Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Backcountry

Backcountry.  Can mean many things.  The land behind your house.  Country thats behind you.  Untouched land.  Or you can do what most Colorado residents do.  Clip on an avalanche beacon.  Fill a pack with food, water and avalanche gear.  Strap on skis or snowshoes and start heading up.  Up mountains that aren't groomed, aren't part of a resort and aren't known to the thousands of tourists that visit the area.

Today, Mayflower Gulch.  An old mining area.  Current magnificent hiking spot.

 Kari and her excited dogs, Ripley in front and Kobe behind.


 Kobe...in his element.  Please notice the icicles on his chin.
 Demonstrating an avalanche beacon
Kari's a natural.  As many times as it took me to fall and get back up, she stood there patiently encouraging every moment!

Have you seen Smile Feist?

Define insane, awesome energy and cross it with abstract, hilarious ideas....... and you'll have Anna!  

Need a laugh?  Idea?  Motivation?  Recipe?  Read her blog.

She's also very in-tune with her fashion side...!

Colorado newness!

 The most breathtaking views....everywhere!
 Snowboarding....at Beaver Creek and Vail
 Can it be awesome forever?
 Tim, Jovie and her sunglasses...Jovie is a natural on the piano and singing, Tim was taking lessons.
 Skate skiing for the first time. Up at Tennessee Pass.   I stood up for 2 seconds before eating it...several times!
 Skate Ski instructors/roommates....Kari and Jake (Ripley minus his head)
Backcountry skiings/snowboarding, another 1st time and with Kari again.  She's full of awesome-ness.  Mayflower Gulch.  Hike up.  Ride down!  (unless its your first time, then you 'fall' down!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Food Inc.



Make it a point to get this documentary.
Know what you eat.
Know where it's grown.
Know how it's grown.
Know why its grown.

'You'll never look at dinner the same'

Monday, December 6, 2010

Define your success

'To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived—this is to have succeeded.'

The Elf on the Shelf

The Elf on the Shelf just appeared in my sisters house.  Meeting this little guy, from the North Pole, was the first encounter for me, but not the last.

This tradition is AWESOME.

How does Santa know the kids around you are being naughty or nice?  Well, this little elf flies to the North Pole every night and reports back to Santa how the day has gone.  Then, he magically reappears somewhere new the next morning.  Giving the kids something to find/look forward to every morning, also giving the parents something to point to and say 'look who's watching.' making them more accountable for their daily actions during December.
It's a yearly tradition, starting whenever the Elf (ours named 'Flash') makes his first appearance.  IF it were up to me, he'd been here in May.

Yesterday was Flash's first day in 2010!  So we had to sit down, read the book on what happens with 'Flash' and remind ourselves that 'somebody's watching!'  Today, he's in the kitchen.  A reminder to us adults from the kids "he's watching you too!"

Saturday, December 4, 2010

We're considered 'Netizens'

Recent article from WSJ talks about how us 'netizens' are being tracked by all those advertising firms.  Did you know, online advertising is a $25 billion dollar industry?  With some crack down on all those cookies, come January, some of these agencies, they call it the 'Open Data Partnership,' are going to come clean and show you how they're following your tastes online.

For more info, read the WallStreet Journal article or the Fastcompany.com article.  In January, you'll have options on if you even want to be tracked.

More freedom??~~!!

Friday, December 3, 2010

On: being an aunt!

How do mom's do it?

We're in Lowes and Z turns into another 'thing.'  All of the sudden he's sitting on the self checkout bagging area.  Machine starts talking to me "there's an unidentified object in the check out area, please remove"  Next second, he's pushing buttons on the computer.  And now my order 'needs assistance.'   That's not the beginning.  In fact, earlier in Lowes, a glance over my shoulder sees both boys hanging on the side of someone's cart talking to a 2 yr old girl.  If you could have seen her eyes, they matched her moms!

