Spring Break–Denver, Colorado Style!

March 29, 2009 By

Colorado had a woosy winter. For evidence, all you need to do is look back through my archives and see the numerous hikes and outdoor adventures we have enjoyed during our balmy temperatures.

Mother Nature finally woke up on Thursday and delighted us with a blizzard and schools were closed for two days. On Day 1, we hunkered down and invited our neighbors over for a Snow Party.

Photo #1: Never-before-seen-picture of our unfinished soda fountain and bar. Why is it unfinished? Because Granite Kitchen Solutions/Jason’s Granite walked with our money before delivering. Small claims court may be in his future (anyone had any experience with this?) Regardless, here is a shot of our almost-finished bar, complete with very cool gooseneck spouts.


We broke in our retro popcorn popper Jamie’s family bought us for Christmas and tested out all of the Kernel Seasoning’s Popcorn Toppings I received a couple of months ago (yum!) As an FYI, Bode is not plugging his ears because of the popping but because of “Sissy’s” singing.


She gets it from me.

We invited our neighbors Meredith, Andy and Maddie over to watch Incredibles on our new 84-inch television, Jamie’s pride and joy. We were shocked/bewildered/disturbed when Andy brought over his Snugglie. I didn’t know if I should ridicule him or snuggle him.

I chose the former. (Sidenote: his dear wife Meredith is in the foreground, refusing to show her face with the Snuggie. Who can blame her? Hadley, on the other hand, cannot resist.)

On Day 2, we took to the great outdoors. My poor children. Little do they know that some kiddos spend their Spring Break like this:

But their Canadian mama makes them have vacations like this:


Sand castles, snow caves. It’s all relative.


The best news of all? We are now officially on Spring Break this week. Expect a whole lot of craziness from this Crazy Clan…..


So, let’s hear it from you! How did you/are you spending your Spring Break?

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Humor, outdoors

Learning to “Ski Like a Girl” at Keystone Resort

February 1, 2009 By

I grew up with O.S.S. (Only-Sister Syndrome), which often became S.O.S. when participating in sports with my ultra-competitive brothers. The biggest slam to my ego was when they accused me of doing anything “like a girl.”

But here’s the deal: last week at Keystone Resort, I “skied like a girl” and loved every minute of it. While Jamie and Bode went sledding at the Nordic Center, Hadley and I got a sneak peak at Keystone’s infamous Betty Fest ski clinics, the ultimate in girl bonding. Their regular clinic includes two days of on-hill training for all levels, video analysis and women- specific discussions.

Our little Betty Fest consisted of amiable PSIA-certified women instructors and [perhaps most importantly] pink feather boas.

I have skied since I was a wee Canadian lassie and worked as a publicist in Utah’s ski industry. But here’s the deal: I haven’t improved in years. And so when my kick-butt instructor Cathy asked me what skills I wanted to work on, I told her I wanted to ski moguls like Wonder Woman, who incidentally, is one step above skiing like a girl.

Cathy’s first item of business: bringing me down to the depths of humility and correcting every single technique I had. And just when I felt I was starting to resemble a one-legged tree frog on skis, she built me back up so I was rocking those bumps…and not just rolling over them.

Though make no mistake: even during the rolling, the feather boa held up marvelously and I highly recommend Keystone’s next Betty Fest February 28 – March 1. I hope to be there, boa and all.

Keystone Lake: A Cut of Canada

Most families have some kind of initiation when someone marries into the clan. My American husband received a pair of hockey skates with the explicit instructions that any of our future half-breeds should be born on the blade.
IMG 1234
But here’s the the deal: a Canuck’s idea of skating is not circling around on some uninspired indoor rink with music blaring in the background. We like wide open spaces and skate for miles on rivers and lakes. Frozen nose hairs are an added bonus.

Keystone Lake is about as close to The Real Skating Deal as I have come since moving to the United States. They boast their five-acre lake is the largest Zamboni-maintained outdoor skating rink in North America. My little clan had the time of our lives cruising around, watching the pick-up hockey game and marveling at the mountain grandeur as flurries of ice particles glittered in the swirling air. It was the perfect cut of Canada.

Minus the frozen nose hairs.

