Blame it on the Rain?

Something cool that happened #1: I met this guy!

I'm feeling a little gloomy - and I don't typically like to put stuff out into the universe when I'm gloomy. One - I'm usually too honest and people feel the need to set me up for emotional interventions. Two - I'm not into bad karma. It's all about positivity - baby. But I kind of feel like my summer to date has been measured by checks; by mass of amounts of money floating out the door.

Don't get me wrong - they have gone to purchase some cool stuff. Well, maybe warm stuff - a new furnace and hot water heater. And a new roof. And now a refinished and re-designed back porch for my sunset-watching and wine-drinking enjoyment. And Mr. Pope's possible ongoing and possible improving health....

All good things.

Something cool that happened #2: Tiny Town

But the process of getting all the stuff done is always so much more difficult than the process of just enjoying the stuff. Enjoying the summer. That part is easy - we've hit up Water World already this year and had THE MOST fun. We've been to the splash park, visited the dinosaurs at the mall, built sand castles, been to super-hot summer birthday parties, fun trips around the city, and had great dinners with family and old friends and new friends.

And we're trying to figure out how to get new carpet in the house before the holidays - which means I'd also love to get Mr. Parker potty-trained before we invest in pee-free carpet. And we've got two or three trips on the horizon before summer actually closes it's doors for the season. So many plans - they should lift my spirits and give me stuff to work on. I'm nothing without something to work on.

Something cool that happened #3: Parker got a haircut.

And I'm thinking of our friends and family who could probably use some thoughts and prayers - for all of the stuff that life throws at us....the happy and the sad. I'm working on being hopeful and yet, content. And wish this for all of those who need it now, too.

More to come with happier stories and irresistible pictures of my adorable children, sure to turn any frown upside down.

Drive Me Crazy....

Mr. Pope sent me this. It's pretty funny and I'm moderately convinced he wrote it himself. Plus, I think it's a sign...

A sign that we've been together for a very long time.

Please to enjoy....

6 Ways To Drive Your Partner Wild in Bed
via Aiming Low by DanielleH on 6/22/11

It seems like Cosmopolitan and other lady mags have advice on how to titillate your partner in bed every month. Try as they might, they often miss the mark.

Here’s the inside scoop on six surefire ways you can drive your partner wild in bed.

1. Be sure to wear your oldest, largest t-shirt to bed, the one with holes in it that hangs at an unflattering angle against your bloated, candy-filled belly. Nothing says “ugh, not tonight” like an improvised Homer Simpson costume. Nothing will drive them crazier!

2. Make sure their side of the bed is filled with books, headphones, newspapers, magazines and anything else that screams “I’ve been here for hours.” Your partner will go from zero to RAGE as you move things around for ten minutes, lights shining in their face as they try to sleep and you try to clean up.

3. Eat something that produces an unbelievable amount of crumbs while leaning over their side of the sheets. Watch them FREAK OUT and rip the sheets off the bed with passionate abandon!

4. If at all possible, develop a stress-induced sleep disorder that involves accidental and completely involuntary kicking and punching. Nothing says HOT like being punched in the back unexpectedly, or repeated kicks in the shins. The surprise sleep attack will keep them guessing, and add SPICE to an otherwise dull, sleep-filled evening.

5. Nothing says “let’s do this” like sleeping corner-to-corner. Take up as much room as possible by stretching your body diagonally across the center of the bed, forcing your partner into the fetal position. They’ll either sleep so soundly they’ll develop rigor mortis, or relent and roll over onto you. Hot!

6. You’re hot. You’re cold. You’re hot. You’re cold. You can’t make up your mind about the blankets because your sexy, sexy body has a mind all its own. It might be too early for perimenopause, but your partner doesn’t have to know that! Keep them guessing by throwing the blankets to the ground only to commandeer the blanket entirely moments later! Their blood will boil with excitement. You are a wild stallion!

Transitional

We've had a lot of doctor's appointments lately. Parker had his 2 year check up last month and Ellie had her 4 year check up at the beginning of this month. And yes, both of these appointments were late in comparison to when they actually turned 2 and 4. That's how I roll.

They are such good, strong, healthy kids. We know we are blessed. The docs always end up saying they are "small but mighty." I suppose it's true. Tough little guys. Emphasis on little....

But from both Eliana's (wonderful) Pre-school teacher and her (lovely) doctor we've heard that Eliana probably has a tough time with "transitions." This is another one of those, "Really?!? I hadn't noticed," moments for Mr. Pope and me. And that, my friends, is sarcasm.

It's obvious. She doesn't like to switch from one thing to the next.

But as I was scrubbing out the highly desired and overly-used gigantic bathtub in our bathroom the other day I had an epiphany. Yeah, no one really does well transitions, at all, ever, anyway. Mr. Pope had surgery and our life kind of stopped for 8 weeks. I still feel like I can't go do stuff all by myself with the kids because it's too hard when that clearly isn't the case anymore, they do great but I'm still a sissy. We've been in this house for over a year and I still feel like we just moved in.....

