Rockies 6 - Twins 2

We spontaneously got tickets to the Rockies vs. Twins game Sunday afternoon. There was a grand plan, involving an early nap for Olivia so both she and Zach could take an early nap, so we could see most of the game after missing the beginning. But, you know how the saying goes...

We got the Howells to join us and were entertained by the 3-year-olds. I'm hoping that some time soon the video will load, so you can see some of their moves. Good stuff.

Next time, we'll stay to let Zach run the bases after the game. It looked like a lot of fun, but having missed afternoon naps, both kids were a little worse for wear. Hence, the car-zonking. Both of them spent about thirty minutes snoozing in the garage after we got home. :)

Battle the Bear MTB Race

See the kids and Scott above the bike in the background?





Saturday was a beautiful day for racing! Scott rode from our house right to the Battle the Bear race course at Bear Creek Lake Park, just down the street from us. Due to Olivia's nap, we missed the start. And due to Scott's speed, we missed his finish. But the superfans arrived in time to see some of the 50-milers finish their race and to enjoy sun and race spirit. Go Daddy!

Dolly Giggles 5/16/08

This is from May 16th, but I finally got it loaded!

Cutest MN Cousin

Take a minute, if you please, to check out the latest on Kacie in MN.
She is too cute, if I do say so myself.
http://thelesinskisonline.blogspot.com/

Down Memory Lane - Zach, 9/6/07

Zach wanted to say a prayer for the camera. This was taken in September 2007, at age two-and-a-half.

Poor little Poppit had taken quite the digger, as you see from the under-nose scab.

Rollin' 7/11/07

Just found this clip on another camera. I'll adjust the posting date soon, but had to share the Little One.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother’s Day to You and Yours!

I hope you were able to spend some time with loved ones today, in person, on the phone, or in your hearts.

We enjoyed some blustery then beautiful spring weather. My softball team dropped its first game Friday night, not for lack of cheering from the shortest Wallaces. On Saturday, Zach and Scott made great headway on the transition of our garden (a.k.a. “the dirt pit”) into a kid play area, and Olivia and I trimmed a big ol’ juniper bush. By the time we were done working, the rain, clouds, and wind had abated, and we ended up with a beautiful evening that led into today’s perfect spring day. We enjoyed church with friends, a nap, a day at the park, another nap, and breakfast for dinner!

With all that fun, it’s on days like these when I think it would be nice to closer to lots of family. So we appreciate the family we have in our friends here.

Back in Minnesota, my parents and sister’s family (including 6-month-old Kacie, for the first time!) walked in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this morning. My mom lost her best friend to breast cancer six years ago, and they’ve made the Race a Mother’s Day Tradition.

Denver’s Race isn’t until October, but I’ve made it a mission to pass on another opportunity to give of ourselves in the next few days. The National Marrow Donor Program is putting on its annual Thanks Mom Marrow Donor Drive. From May 5th through the 19th, it’s free to register as a marrow donor. Feel free to take a look at my latest blog entry for a little more information. And if you decide registration isn’t for you, maybe you’ll be willing to pass along the opportunity to others.

http://thewallacesonline.blogspot.com/

Peace and Love to you all!

Kjirsten and crew

Sweet Slumber

Ah...how do they do it? Zach's our little reader.

Grow the Garden!

You can show your support by adding your name to the Marrow Donor Garden. In the right margin, under the number of Garden Supporters, click on the Grow the Garden link.

Enter your information and check the appropriate box(es):
- I support saving lives
- I joined the NMDP Registry to give patients hope.
- I donated cells for a marrow transplant to save a patient's life.
- I gave a financial gift to save lives.
- I am alive thanks to a marrow donor.
- I told my friends to get involved.
- I spread the word in memory of a loved one.
- I need a donor for myself (or someone I care about)

I bet everyone reading this post could say at least one of the above is true!

ID 100134

Walking!

