The Denver Aquarium

Cabin fever has hit our family hard this year. But for one glorious Saturday, we were able to forget our winter blues. We met up with Andy, Lainey, and Sam for a trip to Denver's Downtown Aquarium! And we all had so much fun! At 18 months old, the boys were able to really enjoy the exhibits. 

We saw so many different types of sea creatures. Sting rays, starfish, seahorses, coral, sharks, jellyfish, and on and on.... I was very impressed with the selection!

We even saw a mermaid!

And a tiger! 

And quite ironically, out of the entire aquatic facility the tiger, BY FAR, was Sage's favorite! He just loved this thing. 

Here's a shot of Sage roaring like a Tiger. 

And he's been doing it ever since. 

Snack time! 

Two little dudes huddled in a corner eating their "illegal" toddler pouches. There was a strict no-food policy in the aquarium. We mothers don't abide by rules! We feed our babies! 

Matt touched a starfish!

The jellyfish were just amazing. And apparently have been on this earth since the time of dinosaurs!

After two hours of chasing toddlers through extremely crowded exhibits, we had worked up quite the appetite. We ate at the on-site restaurant. Which was actually quite fun! We were surrounded by aquariums and "under-the-sea" decor. And the kiddos got a lot of special treatment. This place knows how to cater to kids!

Love the paper hat!

Sunday was definitely more of a chill day. The aquarium had wiped us out! Sage and I shared a lovely breakfast in the morning.

Then daddy took him outside for a romp in our depressingly dead yard. When will Spring get here?!?! My soul hurts!

Tickle tickle tickle!!!

Sage has been using his stuffed animals to do a lot of imaginative role play. Here he is brushing his monkey's teeth. Something he still hates doing himself. I have to straddle him, arms pinned to his side, to get the brush in his mouth.

Food...In the Mouth, On the Mouth, And On the Floor

Valentine's Day was a complete success! I think Sage enjoyed all the festivities, the extra sugar, and a couple new toys that accompanied the holiday.

Having started his new daycare just a week prior, this was an excellent way to show our appreciation for our new center and our fabulous teachers. I thought about bringing bagels in on the first day, but didn't want to look like a suck-up. I think these chocolate apples were a more appropriate choice.

Sage received the World's Largest Valentine Card from his Grandma and Grandpa Carter. I could have put him in the envelope and mailed him back!

Sage also received a surprise gift from a secret admirer. A lovely set of reusable animal stickers with scenes showed up at our door the day before Valentine's. But there was no packing slip in the box. Nothing! We had not the slightest clue who sent it. We asked all the grandparents first, but no one claimed it. So then I contacted Amazon's customer service, and after sending along strings of letters and numbers from the outside of the shipping box, we were informed that my dear friend Toni-Lee had sent the gift! Earlier in the week, I had shared with her my horrible experience with the "sticker club." For those who don't know, it's a sort of chain mail ring in which you send 1 pack of stickers to a child whose name you receive via mail, and then pass along instructions and your child's name to 6 friends. As each friend wrangles in 6 more friends, your baby ends up with 36 stickers! Well, after painstakingly following the instructions for the stickers club, NOT A SINGLE SET OF STICKERS SHOWED UP IN THE MAIL!! I thought it was an adorable idea. But apparently other people don't agree. Well anyway...Sage finally got his stickers thanks to Toni-Lee! 

And my dear husband Matt received this beautiful bouquet of Callas in this ceramic vase. And Matt returned the love with a stone soap dispenser to match the stone toothbrush holder I received for Christmas. Sweet adulthood!

Friday night pizza bake!

Saturday night veggie sloppy joes.

Sage enjoyed his sandwich!

On Sunday we hit 60 degrees! 

Finally.... a ray of sunshine!!!

The snow and ice continues to melt in the cul-de-sac. A little stream of water was flowing along the contours of the sidewalk. And of course.... we let Sage play in it! It was a bit sludgy and I felt a little gross about it. But he was just fascinated. Sage found leaves, and rocks, and some trash! It was a great day to be a little boy!

Dad yanked a piece of styrofoam from the garage and they pretended it was a boat. They watched it sail from one end of the driveway to the other. This is about the cheapest science experiment you could ever do with a kid.

Later in the day, we accomplished a huge task! 

We finally hung up Sage's Redwood growth chart! This was acquired on our trip to Trinidad, California in August. Six months later, we finally hung it on the wall. And we love it! 

My little celebrity. 

"No pictures..please!"

Loves to show you what's in his mouth all the time.

Peek-a-boo!

Tuesday evening Matt decided to make lasagna....from scratch. 

It was a 4 hour debacle! While Matt cooked and I worked on the dishes, no one noticed that little Sage had emptied the pantry.

We started to clean up the mess, and figured not too much damage had been done, when Sage grabbed a bag of granola from the wrong end. And in one split second the mess went to a whole new level. 

I got out the toy broom and the toy dustpan, and together, Sage and I swept up the mess. It was a great lesson in cleaning for the little guy.

New words this week include: guitar, raccoon, and home. 

He shouts "home!" every time we pull into the driveway after returning from daycare.