Mommy, when I grow up, you can ride in my truck too, but you have to wear your helmet.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T20:31:00.003-07:00

Justin arrived Friday just in time to celebrate Father's Day weekend with us. I can hardly believe the boy turns 13 this summer. He plays guitar and even has a girlfriend. I was thinking about something having to do with Justin — thinking that it was last summer — and then I realized it was already three summers ago. Geeze.

We had a really busy weekend. On Saturday, while I worked a yard sale at the preschool, Scott biked into town with the kids AND the dog (about 5 miles round trip). After lunch, we headed to a summer festival and checked out some mud bogging in Kremmling. I've linked to a clip because words don't do it justice. Sawyer was simultaneously thrilled and terrified. After dinner, Scott took Justin to the rodeo across the street from our house. Another interesting culture.

This morning we made Scott a yummy breakfast of French toast with sugary strawberries on top and thick-sliced bacon from the butcher. The kids made a card and took Scott breakfast, tea and the newspaper in bed. (This, by the way, was Sawyer's favorite part of the day when we recapped over dinner). While I cleaned up and packed a picnic the kids biked around the neighborhood. Then, we hiked several miles round trip to a waterfall and had our picnic at the base and then — much to Scott's chagrin — went straight to the movie theater, dusty and sweaty and hiking-boot-clad, to see Toy Story 3. Um, I'm ashamed to admit this, but ... I cried at the end. It was only Sawyer's second movie in a theater (probably the first he remembers) and he sat gape-mouthed through the whole thing. Arden fell asleep about half-way through.

For dinner I cooked again (three meals, definitely a record). I marinated flank steak (ok Scott did the grilling-to-perfection, which is more than half the battle). With that we had asparagus, french fries and cooked carrots. My entire family stuck their noses up at my carrots, one of my all time favorite childhood dishes when coated with butter, salt and a sprinkle of dill. Again, I did the dishes, vacuumed, mopped, organized toys and started in on a mound of laundry. (In some ways I think EVERY day is Father's Day). We rinsed of the tired and filthy bunch off kids in the shower and ended the day with a video call to my dad — the kids read him the bedtime stories and sang songs.

And, because these types of photos are so rare ... here's one of us.

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful men in my life.

More gaper photos

2010-06-14T09:34:00.002-07:00

I almost forgot about the wildlife drive through Rocky Mountain National Park.

Brian snapped this shot of Sawyer catching the wind in his hair.

Scott caught this shot of a moose in RMNP.

Just Cuz.

2010-06-12T19:35:00.008-07:00

My brother and I grew up without any cousins, so I'm really excited for Sawyer and Arden to have the experience of growing up with five of them.

Last weekend, Scott's brother Brian and his wife Jami came to visit with their two kids, Gracie and Max.

The weather was glorious. We started the trip in Denver with lunch at "My Brother's Bar" (the city's oldest bar in existence) and a run through REI 's flaship store in Denver, which is in the restored 1901 Denver Tramway power company building. We hiked to Adams Falls and had margaritas on the patio of Poncho's and Lefty's overlooking Grand Lake. We even crashed a wedding in the park, ate ice cream on the boardwalk in Grand Lake. And that was just the first 24 hours.

The following day, after a big breakfast, the boys headed across the street to the local ski hill where the summer "gravity" biking season was kicking off. Scott had a flashback to his professional motocross days and went big.

Brothers in arms.

While the boys risked life and limb, the kids ran around the base area while Aunt Jami and I drank Bloody Marys.

The seven cousins are all within five years. Jace is 5, Sawyer almost 4, Arden, Gracie and Kieran are all 2, Max is 9 months and Kingston is brand new.

Off all the cousins, these two are the closest in age, only 5 months apart. I hope someday we manage to get all the cousins together at once.

It was so great having family visit. I wished they could have stayed another week. I hope the rest of you come visit soon.

Ode to Uncle Ross

2010-06-09T14:52:00.002-07:00

Okay kids ..... SMILE!