At home.  "Aunt Hai, I'm done pooping, can you see if I got it all?"  I look in the bathroom, see a naked 3 yr old boy, bent over the tub, showing me that he wiped.  It needs another swipe.  "Ouch, my booty hurts."

"Wash your hands, please."  Five minutes later I realize that the sound of water is still coming from the bathroom.  Z's still naked.  Now playing in the sink, drain plugged.

"Go play."  I walk away for a few minutes and come back towards their rooms.  Only to see white paint chips on the floor.  BT has sawed the door frame with his plastic tools.  Turns out, plastic or metal, they all work.  Yesterdays' explaining that the tools are to be used on their toys and in their rooms, not the hallways, wasn't enough to remain registered today.  5 yr old memories from short term to long term aren't what I expected.

Onto lunch.  Pizza day.  So easy.  Yet again, I leave the room and hear the scared, shrinking voice "Hailee, Z spilled his milk."  Another milk spill, we just had one 2 days ago.  It's starting to resemble to gulf coast here.

Sneeze.  AAAAAHHHCHOOO!  "bless you."  I walk to the sink to rinse the washcloth thats soaked in milk.  "I got buggers, can you help me?"  Taking a kleenex over I assist in a 3 snort blowout.

The boys are sick.  We can no longer play continuously outside because it's cold and windy.  They're restless.  Chasing and torturing Ginger, Angies dog.  Angie left Ging with us when she went to India.  They chant, then run; then scream, chant and run "Ginger Baby" as they corner her under the kitchen table.  She snips at them.  Her warning for the annoyance of the little fingers constantly pulling her ears and tail.  They giggle.  And transform into savage like animals who want more.   I walk in and make my presence noticed.  They scatter like flys in the sight of a swatter.

Next a high pitched scream.  Something out of a horror film.  Walking into the next room I hear BT has convinced Z that this reusable water bottle has lemonade inside, when in reality it's only water.  But to a 3 yr old, it's INCONCEIVABLE that he doesn't have the same!  A temper tantrum ensues.

This is a constant game.  'How to have fun, maintain peace and sanity in a house with 2 boys.

Afternoon nap time comes and I pass out on the couch.  They wake me up 5 different times tattle tailing on each other OR from chanting "Ginger Baby."  I give in and get up.

During bike time, Z pulls up to the sidewalk "I need to go poddie" so I say to go in and take care of it.  Z calls back "I need help,"  I reply "you can do it."  He starts to whine but goes in.  BT comes up moments later and asks where's Z.  He goes in to check on him, not seconds later he's running outside, "he had an accident."  REALLY.  My head hangs and I walk inside.

Toilet paper is thrown all over the floor.  He's there, pants off, winter coat still on.  Pee everywhere.  Z whines and says he had an accident and "it's all over"  Literally buddy I agree.  Pee is on his jacket, down his legs, on his socks, both sides of the toilet and while we go in his room to get more undies, I notice to enormous spot on his sweatshirt.  Wondering, did he make any inside that porcelain bowl?

Randomly during the day I notice them playing in the kitchen with Ginger, another cornering, poor dog.  They pet nice.  Talk to her like they're all dogs for a bit.  Then Z's eyes light up.  IDEA!  He walks over to the oven, opens it and says "Ginger, come here."

Bath time consists of spills of water, then a song to say "accidents happen and that's okay!" as I'm on my hands and knees for the second time today.  Cleaning up an ocean of water and a tipped over bottle of shampoo.  That's after BT told on Z for sticking his washcloth in the toilet and washing with in.  Not once, not twice, but 5 times.

After nighttime Uno, it's time for brushing teeth, books and bed.  You'd think bushing teeth seems harmless until you find that the 3 yr old is chasing the dog, swinging the toothbrush like a sword.   The energy flow continues during book time.  With feet kicking, pointing and random interruptions.

Prayers are hilarious.  "God bless mommy, daddy, Brett, and Zach.  Ginger, Aunt Hailee, her friends and the soldiers.  Papa Keith and Kevin.  How was work?"

(At least he understands that staying home IS work)  Kel, love your kids!