The Baptism

June 8, 2012 By

There are a few pinnacle events in every Mormon’s life and getting baptized when you’re 8 (or older) is a big one. We planned to have a backyard party following the baptism and spent the morning setting everything up. And then the hurricane winds and rain started so we moved it indoors. And then it later cleared so it was outside-bound yet again.
 
  I love this picture of Hadley as she reflectively watched the rain prior to leaving for her baptism.

I have no doubt she somehow had control over the elements and was responsible for the rain clearing up.

 Jamie baptized and confirmed her and the whole service went perfectly.

Except for the fact she had to be dunked twice because Jamie was standing in the wrong direction the first time. When she had to go back out there to do it again, she lamented, “I’m so embarrassed!”

Her parental humiliation has only just begun.

We invited a bunch of friends and family to come over after the baptism for “light refreshments. Apparently I don’t know what that means. We had Sloppy Joes, oodles of appetizers and Qdoba Mexican Grill asked if we’d be their guinea pig for their new Fajita Bar that is being tested in Denver.

No-brainer on that one.

The chocolate fountain is always a hit. Margaret, my mother-in-law Linda and Haddie’s Primary teacher Julie were in charge of it.

And yes, it was worthy of an entire committee.

A couple of weeks prior, I took Haddie shopping to buy a special dress to wear afterward and I had one of those ah-ha mom moments of, “She’s growing up fast…and gorgeous.”

And I’m so proud of the young woman she is becoming.

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

School’s Out for Summer!

June 6, 2012 By

I know this announcement is a week late but I had to sneak it in there. Like the annoying mom I am, I snapped a lot of pictures to commemorate the last day of school.

This one is at the bus stop. I got a bit teary-eyed thinking that would be the last time they’d take the bus to school together because Haddie is switching schools next year.

I think the weeping is from the fact I’ll now have to drive her both ways while still making the trek to the bus stop with Bode.

Bode with his sweet kindergarten teacher who announced her retirement.

I sure hope he had nothing to do with that decision.

And Haddie: just a wee bit excited to be done!

Both of them had a great  year with wonderful teachers. Their report cards made me chuckle because their strengths are completely opposite of each other. Bode got top grades in everything except for art (he inherited my stick-figure abilities) while Haddie excelled in the arts and struggled in math (that one is all about Jamie).

Here’s to a great summer!

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Bode, Hadley

Field Day!

May 30, 2012 By

With school winding down tomorrow, the fun is really beginning. A couple of weeks ago, my kids had Field Day, a rip-roaring good time with their classmates.

Seeing Haddie with all her besties made me sad she’ll be switching schools next year.

Grace, Chelsea, Hadley, Kasey, Kloe, Abby, Alex

Both of the kids had fun and did well. Though they’re both athletic, they’re among the youngest in their classes, which makes a huge different in sports (particularly at Bode’s age when he’s competing against kids a year older who were held back).

I was joking to Jamie that they didn’t win anything.

“My brothers and I–we dominated every sport. I blame the Johnson genes.”
 ”I’ll have you know I ruled at Field Day,” he retorted.
“And the rest of your clan?”

No offense, Johnsons, but the man didn’t have a rebuttal. :-)

But we all had a great time and I loved reliving the glory years…until I was dog tired the rest of the afternoon.

You know. From standing there all day.

My, how times have changed.

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

Eight is, indeed, great

May 27, 2012 By

 Haddie’s 8th birthday had all the fixins for a perfect day and for the most part, it was. I chaperoned her class trip to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and she had her first sleepover with a few of her besties that night.

We surprised her that morning by completely covering her bedroom floor with balloons and taping streamers to her door. I envisioned her busting through as we victoriously chanted, “8, 8, 8!” Instead, she crawled underneath.

 Oh, the anti-climax.