They clearly inherited these smiles from their Uncle Ross.

Monarch Lake:

2010-05-30T20:14:00.007-07:00

Six bodies of water form the Great Lakes of Colorado: Grand Lake, Lake Granby, Shadow Mountain Lake, Monarch Lake, Willow Creek Reservoir and Meadow Creek Reservoir.

Today, our posse circumnavigated Monarch Lake, located on the boundary of the Indian Peaks Wilderness area. In the early 1900s, Monarch Lake was built to store logs before they were transported to a nearby sawmill via flumes and rivers. There were a few relics of the old industry along the trail.

Given that about halfway through the hike, Scott and I realized we'd left lunch back at home, it's a miracle the kids made it. Sawyer hiked the entire loop. Arden hiked about half of it.

Where's lunch? Thank goodness Scott found a couple granola bars buried in his pack.

During the course of our four mile hike, we crossed a dozen swollen streams and scrambled over more than 50 fallen trees. Here is something I wrote about the unusually strong winds these past few weeks that have brought trees tumbling down in neighborhoods and forests. With the pine beetle epidemic that has swept through Northern Colorado in recent years, the U.S. Forest Service estimates that 100,000 trees will fall EACH DAY in the Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests this summer. Because they are only allowed to use hand saws to clear fallen trees from trails in wilderness areas, this could become quite an inconvenience. (You'd think they'd try to get that law changed, given the 100K per day estimate, huh?) The possibility of trees falling on you anytime the wind blows adds a whole new thrill to the forest hiking experience.

Some of the creeks had only rocks, or a log, or a two-plank bridge like this one to carry us across. The sight and sound of that much water moving under you is quite the rush. Yes, I was holding her hand.

Gear heads

2010-05-29T14:16:00.007-07:00

Yesterday, I hit the second hand store and scored a pair of Merrell Hiking Boots with Vibram soles for Sawyer for $9, already broken-in.

One thing we've had to stock up on since moving to Colorado is a butt load of gear, particularly for the children. Had we been living here the past decade and been here when they were born, we would have accumulated a certain amount of gear from baby showers, friends and through slow accumulation. But, arriving last October, I found us in desperate need of gloves, hats, winter socks, boots, snow pants, helmets, skis, sleds ... you name it.

One of the worst items to buy are socks. I mean Smartwool and other wool/wicking socks that stay warm when wet and keep feet warm and cushioned skiing and hiking. One single pair of even children's socks like this can cost $10-$14. And they could seriously wear these socks every day in the winter. We barely made it through the winter with one pair of warm socks for each kid — both were Justin's socks we had saved from when he was a baby in Leadville. Hard to believe those socks traveled across the country with us twice.

Actually, it's amazing to think about all the gear that has traveled back and forth, and how old some things are. Because we didn't really use our gear in Virginia, a lot of stuff was preserved. I have a down vest that I've owned since 1995. My hiking boots are 10 years old. Most of my long underwear traveled with me to Patagonia in 1994. There is some advantage to being a gear snob and investing in quality stuff from the get-go.

So today, on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, as we were driving home from an Alpaca festival, I pulled over at a garage sale. And then another. And another. I kid-you-not, I spent $7 and came home with a $65 snowboard helmet, five pairs of Smartwool socks, a pair of kids ski gloves, a garbage bag full of good quality clothes (thank the local Lutheran church for that one), a purple Barbie car, Candyland and four puzzles for Sawyer.

So, the lesson here is that I should have gotten up earlier this morning. It didn't even cross my mind that the whole town would be having yard sales today, not to mention selling off valuable gear for pennies. Given that I was shopping at noon, who knows what I could have landed at 7 a.m. The advantage of hitting the yard sales later in the day is that people are willing to sell entire garbage bags full of clothes for $1. I plan to start going to as many yard sales as I can over the coming months and stocking up on anything I can to outfit the kids for the next few years.