When the Spa & Sleigh Rides Do Not Mix

While at the Keystone Lodge and Spa I received the Aboriginal Mala Mayi treatment. After a gentle full-body scrub, I was covered in silky warm Mapi Body Mud, received a Paudi scalp massage, followed by a full-body Marta Kodo massage. It was 100 minutes of sheer bliss, only to be interrupted by a mad dash to Keystone’s famous sleigh ride dinner with my family.
sleigh ride
It should have been the perfect evening in our horse-drawn sleigh. Snuggling up to my children as we soared across Soda Creek Valley’s snowy wonderland. Watching the snowflakes collect on their lashes as we gazed up at the explosion of stars. Hearing them giggle in delight as we arrived at the restored ranch homestead. Eating a delicious four-course steak dinner with all the fixins’. Laughing as we sang along to cowboy tunes all night.

But it wasn’t perfect. Not for me, anyway.

Remember that blissful massage I had a couple hours prior? There was some detoxification involved. The kind that involves flushing the bad toxins out of my body at a very rapid rate. I’ll stop there. Just know that I became very acquainted with the cowboy outhouse all evening long. I learned then what I should have known all along: cowboys and spas should never, ever mix.

Maybe I should just stick to sking like a girl.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Hadley, Humor, outdoors, skiing Tagged With:

The day my daughter and I almost froze to death beside a hot tub

November 17, 2008 By

OK, so maybe that title is a wee bit of an exaggeration. More like the day Haddie and I almost lost a few fingers as my two-year-old son Bode watched us as he played chess. Didn’t know a toddler could pass a pawn? Me neither.

A little bit of background: my family recently went to Keystone, which is of the few major resorts in Colorado I had yet to visit since moving here six years ago. I fell in love with the area and am already planning a return trip in January to ski and skate on their huge lake, which boasts the largest Zamboni-maintained outdoor skating rink in North America. And for this Canuck who grew up skating on frozen lakes and rivers, this will surely provide warm memories of my frozen nose hairs.

It was opening weekend for the resort but instead of hitting the slopes, we played in the village and dined at The Bighorn Steakhouse overlooking the lake. The food was delicious, the ambiance refined yet family-friendly and my children miraculously ate every last bite of their dinner. As for me, I am still trying to work off the 5,000 calories I consumed from the huge dessert platter.

We stayed at The Timbers, one of SummitCove’s more luxurious properties. Forget the gourmet kitchen and slope-side views–what really made this condo a winner was their on-site pack-and-play, children’s utensils and dishes, and humidifiers. It was my home away from home.

Or so I wish.

But where was I? Oh yes, back to how we almost froze to death. Our [much nicer] home away from home also included an indoor/outdoor pool, a hot tub with a waterfall and a fire pit. Saturday morning, the kids and I were banging away on the lobby’s grand piano and playing with the chess pieces when I noticed the fire pit outside was lit. And then I got a brilliant idea.

Or so I thought.

The kids and I would dash out there, pose for a picture and rush back in before you could say H-Y-P-O-T-H-E-R-M-I-A. Bode begged off our plan, preferring to stay inside and explore the intricacies of chess. So it was just Haddie and me.

We dashed, we posed and we ran back…to a locked patio door. And imagine my delight to discover my room key did not work. I was in a T-shirt, Haddie was barefoot, it was cold, my husband was blissfully tucked away in our room, we were in an enclosed courtyard and the building was a ghost town.

BodechessThere was only Bode.

Have you ever tried to convince a 2-year-old to interrupt something he is engrossed in to help you? The strategy is completely different than with an older child. There is no threatening that you’ll take the car away. There are no bribes for new toys. There is just begging. And jumping jacks. And more begging.

And his reaction? He smiled. Even laughed. And then he turned back to his chess game.

This carried on for about 15 minutes. I was just about to hop into the hot tub to warm up when he finally grew tired of our cat-and-frozen-mouse game and waddled over to the door. He gave me one last devious smile and opened it.

I didn’t know whether to hug him or smack his insolent little bottom.

I went for the hug.

But have revoked all future driving privileges until he is 80.

(Originally published at Mile High Mamas).

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Humor, outdoors, travel

The Great Adventure, Right in Your Backyard

November 3, 2008 By

This post was inspired by a curiosity about what you love about where you live. Where are your favorite haunts in your city or town? What do you have on your “to do” list that you have yet to explore? I want to hear about your great adventures, right in your backyard! Do you wish you had more?

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I spent my final semester of college on a study abroad in the Middle East. Our campus was on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and we traveled frequently around the region. We floated in the Dead Sea and slept in cabanas by the Sea of Galilee. We roamed through Petra’s ancient wonders in Jordan and we climbed Mount Sinai to witness the sunrise. We marveled at the Great Pyramids and sailed the Nile at sunset.