The Fete
Haddie’s party more than made up for it. Eight was the magical number when she could have her first sleepover so she invited a few of her friends. They made individual pizzas and had a sundae bar…

And loaded up on candy (including Pop Rocks for the first time):

Maeve, Kasey, Alex and Haddie

Jamie did not have Pop Rocks in his mouth. Judge him all you want.

The Spa
The girls taught Hadley how to jump rope on the front lawn (reminiscing “Teddy Bear” was so sweet and fun) but one of the highlights was our spa night where I introduced them to facials with a sugar rub and yogurt-oatmeal mask and hot rock treatment in a candlelit room with soft music.

They thought they’d died and gone to heaven.

Hadley and Maeve

Jamie’s sister Lisa helped me juggle them all and we chuckled at their comments. “Ahhh, I could do this every day.” “Can I eat the cucumbers?” “Just relax, Hadley!” Maeve–a sweet, mellow girl–took to it like fish to water and it was almost life-changing for her.

I’m sure her mom is going to bill me for her future spa habit.

Later that night after a movie, Alex had to go home and  it was Operation TP. I’m not sure who dreamed up the idea (probably me) but I gave Kasey and Maeve yellow streamers and Hadley a half-roll of toilet paper. You can’t do much damage with those (plus our victims have wee trees) but you’d have never known that.

They. Had. A. Blast. Giggling. Racing around. Hiding behind lamp posts.  They finally had license to do something on the sly and they ran with it…all the way back to our house.

I’m just hoping  we’re not their next target.

The Quote

Later in the evening after we’d had birthday sundaes and cookies (she didn’t want a cake), we had a scary moment with Alex. One thing you should know about her: someday she is going to be a star and she’s so over-the-top with everything (see this hilarious ditty last winter).

Alex had just popped a cookie in her mouth and the next thing I knew, she was writhing on the kitchen floor, choking and spitting it out. I freaked out, raced over, started whacking her on the back screaming to Jamie as the girls watched in horror. It probably lasted only 30 seconds but it felt like an eternity as she finally hocked the last of the cookie out of her blocked passageway.

Relieved, we watched her get up, clean her face off as I wiped up the mess off the floor, and without skipping a beat, she warned: “We must NEVER speak of that.”

The Morning After

It’s the 8-year-old version of What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.

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

Bueller? Bueller?

May 17, 2012 By

Last Thursday, Hadley and I played hookey from school and work.

I’ve long wanted to pull her out of school for a girl’s afternoon and hope to make it a tradition for each of my kids every year. When I was extended an invitation to preview the Denver Zoo’s new Toyota Elephant Passage exhibit, the stars were aligned.

And we didst skip.

Toyota Elephant Passage

The Denver Zoo’s newest elephant habitat has been nearly a decade in the making and will finally open to the public on June 1, 2012. With 10 acres of varied terrain and 2 miles of interconnected trails, Toyota Elephant Passage not only showcases Southeast Asia’s wildlife (including elephants, one-horned rhinoceros, Malayan tapir, the fishing cat, clouded leopard and the Asian small-claws otters) but there are a lot of interactive elements to it.

Like this Tuk-Tuk.

I am screaming partially due to the crazy driver but also out of discomfort because those back seats are made for short people.

Or this Brachiation Station where kiddos can swing like monkeys.

I stayed far, far away from this one.

If you’re local and want more details of the new exhibit and our adventures, be sure to go to Mile High Mamas.

=======

The Hike

I’ve long had a favorite secret hike that my kids did with me as babies in the backpack. And no, I’m not revealing its whereabouts; the hike is unknown to most everyone and I hope to keep it that way.

The trail is beautiful but steep near the summit but I figured Hadley was ready after showing me her hiking prowess on Turkey Trot last winter. We started out at a moderate pitch and we had a lovely time.

But when that trail turned steep the last 20 minutes to the summit? Whining. I had not taken into account my girl is out of shape for hiking (that will quickly be rectified this summer). Here’s a great shot of her mid-whine (click the picture for the full effect).

After I snapped it, she snapped back, “I’m deleting that picture!”

Guess what: she forgot.

