June in Denver caught me by surprise this year. A month that is normally comprised of warm (not hot) days and perfectly crisp evenings, featured the highest temperatures in the city's history, five consecutive days in which the temperatures soared to over 100, evenings that did not involve a cool down, and an unusual infestation of mosquitos (in our backyard, at least.)  When this unusual heat wave coincided with an annual visit from one of our favorite little friends, fun plans had to be reevaluated. (There is nothing fun about spending a day at an amusement park in 100 degree heat.)
Luckily, Lilly was visiting for two weeks, and the first week of her visit offered moderately pleasant temperatures, and allowed for several days of fun, outdoor activities.

My three girls having some backyard fun.

Turned on the backyard sprinkler 

for a late afternoon cool-down.

Post-sprinkler relaxation.

In addition to water fun in our own backyard, we also spent a 

couple afternoons at the pool.

During the first weekend of Lilly's visit, we enjoyed a cool evening 

with a backyard bonfire where we roasted marshmallows and told spooky stories.

(Murphy Girl was in bed and missed out on the fun.)

Father's Day Eve.

Murphy was fascinated by Lilly's braces on her teeth and her toes.

I would often spot this scene in the review mirror.

Following a yummy breakfast at Syrup, 

we spent a lovely morning at Observatory Park.

Carter was so happy to have a partner for her tree climbing expedition.

Lilly's visit also coincided with my 20 week ultrasound, and we all took a field trip to see glimpses of our new little love. I loved sharing this day with all my best girls (and, of course, my baby daddy.)

Carter, waiting for the ultrasound to begin;

Big Bird, sequestered, because, per Carter's diagnosis,

 he had a bad habit and may have been contagious.

It wasn't long before we were introduced to this sweet face.

(But did not preview any private parts!)

After the ultrasound, we had a yummy lunch at HBurger.

Carter was happy to provide the entertainment 

(yes, she's dancing on a table. yes, that's a pole.)

while we enjoyed a post-lunch treat in Cherry Creek.

We were all impressed with Lilly's duck tape crafting skills.

Here's Carter THRILLED with the purse Lilly made for her.

The big girls enjoyed a trip to the zoo with Nanny 

while I took Murphy to a doctor's appointment.

Lilly is such a lover of life! 

Her enthusiasm is contagious.

When the second weekend of Lilly's visit came around, we decided to take the bonfire up a notch and put up the tent for a camp out. The high temperature on that Saturday was 104, and, though we waited for things to 'cool off' before starting the fire, it was still pretty darn miserable outside. We roasted our hotdogs but had to eat them in the zipped tent to avoid being eaten alive by all the mosquitoes. 

These three had planned to sleep outside,

but when Carter 'freaked out' (her words) and began screaming,

'Get out! Quickly! Quickly' as a mosquito was nibbling on her eyelid,

they retreated to the coolness of the house.

On Sunday morning, we went to Pajama Brunch at Second Home. 

After breakfast, Carter proved that she has officially become a Colorado Tree Hugger.

This brings us to day nine of Lilly's two week visit, and to the middle of the freakish heat wave. When we got home that Sunday afternoon, I realized that, in addition to all of our run of the mill fun, we'd also been to JumpStreet, two kids' movies, and The Museum of Nature and Science to name a few excursions. After this evaluation and then my looking ahead to the following week, I decided an escape was in order!

The next morning, I tackled a few must-do tasks and packed the suitcases while Lilly made some darling little mini-cupcakes. 

Judging by my poor Pookie's eye and face, 

she definitely needed a break from those mosquitoes!

We loaded up the car and stopped for gas just a mile or so from home, and I saw this:

I knew this escape was a wise decision.

(In case you forgot, I live in Denver. Colorado. And, this is JUNE.)

In wasn't long before, Murphy Girl drifted off to dreamland,

and Carter quickly got settled with her IPad and her 'ear muffs.'

Lilly watched a movie on her IPhone, and Nanny napped. I snacked on Cheeto's Naturals and enjoyed the scenic drive to Breckenridge.

I got us all checked in and the girls hopped 

on our luggage card for a ride up to our fourth floor condo.