Upon the completion of my studies, I stopped over in Europe with a few of my friends. We backpacked five countries in two weeks and had the time of our lives. One of our final destinations was Switzerland. We stayed at a hostel inInterlaken, the country’s outdoor Mecca. After a day of rafting the mighty Lütschine, we talked late into the night with some fellow travelers.

One of them was named Ralph. He was charming, athletic and drop-dead gorgeous. He was a mail carrier from Australia who had saved up his money for a year-long adventure abroad. He was going home the next morning. Feeling remorseful about the end of my own travels, I asked him how he thought he would adjust back to his humdrum life after being given a glimpse of the world.

His answer still resonates today:

“Before this trip, I was always planning my next great adventure. It has taken this trip to help me realize there is so much close to home I have yet to experience. My next great adventures will be in my own backyard for many years to come.”

This has become my mantra in life. Sure, I still love to travel. I always will. But there is so much to explore here and now. And two weeks in a row, I have had The Perfect Day right here in Colorado.

creamery can copyA couple of weeks ago, my son Bode and I went to The Children’s Museum. After a morning at play, we went to buy our favorite cookie from their cafe, only to discover it has been discontinued. This sent us on a wild goose chase to discover the birthplace of The Great Cookie at Jay’s Patio Cafe, which is nestled in a funky shopping district in Highland. We spent the next couple of hours exploring this cool area–from Red Door Swingin’, my favorite new shop to visit with my girlfriends, to Little Man Ice Cream, the ultimate ice cream shop housed in a giant creamery can.

Who knew?

Last Thursday, Bode and I opted out of a hike we regularly do in Evergreen to simply walk around Evergreen Lake. I have skated it in the winter, driven past it to access the back country and yet have never walked around it. We strolled the dirt path, climbed the steps to a lookout over the dam, sauntered down Main Street, discovered the Pioneer Trail, threw rocks in the lake, marveled at a Caterpillar dredging sediment out of the river and then dined on the outdoor patio of the Aspen Grill overlooking it all.

The Perfect Day.

I am amazed what I find when I leave my daily routine. Whether I am searching for The Great Cookie or attempting to rediscover The Familiar, I feel fortunate to find it all here in my backyard.

And just as my Australian friend wisely proclaimed so many years ago: wherever you live is your Great Adventure.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, outdoors, travel

Mental Health Day for this CRAZY Bloggin’ Canuck

September 4, 2008 By

I took a Mental Health Day yesterday. In an ideal world, a person does not almost end up in the psych ward trying to plan their mental reprieve but that is what happened when Haddie’s playgroup almost fell though and then my bike’s tire went flat and no one had the correct-sized nozzle to pump it up.

Oh, and did I mention I am a single parent this week because Jamie is back East on business? Hence the reason for the Mental Health Day. It may come as a surprise to those who know what a social being I am but I looooove to be alone. But marriage + kids = alone no more.

Fortunately, everything came together at the last minute and I had seven blissful hours all to myself. And what did I do? Why, I’m glad you asked!

1) I went to Boulder, Colorado’s outdoorsy, green-living Mecca. Where residents are freakishly athletic and the dreg-locked CU students can pass as homeless people.

And where I finally conquered something on my dying-to-do list: I biked up (and up and up) Boulder Canyon and then cruised down along the Boulder Creek Trail.

It was a killer 2-hour ride and I thought I had put in a respectable effort until two GRANDMAS cruised past me.

Mind you, these are Boulder Grannies, which makes them superior among their blue-haired species.

2) After my ride, I showered. And shaved. These alone should warrant recognition of some kind.

3) I grabbed lunch and went to see Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Alone. Ever been to a movie alone? When I was single, I used to do it all the time. And I loooooove it because I don’t have anyone asking me questions or begging me to take them to the bathroom.

Other than those two annoyances, Jamie was certainly missed.

Though exhausting, I was thrilled with how much I was able to do. Not that we’re ever lackadaisical. When Haddie is in preschool, Bode and I always cram a lot into our three-hour window–from biking to hiking to going for walks.

One of the other mothers at preschool is amazed by this and last week, I relayed a conversation I had with her to Jamie:

“And then I asked her what she does while her kids are in school.”

“And what did she say?”