I didn’t let her give up and the views of 14,2600-foot Mount Evans were so worth it. I mean, just look how high her little legs took her!

I’ll never forget our hike down because it was yet another reminder my girl is growing up. All the pain of our ascent was forgotten as we had “The Talk.” Not the birds and the bees just yet but the one that talks about the joys of puberty.

My, how disappointed she is going to be when it happens.

=======

The Lunch

And nothing beats the puberty talk than eating at our favorite restaurant–Country Road Cafe– outside of Evergreen, CO.

If you’re ever in Colorado, you have to go. Just just take a look at their menu. They truly have the most amazing breakfasts and sandwiches/paninis.

As we drove home exhausted and happy, Hadley exclaimed, “THAT WAS AWESOME!”

I can’t wait to repeat that awesomeness every year with her.

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

How to traumatize your soccer-playing kid

April 19, 2012 By

Each of my children have their own passions. Hadley’s are the arts, swimming, skiing and hiking.

Bode’s are soccer, Wii and biking.

They enjoy many of the same activities to varying degrees but sometimes, they are passionate about having things all their own.

I recently learned this the hard way.

Bode was enrolled in indoor soccer during the winter. Last month, he had bring-a-friend-to-soccer day. His bestie Seanie couldn’t come and Bode was fine with that because his other besties Timmy and Trey already play with him.

What he wasn’t fine with? Hadley.

Since Jamie works from home, I often leave her behind while I take Bode to soccer but she wanted to come and race around the perimeter of the arena. When we arrived, we were surprised to see kids Hadley’s age playing so I encouraged her to join in.

A bit of background: the facility is brand new and everything is bright and shiny. When Hadley tried to walk into the field, she passed over the open door and tried to enter through the very clear plexiglass behind the door.

It didn’t end well.

A few minutes later, Hadley was delighted when her friend Kasey (who will be joining us at our Waldorf school next year) showed up. When she learned she could join in, Kasey surpassed the door and attempted to walk through the very same panel of plexiglass.

They are two peas in a (very blonde) pod.

Though Hadley has no aspirations to take up soccer again, she had a great time playing with the older kids. Bode, on the other hand, did not.

I saw him making that face: the one where he’s trying really hard to hold it together but gosh darn it, he was mad. I called him over to me and the waterworks were unleashed.

“What’s wrong, Bode? Why are you crying?”
“Cuz cuz cuz Hadley is playing,” he sobbed.
“That’s right. She’s playing because it’s bring-a-friend-to-soccer day!” I explained.
“BUT SHE’S NOT MY FRIEND!”

Touché

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

Life: According to Instagram

April 17, 2012 By

Sometimes life is best followed by a glorious little app called Instagram. I’m woefully behind on life so here are our happenings before big Spring Break in Utah:

Hadley competed in her second Destination Imagination tournament whereupon she performed the riveting role of a mouse.

Suffice it to say, she was seriously bummed to snag up that role before she realized she could have had the role of a lifetime: a cat.

Speaking of which, our amateur photographers have been taking lots of pictures of Fat Kitty in his element….

….Whining and longing to go outside.

They also documented Fat Kitty’s love story. A new family moved onto our street and they brought Austin the cat with them. It was Fat Kitty’s first kiss ever.
Even Bode who shuns any signs of flirtation admitted he couldn’t turn away from the burgeoning romance.

Imagine their disappointment when they realized Austin was, in fact, a dude.

We’ve been spending a lot of time at the skate park and playground with our neighborhood besties.

A hint of many glorious evenings to come this summer.

Hadley and I are training for her first 5K, The Color Run. First item of business was shopping for running shoes and second was her first run.

She’ll be passing me in no time.

Every day when Hadley comes home from school, she holes herself up in her room to create something amazing.

This is what happened to my office chair during one of her many sessions.

One Saturday, we were Junior Naturalists at the Lookout Nature Center.

Or rather, the kids were. Jamie and I are more in the “senior” camp.

