Colorado Springs School “Choice” Drama Part 1: School in the Woods

31. January 2014 · Comments Off on Colorado Springs School “Choice” Drama Part 1: School in the Woods · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , ,
Making the right school decision in Colorado Springs can make you lose your mind.

Making the right school decision in Colorado Springs can make you lose your mind.

Earlier in January, Timmy came home from school and asked if he could apply to the “School in the Woods.”

I hadn’t really heard of “School in the Woods” (I saw a girl at the boys’ school wearing a “School in the Woods” hoodie every day and that’s it), so I had to interrogate Timmy a little more about what it was.

“It’s a school for 4th graders and you spend all your time outside studying nature.”

Hey — outside is good, right? More »

Colorado Discoveries 29: Ski Cooper (Not Copper)

26. January 2014 · Comments Off on Colorado Discoveries 29: Ski Cooper (Not Copper) · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,
The snow, the views, and the lack of crowds makes Ski Cooper (not Copper) a local favorite!

The snow, the views, and the lack of crowds makes Ski Cooper (not Copper) a local favorite!

Our family took two day trips over two consecutive weekends to Ski Cooper, a small resort just north of Leadville, Colorado. The lift tickets are very inexpensive, there were never lift lines, and we took advantage of the boys getting to take two full days of lessons through the resort’s “Panda Patrol” program.

I have to make clear here — such as what I put in the title — that we did not go to Copper Mountain, which is often what Google hands back to you when you Google anything like “skiing cooper” or something like that. Copper is a much bigger, more vacation-resort-type of ski area, but is only about 20 miles north of Cooper. That’s not where we went. More »

Colorado Discoveries 28: Sports Authority Field, Home of the BRONCOS!

19. January 2014 · Comments Off on Colorado Discoveries 28: Sports Authority Field, Home of the BRONCOS! · Categories: Uncategorized
Sports Authority Field is open daily (on non-game days) for tours.

Sports Authority Field is open daily (on non-game days) for tours.

After our surprisingly-short trip to the Denver Downtown Aquarium, we ended up with a free afternoon. My friend Paige suggested we call over to Sports Authority Field at Mile High and grab reservations for the stadium tour. Luckily we got the last spots for the tour! After a nice lunch nearby, we got to the stadium with enough time to view the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame before our 1pm tour.

The Denver Broncos is an immensely popular NFL team, having a long presence in the area, so getting tickets to Broncos home games is very difficult. In fact, Broncos home games have been sold out since their 1970 season! There’s a good chance this is the only way we’ll get to see the stadium. I doubt we’ll make it to a game. More »

Colorado Discoveries 27: Denver Downtown Aquarium

14. January 2014 · Comments Off on Colorado Discoveries 27: Denver Downtown Aquarium · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , ,
I'd never been to an aquarium with REAL LIVE MERMAIDS before; those little girls were mesmerized!

I’d never been to an aquarium with REAL LIVE MERMAIDS before; those little girls were mesmerized!

During the kids’ winter break we took a day trip up to Denver for a little sightseeing. First, we stopped at the Downtown Aquarium.

I will say up front that if you find it a little strange that there’s an aquarium over 1000 miles from the nearest major body of water, you aren’t alone. My friend and I were certainly curious about what kind of aquatic life we might find. More »

Major Mom’s Back to Basics Campaign: Homemade Corn Tortillas

09. January 2014 · 1 comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , ,
No, not pretty, but so tasty!

No, not pretty, but so tasty!

My husband and I made a radical change to our diets this new year. We are attempting a Gluten-Free lifestyle. We aren’t allergic to gluten, but we are trying to see if some lingering ailments subside: joint discomfort, congestion, and (for Dave) IT band problems. I’ve not had arthritis in my hands or knees for the past week (a problem I’ve had in cold climates for many years) so I think we might be on to something. More »

They Multiply…

08. January 2014 · Comments Off on They Multiply… · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: ,
I haven't done a good old fashioned rant about household clutter lately...

I haven’t done a good old fashioned rant about household clutter lately…

The images you see in this post are snapshots from around my family room and kitchen on Tuesday, January 7, 2014. Those piles have since moved around and spread out some.

Today my sons went back to school after 19 days off for the holiday break. That is by far the longest grade school break I’ve ever dealt with, perhaps even as long as some college breaks.

We had a great time: we did a ton of sightseeing around Colorado, the boys enjoyed time with their grandparents, and had hours…upon hours…upon hours of video game, Kindle game, and TV time. But now it’s time to ratchet all that back and hunker down, at least till Spring Break in 2 1/2 months.

One of the perks of their going back to school is that I have the house to myself now for the first time in nearly 3 weeks. I have been able to keep it pretty clean…and sometimes even with their help! But something happens when my sons are home.

Little things start to accumulate everywhere. Over the holidays this usually involves stocking stuffers.

The Tabasco and test tube of fake snow were among Jacob's stocking stuffers. The letter opener is mine.

The Tabasco minis and test tube of fake snow were among Jacob’s stocking stuffers. The letter opener is mine.

The kids begin to leave little piles of “stuff” all over the house. I do my best to keep it somewhat neat and orderly…but believe it or not, the kids are using this “stuff”. They will suddenly play marbles…or pick up a sheet of jokes from our Christmas crackers…or decide to whittle a stick…or enjoy a block of Pez in their new Perry the Platypus dispenser.

IMG_8377

Actually, the “MakeDo” set is my contribution to our piles of stuff. Yesterday I was collecting our holiday Amazon boxes for the boys to use the MakeDo connectors.

