Who doesn't like a playdate?

The nice weather we've been having over the last couple of weeks has led to a LOT more time to get out and enjoy ourselves. There's just something about a day of sunshine and warm temperatures that makes it seem just this side of criminal to spend the day indoors! (Mind you, we've now hit what looks to be a two week stretch of clouds and rain, but that's neither here nor there:-)

I have to admit, Rusty definitely gets the bulk of the playdates around here, but I've had a lot of fun just being outside. We're very fortunate to have a fantastic park just down the street and we've been making good use of it. Here's a couple of pictures from a day when just the schnitz and I were hanging out at the park and then a week ago when we had the opportunity to hang out with some of our friends.

The schnitz ALWAYS find a puppy to love on while we're at the park.

I had to include this just because the expression on his face cracked me up!

My friend, Amy's, little girl...isn't she just the cutest thing you've ever seen??

My son is part monkey, we're pretty sure. He started climbing this thing about six months ago...hopefully our health insurance will cover the heart attack he's going to give me one of these days!

Me: "You're supposed to go down on your hiney!" Schnitz: "Heh heh heh heh....BYE!"

Does anyone else think that this child truly needs a dog??

I've always wondered about the wisdom of putting a rusty horse statue in a park full of kiddos, but the schnitz found him absolutely fascinating.

Taking a break from playing to eat a bit of lunch.

Ahhhh....life is good!

In addition to our more "spontaneous" playdates, the schnitz is also part of a playgroup that meets every Friday. There are four of us moms and six kiddos that are involved in this. We each host one Friday per month. One of the cool things about this is that two of my friends live out in the country. One has two horses which you know is a hit. The other has a big, shaggy, black dog which the schnitz thinks is just fantastic stuff. I personally like the drive out to their homes and think it's great for the kids to have so much room to run around and have fun! It's especially nice now that it's spring. Things are finally starting to turn green and last week was just really pretty. It was all quite blissful, to be honest, until the dog actually caught the ground squirrel he was digging for. That was a bit more "circle of life" intensive than I think either Elysha or I were prepared for. What can I say? It's been a really long time since I've lived in the country and witnessed dogs doing what dogs do! Let's just say that we quickly decided maybe movie time wasn't such a bad idea:-)

See the frantic digging? Yeah...this is before he was successful:-)

And finally, I actually got to go on a "playdate" of my own! (Don't you think I deserve one?:-) We have a museum, here in town, called the Wildlife Experience that also has an IMAX theatre. Every couple of months they have an event called "Martini and a Movie". Basically, you show up at 6:30 for martinis, appetizers (cheese and crackers, tortilla wrap and a skewer of veggies), and dessert. Then at 7:30, you go to the theatre where they are waiting with fresh movie popcorn (yum!) and watch the featured movie on the big, big screen! Well, this past Thursday the movie they were showing was "Sixteen Candles". How fun is that? I managed to convince two of my highly entertaining friends, Laura and Jeannine, that this was absolutely something that we needed to do. Our only hitch is that Laura didn't buy her ticket ahead of time and it sold out:-( However, she stayed for the first hour and we've made plans for a make-up, so it's all good! Here's a sneak peek at how relaxed three moms can look on a night out without the kiddos;-)

I think it's going to be a fun summer.

A Mothers Day gift of perspective...

I've found that there are certain days, during the year, that just naturally trigger the impulse to take stock of different aspects of my life. The obvious ones are New Years and birthdays. Since having the schnitz almost 3 years ago, Mothers Day has been added to the list. While it is a great day for dwelling on how very happy I am to be a mother, especially to one of the world's coolest little guys, it also makes me ponder whether or not I'm actually doing a good job. I don't know about the rest of you, but my answer on this changes day by day and minute by minute.

However, we had the coolest guest speaker in church this morning. She is the mother of 6 children and grandmother to (almost) 12. Once all of her kiddos were out of the house, she and her husband became very involved in mission work through our church and have been to Africa (Niger and Burkina Faso) twelve times in the past three years. They've had a very up close and personal look at how parenting transpires in vastly different circumstances. Talk about someone you can count on to know what she's talking about! She used the word "Perspective" as an acrostic which I really like because I have a much easier time remembering the material. I decided to post my notes from her talk since I figured that I might not be the only one who would be able to appreciate what she shared. Oh and just a few pictures of the schnitz over the years since he's the one who made me a mama in the first place (and because it's fun to take a little trip down memory lane;-)

Praise what you think is really important.

• Try to avoid telling your child that they are the "best" because then they have no where to go but down! Instead, focus on what you really want to highlight such as, "You worked so hard, I'm very proud of you".

How on earth is it possible that he was ever this tiny??

Expect a lot of them and set your expectations of what you want them to be.

• E.g., Self sufficient and independent.

I had so much fun hanging out with the schnitz in New Orleans and he found the powdered sugar pretty entertaining too!:-)

Respond with grace.

• When it's tempting to ignore this one, just spend a few moments pondering the incredible grace showered on you by your Heavenly Father on a regular basis.

Shower them with warmth and affection.