And just because it's sometimes more about form than function, these silver beauties were $2

The social life of a ditch dog

2010-05-22T07:30:00.004-07:00

We went to our first Colorado party last night since returning west. Thrown at a cabin on a lake, it had all may favorite ingredients, music, mountains, Mexican food and margaritas. The party was something of a who's who of town politics. Everyone there either worked for the newspaper at some point or for one of several towns in the area. It was also a who's who of Sawyer's preschool, which I didn't expect. Five families from the preschool were there, not all brought their kids, but enough did that the party was overrun by little boys.

Arden, typically, was the only girl at the party. Which turned into an interesting conversation. I mentioned that Arden is almost always the only girl in social situations. She's the only girl among the Armstrong side of the family. She's the only girl with her babysitter. She's the only girl when we hang out with several of our good friends back east (like the Tovskys or Emerys). And this other mom I was talking to said it's like that for her daughter too (who had a babysitter unlike mine). In fact, she said it's like that at the public school preschool. In the younger preschool classes (2-4 year old), boys outnumber girls by 2-to-1. Yet, in the older classes (5-7 year olds) the opposite is true. Seems to go in waves.

Like any good Colorado party, this was a dog party. In Colorado, people bring their dogs almost everywhere they go, and dogs are almost always welcome to the party. At one point I counted six large dogs — a german wirehaired pointer, a white german shepard, a labradoodle, a chocolate lab, a boxer mix and Duncan — and one a little white Scottie, plus seven preschool children and three tiny babies at the party.

How could we not have adopted this pound dog?

Duncan, who isn't as well socialized as other dogs I've owned after all those years of isolated living in the Northern Neck, has been getting a schooling in proper dog behavior since we moved here. He's a little standoffish with most dogs he meets still, hackles up and all, but he's getting better. I was so proud of him though — he made friends with all the new dogs right away (he knows when he's outnumbered) and he ran around with them until the seven-dog situation became so overwhelming that he found a nice place on the couch and curled up for the rest of the party. I have to say he was the best-behaved dog there.

24 hours later

2010-05-16T18:57:00.006-07:00

I can't help myself. This is just one of those prideful parenthood moments. The video I posted yesterday was taken after dinner, around 7 p.m. and it was Sawyer's first solo ride after just one week of owning his new 14-inch Tony Hawk Freestyle Climber (in green). He spent most of the first week looking at the bike. Thinking about the bike. Talking about the bike.But not riding the bike. He was pretty intimidated by the size, the gears, the handbrakes and the peddles, I guess. The break-through, for some reason, came when I told him it was a dirt bike. A switch flipped inside of him and suddenly he was all: "We're going to do this thing." This video was taken after dinner this evening. So, it's 24 hours of improvement right before your eyes.

We initially told Sawyer that we'd get him a bike for his birthday, but when I realized that the summer would be more than half-over by then (and realizing just how short a Northern Colorado summer can be), I decided to bite the bullet and do it now. Sawyer's only request for his new bike was that it be green. It's hard, when bike shopping on a budget, to find bikes that aren't plastered with Barbie and Spiderman. As we were looking around, we debated whether to get a 12-inch or 14-inch bike. (14-inch bikes are very rare. The 16 is clearly too big for a 3-year-old, and we were worried that he'd outgrow and outride the 12-inch too quickly.) He does have to tip toe to touch the ground, but he was used to that since we kept moving the seat on his training bike up. And, it definitely doesn't seem to be slowing him down.

Bike riding appears to be Sawyer's "Thing." He's tentative on a lot of fronts, but he's always been really, really into his riding toys. (Go figure that his dad was a professional motocross racer in his early 20s.) It also helps, I will add, that we have a lot of unused pavement in our neighborhood, giving Sawyer some freedom and room to learn.

I, myself, recall learning to ride on a somewhat hilly but low-traffic suburban street around the block from my house. I think I was closer to 6-years-old at the time. I can actually remember the sensation of riding alone for the first time and the total freedom of being able to bike to my friends' houses.

