Not-So-Picked-Over Pumpkin Patch

Today we had such a fun outing with our friends Melissa & Laila and Sage & Porter. :) We even surprised Milo and Isabel by having Porter and Laila pick them up from preschool. Their faces were SO cute when they saw their friends come through the door!

After they showed their friends every square inch of their preschool--and every single toy contained within the preschool--we headed to our house for a quick lunch (and a not-so-quick tutorial on all things Star Wars--provided by Milo, of course).

After lunch, we caravaned over to Bartlet Farms to explore the pumpkin patch, go on a looooong hay ride, check out the animals and, just generally, have fun and enjoy the beautiful weather! The kids had tons of fun. The moms took tons of pictures.

Milo, Laila, Isabel & Porter jumping up from behind some of the hay bales in the hay maze.
Milo & Isabel checking out the authentic wagon and the 100-year-old farm sign.

Milo & Isabel standing on the tallest part of the hay bale maze.

Porter, Laila & Isabel making a run for it into the hay bale maze.

It was fun to see how Milo & Isabel's recent love for mazes in their coloring books translated into a serious love for (and understanding of) this maze too.

Lail, Isabel, & Milo piled into the wagon. Note the shorty short wagon handle. Good thing I'm so shorty short. And incredibly buff (HA!) because, otherwise, pulling 110+ pounds of kid in that thing would have been kinda hard. And would have made me sweat. A lot. Like, an embarassing amount.

Isabel, Laila & Milo petting the rabbit.

Isabel showing her undying love for all things "piggie". She was so confused at "why these little baby pigs were born in the FALL momma?!". When I tried to explain that they might just be small pigs--not baby pigs--she made no secret of her lack of confidence in my response.

1 Rotisserie Chicken=3 great meals

Three yummy recipes using 1 rotisserie chicken (in our case, from Sam's Club). If your family is big or your chicken is small, you may need to adjust your portions. :) You can also use a turkey breast (on the bone), cooked overnight in your slow cooker for these recipes.

BBQ Chicken Salad (1st day of the chicken)

-shredded/chopped rotisserie chicken (we go heavy on the beans/veggies and light on the meat so the chicken goes farther :) )
-chopped tomatoes
-lettuce
-chopped cucumbers
-thawed, frozen corn
-avocado, diced
-red onion, diced or green onion, diced
-red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, slivered
-croutons or crushed tortilla chips
-1 can black beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
-cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
-ranch dressing
-BBQ sauce (we find that the thing tangy flavors don't taste as good here--go for a thick traditional BBQ sauce)

Toss chicken with BBQ sauce until well coated. Layer all of your salad ingredients to your liking and drizzle with ranch dressing. Tossing individual salads (and serving immediately) allows ranch and BBQ sauce to mix and, really, makes the whole salad!

Faker Chicken Pot Pie

also known as my only recipe that calls for "cream of anything" soup

Filling:

-1 cup shredded/chopped chicken

-1 can cream of chicken soup

-few Tbsp of milk (to thin the soup)

-1 small (9 oz) package frozen mixed vegetables

-1-2 celery stalks

-1/2 small onion

-1 Tbsp butter

-black pepper

Crust:

-1 cup Bisquick mix

-1/2 cup milk

-1 egg

OR

-1 package biscuits in a tube

Melt butter in saute pan. Add finely chopped celery and finely chopped onion. Sprinkle with salt. Allow to cook covered on low to low-med heat until onion and celery are tender. Mix celery/onions, soup, milk, chicken, veggies, and generous sprinkling of pepper. Pour into pie pan.

Mix crust ingredients (or pop open the ol' biscuit tube). Top filling with batter/biscuits. For batter crust: Bake at 400 degrees until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. For biscuits: you're on your own. :) I haven't used those for the crust before but I hear it's yummy and easy. I'm guessing a little less time for cooking.

Chicken Club Sandwiches

-remaining chicken, shredded into largish pieces (I try to save the breast pieces for this day)

-lettuce

-slivered red onion

-sliced avocado

-cooked bacon

-toasted wheat or sourdough bread

-sliced tomatoes (if you still got 'em)

-mayo

-salt and pepper

Assemble and love it.

The Dids and DIdn'ts of Being Sick

Is your mom is too sick to play with you? Well, heck! Toss on your new supersweet sunglasses, toss aside your regular glasses (remember, mom's too sick to keep up with much) and play basketball to your heart's content!

I've spent the last week-ish on self-imposed near bedrest. Seriously, sick people. This is second only to the time I got the flu (also known as "The Last Time I Didn't Get a Flu Shot" or "Back When My Doctor Almost Fired Me as his Patient for Being so Ridiculous as to NOT Get a Flu Shot When I have a History of Significant Asthma").

