Sand Dunes

We had a great time camping and playing at the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Here are some photos:

Friday (overcast and playing on the dunes)

Saturday, sun was out, playing in the water.

Denver Children's Museum

Today we visited the Denver Children's Museum, and had a great time!

The last time we were there, Grayson was only crawling, so it was MUCH harder. This time, I was smarter (took less stuff) and the kids enjoyed themselves much more.

Because we love Dora, we always ask the question, "what was your favorite part."

(when watching the tv show, and responding to Dora, my kids answer "My favorite part was WATCHING!....oh my)

So I asked...

Mommy: Grayson, what was YOUR favorite part of the Children's Museum?

Grayson: My favorite part was PAINTING!

Mommy: Caroline, what was YOUR favorite part of the Children's Museum?

Caroline: My favorite part was SHOPPING!

And being a vet.

Wouldn't you love it if YOUR vet looked away while performing surgery on your cat?

So obviously, now you're thinking, "Michelle, what was YOUR favorite part?"

Michelle: My favorite part was when the kids got tired during storytime, so we packed up to leave....only for both kids to NOT take a nap at home. Seriously. They were worn out. We played hard. What gives?

This plan for the summer, the wear-them-out-in-the-morning-so-they-sleep-the-afternoon-away plan, is backfiring on me!

carpet burn

Grayson is doing this (super fun) thing where he sleeps on the floor instead of his toddler bed.

(I think I've mentioned before the wonderful way he lays on the floor and kicks his bedroom door.)

He must have slept on the floor at naptime, today. FACE. DOWN. because he has a stripe of carpet indentations in a line down his forehead and nose.

How can you sleep on your nose?

bunnies

It's springtime...or at least it SHOULD be.

Weather in Denver is NEVER what you'd expect.

But, since it's at least springTIME (if not springWEATHER) we've been seeing our fair share of bunnies.

First, we visited Tagawa Gardens, when a bunny adoption agency brought out bunnies to hug and love.

I think their adoption requirements are almost as difficult as adopting a child (home visits, classes, background checks, etc.).

Then, after 16+ inches of snow... we found this in our basement window well:

It would take me pages and pages to describe the adventures with this TINY bunny in our basement.

...chasing it around the basement

...trying to keep in in a box

...chasing it around the basement, again

...letting it go

...watching it jump BACK in the window well

...leaving it's box, food and water in the window well (since it clearly WANTED to be there!)

...chasing it around the basement, time 3

...not telling the children it D.I.E.D after 2 nights eating celery and sleeping under a towel.

..."releasing" the bunny in the bushes...you know, to go back to it's mommy.

...feeling horrible that we're just THAT BAD at caring for animals

So, here are some cute bunny ideas for spring. No chasing this bunny out from behind boxes in the basement! Just cute, all the time!

Mother's Day

For Mother's Day, my sister-in-law Rebekah, suggested that we have a family photo taken. It would be a gift for my mother, but I think I lucked out as well!

Over Easter weekend, I asked local photographer Allison, from Photos by Allison, to shoot a group photo outdoors. But she went above and beyond, shooting every possible combination of photos. She spend about an hour with us, and charged no sitting fee! And her photo prices were very reasonable. So if you're in the South Denver Metro area (Castle Rock), give Allison a call.

Here are a few of my favorites.
It helps that my kids are just plain adorable! Or maybe Allison's just THAT good with a camera and photoshop. Yeah...probably photoshop.

igloo

We finally had a nice amount of snow this week (enough that J missed 1 1/2 days of work). We did the normal "play in the snow with your kids" things. We rode the sled, built a snowman, stomped around the backyard, repositioned gloves on cold little hands, and picked up fallen babies who's legs were just too short to walk in the deep powder.

Then J began building an igloo. The conditions of our snow storm were such that there were several inches of soft snow, topped with about 2 inches of crunchy, icy snow. If you carefully lifted the top layer, you could come away with some nice "block" to build igloo walls.

I was amazed...windows, roof, door opening, supported with broom handles, and all constructed after "the sky got dark" (as Caroline was saying!). But alas, even such fine engineering is no match for the warm sun, and our igloo is now a heap of crunchy snow on our back lawn.

So to keep that cool feeling just a little longer, here are a few etsy inspirations. Spring will come soon enough, but I'm not ready quite yet.My Little Snow Boots by hipknots

Ice Ice Baby earrings by sleepingcatbeads
Berry Ring by thepebblecollection

Snow Poppies by cultivar
Little Chickadee by naturemandalas
Chocolate Snow Cookies by onesweetday

(found searching etsy.com for "ice" and "snow". Searching igloo didn't give me quite what I was looking for!)

swimming

Caroline and Grayson have started taking swimming lessons, and I'm very impressed!

I'm also having a laughing fit because those goggles, swim cap and flippers are just too much.

Big 2!

Happy Birthday, my dude!

Wish I knew how to photoshop those cheetos off your face!

May year three be just as wonderful as the first two.

Love, Mama