I can't even begin to imagine the sense of independence it gives a 3-year-old. It's actually somewhat terrifying.

Scrapbook moment

2010-05-15T18:40:00.003-07:00

After this beautiful first moment, Sawyer made a couple runs up and down the road entirely on his own. We've definitely got to work on braking. I attribute the ease with which he picked it up to the training bike his Uncle and Aunt gave him several years ago. He road that bike to pieces (literally). So it was time for the next step up. I'm just not prepared for the first big crash.

House of hand-me-downs

2010-05-15T11:43:00.004-07:00

Like this old ammo box that's full of letters and cards.

And my great grandmother's sewing machine that's filled with wooden buttons and 5 cent wooden spools of thread and an instruction book that's turned oily brown it's so old.

But here in the dry climate of Colorado, wood so easily dries out and cracks. I could go through an entire bottle of lemon oil every time I clean the house. Our poor dining room table cracked so badly that it's currently in salvage mode, upside down on the floor. We're debating the best way to fix the poor thing, which has traveled back and forth across the country twice. It used to be a high school lab table in Buena Vista. (It still has holes from the Bunsen burner and turning it upside down for the first time, I found gum stuck to the bottom.)

(from the house in Leadville)

I'm thinking some wood glue, a few wood blocks and LOTS of lemon oil will do the trick.

Phil: The true story of an incredible house plant

2010-05-11T21:03:00.003-07:00

In 1995, I moved into my very own house in Boulder, Colo. One of the first things I did was buy myself a little philodendron. I hung it from a wooden beam at the edge of the kitchen, and over the two years I lived there, one choice tendril grew along that beam until it made a perfect little curl on the other side. I named him Phil.

When I graduated, the plant went with my college boyfriend Jason Wilson, whom I was supposed to move in with after a summer of travel. Sometime during that first post-grad summer, however, I decided I didn't want to play house and — on a whim — I moved back east to Maryland to work on a farm, leaving the plant with him.

Somehow, Phil survived that first winter. It was a feat given that the cabin he lived in was heated with wood and often went cold. Few living things prospered in that house after the breakup. But, eventually, the ex-boyfriend found a new girlfriend, Annie, and she helped Phil along, bringing him back from the brink of death.

That following spring, in March 1998, I returned to Colorado (realizing I had made a big mistake in leaving — are you noticing a theme?).

I had remained friends with Jason and Annie, and in the summer of 1999, when I bought my house in Leadville, they came to visit me on my very first night and brought me Phil. Still in his original light blue pot, his long tendril had vanished but his core was intact and healthy.

I hung him from a wooden beam at the entrance to the kitchen, and slowly a new tendril began to loop up and down over nails I had tacked into the wood beam.

In 2002, when Scott and I decided — on a whim, of course — to take a fourth-month sabbatical in Virginia, we left Phil in the good hands and green thumb of my pal "Sarahgirl."

When we realized that the mud-season getaway was going to last longer than we initially figured, we sold the house and moved everything we owned to Virginia. We granted Sarahgirl permanent custody of Phil.

So, when we pulled up the stakes last fall and moved BACK to Colorado — on a whim — one of our first road trips was out to visit our pal Sarahgirl, who now lives on a funky farm with three children, two dogs, three cows, a cat, 10 chickens and an occasional llama or two. Sitting in her kitchen sipping a beer after we arrived, I looked up on top of her kitchen cabinets and saw a philodendron that had literally TAKEN OVER the entire corner of her kitchen.

It couldn't be, I thought. Is that . . . Phil? Too good to be true, it was. I shed tears. I hugged his curly little arms and kissed his shiny leaves.

Sarahgirl clipped me off a few tendrils, and I have been trying to get them to sprout roots in water for the past six months. One tendril thrived, and I just transplanted it into a pot with these mums. (The butterfly pot, incidentally, I received from my dad on my 21st birthday).

So here I am, back in Colorado for the third time, 15 years later, with a piece of that very same plant I started growing when I was 21 in a butterfly pot I got from my dad that same year. Now, how cool is THAT! Life really does come full circle. Especially, it seems, for me.