The weather was perfect, upper 70's, so we walked into town for an early dinner and then spent the evening at the pool and then relaxing in our room. Tuesday morning everyone slept in, that altitude is the baby whisper, and then we all headed to the Breckenridge Fun Park for a day of Colorado-ish summer fun. 

On the gondola heading up the mountain.

The only picture of me with all three. Blurry. Boo.

Since Murphy is a baby, and I'm carrying a baby, 

she and I kept ourselves entertained while the other gals

participated in some of the more adventurous activities.

Murphy is currently in the midst of a major rock obsession, 

and this spot provided her with her ideal form of entertainment.

Pookie LOVED the pony ride,

and Lilly was happy that they let her ride, too.

When Murphy resigned to the floor and basically demanded that both big girls tickle 

(Tittle! Tittle!) 

her, we decided that it was probably time for her to head back to the condo for a nap.

So stoked to get both a ball and a club in her favorite color,

but bummed when lightening cut our game short.

Waiting out the storm by the Thunder Coaster.

Love this expression when a big thunder boom 

and lightening bolt surprised them.

Lilly at the coaster's end. 

The coaster was SO FUN and even safe for the lady with the bump! I rode it twice with Carter and loved hearing my little thrill seeker shout 'Faster! Faster!' with each twist and turn. Following the afternoon storm, the temperature reading on my phone displayed a cool 66 degrees. 

My lil gymnast's favorite activity of the day. 

Despite barely making the minimum weight she ROCKED it, 

and quickly impressed onlookers with her backflip! 

Following a super fun and exhausting day, we headed back the condo where Nanny had dinner all ready. I was again reminded of the wise decision to leave Denver when I realized that after dinner, we could just leave the dishes for the next day's cleaning crew! After dinner, we headed down to the heated pool for a swim in the crisp mountain air. 

Love this happy girl!

Perfect ending to our girls' getaway!

The Murph is The Murph no matter the setting.

Her frequent lounging makes mastering the backfloat a breeze.

Keeping Warm.

Murphy Girl slept later than all of us on Wednesday morning (till 10 AM!), and we took our time checking out and heading back to the city. I would say, our mountain escape was just what we all needed to beat the Denver heat and enjoy our final few days with Lilly. When we got back to Denver, the sky was overcast and the weather was a tad cooler. Lilly had a couple final requests for her last day in Colorado including trips to her favorite toy store and an awesome candy shop. The evening was pleasant and we were able to enjoy the backyard again. (And, thanks to a tip from Pops, a mixture of vanilla and water finally seemed to keep the mosquitoes off my sweet girl!)

There it is: a synopsis, mostly of the photographic nature, of our Great Escape!

This and That

Admittedly, I'm in a bit of a funk. I've said before that I find writing cathartic, and today, though I have no real topic in mind, I just feel like writing. It would probably serve me well to engage in some sort of physical activity, like yoga or even just brisk walking, to achieve this feeling. Yet, here I sit in the center of Cherry Creek Mall, sipping a Nordy's Mocha Ice Storm and munching on strawberries, exerting energy of only the mental variety. I'll warn you: there's no rhyme, reason, or cohesive flow to what you're about to read. Here goes... 

A few months ago I ordered some amazing (amazing=super soft=super cozy=not inexpensive) sheets for our guest room. They turned out to be too small for the bed, but returning them to the online site from which I ordered them wasn't possible. They have been laying on the desk in the playroom since February as I was trying to decide what to do with them (gift them? donate them?). They are now being used as the covering to a pirate fort constructed by Carter in the backyard; at least they are being put to good use, I suppose.

I've decided that if I ever find myself with so much money that I have no idea what to do with it, I will employee a person to complete one simple task: applying self-tanner to my entire body every night before I go to bed. I so prefer to look at my usually pasty skin when it's glistening thanks to a nice coating of the gold in a bottle, but I just don't have the patience or energy to do it myself at night. Applying it during the day isn't an option, obviously: no doubt I would end up stamped with thigh-level Murphy handprints. Besides, when on earth would I be able to remain unclothed during the kiddos' waking hours for the 20 minutes it take the stuff to dry?

Why do adults tell children that something 'won't hurt' or 'doesn't hurt' when it obviously will or does? I observed a little girl getting her ears pierced (one at a time) the other day, and was disgusted at the adults- both of her parents as well as the piercing gal-telling the wailing child that the experience was not painful. As I witnessed the scene, I thought of shooting some sort of dart through each of their heads. Jerks.