Olivia apparently decided this afternoon that she should show us she knows how to walk. She has taken a few (maybe three?) steps occasionally before today. Most of those were to cover the two feet between the coffee table and the couch.

Today, she walked about 7 steps from the kitchen island to the middle of the floor, then sat down. A few minutes later, Zach (who had alerted us to her first traverse) shouted again, "She's walking!" There she was, another few feet of open floor covered before she sat. We cheered and cheered.

At that point, we stood about 15 feet apart and stood her up to walk across the room, and she did! So cute, with the little lunge for Mommy or Daddy in the last couple of steps, but mostly on her own.

Big girl!

(Of course the video camera did not cooperate when we wanted to capture this milestone, but I did get some footage on the point-and-shoot's video. I'll see if we can get 'er up here.)

On Writing

From an interview of Katherine Paterson, author of 1977's Bridge to Terabithia:

What would be your "words of wisdom" to a person who wants to write, but is paralyzed by failure? What advice would you give people starting out?

When a teacher (still a dear friend) of mine in graduate school suggested I ought to be a writer, I was appalled. "I don't want to add another mediocre writer to the world," I said. She helped me (it took years of nudging) to understand that if I wasn't willing to risk mediocrity, I would never accomplish anything. There are simply no guarantees. It takes courage to lay your insides out for people to examine and sneer over. But that's the only way to give what is your unique gift to the world. I have often noted that it takes the thinnest skin in the world to be a writer, it takes the thickest to seek out publication. But both are needed—the extreme sensitivity and the hippo hide against criticism. Send your inner critic off on vacation and just write the way little children play. You can't be judge and creator at the same time.
http://www.terabithia.com/questions.html

Follow Up

Looking back at old e-mail drafts (where I file my notes and thoughts), I found the plans for moving Zach into his new room, and for decorating Olivia-to-Be's room. The original notes were posted in Feb 2007. Here's the follow-up:

Notes from a year later:
* I ended up getting two dark brown window valences from Target. I glued on pink flowers, and one valence went above the window; the other became a bedskirt for the crib, since only one side shows.
* The light-blocking beige curtains don't really block light, but they look okay.
* I painted a canvas of pink flowers on a heart-shaped tree branch.
* In theory, the floral night light on the dresser is a cute addition. Since it only cost $10 at Hobby Lobby, I got nervous that it wasn't safe enough to be left on all night. So, mostly it looks cute.
* We switched out the framed nursery rhymes for more "girly" rhymes: Little Bo Peep replaced Little Boy Blue, but Jack and Jill remain over the changing table.
* We did get the Shabby Chic rug for the floor.
* Cute butterfly mobile from Pottery Barn Kids hangs above the crib.
* Big flowers from Pottery Barn Kids hang above the changing table.
* Pink and brown "things" sit on the shelves above the rocking chair: a vase, a cute card, a bird from Theresa.
* Now, in the book rack, the Olivia books dominate the shelves. We have the first book, Forms a Band, and Helps with Christmas. If you haven't seen them, you must check them out!

All was inspired by the colors on the Boppy cover. So much for the thought that Zach's neutral stars and gingham could be reused!

No More Than a Potato

"Human nature will not flourish, any more than a potato, if it be planted and replanted, for too long a series of generations, in the same worn-out soil. My children … shall strike their roots in unaccustomed earth."

The passage above was quoted from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter in a story about Jhumpa Lahiri 's new collection of stories, Unaccustomed Earth.

That passage spoke to me, given my family's repeated "transplantations." While it was always difficult to leave old friends and familiar settings, we did get to experience some amazing new opportunities. The Silver Lining, right?

Some day, I'd like to check out Lahiri's new work.

Camelback Mountain Trail Guide

Summit Trail (Echo Canyon)
Length: .1.2 miles one way
Elevation gain: 1,264 feet (summit is 2,704 feet)
Difficulty: Strenuous and difficult

Enter at Echo Canyon Parkway just east of Tatum Boulevard off of McDonald Drive. Parking is extremely limited at this trailhead and waits for a spot on weekends can be substantial.