Arden

2010-05-09T22:21:00.002-07:00

This girl is a complete crack up. More from today's dance party:

The Naming of Things

2010-05-03T18:17:00.004-07:00

Ok. I get that the seven of you who read my blog don't think I need a name change, but I'm looking for a little more anonymity, something more universal. Given my cutback in hours, I want to spend more time writing about mountain living and giving children meaningful outdoor experiences. (Maybe REI will sponsor me. Maybe I can use it to get some writing gigs. Maybe it will be you same seven people reading it a year from now.) With that in mind, I think it needs a new name. My other choice would be to create a second blog, but that just seems like way too much to maintain. I'm leaning toward "Roughing It" because the name works on many levels — It's the title of one of my all time favorite books by one of my all time favorite authors (Mark Twain) about his journeys out west. It plays into the outdoor adventure aspect as well as the fact that my little family never seems to have it easy. But, perhaps its too cliché. Please help. Vote in the poll on the left. You can pick multiple choices.

Mud season is no joke

2010-05-03T18:11:00.006-07:00

Evidence of Utah's red dirt brought in on the winds of a recent snow storm.

There is dirt everywhere in my life. It gathers around the edges of my rugs and baseboards. It dangles off my dog's chest hair and settles in between the pads of his paws making him sound like a lady walking across a marble floor with high heels wherever he goes. Grit ruins every barefoot step I take in the kitchen. The treads on all our shoes are caked with mud. One forgotten item on the way out the door leaves tracks that will take 20 minutes to clean. I look down at my pants on the way to a meeting and, somehow, mud is smeared across the back of my calves. Like I sat there and let some kid make a mud pie on my leg, that's how bad it is after I walk through the parking lot at Sawyer's school. I don't know how it gets there. I leave the vacuum plugged in. We take our shoes off at the door. It doesn't help. The mud infiltrates every corner of our lives. You hear them talk about mud season. I'm here to attest — it's no laughing matter.

Pioneer Envy

2010-05-02T20:33:00.007-07:00

This is a spoof on one of my favorite bloggers — The Pioneer Woman — who writes about life on the ranch, homeschooling, photography and has made her claim with her wonderful online recipes, full off dozens of photos for each recipe.

Tonight, I cooked. And, that, my friends, is the headline and the punchline wrapped into one nice little package. I cooked.

Halibut and horseradish mashed potatoes with winter greens

Peel and wash potatoes, preferably red or white. I bought Yukon Gold.

PLUNGE the peeled potatoes into cold salty water to prevent browning.
Then dice into even pieces. Boil until translucent and tender.

Crack open a beer. Preferably a better beer than this. Or, even better, a glass of wine.

Cooking bacon is nowhere in the recipe; however, I couldn't resist.
This is our favorite, easy cleanup way to cook bacon.
I chopped it up and mixed it up with the kale and some balsamic vinegar.

Mash, or — if you have an awesome sister-in-law who gives you a ricer
— rice the potatoes into a huge heap.

BUT WAIT! Don't forget to save a cup of the water you cooked the potatoes in.

Add olive oil, salt, pepper, water to desired consistency and horseradish.

This is my favorite kind of horseradish.
Steam greens. I used kale but the recipe calls for Swiss chard. Anything bitter will work.
Coat the halibut with olive oil and salt.
Cook fish in skillet over medium heat flipping once until white and flaky.
Set the halibut on the bed of potatoes and greens.
Drizzle with balsamic.
Serve.

For the kids I left aside some potatoes, fish and greens and bacon in separate piles without all the seasonings. Sawyer tried a bite of everything. And, he actually loved the fish.
Arden ate the bacon.

Coffee Date

2010-04-30T21:00:00.001-07:00

I was reminded today that it's important to create some one-on-one time with each of my kids. Who knew that sharing a coffee with my kid in the grocery store coffee shop could be so much fun. A guilty pleasure, really.