Travelingjenny

Navigating the hilly terrain of motherhood

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    Last night, Tess had a hard time going to sleep, something that happens only occasionally. Bless her sweet little heart, she's never tried to escape from her room (like her big sister used to), and she's never raised a fuss (like her big sister used to). She just sings to herself in her sweet little three-year-old voice. Last night, though, after listening to her sing for a while, I heard some banging and clattering. I peeked up the stairs and could see that her bedroom light was on. Of course, I quietly went to investigate. When I opened the door, she was standing in front of her dresser, with the drawer open. She was wearing her diaper and her favorite t-shirt (the striped one with the watermelon on the front). When she saw me, she burst into tears. Hysterical, heart-wrenching tears. The kind of tears that make me forget that she is still awake over an hour past her bedtime, and I am frustrated. The kind of tears that fill my heart so full I think it might burst. So I hugged her, and when she pulled out her watermelon shorts and said she really wanted to wear them, I let her. Then I turned off the light and lay down next to her until she fell asleep. After all, someday she won't need me like that anymore.

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    Good friends, a small-town parade, ice cream, and — finally sunshine. It was a very good weekend.

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    We made our own strawberry jam today — and it tastes really good!
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    I really can't imagine a better backdrop for photos than the Rocky Mountains in the summertime. 

    We hiked from the grounds of the YMCA along the river into the national park. We saw prairie dogs, ladybugs, a snake, and amazing wildflowers. It really was a perfect morning. Thank goodness I had my camera with me…

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    6/27/09 
    Grace: "Mom, did you know I can sit still for TWO whole minutes?!"

    6/28/09 
    Tess: "I. Want. To. Stay. Up. All. Night. Long."

    Did you know that on 12 of the last 22 days in June, the National Weather Service measured ZERO minutes of sunshine at their office about 15 minutes from here?! Thank goodness for our newfound obsession with Legos — it's the only thing that's keeping me sane.

    *Update: In June we got a total of 8.5 inches of rain, compared to an average rainfall for the month of 3.3 inches. The average temperature was 59 degrees, compared to a normal average of 67 degrees. That's just not fair!
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    Anyone who knows me knows that I am not athletic in the least. I have always disliked team sports, and aside from a short (and not noteworthy) stint on my high school track team, I have been drawn to more noncompetitive pursuits, like hiking and horseback riding. However, when it comes to mini-golf, I can get a little, um, feisty

    The YMCA of the Rockies has a wonderful mini-golf course right on the grounds, and we played three times with the girls. Grace and Tess both loved this, and were perfectly happy to just get the ball in the hole (we didn't count strokes for them). Tess liked us to "whack it" and get it close to the hole so she could finish it off. And Grace just wanted us to leave her alone to do her own thing. All of this meant that Adam and I could concentrate on our own scores. I hate to admit it, but he beat me twice, and we tied once. Clearly I'm going to have to work on my game, which is good because the girls are hooked.

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    For weeks now, Tess has asked me on an almost-daily basis if she's old enough to go horseback riding (or, as she calls it, "horse fashing"). In Colorado, she was finally able to — three times. The YMCA of the Rockies has five sweet ponies (Bugsy was her favorite) and a great little trail for pony rides. Best of all, we adults could lead the ponies ourselves. Tess had a huge grin on her face the entire time.If only we had enough room at home for a pony of our own, think of the fun we'd all have…

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    Today it was finally warm and sunny enough for a trip to Toots. Tomorrow: more rain. Please, Mother Nature, have mercy on our sun-starved souls…
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    Last week, we took the girls for a ride through Rocky Mountain National Park on Trail Ridge Road (the highest continuous highway in the country). At the visitor's center, we stopped and made some snowballs. Then we hiked up the steep trail to check out the amazing views of the alpine tundra and the surrounding mountains. Buoyed by the excitement of seeing snow in June, little Gracie hiked all the way up by herself. The same cannot be said for Tess, who never even set foot on the trail and could barely muster the energy to lift up her head and look around. It's tough being over two miles above sea level, especially when you're a three-year-old Mainer.

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    Tess: "Mommy, when I can drive?"

    Me: "When you're sixteen. That's thirteen years from now."

    Tess: "I need eat more broccoli."

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    {Photos taken on Pearl Street and the Sanitas Valley Trail in Boulder, June 15th}.