As for me, I’ve been keeping busy. One day, I appeared on Denver’s top news station, 9News, showcasing various baby shower items.

I miraculously survived without stuttering too much.

And through my almost-daily adventures, I’ve seen winter slowly seep into spring. From this hike up Matthews Winters in my Yaktrax….

to Confluence Park.

To a very steep hike up Apex Park to my new favorite overlook of the city.

To mountain biking Standley Lake.


To more mountain biking.

Only in Boulder would a trail with the name Community Ditch be so beautiful.

Some people call March Denver’s “shoulder’s season.”

If that’s the case, I can’t wait to see what our regular season will bring.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: 9News, biking, Bode, Colorado, Hadley, hiking

What could have been a big-time mothering fail at Park City Mountain Resort

April 13, 2012 By

I never intended to write a week’s worth of posts about our vacation to Utah but when it’s just that good, I want to relive every last minute of it.

Plus, my memory sucks and that’s the reason why I have a blog so I can remember it all.

Our first day at Park City Mountain Resort was icy and, if we’re being honest here, pretty miserable. But the latter part of the week, the snow softened and though it was heavy and wet, it was so much more fun. Couple that with balmy temperatures (50+ degrees, really?) and I fell in love with spring skiing.

With the exception that we were too lazy to discard some of our clothing layers so were dripping in sweat by the end of the day.

Sorry for that visual.

On our final day, Jamie and I had the best time together. Neither of us are experts at moguls but we found a bumps run, Powder Keg, that was fun to navigate because of the heavier, slower snow.

We raced down at the end of the day to ski with both kids. Bode had an amazing transformation (see yesterday’s post) and we also ran into Haddie’s Signature 5 class.
And I became that psycho mom who was snapping pictures each time she turned.
I mean, don’t you just want to pinch those cheeks that are buried somewhere underneath that helmet, those goggles and hair?

Jamie skied with Bode and Hadley and was dying to take me to Powder Monkey, one of Park City Mountain Resort’s ultra-cool Adventure Alley “Snowbugs”–trails designed just for kids. The problem was it was it was at the very top of the mountain and would have taken us a few chairlifts to get there. The resort closed in 45 minutes and there was a very real possibility we’d get stranded somewhere.

This is me we’re talking about.

So, we instead rode to the top of Bonanza lift and did another Snowbug trail. We were having a great time together and were hurriedly making our way down the mountain…and then I took a wrong turn. Instead of staying on Homerun (a nice, easy green), I led us to the point of no return. This intersection had three trails: Silver Queen (a double blue advanced intermediate), Crescent and Silver Skis (both black diamond, expert terrain).

Haddie is a solid intermediate skier but as I looked down at Silver Queen’s steep, bumpy terrain a feeling of dread came over me. I didn’t let her in on my trepidation and explained our predicament.

“OK, let’s do it!” she fearlessly said.

“Really?”

I don’t know why I was surprised since we didn’t have any other options, other than being carried down on ski patrol’s stretcher.

And so she gunned it down that mountain, never complaining and even squealing with glee.This was her last run of the 2011/12 ski season.

And makes me think she’s going to blow 2012/13 out of the water.

Or rather, snow.

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

Family + Skiing = Epic Utah Adventure

April 10, 2012 By

Since we only had seven days to spend in Utah (four of which in Park City), this trip was only about two things: family and skiing.

First there were our darling twin nieces whom the kids adored and they loved right back.Hadley and Bode were bad influences and introduced them to the dirt pile behind Grandma’s house.

I later said to their mom Tammy (who is very lovely and proper) that she could send her kids to me for a week and I could teach them how to hike and get dirty and she could teach my kids how to be more cultured and refined.

I was only kinda joking.

We had a lovely visit with Jamie’s Grandpa Smith at his Uncle Dennis’ house.
Four generations together = happiness. I wish my kiddos were able to meet my wonderful grandparents.

