A little Bit of Random

Yesterday, the 11 year old and I were in the store.  Look here, Mom.  I glanced up in time to receive a shot of peppermint room spray in the eyes.  A small disclaimer goes here because the lad didn't think that it would spray halfway across the room, and his stricken face was the last thing I saw before my eyes swelled shut.  He led me by an outstretched arm to the bathroom and I spent the next few minutes running water in my eyes.  I was late to pick up Chloe so I had to hurry up and pay, while I was still squinting to see through bloodshot, swollen eyes.  (I felt the need to explain myself to the clerk.)  Chloe wanted to know why the car smelled so strongly of peppermint.

Chloe had her first board breaking session in Tae Kwon Do the other day.  I almost missed it.  There was a miscommunication between me and the husband and he took my car to get a part for his non functioning vehicle. But instead of coming back to get me, he went straight to Chloe's class.  With 5 minutes to get to her class, I left Aidan to watch a pot of soup bubbling on the stove, grabbed the bike out of the garage, pumped up a flat tire and began a Tour de France worthy sprint to the finish line.  The whole time I was...Please God just hold her off until I get there...I promised I'd be there....

Fortunately for our marital harmony, I stepped in the door just as her teacher was asking her if she was ready.  She looked up as I walked through the door and slid into a seat. 

It was a happy ending after all. 

December 6th

I can't believe I haven't updated this little space in so long.  I keep thinking I should sit down and write something, then the thought gets swallowed up in the rest of the day's activity.

I'm homeschooling Chloe for this season.  She goes to her public school for specials-art, music, pe, and science enrichment then spends the rest of the time with me. We are having so much fun being together all day.  I feel like my creative energy comes in bursts and spurts and right now homeschooling is consuming a lot of it. 

I've been taking lots of portraits, and making new friends.  I recently started a facebook page...bluethistlephotography....eek!  That's a little bit scary and a little bit exciting.

We just celebrated a birthday in our house.  Our Thanksgiving baby just turned nine, and not a day goes by that she doesn't make us laugh and give thanks that she's ours.  She's sassy and spunky, and tender and generous.  A bit ago she took her little green purse on a tip to Target because she wanted to look and see if the $9 that she had earned raking leaves for a neighbor was enough to buy her big brother the Lego set that he wanted.  She was about $40 shy, but undeterred, decided to keep saving so maybe she would have enough by Christmas. 

birthday cinnamon rolls

Happy birthday sweet Chloe.

Soccer Diva

Soccer season is over and this is one happy momma/coach.  We had a boat load of fun, but it was a lot of time juggling.  As the Hubs has continued to be off working in Texas, I am so grateful for the community of friends who stepped in to help balance my life by shuttling my kids to various events when I was double booked, bringing me brownies because I looked harried, and having us over for dinner.  So grateful!

Chloe was definitely one of the soccer stars this season.  Girlfriend has some serious aggressive tendencies out there on the field.  In fact, if someone had the ball and Chloe was coming at them, chances are good that they were not going to score. 

She's fierce, that one

Chloe owned the middle of the field.  Not many girls could out run her, and very few matched her intensity.  It was a far cry from watching her play as a 6 year old, following the pack with the ball and shouting instructions to her team mates.  In those days, we would bribe her with hot chocolate if she touched the ball-just once!



chloe

I was an awesome coach.  Okay, so maybe we didn't win any games, but everyone felt good about themselves and secretly knew they were my favorite.  And we had matching hair ribbons.  It doesn't get much better than that.



This finger on the nose pose is a classic awesome coach pose.  It projects style, knowledge, and other really important coach like attributes.  Claire was my assistant, and a lifesaver.  She knows way more about soccer than I do since she has been playing her whole life and coached middle schoolers before moving here.  The only thing she was missing is the whole finger on her nose pose.  Maybe she'll learn something from me.

I should add that Aidan was my assistant assistant coach.  The girls loved him.  They thought he was amazing, and when he was off at cello lessons I had a barrage of questions about where he was, what he was doing, and when he would be back.  He had an line up of hugs our last day which wasn't his favorite since he's in that whole preteen "don't touch me" stage.  It didn't seem to diminish his halo though when he peeled their arms off.  Some of the girls were more interested in chasing Aidan than the soccer ball.  Hmm. 

Happy Fall

When my friend, Sarah, lived here we had a tradition of making chili and pumpkin pie on the first day of fall to celebrate.  She's lives in Germany now, but the first day of fall still sent me scurrying to my cupboard to pull out the pumpkin pie recipe, and set a pot of bison quinoa chili to simmer all day on the stove. The first day of fall gives me permission to finally use the fall fruits that have been cropping up in the stores.  And I suddenly feel the cravings for lasagna, bisques, and pumpkin everything.  

Long's Peak

Sunday we celebrated the memory of my Dad who passed away a year ago.  My brother's family and our crew took our mom to Estes Park for the day to spend our time remembering in one of his favorite places.  I baked up a batch of my Dad's favorite cookie, Jubilee Jumbos, that has become a part of the family lore.  In college, my mom was sitting in class when a plaintative voice came drifting in through the window singing...jubilee jumbos...juubbilleeee juumbooos...