“She cleans. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“Amber, I encourage you to pursue friendships with women who are great examples like this.”

So, here’s your question: you have seven hours to yourself. What do you do? Play? Shop? Sleep? Or [gulp] Clean? (Though if you answer affirmatively to the latter point, I don’t think we can be friends. :-) Let’s hear about your ideal Mental Health Day!

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Humor, outdoors

One mommy blogger’s [humorous? painful?] path to a nervous breakdown

July 8, 2008 By

There has been a morbid fascination with my exposé of our failed camping trip (read Camping, Crying and Capsizing here). While overall we had a great time with our friends, I left out the sordid details of Bode’s near-fatal (for me, not him) bout with diarrhea for two reasons:

1) If you do not yet have children and want them, I did not want to permanently traumatize you into abstinence.

2) Likewise for those who do not like poop stories because this was the motherlode of crap.

About 2/3 of the way through our 2.5-hour drive, Bode developed diarrhea that exploded out his diaper, congregating in a delicious pool of poop that saturated his car seat and then oozed onto our leather seats below. So while Jamie and Bode were down for a long summer’s nap at the campground, the rest of my afternoon went like this:

  • Beckoned Tina’s husband Mark to help me remove the car seat. And wisely so because he got a handful of crap during the process.
  • Went to the laundry room and with great difficulty, removed the car seat’s cover for the first time. Was delighted to find three year’s worth of Cheerios and Nutrigrain Bars marinating in poop.
  • Rinsed the cover off, threw it in the washer and bought a small box of Tide. Anticipated a nice plastic bag inside so ruthlessly tore open the box. Detergent spewed all over the laundry room. Barely had enough money for the load so was reduced to sweeping Tide up off the filthy floor with my hands.
  • Ran the load and then scrubbed the car seat in the huge sink. Realized there was no way the straps would dry by morning.
  • Went to adjacent bathroom, hoping to find paper towels but they only had blow dryers. Sat drying my car seat, completing ticking off a woman who had just gotten out of the shower. Felt like telling her, “”You have straight, thin hair. Rejoice in it. It’ll be dry in minutes” but instead gave her a “You are camping–why are you showering anyway” look.
  • Car seat mostly dry. Made my way back to put the cover in the dryer but realized I was out of money. Scrubbed my hands from the stench but opted out of drying them because I just spent 20 minutes under the blow dryer.
  • Inserted dollar bill in machine. It was rejected due to my wet hands.
  • Dried dollar bill under blow dryer. Continued to receive evil looks from thin-haired woman.
  • Went back to laundry room. Drama almost over. Tossed the car seat cover in dryer, closed, inserted money. Water started. Wait–WATER? Realized I had mistakenly put it in a front-loading washing machine that was the spitting image of a dryer. A washing machine with an iron-clad lock on it.
  • Sat through ANOTHER wash cycle, went back to campsite. Sent Hunky Hubby back to deal with the dryer.
  • Poor Hunky Hubby was up all night with diarrhea. The outhouse never smelled so good.
  • Vowed to never go camping with children again. At least not when they have diarrhea.
  • The End.

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As you are reading this, I am flying to Canada. Alone. With the children. Will there be a return of The Diarrhea of Death?

Pray for me, people. Pray for me. And pray for those on our flight. :-)

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Humor, outdoors, travel

Camping, Capsizing and Crying (all in a weekend at play)

July 7, 2008 By

As backpackers, my husband Jamie and I are minimalists. We pack the bare essentials because we know we will be the ones hauling them into the backcountry.

We had also taken the same approach with car camping…until we saw the light during last weekend’s camping trip to Eleven Mile State Park, a venue that came highly recommended in Family Fun magazine and a rocky, barren venue that I would never recommend in a thousand years. Or in the eleven hundred miles it seemed to take to get us there.

Our friends Tina and Mark are Pack Everything Including the Kitchen Sink kind of campers. There is nothing wrong with this unless you are camping with them and your rations suddenly seem woefully inadequate and you find yourselves begging them to please share just a bite of their pancake, sausage and bacon breakfast to spare you the trauma of your Frosted Flakes without milk.

In addition to having a tent trailer that was stocked to the hilt, they also brought their canoe, a ton of toys, games, bubble whistles, glow-in-the-dark necklaces and a visit from the bead fairy who helped them make bracelets.

My contribution? Paper plates. A lot of them.