Lately, all I want to eat is tomatoes/tomato based items (but, interestingly, not tomato sauce.) I'm not sure if this is a pregnancy craving or just a summer one, but I'm obsessing non-stop about caprese salad and bruschetta. I'm often disappointed when my mental idea of these mini-meals is far more tasty than the real deal. I continue to be let down with the quality and freshness of the tomatoes or the minimal amount of mozzarella. I know I should just head to Whole Foods and pick up some premium products to make my own at home... Hey! maybe the self-tanner-applier-person could keep my fridge stocked with perfectly sliced tomatoes, fragrant basil, and fresh mozzarella???

Yesterday, my mom sent me several random texts throughout the day... ranging from her thoughts on the obesity problem in American to her observations of shopping with men. I sent her a texted 'smiley face' and told her that I loved her 'stream of consciousness' texts; bet she didn't know she'd inspire me to write a blog about nothing. 

It Is Well with My Soul

The popular saying 'Confession is good for the soul,' is familiar to most folks. When I began thinking about this blog post, I did a quick Google search of the quote and discovered something interesting. The original proverb stated, 'Open confession is good for the soul.' Well, the inclusion of this single word made my intended entry all the more appropriate. How could confession be more open than when being expressed via the world wide web?
The proceeding confessions are coming from the voice of a full time stay at home Mommy of two girls, ages 4 and 19 months. I'm also 15 weeks along in my third pregnancy, and, incidentally, my husband spends the majority of the 'work week' in another state. I wish I could say that I'm managing this Mommy Business with total grace and ease, but lately this has just not been the case.
If I were Catholic, I suppose I would begin this list with, 'Forgive me, father, for I have sinned,' (at least this is what I've seen in the movies.) However, since I am not, I will just get down to the business of confession...

• I haven't cooked a real meal for my children in the past two months... Early pregnancy all day nausea + pregnancy and non-pregnancy induced exhaustion + somewhat picky eaters + not having my hubby here for dinner + my own all day long continuous snacking = A Mommy who'd prefer to go out to dinner or serve up some variety of Annie's Mac and Cheese for the kids while I dine on cereal and cookies after they are tucked in bed.
• I don't always mind when my kids are 'bad'... Of course, I'm not proud of the behavior and wish that my angels were always angels, but let's face it, when the kiddos act up there are consequences: consequences that I choose. An appropriate consequence for arguing with Mommy or pushing little sis, could be early bedtime for Carter (which, in turn, means early bedtime for Mommy.) Random acts of violence on the part of Miss Murphy could lead to some calm-down time in her crib (which leads to a 10 minute break for Mommy in which I may actually be able to check my email or even apply a bit of makeup!) 
• I often manipulate help Carter get a treat on her mind just so I can indulge... Ice cream after school, a cupcake from a local bakery, a slice of cake after dinner, something fun from the candy shop... these are all confections that I crave. However, I feel a tad less guilty about indulging when I'm doing it for the kids. I would not likely make a special trip to Whole Foods just for my most favorite angel food cake, but when my darling lil four year old comes up with the idea, how could I possibly say no?
• I sometimes have ulterior motives when I suggest a trip for penny throwing in the fountain... I've not been secretive about the fact that I do not especially enjoy many kid friendly activities. I'm lucky, though, that my girlies love a field trip to the mall and have a great time tossing pennies into the fountain. So, on a rainy day (who am I kidding? it could just as easily be a sunny day) I'll suggest this activity just so I can swing by J. Crew or Anthropologie for some mid-week retail therapy. 
• I've had a babysitter come just so I can catch up on shows on my DVR list... Look, with the kids being bonkers and the hubby being gone and the belly being, well, big, sometimes I just need a break. I don't always have errands to run or appointments to keep, but a break is needed nonetheless. Now and then on these days, I'll simply welcome the sitter and slip into my bedroom for a little me time of the television variety. To add to this confession, I am actually doing so at this very moment though blogging is taking the place of TV viewing. 

This list could go on and on and on, but I must say that I already have a nice refreshing feeling in my soul having gotten these sins off my chest. Perhaps this open confession will become a regular part of my blog.