Aspen

Estes Park

The aspen leaves are turning a gorgeous yellow tinged with fiery red.  It makes me happy.  Chloe and I are getting this homeschool thing figured out.  Some days it's too beautiful to be inside, so we drag the math books outside and find a cozy rock to do our business.  She's loving being home with her momma, and I'm loving having her with me.  Happy fall.

The New Normal

I'm trying to find a new rhythm these days.  My darling husband has been working away on a project in Texas, which means he's been home for 4 days in the last month and counting. That leaves me pulling the single mom wagon, with one child in cello and lacrosse, and the other in tae kwon do and soccer-which I also happen to be coaching.  I'm super thankful for the family and friends who have loved on us in various ways, feeding us dinner, working on my car, making me brownies and chai and stepping in to help ferry children when I'm double booked.  

 

Some days I do feel like superwoman and I'm doing OK;  other days I'm singing "a few of my favorite things..." through clenched teeth.  (For the record, Julie Andrews, that doesn't really help.)  The other night I was up late digging through the cupboards because I had forgotten that I needed to make a French dessert for Aidan's world languages class and I already had one child asleep.  (No pressure, mom, but I did tell my teacher that you were sure to bring something.)  I found a recipe online that matched the apples, cinnamon, and lemon I had on hand and voila-an apple cloufti.  Today I discovered a squirrel is living in my roof.  I'm not sure what to do about that one, although the thought did cross my mind to hoist Roscoe up there.

coal creek trail

I just started homeschooling Chloe part time this week.  She is going to school for specials, and spending the rest of the day with me.  We felt like she needed a little boost in some areas, and because she is relatively high performing at school, those things she struggles with are never addressed.  She's been waking up every day eagerly asking what we are doing.  She's anticipating something creative and wonderful (and I'm not even sure what we are having for dinner!).  Which is why I'm sitting by this stream while she's in school, giving space for something magical to bubble up and appear in my mind.  I do think that learning is an extension of living, and most times we just need to be present in the moment.  We rode the trail on our bikes to school, and stopped to watch a hawk circling and collect leaves that are losing their green chlorophyll.

 

Aidan had his first lacrosse game this last Friday.  He loved it.  Hes not concerned with what the score is really, or even who's doing the scoring, he's just completely stoked that he can run around and hit people with his stick.  Last week I wondered if I could get away with switching places because I was thinking it would be just the thing that day to run around and to hit somebody with a stick. 

 I'm off to teach cursive...

 

 

 

Mountains

Aidan and Chris are downstairs playing Portal 2 with the little sis keeping company.  The last two days have been spent in the glorious expanse of the mountains, and for right now, all is as it should be in my house.

 The last two weeks with Chris gone have been stretching for me.  I got to play mommy, and daddy, soccer coach, fix it man, and everything else.  Some nights things got left behind, like grocery shopping and a regular dinner.  There may have been one night where I handed Aidan a jar of peanut butter and crackers, while Chloe munched on panda puffs.  (The incredulous look on his face was hilarious because that is definitely Not Normal around here) There were several nights where I sat up with my new middle schooler and tried to walk him through those first few days; and feeling so inadequate.  I could only absorb his emotions and give him a safe place to express his sudden insecurities and frustrations.  (while wishing we could have solved this before bedtime)  But I couldn't fix anything.  Then I realized all of a sudden that was okay, and I wasn't supposed to.  Because if I took away all of the mountains my kids have to climb, they will never learn to conquer life.  And that they can conquer life.



 It's not easy to watch them sometimes scramble and slip, but I know that when they make it to the top and look down at what they have accomplished, they will be so proud, and more brave when they encounter their next mountain.



 It would be negligent of me to give them wings, and never allow them to use them.  But it's tough on the mommy, even knowing that love allows hard things.



When they are little, you can swoop in and fix life with a snuggle and a kiss, but when they're older, sometimes you just gotta sit there on the edge of the bed and feel helpless, until suddenly, they find their feet again.  Maybe I'm learning something though too.

 
And when they stand on top of their mountain, they will feel like they did it on their own, but I will have the gray hairs and sleepless nights that says nobody climbs a mountain best, alone.

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cafe

I have this memory of serving an older brother, just home from work, a handmade menu and playing chef to make his dinner.  All I can remember making is crispy pieces of fried ham and cinnamon apples with butter-lots of it.

Yesterday is proof that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.  Aidan loves to cook, he's 11 and likes to spend his money buying exotic spice combinations.  He's actually a really amazing at the chef thing. Chloe delights in creating beauty, and celebrating anything-give her a reason and she'll squirrel off to her room with various art supplies, whipping up something special. 

They cooked up a plan to combine their talents and make some money.  A few select people were invited for the inaugural opening.  Invitations were made, a menu planned, and grocery shopping done.

menu

I'm not speaking from bias when I say that Aidan's breakfast burritos are AMAZING!  He uses a complex concoction of spices that shouldn't work, but somehow does.

fresh eggs from the girls

making coffee

Chloe dressed the part of hostess, made place cards, and was in charge of all the waitressing.


name cards

Breakfast was a complete success.  One little guy at the table enthusiastically told Aidan that "public restaurants are much fancier, but the food here is WAY better".  And all I had to do was heat tortillas!

yum

At this rate, it looks like I'll be out of a job soon.  Now, if I can only get them to cook vegetables...