Oh, and both of my boys brought diarrhea. A lot of it. But I will spare you the joy of how I spent my afternoon in the park’s laundry room cleaning the pool of poop that had saturated Bode’s carseat during the drive. Jamie’s rendition of Said Illness did not hit until 11 p.m. and he had a grand ol’ time darting in and out of the tent all night and relieving himself in the outhouse.

Because those things don’t smell disgusting enough.

Our first day was windy and cold, which forced us to hunker down in Tina and Mark’s camper. Day two dawned glorious and calm so Mark announced that we would take the kids canoeing and issued a decree for anyone who wanted to come?!

Tina bowed out. She is afraid of tipping over in the canoe. Woosy.

Jamie was still nauseated from his all-night puke and poopfest. Woosy.

So I ponied up. Mark and I sailed across the water with Hadley and his son Nolan. All was going smoothly until we approached the shoreline and three motorboats departed at the same time. Three motorboats vs. one little canoe.

I will spare you the details. Actually, I don’t really remember them. All I can recollect is my end of the canoe was the first to tip and the rest soon followed. Hadley and Nolan screamed hysterically. Mark and I laughed in the same manner.

Ever the loving, concerned friend, Tina was quick to react by barking out orders from the shore:

“I’ll get the towels and Jamie, YOU TAKE THE PICTURES!”

Just not with my camera because it was in my pocket at the time. And for those who are wondering: no, it was (as in past tense) not waterproof.

Hadley speaks of the incident as if she had one foot in the grave. She was so freaked out that family therapy sessions are assuredly in her future.

Rest assured, I will bring the paper plates for that occasion, too.

Later edited: By popular demand One mommy blogger’s [humorous? painful?] path to a nervous breakdown.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Humor, outdoors, travel

Summer Solsticing (and traumatizing) at Granby Ranch

June 30, 2008 By

A week ago, we attended Granby Ranch’s summer solstice. The resort went all out for this celebration that included fireworks, BBQs, chairlift rides, face painting, golf, crafts, a climbing wall, trampoline, massages, pony rides and mountain bike demos. To name a few.

We reallllly wanted to go on this trip because:

1) It sounded fun. Duh.
2) The following weekend would be our dreaded camping trip with the children and we wanted them to have at least one positive experience with the great outdoors. Even if it meant enjoying it from the great indoors of our slope-side condo.

If you’ve never been to Granby Ranch, you must not be a hip, nature-loving family with young children in Colorado because that is 90 percent of their audience. The other 9 percent consists of suicidal mountain bikers who barrel down the resort’s new mountain bike park. The remaining 1 percent? Toileting-papering, hike-traumatizing city folk like us.

One of our best–and worst–experiences was shortly after we arrived. Much to the delight of the children, we rode the chairlift to the summit. The plan was to then hike through the resort’s wildflower-laced meadows and sing “Climb [Down] Every Mountain in a scene reminiscent of the Von Trapp Family Singers.

Yeah, right.

Our children have been on the trail since they were six weeks old so they are well acquainted with the rigors of the backcountry. Just not the hazards of their father.

We were about halfway down when my husband Jamie proclaimed this place was where he nearly killed his father 20 years ago when he convinced him to forsake the bunny slope.

Hadley chose this Valley of Death to announce that she needed a break. Before I could object, Jamie spotted a grove of trees and proceeded to climb over an obstacle course of deadfall before plopping down on a log. Bravely, Hadley followed her daddy and within moments, she let out a death-defying screech. She had sliced up her hand on one of the logs.

Really, the damage of a few slivers was minor. But if you are four years old and there is no princess band-aid in sight, you think your life is O-V-E-R. I will spare you the sordid details of the rest of the hike but let’s just say it was replete with a few of her [Not-So] Favorite Things.

After a full day’s activities, we settled back on the deck listening to live music and enjoying a gourmet BBQ. As the evening progressed, the hilarious Jackman Brothers performed. At Bode’s insistence, I left to replenish his plate with even more food. Because evidently five ribs and countless chicken nuggets were not enough for our 1-year-old garbage disposal.

Upon our return, we made a very disturbing discovery:

Some would consider this to be my husband subjected to the humiliation of getting called up in front of hundreds of people for a corny toilet paper race.

Others—like my father-in-law and daughter—would call it Payback at Granby Ranch.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Jamie, outdoors, travel

A Colorado weekend of chick flicks, hiking and car wash trauma

June 11, 2008 By

Last weekend, Jamie’s mom offered to take Bode on Friday night while Jamie’s sister hosted a sleepover with Hadley and then spent the day with her at the local amusement park.