We spent four nights in Park City at, hands down, the nicest condo I’ve EVER stayed in: Silver Star. We requested a three-bedroom so Jamie’s parents joined us on Thursday and Friday night.

There was a lot of chilling.
At least that’s what I think Jamie is doing.

Until Tammy, Uncle Jer and the twins came on Friday. In case you haven’t been around two-year-old twins, rest is pretty much non-existent but they sure are cute.

We had our own hot tub on our deck so that became a nightly ritual.

As did eating a lot of great food and watching General Conference together Saturday morning.

We loved being able to spend quality time with Jamie’s family. The twins, Ada and Berkley, have grown leaps and bounds since we saw them last summer. They are not identical but don’t tell that to Bode. When I asked him which was which, he exasperatingly said, “I don’t know. They’re twins.”


Like anyone should be able to tell them apart.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Bode, Family, Hadley, Humor, Utah

The Easter Walk, Wabbits & the Ham

April 9, 2012 By

Did Easter completely sneak up on us this year? Perhaps it was because we were out of town for Spring Break and by the time we returned, we only had one week before the holiday. I deemed this not enough time to drag out our Easter decorations so our house was sadly bunny-less.

Wabbit-hater Elmer Fudd Jamie said it was our best Easter ever.

We weren’t in town for any of our community Easter egg hunts but we still had a grand old time that started with a fun “egging” in our neighborhood. On Thursday, we discovered an empty Easter egg basket on our doorstep with a cute poem to find 12 candy-filled eggs hidden on our lawn. We were then to return the favor to another neighbor and keep the chain going.

So that night after dark, we covertly planted the eggs, rang the doorbell and RAN.
Basically, it’s the coolest egging ever.

Trust me, my car was egged in high school (by a boy who allegedly had a crush on me) while I was still in it. This is a much better alternative.

On Easter morning, the kids got a haul of candy, craft supplies (Hadley), goodies for Mario Party 9 (Bode) and strawberry cream cheese crepes for breakfast.

Then there were the requisite pictures in our Sunday best. Usually our photo shoot is the most painful part of the day but all I took were these four photos because 1) they were darn cute and 2) I’ve given up the hope that Bode will ever smile normally in pictures.
And Easter dinner? Uncle Chris smoked a ham all day long (with apricot-honey sauce), and we devoured funeral potatoes, homemade Challah bread, strawberry salad and the kids’ cake batter truffles.

Is this where I make a bad joke about Jamie being a “ham?”

But hands down, my favorite part of the day was our new Easter tradition: the Easter Walk. Based on the bookby Deborah Pace Rowley (which I need to buy), this “Treasure Hunt for the real meaning of Easter” is a beautiful way for kids to discover the symbolism of Christ’s resurrection in our every day world with six clues and accompanying scriptures.

(The boys reading the clue.)

Clue 1: Mark 15:17 – Something pointed and sharp to represent the crown of thorns.

Clue 2: John 19:17-18 – Something made of wood to represent the cross.

Clue 3: Luke 23:46 – Something dead to represent the Savior’s death.

Clue 4: Luke 23: 44-45, 3 Nephi 8:23 – Something dark to represent the darkness in Jerusalem and in America.

Clue 5: Mark 15:46 – Something hard and round to represent the stone placed in front of the tomb.

Clue 6: Matthew 28:5-6 – Something alive to represent that Jesus Christ is alive again.

Our family went to Majestic View Park and the views (and entire experience) were, indeed majestic.

One of my new favorite pictures:
The kids enjoyed themselves but I especially loved doing the Easter Walk with the Young Women. Usually giggly and chatty (they are teenagers), I loved watching them reflectively stroll around the beautiful grove behind our church.
When we came back together, they shared what they had collected and I was astounded and humbled at just how insightful and good they are, and what a privilege it is for me to teach and be taught by them each week.

Basically, this was one of my favorite Easters ever.

Even without the wabbits.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Bode, Hadley, holidays, LDS Tagged With:
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