Surprise - It's a Snow Day!

Since I had to withdraw my Mother of the Year application after last night's hot soup incident, I'm hopeful that I can earn back some points tomorrow with an unexpected snow day with Baby F! It's going to be a juggle - mom vs. employee - but I know we'll make it work. Stay tuned for updates!

Mishmash - What a Weekend!

I am wrapping up a memorable weekend. Mostly memorable for all the right reasons - but I might as well get the low point out of the way... Tonight I was holding Baby F who was starting to fuss when I sat down to eat. I sat down on the floor by the coffee table (aka our dining table...) and he seemed happy to stand by me with some help while I ate - until he reached out and grabbed my steaming hot bowl of soup and spilled it right onto his chubby little hand. AAGGHH! Not sure who was more surprised or upset. Luckily all is well (after some serious tears, hand held in cold water for 20 min. and some Mommy/Baby F cuddling), but that was a horrible experience I hope I never have to go through again!

Now the highlights - we had our first kid-free weekend! Thanks to GroundFloor Media, we headed to Devil's Thumb Ranch outside of Winter Park for our annual Groundhog Day retreat. The party was lots of fun - sleigh ride, group photo, copious glasses of wine and all - and we were lucky enough to stay in our very own cozy cabin with amazing views from every window. We snowshoed and enjoyed some quiet time and didn't call home to check on Baby F too often... He was having his own weekend of fun with Mimi and Gramps! He even celebrated by sleeping almost 12 hours two nights in a row. Wonder if he'll do it again tonight?



After we got home, I went into full nesting mode - having heard that there's some snow and cold headed to town tomorrow night. I made it to PetSmart for the dogs, Target and King Soopers for us, and now the cupboards are full. I don't know why, but that always makes me feel so good! Now a quick spot of work then off to bed. Who knows what memories this week will bring?

Take That, Treadmill...

So Baby F is almost 8 months old and I'm just now getting back on the workout wagon. It's amazing what a little over a year off of truly working out and - oh yeah - HAVING A BABY will do to your body... But, I'm very excited to be back on the wagon and even more excited to have rejoined Qi, a great boutique-style gym in Denver owned by our good friends Chris & Corina. The atmosphere at Qi is just intense enough to inspire hard workouts, but spa-like enough that I feel like I'm treating myself to something special each time I walk through the door.

Many of you know that my company has been named among the "Best Places to Work" by the Denver Business Journal - but if you were wondering what makes it such a great place to work consider this: the new Active Lifestyle Allowance which is helping me to offset the costs of my Qi membership. Amazing benefit! I can't tell you how grateful I am for this support, and I echo what Ramonna said in her blog - I am proof that exercise makes me happier, healthier and more productive!

I look forward to fully maximizing this benefit through this year, and will fill you in on my workout adventures here as the year unfolds!

Cowgirl Fantasy

We went to the rodeo at the National Western Stock Show yesterday, and it made me realize that I have an unfulfilled cowgirl fantasy.

Maybe it started with my love for the Little House on the Prairie books which I read over and over (and over and over) as a little girl, but I've always had a real affinity for the pioneer spirit. Living on the wide open prairie always sounded so romantic to me. As a teen I was lucky enough to start riding horses, which solidified my love of livestock (it's true, I even love all the smells of the farm), and in college I had the privilege of traveling with the Colorado State University horse judging team (little known fact...) and visiting some unbelievable horse and cattle ranches in Oklahoma and Texas. If you've never visited a true ranch, you can only imagine the sheer size - thousands of acres and hundreds (or more) animals - but surely you can appreciate the staff needed to keep a ranch running. It was at this time that I melded my childhood love for Little House on the Prairie with my young adult experiences and dreaming of what it would be like to be a ranch wife: riding the fences, helping birth cattle, making apple pie and fried chicken for the ranch hands at lunch... I'm sure very little (if any) of that fantasy matches reality, but based upon my day dreaming yesterday it's apparently a dream I still hold dear.

I couldn't be happier with my real life, but maybe in my next life I'll be a pioneer (with running water though...) or a real cowgirl. Either way, I'm hopeful there are horses. Getting back to riding is a dream I know I can make into a reality, and hope to again in the future. In the meantime, here's a retro photo I found of myself aboard a real American Mustang - JB Andrew, aka "Andy". In this photo we're "swimming" in Denver's Highline Canal.

Me riding "Andy", circa 1993 (or so...)

Da-da-da, Ma-ma-ma, Doy-doy-doy, and other Baby F-isms

Baby F is changing so much every day, and lately he's been talking up a storm! We had a play date today with some friends and were talking about what it takes to get a baby talking, and wouldn't you know I then came across this interesting article from Babble.com (aptly named for this topic... but a font of knowledge for many other parenting-related stuff!) about how to jump-start infant language.



Some of the highlights for me happily resonate with the Montessori approach, which fits in with what Baby F learns at school - yeah! I really like the point about letting the baby drive the conversation (we try very hard to encourage Baby F every time he engages with us, even though we have no idea what he's saying!) I also like the suggestion that babies learn by reading lips. This makes so much sense as Baby F gets really excited when you lean in to him and really annunciate. I guess we were doing something right and didn't even know it!

Current favorite words (at 7.5 months old) include Da-da-da (we try to associate this with Daddy or dog, depending on who's in the room) and Ma-ma-ma. I try to reply, "Yes, Finny?" when he says Ma-ma-ma and I'm around. Will be interesting to see if this approach works, and what his "real" first words will be!

Friends

I am lucky to have probably the best group of girlfriends any person has ever had. Tonight we gathered to celebrate Carrie's birthday, and in another week the gang (some of it anyway), will gather to celebrate Laura's passage into the fabulous forties! She is the first in an upcoming string of mentor/mentee partnerships we have created to escort one another into our next (and surely most fabulous) decade. I'm grateful for my mentor, Terri, and look forward to mentoring Carrie into the next decade when it's our turn.

I look back at what we've shared and it's amazing what this group of girls has been through. We've shared in the joy of first dates, weddings, new jobs, new homes, babies, exciting life opportunities (Seymour Flight Plan anyone?), and more. We've helped one another through some down times, too, including breakups and lost loved ones (pets and people included - I still remember everyone gathering at my house the afternoon that Cowboy had to be put down).

It was "book club" that brought us together (my husband still always wants to know what we're reading... I don't know that Facebook or US Weekly count as books, so I use the term "book" club loosely), but it's our love for one another that keeps us going strong. Every time I fell the slightest bit down I'm rejuvenated by some time with my girls. Thank you all for being an important and constant part of my life! I couldn't be more blessed to count you all as friends.

Cold Feet

What is it about this weather? I've had cold feet all day... This image sums them up!