Some things that didn't Happen:

• House staying clean. (Um, duh.)
• Making cute Halloween crafts with the kids. *with one exception--see below.
• Going to a pumpkin patch before they get all picked over.
• Being able to get an appointment with a doctor you know. Or have ever met. Or would even recognize if they came up to you on the street and smacked you.
• Homecooked meals in any form.
• Commenting on blogs (don't worry, there was plenty of reading of blogs.)
• Work. :( I hate calling in sick. :(

Milo triumphing at the top of the big boulder he climbed today.

Some things that DID happen:

• *So, so cute friends (thanks Sagie and Melissa) let me crash their lunch and Halloween craft extravaganza so the kids could have some fun, make a gingerbread haunted house, and go to town with all manner of Halloween decorations and stickers.
• The doctor proved to be very kind and very, um, flexible. This is made known because he spent nearly the entire visit with his legs folded up under him like a flamingo or stork or something while balancing precariously on a spinny stool. Oddly enough, his last name is "Bender". This all added to my overall feeling of disorientation.
• Said doctor was "very concerned" and put me on a steroid burst (ick) and antibiotics. Also, was (am still really) tied to my rescue inhaler like when I was a kid. These things will all make you very grumpy.
• Steroid bursts equal the infamous "Roid Rage". Anybody's kids ever have this while on steroids for croup? Well, turns out it happens to adults too. It will freak even yourself out.
• Attempted to go the gym because I was pretty sure I going to lose my everloving mind. This helped slightly but also made me feel even worse all at the same time.
• Went to Martinez Farm with kids' preschool. Their enthusiasm and excitement over the fieldtrip and me being there was ADORABLE. The bitter cold wind and hayride did not do so much good for the previously mentioned asthma flareup.
• Husband took kids rock climbing today so I could "have a day". This might have been code for "you're freakin' us all out and we're still not convinced that your disgusting cough/phlegm/wheezing isn't contagious" but whatever. Went for a long/slow walk on the Spring Creek Trail. Sister-in-law calls and informs you that you kinda sound like you're dying. The walk will be good for the spirit and the fresh air feels great.
• Woke up every morning thinking THIS will be the day that I'll be feeling SO MUCH BETTER. So far, I've been wrong. But, I'm still holding out for tomorrow. ;)
• Decorated the house for Halloween in one last ditch effort (Friday at 6pm) to salvage the lame "Mommy's So Sick" week that my kids had. They loved it and couldn't wait to show Daddy every detail when he got home. :)

Isabel, anxiously awaiting their first costume party of the year. She's working on proper broomstick-sitting approach here.

Now, something else important that DIDN'T happen this week:

Not Fighting the Girl at Runner's Roost

Today, while I was "having a day", I decided to get out of the house for the previously mentioned slow walk and to register for the Heart Center of the Rockies 10K next weekend. Thought it would be good to A. get off my kiester and B. give myself some great motivation for the next week.

Mind you, I was still feeling blechy, pale, unkempt, weak, wheezy and, generally, unattractive. So, supercute collegiat athlete girl at the running store who helped me with my registration didn't really help. But what REALLY didn't help came AFTER I gave her the registration.

Girl: "So, the Asics technical shirts that we got this year, um, only come in women's extra small but they come in men's small, medium, and large." Here, she has clearly sized me up and deemed me to be a men's size because she skimmed over the women's option as though she'd offered me a size 3-6 months.

Me: "Oh. Really? Because the form says that they are women's size small and I think they're the exact same shirts as last year." This said, knowing that I have the women's small from last year and that it fits me JUST FINE (but only because those shirts run very big--I am so not a size small).

Girl: "Um, yeah. It's pretty small." Again, sizing me up with some totally disturbing look of pity and doubt on her face.

Me: (Uh oh. Here comes that Roid Rage again.) "Well, do you think that maybe I could look at it? Because if it is the small, that's what they offered last year and I have that EXACT shirt at home."

Girl: "Um, sure." She hands me the shirt--really tosses it to me with the same pity/doubt look combined with a titch of, um, fear?

Me: (Ripping the shirt triumphantly down over my head and existing shirt.) "Oh yeah, this is the EXACT same size as last year."

Girl: (Making absolutely NO effort to hide the shock on her face or in her voice--not at my actions but at the fact that the shirt fits me.) "Oh wow! That one actually doesn't look so bad!"