If you'd like a place to bare your soul, feel free to use the comments section of my blog... you'll be shocked at how good it feels! 

A Garden Party for My Growing Girl

As soon as Carter began describing herself as being '3 and 3 quarters' (actually, initially she said '3 and 3 coins), she and I began discussing how she'd like to celebrate her birthday. Despite my suggestions of a gymanstics or Monkey Bizness party (both of which would be NOT at home), she became set on the idea of a Garden Party (which WOULD be at our home.) I kept thinking that this would likely be the first birthday that she'll actually remember, so I decided to go ahead with her big idea.
We began by creating a guest list. Since the party would be in our backyard (fingers were crossed for good weather!), inviting her entire class wasn't an option. She did a good job of narrowing her list to five school friends and five non-school friends. I did a quick Google search of 'Garden Party Ideas' just to get my creative juices flowing, and the week before the big day included trips to Ikea, Party City, Home Depot, Sugarlicious, and Target.
I wish I could say that all the prepping and planning went off stress-free, but a house-full of sickies and a migraine attack for Mommy took away a bit of my available prep time. The party was scheduled to begin at 1:30 on Saturday, and I was a bit high-strung stressed crazy in the final hours before our guests' arrival.
A sweet girlfriend of mine checked in with me throughout the morning asking if she could do anything to help or come a bit early to help set up. I had the brilliant idea to ask her to be our event photographer.  I knew I would be too busy playing hostess to capture all the day's special moments and little details, and I'd noticed that she takes fantastic pictures of her own family events.

The Birthday Girl.

She's worn this birthday crown, for a few minutes at least, 

at every birthday she's celebrated!

The Butterfly Bounce House.

The bounce house was a last minute addition to the party,

but was perfect to keep the kids happy between activities.

The Planting Station. 

There's potting soil in the big planters 

on the ground with kid-sized shovels for digging. 

I added pinwheels to each for a whimsical decoration.

Each child had two pots with his/her name on it: 

one to plant a flower and one to plant veggie seeds.

The Dirt Bar.

The silver watering cans on the back 

corners of the table held brightly colored gum-balls.

The 'dirt' planter contained kid-sized shovels 

to use as serving spoons. 

A close up of the sign in the 'dirt'...

eight packages of hand crushed (by Daddy) Oreos.

 A few of the toppings.

Carter had a ball at the candy shop choosing the

 'things we could find in dirt.'

Cute signs courtesy of my fabulously artistic husband.

The toppings included gummy worms, snakes, night crawlers, 

butterflies, spiders, and centipedes; 

as well as sunflower seeds and colorful flowers. 

Licking her lips as she makes her selections.

Each kiddo got an oblong tin that I'd lined 

with vanilla yogurt as the base for their unique Dirt Delight.

(I decided to use yogurt instead of pudding since there'd be so many sweet toppings.)

Marin: a happy girl with her completed concoction.

Birthday Girl enjoying her Dirt Dessert

while relaxing under the umbrella of her adirondack chair.

Her cup is filled with lemonade embellished flower-shaped ice cubes.

The ice kids LOVED the fun shaped, multi-colored cubes!

The Butterfly Pinata.

The Birthday Girl takes the first swing!

Thanks to some brawny boys, 

the garden treasures were out in no time!

Garden Themed Cupcakes.

Cake and icing made my Mommy; Garden designs by Daddy.

How can my baby be four?

The Must-Have Group Shot.

All eyes may not be on the camera, 

but all kiddos (plus an extra sibling!) are accounted for!

The Party Favors. 

The favor buckets included gummy bug-kabobs,

daisy shaped lollipops, and personalized orange and green 

sixlets placed in cone shaped packages to resemble carrots.

The Family Shot.

The Presents.

My husband had sent me the beautiful spring flowers earlier in the week,

and they served as the perfect Garden Party gift table centerpiece. 

My Girls and Me.

All and all, I'd say the fourth birthday extravaganza was fun for all, and I felt only slightly guilty for sending the kids home on crazy sugar highs. As for the Birthday Girl, I know she had a ball though she did find a space of solitude towards the end of the party.

Just A Girl and Her Guitar:

Singin the blues on her special day.

(A thousand thank-you's to Kelsey for all the pics that made this party round-up possible.)