200th Post!

According to Blogger.com this is my 200th post!! 

Signal the balloons and streamers!

And yet, this post is not my typical. This is one of those rare entries that wraps 2 weeks up into 1. I try to post once a week, but with this being the busy season at work, I've got less energy and less time for blogging. (Thank god the end of the semester is quickly approaching.)

I don't know how people only blog once a month (or even less, like some of my friends). I literally cannot remember what happened 3 nights ago. I'm hoping that's more a sign of frazzled parenting than my own intelligence. But who knows?!?!

Anyway, I'll do my best to recount the activities of the last 14 days.

In short, we had a snowy weekend indoors, followed by a warm weekend outdoors.

Spring storms arrived Saturday. April is such a tease! 

I'm looking for sunscreen one minute, and mittens the next. 

While it makes me grumpy. It didn't phase the kids. Sage was pretty excited (and baffled) to see snow outside his window.

That afternoon, we drove to Loveland for a birthday party. 

Sam's little sister Joanna was turning a year old.

The photo booth was a hit with all the kids.

Being indoors doesn't mean there is a shortage of creativity. The kids are ALWAYS inventing new ways to make messes. This activity - which Sage calls "the experiment" was the preferred game for a week straight. They moved "the experiment" from room to room, arranging the chairs into shapes of all sorts. (At one point I caught Kale sitting in a chair....on top of another chair!)

"The experiment" is sort of like an obstacle course. Some resemblance to the "floor is lava" game I played as a kid. Smart idea. Cute to watch. But when Sage blocked the entrance to both the kitchen and the stairs, I had to kindly protest. Time for a new game!

Sometime mid-week the kids found my stash of fingernail polish. Sage was just tickled to paint his nails. And announced to his family "I'm so excited to show my friends at school tomorrow!"

He even got to show his nails to the dentist!! :)

According to the dentist, we are doing a great job brushing Sage's teeth. It's a battle on most nights. Not all. But enough of them that I dread it.

But with such a good report, why not celebrate with a chocolate-dipped rice krispie treat?!? Sage also earned himself a toy from the dentist's treasure chest.

For the most part - Sage totally digs going to the dentist. All fun, great prizes, and no pain. He's so cute to watch in the exam chair. He asks lots of questions. "What's this? What's that do?" And at one point reached over, pushed a button, and shot the dentist with a blast of air. (Thank goodness it wasn't the water squirter!)

Friday, Matt and I resumed our lunch date. We went to the new Fort Collins outdoor mall. Which is pretty dang awesome. They have a big grassy knoll in the middle of the shops, with speakers, a water fountain, and big rockers. Yes - we'll be coming back!

Then, on Saturday morning, Matt and I arranged for a babysitter to come over for 2 hours so Matt and I could have breakfast together. We sat on the patio. It was a balmy 55 degrees. Forecasts predicted low 70's...but the temperatures were on a very slow rise.

We were cold. But we still enjoyed a little adult time to kick the weekend off on the right foot.

Then back to business as usual.

The lawnmower made its first appearance of the season.

Sage and I made a run to Costco. 

Then swung by the park to burn off some energy.

And then it was Sunday.

And a sweet moment was shared between brothers.

These two have a love-hate relationship. Well, to be more precise, it's mostly love, with some jealousy-infused tantrums. Some of my favorite moments are secretly watching Sage lead Kale around the yard/room/school by his hand. "C'mon Kale. This way, Kale." Friggin melts my heart!

And on that note. The other day, Sage told his dad that he wants us (Matt and I) to have another baby. And... he would also like to have a baby of his own. When we ask him if he wants a girl or boy, he always says "a Kale." And then he counts, "One Kale, two kale, three kale...."

So yeah... mostly love. :)

Matt's been staying busy this Spring preparing his garden. 

Check out these tulips!!

And then the rat race began once more.

Tuesday night on my drive home from work I was starving. So I ran through the Burger King drive thru for some french fries. (So indulgent and perfect!) Then I sat in the parking lot of the boys' school, eating my snack, and enjoying a quiet moment to myself before the "second shift."

And I got caught!

Sage was on the playground with his buddies. He saw me in my car. And then they all tried to climb the fence...

Ha ha! Busted!

And now...your weekly gratitude update.

Hike at Hewlett

Ah... Friday. Nothing feels as good as a Friday afternoon. The victory high after making it through yet another brutal week is still surging in my veins. The blank slate that is the weekend ahead. So much potential. (And I don't have to pack any school lunches!)

Sage began his Friday night with a band-aid fashion show....

Then it was early to bed, in preparation for our hike the next morning. Forecasts predicted 75 degrees. No better time to hit the trails! Sam and Alison joined us. We did the Hewlett Gulch trail. A familiar and easy trail, criss-crossed several times by one large meandering stream. Great views of the foothills. 

Only downfall in April...it's still a bit brown and dry.

Kale was hilarious on the trail. I carried him partway in my front pack. But he would get whiny and demand to roam free. He did his own little version of Hardcore Parkour. Purposefully aiming his foot for any rock jutting out of the ground. He'd do a little lift, the tiniest of jumps, land, and grunt a bit before moving on. 

Such a tough guy!

Probably one of the best selfies we've ever taken!

I didn't even crop this!

Having Sam and Al on the hike with us was a huge help. We moved at snail pace. Often times actually backtracking, before progressing forward. But I don't think they had high expectations for hiking with a 1 and 3-year old. 

Sage was well-behaved, and never requested to be carried. Kale did a lot of whining. And he fought me holding him. Luckily, the little tyke seems to have a thing for his Uncle. So Sam assisted often. And thank god!

This was about our half-way point.

We obviously like this tree. We've done this hike at least once a year for the past 3 years. And we always stop by the tree.

To your left: 2015. To your right: 2016.

On the left: 2014. On the right: 2016

Sage wasn't even 2 yet in the picture above. He was about 21 months. So close to Kale's age now (19 months). How time flies!

On the return hike home, we made a special stop by a riverbank, so Kale could throw stones, and Sage could dig in the sand with a shovel.

 

(Yep...same band-aids from last night.)

One trail. Two kids. Three years. 

How quickly we've all grown!

(See Kale in my belly in the first photo?)

On Sunday, we made smoothies.

This is something we had intended on doing for a long time. What is the point of owning a Ninja if you aren't going to make smoothies?!? Am I right?!?!

I had no idea how EASY this was going to be!

In under 5 minutes, all of us were enjoying frozen blended concoctions. And the smoothie making would continue all week long. Breakfast, snack, anytime really...

The remainder of the week was GORGEOUS!

(Right up until the snow storm that is....)

But around mid-week, we hit 80 degrees! 

(And that was in the shade!)

The yard is bursting with color. All the tulips are coming up. And I am rejoicing knowing that Spring is actually here!

This was also the Week of the Young Child, a national celebration of young children. (But I bet you gathered that from the title, huh?)

Anywho...the kid's childcare center always does a round of special activities. Everything from pajama day to bike day. And they host guest readers. My schedule at work didn't allow me time to go in and read to my boys' classes. But Matt made time. And how proud was I?!? What a super-star dad!

He read to Sage's class on Wednesday. And Kale's class on Friday. He even stuck around to eat lunch with Sage. And brought him a special kids meal from Chick-Fil-A. Sage was stoked, to say the least!

And now, a gratitude update.

This particular board was a slow work in progress, acquiring its items incrementally over the past couple of weeks. A bit of writer's block perhaps? But alas the list was finally completed. (And since erasing all this great stuff, I've filled yet another board with another list of why life is generally good!) You'll see that one next week.

I guess my gratitude comes in bursts.

Anyway... here's the late March/early April board.