So help me, muffin top or no muffin top! That size small shirt was going home with me! As I pushed my way out the door of the store I had a brief flash of "Oh my gosh! Did I seriously just make her give me a shirt that is too small for me?!" But, no fear folks, it really does fit. Thank goodness because there was no way I was going back to that store, risking seeing the supercute collegiate athlete girl who obviously thinks I am too soft/buxom/men's-sized for my new pink Asics technical shirt.

Isabel and her awesome rock climbing skills.

Still reading? We're currently in contact with two birthmoms. Both show some promise--hopefully, one will be THE ONE. Cross your fingers and toes for us. :)

Get Your Hustle On

Saturday was the Halloween Hustle! This was the first year we've participated and it was awesome!! It's one of the Healthy Kids Club events and, in my opinion, the best one! If you're in the area and have a child who is 4ish or older, you have to check this series out. The kids get medals and prizes for running in different short races around the Fort Collins/Loveland area. They really make it so much fun and, the best part is, they're usually free!

Isabel and Milo showing Spencer their "running faces". Obviously, Milo's is WAY more than just a face. Notice Isabel's too big gloves. We were in a pinch and just bought some at the Dollar Spot at Target. Oops. Apparently, children's "one size fits all" does not include all.
Spencer, Milo (who, after his "running face" picture refused to pose for any more pictures), Isabel, me and Kiana (my niece).

The kids all did such a good job. This race was a full MILE!!! We took some walking breaks but ran most of it. Kiana could have totally smoked us--Tinkerbell crocs and all--but kept stopping to wait for the rest of us.

Isabel and Milo with just one of the fun FREE activities they provided after--a paint-your-own Halloween doormat.

Milo with the super sweet sunglasses he won at the fishing "pond". These have the fluorescent green sides reminiscent of my youth.

Milo and Isabel helping Spencer to make "the biggest leaf pile ever ever EVER". Or so they told me when I got back from my run.

After the Halloween Hustle, we hit the last day of the Farmer's Market. We were too late to get any produce (huge bummer) but just in time to catch the tie-dye guy that we'd heard about from our friends Melissa and Laila. The kids each picked out their own shirt. Too cute. Now, we're officially tree-hugging-hippies.

I know this picture is hard to see--but hopefully not too hard. Isabel drew a picture of her and Milo yesterday that is SO cute and a pretty good likeness really. :)

Bugs, Rams, and Disguises

Some of the adventurous highlights of the last week...

Someone at work was giving away old Halloween costumes. After we finished laughing hysterically at Joan wearing a ladybug costume meant for an 8 year old (night shift has to stay awake somehow), I found these gems. A ninja costume complete with fake muscles and a Snow White complete with a wig that feels creepily similar to real human hair.

Isabel was beyond thrilled to "FINALLY" have a dress that covers her feet. (So much so that she would only shuffle in it--not take actual steps thus risking foot exposure.)

Milo was so creeped out by Isabel's wig that he repeatedly ran from the room and begged her to take it off.

We showed our Ram pride by going to the CSU Homecoming parade on Friday. It was oodles of fun and the kids still can't believe that a parade really consists of wacky people in wacky costumes throwing gobs of candy at your head.
Yesterday, we went to the "Butterfly Gabillion" as Milo calls it with the Summer, Kennedy, Sophie, Lacey, and Holden. The kids held a tarantula (okay, Isabel held it) while the moms tried to fend off hyperventilation.
They got to touch horseshoe crabs, sea stars (formerly known as star fish), hermit crabs and a few other sorta creepy water creatures.
We admired gabillions of butterflies. We also listened to an "interesting" (for all the wrong reasons) talk by one of the butterfly keepers.

Finally, we climbed around the fake honeycomb, stamped our little exploration books, and headed home. WHEW.

What a busy week it's been. :)

Also Flattered...

One of my good ol' friends (and fellow twin mom), Aislinn, tagged me with the "I love your blog" award which means I get to try to answer these questions in one word.
1. Where is your cell phone? counter
2. Where is your significant other? work
3. Your hair color? blonde
4. Your mother? funny
5. Your father? New York (Is that two words?)
6. Your favorite thing? run
7. Your dream last night? forgotten
8. Your dream/goal? marathonrepeat
9. The room you're in? office
10. Your hobby? reading
11. Your fear? death
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? practitioner
13. Where were you last night? Sage's
14. What you're not? outside
15. One of your wish-list items? computer
16. Where you grew up? west
17. The last thing you ate? soup
18. What are you wearing? sweatshirt
19. Your TV? off
20. Your pet? nonexistant
21. Your computer? dying
22. Your mood? tired :)
23. Missing someone? family
24. Your car? dirty
25. Something you're not wearing? socks
26. Favorite store? SuperTarget (cue the dreamy sigh)
27. Your summer? short
28. Love someone? Yup
29. Your favorite color? green
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? Monday
I award the following 5 people with the "I Love Your Blog Award"and in so doing tag them to complete the above questions:
1. Rebecca
2. Kristin
3. Tara
4. Kirsta
5. the other Rebecca (who is bringing back blogging!!!!)