This is a very strenuous trail recommended only for experienced hikers. The trail ascends through some spectacular sandstone rock formations and offers unparalleled views from the summit of the greater Phoenix area. The Echo Canyon area is open sunrise to sunset.

Cholla Trail
Length: 1.5 miles
Elevation gain: 1,200 feet
Difficulty: Strenuous and difficult

Parking is available on Invergordon/64th Street near Cholla Lane. There is no trailhead parking and street parking is very limited. Hikers must park on Invergordon and walk up the south side of Cholla Lane. Dropping off hikers on Cholla Lane is prohibited.

This trail is recommended only for experienced hikers. There are steep, rocky sections with drop-offs on both sides. From Oct. 1 to April 30, the Cholla Trailhead is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. From May 1 to Sept. 30, the hours are 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Easter Honeys

Well, the Wallaces didn't make it to Easter Sunrise Service at Red Rocks this year, but Nana and Pop (put on layers and layers and packed sit-upons and blankets and set the alarm for oh-dark-thirty and brushed snow off their car and) went. Hopefully we'll see pictures from them soon.

We did make it to the 8am service and even managed to look presentable and arrive on time. Here are a few shots of the egg hunt and stuff.

They really do like each other!

Honey Bunny
Easter Sunday was also Zachy's BIG 3rd Birthday! Doesn't he look dapper?
Family Portrait Prep, was as good as any of the finished product.
Mama's Doll

Wish Us Luck - and Caffeine

Well, we're hoping some of our clan wake way before dawn to make it to what should be an amazing Easter experience - Easter Sunrise Service at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheater.

Gates open at 4:30am, and the service begins at 6:30am. That's still way beyond when I like to be out of PJs, let alone bundled up for chilly mountain mornings. But, I also think it'd be one of those things you'd never regret doing, once you got there.

We'll see. I bet at least Nana and Pop will go. Bring on the coffee!

Natural Food Dyes

If you're contemplating the ingredients of dye, and have some time to get creative, here's info on using natural materials to create colorful Easter eggs. (I wish I could promise that we'll be doing this...not sure yet.)

http://www.greenissexy.org/2008/02/27/recipe-of-the-month-5/

Happy Leap Day!

And if You Can't Leap...

...Why not enjoy a little good dirt?

Happy 1st LaLavia!

We celebrated our "diminutive diva"'s big day in a big way with friends and cake. The weather cooperated, giving us sun and a snow-free yard on which to play for a bit. (Today it's blanketed in white again, so we planned right!) Olivia did well with all the action and people, and scarfed down quite a bit of her vanilla cake with pink whipping cream frosting. Thanks to all who came to help party!

On the Mend

Thankfully, we are on the mend! Still coughing in 3 of 4 corners, but no more fevers.

And we're well enough to Ride and Mug and Play and Love:

1. Zach enjoyed a morning on his first real bike - see him riding off into the Wild Blue Yonder. It was a beautiful CO day, 50 degrees and sunny, though a bit windy.
2. Olivia mugged for the camera at breakfast. Yep, that's her camera-ready grin.
3. I helped a friend organize a blog to display and sell her jewelry (LuQuDesignsJewelry.blogspot.com) and got to attend her trunk show happy hour last night - yummy cranberry champagne cocktails!
4. Poor Scott is getting ready for a work trip to Phoenix and spent ALL day on the computer. No fun. We'll have to get him outside for at least a walk tomorrow.

I think Scott and I are both ready to crash for the night, so I'll sign off with a few ideas for future posts:
* Yes,...But...
* My son, and Scott's son
* Olivia's nicknames
* OMg, Olivia is almost ONE!
* (Hopefully some day I can post some catch-ups, including: Monthly summaries for the fam and for the kids)