The center of my coffee table has a decorative wire basket that I use to attempt to keep the “stuff” under control. Before long, you can’t even see the basket, you see the pile of Rubik’s Cubes, stuffed animals, SparkFun kits, and Nerf blaster darts.

Can you see the basket under there?

Can you see the basket under there?

I try to keep the piles of “stuff” nice and neat at least. But it doesn’t change the fact that it’s still a pile of random “stuff”…and when I visit other peoples’ houses, even with kids around, there doesn’t seem to be this “stuff”.

Where do you put it all? Don’t your kids play with toys? What’s wrong with us?

</rant>

6 Months in Colorado: 6 Things I Love Here & 6 Things I Don’t Love Here

04. January 2014 · Comments Off on 6 Months in Colorado: 6 Things I Love Here & 6 Things I Don’t Love Here · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags:
I can't believe we've been here six months!

I can’t believe we’ve been here six months!

As of December 24th, Dave and I have been in Colorado for six months! The time has seemed to fly by so far, mainly because we’ve been busy: Dave with his physics classes at USAFA, and me with juggling contractors for the basement finish job. As you’ve been reading, we’re really getting out there and getting to know Colorado and we look forward to many more outings.

I’ve made pro/con lists before about other places we have lived, so let Colorado be no exception.

Presenting: Six Things I Love About Colorado and Six Things I Don’t Love About Colorado. More »

Colorado Discoveries 26: Colorado Railroad Museum II

03. January 2014 · Comments Off on Colorado Discoveries 26: Colorado Railroad Museum II · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , ,
Denver & Rio Grande Western No. 318, which has run for railroads all over Colorado in its 100+ year lifetime. Read more about it here: http://coloradorailroadmuseum.org/museum-home/locomotives/

Denver & Rio Grande Western No. 318, which has run for railroads all over Colorado in its 100+ year lifetime. Read more about it here: http://coloradorailroadmuseum.org/museum-home/locomotives/

Last weekend while Dave’s parents were visiting we took a road trip up to Golden to visit the Colorado Railroad Museum. I had written about our August 2010 trip before, and there wasn’t much different on this trip (at least from my point of view).

Galloping Goose #7, the same one we rode in 2010.

Galloping Goose #7, the same one we rode in 2010. Rides on whatever train is running that day is included with museum admission.

The boys rode on the Galloping Goose, and we enjoyed seeing the G-scale model railroad and numerous Colorado railroad locomotives and rolling stock. This time around, Dave and my father-in-law talked to someone working in the restoration shops, and the two of them were able to get into the shops themselves and see a locomotive under repair up close and personal. They could tell you much more about this work than I ever could.

DSC_0089

The Denver & Rio Grande Western No. 491 is currently in the restoration shops.

The Denver & Rio Grande Western No. 491 is currently in the restoration shops.

The Denver & Rio Grande Western No. 491 is currently in the restoration shops.

The Colorado Railroad Museum is located in Golden, Colorado and can be covered in about 1/2 day. It’s a great thing to incorporate with other activities in Golden, such as the Coors Brewery, Lookout Mountain, and the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum. Admission varies depending on what trains are running, from $5 for kids, $10 for adults up to $5 for kids and $15 for adults. Active duty military receives complimentary admission for the ID card holder PLUS four other guests. If you have kids who are Thomas the Tank Engine fans, kids can enjoy the Day Out With Thomas experience every September at the museum.

If you are local to the museum, consider becoming a member; memberships are 100% tax deductible and helps directly support preserving Colorado railroad history.

Colorado Discoveries 25: Denver Botanic Gardens

03. January 2014 · Comments Off on Colorado Discoveries 25: Denver Botanic Gardens · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,
I have so many beautiful flower pictures to include, I had to make up collages!

I have so many beautiful flower pictures to include, I had to make up collages!

During my inlaws’ visit to Colorado, we took a day and went up to Golden and Denver. While Dave, his Dad and Jacob visited Caboose Hobbies in Denver, Dave’s Mom, Timmy and I headed over to the Denver Botanic Gardens which was only a couple miles away.

Being that it’s wintertime, only a fraction of the garden is really worth seeing this time of year. But the areas that are open are very beautiful. The Tropical Conservatory, Orangery, Cactus house, and greenhouses were open. We were able to see everything in about two hours, which was just enough time for the men at Caboose Hobbies. More »

Colorado Discoveries 24: Pikes Peak Highway

02. January 2014 · Comments Off on Colorado Discoveries 24: Pikes Peak Highway · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,
That's the road we had just come up. Read on to learn more about the Pikes Peak Highway.

That’s the road we had just come up. Read on to learn more about the Pikes Peak Highway.

Greetings! I hope everyone had a nice holiday season these past couple months. I’ve plenty of catching up to do! Last week my in-laws were in town to celebrate Christmas with us. We were grateful for their company and for their taking a chance with the weather to fly out to Colorado from the east coast. The weather cooperated beautifully for their visit, in fact! We did quite a bit of sightseeing, including the traditional Colorado Springs sights: Garden of the Gods and the Air Force Academy. In fact, we all went to the Christmas Eve service at the Chapel, which was quite beautiful.

On the 24th we attempted to drive up the Pikes Peak Highway, but found out at the toll booth that the road wasn’t open all the way to the top due to icy conditions at the top that day. But that’s okay, we tried again on the 26th and the road was indeed open to the top. More »