How to confound your wife...

You should begin the process of confounding your wife by suddenly and enthusiastically talking nearly nonstop about how you "need" one of those "sweet old bikes with the handles that move". When she professes that she has no idea what you're talking about, you should describe it in further detail until her jaw is agape and she states in disbelief, "You mean you want a Long Duk Dong bike?!!" You should then pretend that you don't remember that infamous scene from Sixteen Candles when Long Duk Dong is riding that ridiculous bike with that one kinda scary girl.

Your wife will, of course, ignore you. She will think that you are just trying to annoy her and she definitely will not take your talk of "flushing the lactic acid out of my muscles after I climb" seriously.

You should then begin to confound her by saying things like, "Hey, will you look for one of those bikes for me while you're one Craig's List?" and "I stopped by a few yards sales on my way home from climbing but no one had a bike like that." and (sure to be your wife's personal favorite) "So that old guy that lives down the street has one of those bikes on the side of his garage. Do you think it would be weird if I went over and asked him if I could have it?". She will slowly begin to panic.

When your wife says that we do not have room for such a contraption and that she will only be able to think of the previously mentioned Long Duk Dong scene when you ride that bike, you should tell her that there is plenty of room IN THE LIVING ROOM RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE GIANT WINDOW FACING THE STREET. Your wife will nearly die laughing at the thought of you riding that thing in front of the window. She will also picture you with sweatbands and a leotard and with "I'm a maniac!!!" playing as your soundtrack. Still, she will begin to sink deeper into her panic that you might actually come home with one of those things.

Just when you've worked your wife into said level of panic, just when she's feeling totally freaked that you are going to bring home some rusted out hoopty of a Long Duk Dong bike, you should do this instead: buy an old HealthRider from some people from church. Then, just show up with it. Also, act like it was the greatest gift from heaven ever. Your wife will be confounded. She will not know what to say. She will not be sure if she should be grateful that it's not the bike or if she should inform you that you will look even more ridiculous bouncing up and down on that thing than riding the bike in front of the window. So, she will just say, "That thing is NOT going in the living room." Then, put it in the garage, rock the sweatbands, and HealthRide at 5am several days a week to your rockin' Seattle circa 1996 soundtrack.

Your wife has been confounded.

Oh what a weekend

This weekend was The Great Autumnal Grami Tami Visit of 'o8. What a weekend! Phew.

We (okay, not me) showed Grami Tami our Halloween costumes and all of the skills that accompany them.
We went to a special night time storytime at the library. We (okay, again not me) wore our pajamas and brought our favorite bedtime stuffed animal.
We made some teddy bear art after storytime and tried to help some sort of world record for the largest storytime.
We were ridiculously cute and excited that Grami Tami was here and that we had her undivided attention.
We showed Grami Tami around the preschool, used the magnet letters to make words with her (this one's for you Mel and Curtis), and Milo introduced Mrs. Bonnema to Grami Tami. It went a little something like this,
"Mrs. Bonnema? I'd like you to meet my Grami (out goes the Vanna White hand). Her name is Tami....and she's FUNNY like you!!" (He'd said over and over again that he wanted to tell her that Grami Tami was a TEACHER like her. Somehow, the "funny" fact won out. ;) )

We hit the farmers' market, bought a ton of peaches and other produce, decorated some squash, and did our best to sample everything they offered.
We hung out in Old Town, wandered through an Obama rally, and FINALLY got to see Spencer (after he had a very long week at work filled with long days at trainings).
We showed off Milo's black eye to any and all. (He took a header right into the corner of the tile entryway at my parents' house--glasses can save your eyes or turn you into a prize fighter in a case like that.) It turns out that all men over the age of about 50 must be genetically wired to say, "Wow! What does the other guy look like?!!" every time they see a little boy with a black eye. Seriously. Every man. Over the age of 50. All week.
It deserves it's own post really. Spencer hit his "before I turn 30" fitness goal this weekend. He climbed a 5.13b route!!!!! He's worked on it and trained for it for sooo long. We were so excited for him and he was, I think, so relieved to have done it--with a few months to spare before his 30th birthday even! (We both set "before I turn 30" fitness goals when we were 27...mine was the marathon.) We love you Spencie!!! (Even if you won't let us take a normal/cute picture of you when we're out getting gelato to celebrate your climb! ;) )