The list can go on and on. I guess we're not very good with transitions. Ellie came by in honestly, apparently it's genetic.

And now I'll be working for the next few weeks and we'll have to transition into that as well.

Parker will flip out and wake up all night long (like he needs an excuse). Ellie will ask every single morning, "Who's coming over today?!?" And then be sad when I come home for good and the grandma and papa visits slow down.

And then it will all be over and we'll have to transition into something else entirely...

Quotes of the Day:

"HaHa in the hole!!" ~ Parker, when he sticks the heads of all of his Batman figures into the holes in the coffee table. ("Haha" is Joker. "Hahahahaha Batman!!")
"Don't mind if I do!" ~ Elle when being offered some dip for her chicken nuggets.

Did You Ever Have a Dream?!?

Nailed It!!

Around the World

We've entered the season of a million activities. Seriously. If we have one thing to do it's because we've had to turn down five other fun things to do. This is a combination of way too many friends and family members making great invitations and our general inclination to want to do everything and nothing all at once. Making the rounds is exhausting. And so much fun.

Our Memorial Day Weekend was fantastic. The kiddos and I joined my family in Boulder for the Boulder Creek Fest on Saturday morning. We had the BEST time with Grandma & Papa Jones and "The Girls." Breakfast at Turley's where the waitress said Ellie and Park could have whatever they wanted because they were just about the best little kiddos she's ever waited on. Good job guys. Babes, you made out with a yummy breakfast and a TON of new crayons as that was her gift to you. And I got a huge delicious latte and the gift of drinking it while it was still hot.

At the festival we bought super cute hats (Parker's has green TRUCKS!! and Elle's has a super-cute flower and a bee), danced on the HipHop stage, got Kettle Korn, ran into some friends, road the train and jumped in the Jumpy Castle, and got Bubble Shooters from Papa Jim.

Sunday was park day with Aunt Wendy & Cole. The Arvada slide park is too much fun. And the fountain park and the ice cream from Old Town was my favorite part of the day. Mr. Pope was EXHAUSTED after the trip...but it's good to start getting out of the house and doing some fun stuff again. And we loved our time with the Velez family.

Monday was dinner with the family. Uncle Chris, just home from the Philippines, brought Parker a "Jeepney" and Eliana a Korean doll. And I got some cat poop coffee. Really. It's a thing in the Philippines. A story for another day....

But really, these kids get the coolest souvenirs. Philippine trucks! Race cars from Japan. Mexican art. Canadian Moose and the much coveted Roots hoodies! Russian dolls. Kazakhstan tops. Our family name carved into the same stone that built the Kremlin.

We get love from all corners of the world. We are so very lucky. It makes me think of a song...

And I've been obsessed with Daft Punk since high school...so I have to post this one too as Parker saw it started shouting, "ROBOTS!!!"Ahhh, Robots!!" That little kiddo - warms my heart. (Watch until at least the middle. It is clever....)

Girlfriends

Ellie is a little bit boy-crazy. I have no idea where she picked that one up....

Now I feel my Mom & Dad's pain when all I wanted to do was hang out with boys my whole life.

But she sure has some cute little girlfriends.

I hope we get lots of fun, girly play dates all summer long.

Quotes of the Day:

"I wanna go on the Choo-choo!" - Park @ the Boulder Creek Fest

"I'm totally soaking drenched," - Elle @ the Old Town Arvada fountain park.

"AHHHHHHHH" - Aunt Wendy @ the Slide Park

Old & New

I was counting the other day in my head - as we drove in the rain to pick the kids up from Grandma Barbara's - I was counting grandparents. We had a lazy rainy movie day at the theater down the street from our house. Two movies sandwiched around a quick lunch with my Grandma Lola had me thinking about grandparents. We've got so many grandparents you couldn't throw a stick 10 ft without hitting one...but that would be mean.

Elle & Park have eight grandparents and five great-grandparents. (Two of them they have never met as they live in Washington state but they are more than thoughtful with their long distance cards and gifts.) And three of the great-grandmas live right here in town. Eliana calls Great-Grandma Doris and Great-Grandma Lola "The Girls" as they live in the same building and generally show up together at events, go on trips with us, and she must just think they laugh like girls. And great-grandma Mary lives just up the road in Greeley. She makes Ellie laugh with her stories about me when I was a girl and I think Ellie can hardly believe that they are true. Mommies were never little girls...

In the last few weeks I inherited a bunch of Grandma Lola's linens. This is a big deal. I'm obsessed with tea towels. And real napkins. I love them. So I got to pick through baskets of tea towels she embroidered herself 60 years ago. And napkins and tablecloths she made for teas and luncheons and bridge and other things that I know nothing about. It's a little piece of history I can use everyday.

And I've been asked to write my Grandma Mary's story. Interview her - not a challenge as I could talk to her for hours - and write it down in a book for all of time and history and (okay...more realistically) our little family to enjoy forever. I only hope I can do her justice.

And then tonight, when Mr. Pope came home from getting a haircut and straight shave, Ellie told him he looked "Brand New!!" He hadn't shaved for a month. He was a hairy old beast.

And now he's new.