I'm not sure if this bunny ever recovered from the "love and affection" he was showered with by the schnitz;-)

Perceive who God made them to be.

• He created them with unique characteristics, personalities and gifts, as well as weaknesses. It is your job to encourage those strengths and work to overcome their weaknesses.

If God can create such beauty in the world, why not in our kids?:-)

Encourage gratitude by letting them experience deprivation first hand, not just by observing it.

• As much as we would like to think that children will automatically learn gratitude by receiving, that's just not how it works. Human nature is to take as much as you can get and then ask for more. The speaker noted that the people of Niger, the world's poorest country five years ago, are some of the most gracious and grateful people she's ever met.

Cut the ties as they grow.

• For those of us with little ones, this seems a bit far in the future. But, we need to remember that this is an ongoing process from day one and exactly how God intended for things to be. Our job is to do our best to prepare them for an independent life where their dependence is on God and themselves, not us.

Teach them that there is a God, but they are not Him!

• Remember that life does not revolve around your child(ren) and/or their extracurricular activities.

Invest your time in your kids.

• The yield on this investment is incredible!

Value their character, not their accomplishments.

• The character traits they develop will affect their future far more than any of the other things.

Eliminate doubt about your ability to be a good parent.

• Even if your childhood experiences were less than ideal, you can give what you never received. God as your Heavenly Father is and always has been a perfect parent and can fill in the gaps where you have a need.

Rusty with his first and one of his favorite friends, Damien. It has been so much fun watching them grow (they're only two weeks apart in age and he lives just across from us)!

I hope y'all enjoyed this as much as I did! Have a wonderful and blessed Mothers Day and keep up the good work!:-)

Black Bean Soup with Shredded Pork...sooo yummy!

Cost per serving: $1.38

Preparation Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cooking Time: 6 hour(s) minutes

1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and picked over
2 bone-in center-cut pork chops (about 1 1/4 lb.)
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle chilies in adobo plus 1 Tbsp. adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin1
1/2 teaspoons salt

Combine 6 cups water, beans, pork chops, bacon, onion, garlic, chilies, adobo, cumin and salt in slow cooker. Cook on low until beans are tender and pork chops are falling apart, 4 to 6 hours.
Remove and discard bacon. Cut pork away from bones. Discard bones and shred meat. Add meat back to slow cooker with beans. Season with additional salt and serve.

Yield: 8 Servings
CALORIES 320 ; FAT 6g (sat 2g); CHOLESTEROL 48mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37g; SODIUM 581mg; PROTEIN 29g; FIBER 9g

All You, MARCH 2009

Ok, as most of you know, Rusty is allergic to wheat, eggs, dairy and soy. So, I had to make just one modification for him. And then I made a few other modifications based on the fact that we a big meat-eaters in this house:-) So here goes:

The chipotles in adobo turned out to have wheat in them...obviously a no-go. But, I found something called El Paro jalapenos in tomato sauce that was almost the same thing, just no allergens. Recipe calls for 1 T, but I threw in about 1 1/2 T. Also, instead of the 1 1/2lb of bone in pork chops, I used what we had which was boneless. And b/c I defrosted the whole pkg which was almost 2lbs...just went with the whole thing b/c let's be honest...we're meat eaters in this house:-) And the bacon didn't say whether to cook it or not, but I cooked it up and didn't bother taking it out (really...take OUT bacon?:-) I also ended up cooking it on low for more like 12 hours. I stuck it in at 3:30 yesterday afternoon and at 9:30 it was kind of done, but the meat was in no way "shreddable". Stuck some more water in and kept it on low overnight. Got to it around 6:30 this morning and it was falling apart! We ate it for lunch today in tortillas with chopped red onions and cheddar cheese. If have everything I WANT to put on it, at some point, it would probably also include salsa, sour cream and guacamole...load it up!:-) Oh and this made a HUGE crockpot full,so plenty of leftovers.

Competitive Parenting

"Just had to share...thought this was a really good remind that we should take it easy on ourselves and our kids. Everyone benefits in the long run:-)"

Are your friends always comparing their kids to your kids? Do you feel pressure to push your little one to walk or enroll your preschooler in music lessons? Learn how to combat competitive parenting.

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First official field trip of the summer

Welcome to the insanity of a Colorado "spring"...one weekend there's 2 feet of snow and then a week 1/2 later...sunny and 75 degrees. Oh well, roll with the punches has become the name of the game around here. The schnitz and I decided to celebrate the gorgeous weather we're having today by taking a field trip, just the two of us! We got dressed, jumped in the car and headed to the Littleton Historical Museum.

What a fun place!

Here's a great description of the museum from their website: "The Littleton Museum is a 14-acre site encompassing an 1860s farm and 1890s farm with costumed interpreters, Littleton's original log schoolhouse, a 1903 working blacksmith shop, and an ice house." It's also the only Smithsonian affiliated museum in Colorado. Not only does this mean it's well-maintained, it also means it's FREE...even better!:-)

Rusty and I had SUCH a great time hanging out there this morning. I decided that since this was his day, that I wouldn't be so intent on us seeing everything, but would follow his lead as to what he found interesting. This basically meant that in 2 hours we only saw about 1/3 of what was there, but also meant that it was really relaxing and that we have more than enough left to see to justify a return trip with friends on another beautiful day!:-)

A view of the 1890's farm (we'll have to make it to the 1860's farm next trip:-)

Ok, I don't care if there was a spring hooked up to the seat...I'm really thankful for my nice comfy car!

