just some pictures

This is Poppie's school. They had a trike-a-thon to raise money for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. She rode quite a few laps. She really loves riding her bike.
He did this himself, what a talented kid!
Picnicking in the back yard
Our friendly neighborhood fox. He comes around every evening to feed on the ground squirrels.
Vampire Cody sucks all the juice out of Poppie's apple.

don't play with your food

Tonight at dinner I said those famous words. I felt so parental after I said it. The truth is that I don't really mind if Poppie plays with her food, as long as she is being safe (not stuffing it in her mouth). She's a pretty good eater, and even if she is playing with is, eventually she will eat it. In my house growing up the rule at dinner time was, "don't sing at the dinner table". Why? I don't know. Singing is another thing we encourage while eating. It's fun!

Speaking of food, here are some pictures from our latest sushi night. They were delicious. We rolled them up with smoked salmon (local), shrimp, avocado, cucumber, carrot, cream cheese, spicy mayo, and toasted sesame seeds. Gene and I pigged out, and ate it all.

And here is the pie I made for Gene's 40th birthday. It's banana cream. I'm particularly proud of the crust. It's been a long debate in our family about how to make pie crust. I say shortning, but Gene thinks it's gross. Gene says butter, but I think butter is too expensive to waste on crust. This time I used lard, and it's the winner - yummy and easy to work with. And Happy Birthday, Gene!!

proud parent

Babies eat. That's what they do. But for some reason I am so beamingly proud when I watch my kids eat. Cody might as well be hitting a home run, or getting into a good college for the amount of pride I bestow on him for getting the food in his mouth. Not everybody can get cracker in their hair and ears in a matter of seconds. Go get 'em tiger!

values

My friend and teacher, Bertha, says, "Children will value whatever you value, so be careful what you value."

Poppie had been helping me in the garden. She is beginning to understand that our plot is the one in the corner, and that we don't walk on the other garden plots. She knows that worms eat and poop dirt, and they are good for the garden. She thinks it's exciting to get her hands and feet dirty, and proudly shows me every time, "Mommy, my hands are dirty!". It just about makes me cry to hear her talk about the working in the "Commuliny Garden"... She is sure to stress that we are working.

So yes, I value playing in the garden. Not necessarily for the produce we'll grow, if anything comes up, but for the experience of digging around in the earth and having this as a family project.

top 10

This is my top ten things I like about living in Aspen, besides the obvious stuff - snowboarding, skiing, hiking, scenery....

on no particular order :

1. the Aspen thrift store, you wouldn't believe what these people get rid of!

2. my job, teacher/ asst. director at the Early Childhood Center

3. the free bus system

4. free concerts

5. yummy tap water

6. the weather - except for today, it's alternating between snow and sleet

7. tons of great playgrounds

8. the bike path, which is plowed year round

9. seeing bears

10.people watching

ps. gene took this picture while ice climbing in southern Colorado, so it's not aspen, but it gets the point across.

the end is near...maybe

so our computer is ancient, and every day I wonder if it will even turn on. Today it's been making a horrible running fan noise. I think it will explode soon. If this happens, I guess I'll be taking a break from blogging until we get a new computer - which will be no time soon. This has been a fun hobby for me, and I want to say thanks for reading, and when the inevitable end happens, good bye.

need a laugh?

He he haa ha hooo. snort.

lemons

We just received in the mail the most wonderful present. Lemons! My aunt Dorie in California picked them from her tree. Sounds great, doesn't it?

Poppie has eaten lemons since she was a baby. She can't get enough. We often order a small dish of lemon wedges at restaurants to keep her happy until the food arrives. So you can only imagine the joy she felt when she was given her own beautiful, juice, bright yellow lemon of her own to peel and eat herself. She peeled the rind with ease and ate like it was candy. No sour faces. Thank you, Aunt Dorie!

getting a jump on literacy

This article is from a magazine, I don't remember which one. Newsweek?

Also, I don't believe in forcing any child into reading or even learning the alphabet until they show interest. But along those lines, I think this is interesting...

1. Talk with your kids: Children pick up quickly on the sounds and rhythms of language. Keep the banter going. It will help them grasp the rudiments of language.

2. Read with them every day: Reading to kids boosts their knowledge and vocabulary. It introduces them to the mechanics of literacy - like turning pages and reading from left to right.

3. Choose books wisely: Find books on subjects the interest them - they'll enjoy reading more.

4. Surround your child with books: Children love having familiar stories nearby that they can go back to again and again.

5. Slow down and enjoy reading: Don't just drone along. Kids pick up on boredom and lose interest quickly. Ass some drama to your voice, act out different characters and put yourself in the story.

6. Read stories over and over: It takes a long time for kids to take it in, and they love familiar stories where they know what's coming next.

7. Foster their awareness of letters and print: Point out familiar letters in their everyday lives, such as the "S" in Sesame Street.

8. Surround them with writing tools: All kids like having a varied supply at their disposal.

9. don't pressure them: Nagging your kids about that they read may turn them off to reading in general.

10. Show your appreciation: Nothing encourages good reading habits like positive reinforcement.

Beltane blizzard

Yesterday - We walked to town and played in the "good playground". the snow had just finished melting away enough to reveal the slide.

Today - Gene took Poppie out sledding, but it was to windy and cold. They came in and made snowcones with snow and maple syrup instead.

We woke up this morning to a full on blizzard. There was already a few inches of snow on the ground by 6am, and it's been at it all day. I guess our garden plot, which is really just a square of thick, deeply settled grass, will have to wait a little longer to be tilled. I did, however, order seeds, and I'm pretty excited about doing some growing. Because it's so cold up here, and there are lots of hungry wildlife, we're just planting the things that grow underground - carrots, beets, radishes, potatoes, and onions. Nothing too exciting, but it's good therapy to dig around in the dirt anyway. I also reserved a small plot to have a pumpkin patch for P & C. Stay tuned for those pictures as summer progresses.