Just in case you are wondering why we live in Colorado, look no further than the above paragraph. My sympathies to those who do not live close to family.

So, what did Jamie and I do on our night off? Nada. Actually, we had plans to go the temple but Jamie did not feel well so I went to the local Redbox to rent a movie. There was nothing I wanted to rent so I finally settled on something I knew Jamie would not be happy about.

“Jamie, it may possibly be classified as a chick flick.”

[Warily] “Why would you say that? What did you rent?”

“Jane Austen’s Book Club.”

I was wrong. It wasn’t a chick flick. It was a chick flick on steroids.

Saturday morning, we retrieved Bode and headed up Eldorado Canyon just outside of Boulder. I have never been to this gorgeous cut of Colorado and we hiked for two hours up Rattlesnake Gulch, relishing views of the verdant Continental Divide.

This was the longest Bode has ever been in the backpack but he was a delight the whole day because 1) He looooves hiking. Well, if you consider hiking to be kicking back and occasionally kicking his mule horse mommy to go faster. 2) With mommy and daddy’s undivided attention, it was confirmed to him that he should have been an only child.

Really, the only downer to the entire weekend was on Friday night as I was driving home after dropping off the kids. I decided to do my annual super soak at the car wash, something I cannot do with Bode because it absolutely terrifies him.

I was distractedly sitting in the car watching the machine lather up my car. When it came to the rinse cycle, I distractedly realized how hot and stuffy I was getting. And what do distracted people do when their car is hot and stuffy? They roll down the window.

Here’s a little tip: if you are ever tempted to roll down the window during a car wash?

Don’t.
© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Humor, outdoors

Camping Chaos: A Mommy Blogger’s Plea for Help!

June 2, 2008 By

I have finally done gone and did it.

Please excuse my lapse in grammar. I am evidently experiencing such deficiencies in most areas of my life, particularly in the “I Will NEVER do That Again with Young Children” camp.

Speaking of camp, that is precisely what I vowed I would never do again while my kids are toddlers. And yet in what can only be described as a fog, I recently found myself clicking the “reserve” button on our campground registration.

Now, let me explain. My husband and I are outdoor aficionados. Every year, we climb a 14er and go backpacking in Moab together. And every year, we leave the children at home with Grandma.

I have also been a member of a fantastic hiking group for moms – Colorado Mountain Mamas – since my firstborn was six weeks old so my kids know the outdoors.

Just not overnight.

There is a reason for this. When my daughter Hadley was 14 months old, Jamie and I thought it would be fun to take her camping. Fun in the I-want-to-put-a-bullet-through-my-head-by-the-end-of-the-trip kind of way.

Hadley has always been an adventurous kid and loves the outdoors. But there is a world of difference between day-tripping or spending the night in a nice cabin vs. roughing it.

First, there was the issue of a tent. We are accustomed to sleek back-country ones that take moments to assemble. But we somehow thought it was a good idea to buy a tent from Costco that is big enough to house a small army. Have you ever tried to assemble a miniature house while battling a screaming toddler? We learned very quickly that we will never be invited to assist in Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Second, there was the issue of stuff. Everywhere. In the trees, on the ground – it all ended up in Hadley’s mouth. Our campsite was on a slope so if she wasn’t tripping over every rock or stick, she was eating them or attempting to roll over in the fire pit.

Third, there was the issue of sleep. Or lack thereof. Even though it was July, the evenings were cold. That, coupled with uncomfortable sleeping quarters, led Hadley to wail all night long. Both nights. If our campground neighbors had a choice, I am sure they would have voted us off the island. Both nights.

But I am still disillusioned by the dream of happy campers snuggling by the fire cooking s’mores and hot dogs. Well, minus the fat-free hot dogs, which I made the mistake of buying last time around. Note to the wise: if your hot dog turns putrid grey when cooked and your kid has the reaction you see in the photo, something is very, very wrong.

It has been three years since that cursed trip. This time, I have taken a Strength in Numbers approach and invited my friend Tina, her husband Mark and two of Hadley’s bestestest friends Nolan and Rowan.

This is the same woman whose children have been known to throw massive tantrums about “hiking” a flat 1/4-mile loop.

Should be a banner weekend. :-)

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Humor, outdoors Tagged With:
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