Turns out that 1890's tools are just as fascinating as the more modern ones....who knew?

All the farm animals that he doesn't normally see and this goose was fascinating enough that we had to sit down on the sidewalk and watch him eat. Too funny! To the schnitz's credit, it WAS a really pretty goose:-)

The turtles were a hit, but he had a hard time understanding what the tree limb was doing in the water...he's pretty sure that God's going to fix it and put it back with the tree. Told him we'd check on that when we come back!

I'm not sure that you would have seen a farmer taking it easy like this in the 1890's, but since then we've instated child labor laws, so.....;-)

The schnitz found the blacksmith fascinating and I have to admit, I found it really interesting too.

Side note...I found myself thinking while watching the blacksmith heat the iron in order to get it to bend into the triangle he was making. When the iron was cool, he didn't even try to bend it, it was far too resistant. However, the hotter he heated the iron, the more pliable it became. It was a reminder that, as unpleasant as it came be to go through difficult times in life, whether it's related to your job, family, friends, etc, the more difficult things are, the more it becomes possible for God to mold us into what He wants us to be. As tough as I find it to actually wish for rough times in life, I do hope that I remember this the next time I go through a valley (let's be honest...there's always another valley) and pay attention to how God may be trying to bend and shape me to be more like Him. And also to realize that, while it's not easy, there is a blessing inherent in it, if I only pay attention and submit to what He is trying to do in my life.

And finally, the kind of conversations you can have with a two year old who is obsessed with fire trucks:-)

Does it get any better than this?

Ok, these are the things that are absolutely guaranteed to melt my heart. Last night, I'm in the kitchen getting dinner ready and my sweet schnitz runs in, hugs my legs and says, "I love you!!". He then proceeds to have me pick him up, gives me a kiss on the cheek and a tight hug. He stayed that way and cuddled with me for the next couple minutes "petting" my arm that he informed me was "so soft". Oh my.

And just in case that wasn't enough, as we are eating dinner, he informs me three different times that the "mashed 'tatoes are nummy" and that "mommy is a good cooker!".

Just had to share because this mama went to bed feeling VERY loved and appreciated!:-) Seriously, who needs a Mother's Day gift with stuff like this?

A new resolve to carpe diem

I am truly embarrassed to admit this, but even after almost 3 years of motherhood I still have to really fight my tendency to think of my days in terms of my own "to do" list rather than appreciating the time I have to spend with my child. The crazy thing about this is that I have a beautiful, intelligent and incredibly entertaining son. With the exception of the normal childhood tantrums, he is honestly just a LOT of fun to spend time with. He's had a sense of humor that has astounded me since around 6 months old and now that he can talk? Truly a trip. I have really liked all of the stages that he's gone through from cuddly baby on, but have to say that this is my favorite so far. So why do I spend so much time worrying about what time the laundry and dishes get done when these years are going to speed by and before long he'll be a teenager who wants to do anything other than hang out with his mama?


So I've decided, especially with the wonderful days of summer (at some point) descending upon us, to try to be far more intentional in spending time with this awesome kid that God has blessed us with and more flexible with my "to do" list. Spend more time letting him sit in my lap to read books, play at the park, and just enjoy him.

I started making good on this new resolution last Wednesday as we were leaving MOPS. We have a fantastic playground at our church and as we were walking past it to get to the car, Rusty very excitedly began telling me how he had gone on the slide and it was "so fun!!". I continued to the car and then realized that it was a beautiful day and we didn't actually have any reason in the world that we had to leave right then. So, I turned around and we proceeded to have a great time playing on the equipment for the next 45 minutes and it was just fun! Why on earth don't I think of that stuff more often?

The next day was Thursday and I had to go into the office for the day. We got home at about 5:30 and it was so nice that it seemed pretty much mandatory that we spend at least a little bit of time playing outside. Dinner could wait awhile. Daddy came home and we decided (with a bit of prompting from the schnitz) to take a walk to the fire station that's about a two minute walk behind the house. As we walked up, an older fireman saw us coming, greeted us and told us he'd grab a rookie to show us around. We ended up having an awesome, impromtu field trip! And for whatever reason, I had grabbed my camera and so even got a few pictures.

Off to see the fire trucks...

Talk about getting to see the trucks up close!

Mr. Brian was so great with the schnitz and spent at least 30-40 minutes showing him everything. Of course, his favorite part was working the flashlight on the helmut!

How perfect is this? Just as our tour was ending, they got a call and we got to see the whole crew in action!


Heading home...

While writing this post, I kept hearing the words of Trace Adkins' song, "You're Gonna Miss This" and thought it would be an appropriate note to end on. Now go hug your kiddos!:-)

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