Amy’s Brain :: The Blog

Princess Madeleine & Knight Mason August 3, 2009

Here it the final outcome of the Knight Tunic.  A little big, but he loved it. We had a blast last weekend at the Renaissance Festival.  Lots of food, rides and a laughs (and only a little rain).

Adventures in Sewing July 25, 2009

I have been exploring the world of sewing.  Because, really I have the free time.  Forget the laundry, dishes or yard work.  Last weekend I made some pirate costumes for the kids….I failed to take photos so there is nothing to share.  I also made a skirt for myself.  It came out quite nice, but a little big.  I am going to attempt to alter it.  This weekend we are heading to the Renaissance Festival and decided Mason needed a Knight costume.  Friday night (past bedtime) we attempted a shopping trip at the fabric store.  I would not advise this with a six and three year old.

Below is the outcome.  The original design had a belt, until we realized that the belt would cover the crest.  It was also going to be open on the sides.  Without the belt, I decided to close the sides.  I am anxious to see it on Mason.  I can not take credit for the crest, that was all Morgan, I merely adhered it.  I think it turned out OK.  I did not attempt a costume for Madeleine….she already had plenty of princess outfits.

My Big Kid May 29, 2009

Today Mason “graduated” from kindergarten.  (Photos to come) It was a tear jerking experience.  I can’t believe my little boy is growing up.  He is turning into an amazing person.  He is excelling in reading and math.  He has surrounded himself by good friends.  I hope this has set a pattern for years to come.

He also wants to be a scientist when he grows up.  Gotta love that!  Maybe I will go back to college with him.  I am sure all of the “science” I learned will be outdated by the year 2021.  Yup….2021 is the year he will graduate from High School.

I loved the innocence and wonder the kids displayed.  Each kid went up the microphone and talked about what they wanted to be when they grew up.  There were spies, rainforest investigators, police woman, police boy, artists, basketball players, professional skateboarders, teachers, and the list went on.  Somedays I wish I could go back to the days that the world was your oyster.  Six is a great age!  I hope all their dreams come true!

Nostalgic June 30, 2008

This weekend we escaped to the mountains for a quick break from the city. We went up the Poudre Canyon and stayed at a place called the Sportman’s Lodge (aka the little brown cabin). It is a rust place about 50 miles outside Fort Collins. A wood stove and cold running water (no bathroom). One room with two beds and a table. It was cute. Sort of half-camping.

When I was a little girl we used to go there every summer. I used to think that we stayed in the same “little brown cabin” every time we went and that the chipmunk that I used to feed peanuts to was the same one year after year. I was wrong….there are multiple cabins and we stayed in several of them and I kind of doubt it was the same chipmunk over the course of 10 years. I caught my first fish on the little pond there. We walked over to it but it’s not so impressive anymore. It is interesting how your memories of your childhood are different from reality. Being at the cabin and up the Poudre is what I think of when I think of being in the mountains and fishing. I have a lot of great memories there and wanted my kids to share them with me. Perhaps it will become a family tradition. Next time for more than one night, it was too short.

We arrived Saturday afternoon after a picnic on the lower Poudre. Checked into the cabin and after a small meltdown by all (dogs included) we grilled some dinner and enjoyed the mountain air. Saturday night we had a campfire and enjoyed roasted marsh mellows and smores. It was a little chilly so it did not last long. Woke up early Sunday due to the freezing cold so we snugged together for some body heat, puppy included. We went hiking on Sunday on the Dadd Gulch trail. A great trail for kids! Splashed in a creek, saw some beautiful butterflies and columbines. I could have hiked all day but the kids were tired. Had a picnic on the Poudre and headed home. All and all a great time was had by all – especially the dogs. They are meant to be in the mountains. I am thankful to live in Colorado. We need to get out and enjoy where we live more!

Father’s Day June 16, 2008

First of all…Happy Father’s Day to my husband. Your kids are very luck to have you in their life! I know that times can be stressful but I would not want to go through this adventure with anyone but you by my side!

We had a busy, but fun Father’s Day this year. Started the morning with Grandma Lois (she stayed the night to watch the kids for a wedding). Then off to Fort Collins for some time with my dad. We went to the Taste of Fort Collins for some music and food. Ending of course with some Walrus Ice Cream, the best ice cream in the world (if you ask Morgan). After taking Grandpa home we headed to the Eastern Plains of Colorado for some lions, tigers and bears. No we did not go to the zoo….we went to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, CO. The sanctuary is a rescue for Lions, tigers and bears that have been rescued from abuse situations. You can get some amazing views of the tigers. There was one tiger enjoying a splash in the pool with a giant ball -the highlight of my trip! The lions and bears are kept a little further out. It was tons a fun and considering that Madeleine did not sleep….the kids were great. They did get bored before Morgan and I. I would love to go back again without the kids and sit on the deck they have and watch the animals for hours.

Some Little Leprechauns March 18, 2008

Saturday we attended the Saint Patrick’s Day parade. Patti, Sue, Olivia and Sam joined us on our little adventure. The parade was very very long – over four hours – but we only stayed for about two and a half. Fun was had by all. Madeleine was a little under the weather so she spent most of the time in my arms. Mason and Olivia were busy collecting the treats and toys that the parade walkers were handing out. Even Patti got into the spirit collecting treats in the street. Here is a picture of some little leprechauns!

Life’s Hard Lessons July 5, 2007

Yesterday (July 4, 2007) Mason learned a few of life’s hard lessons: your parents know everything and do not steal. We made a trip to the local dollar store for some party supplies. Since it was a holiday and we had plenty of time we let the kids play for awhile. Mason had found a loose bouncy ball that he took a liking to. When it was time to leave I asked him to put it away. While driving home he kept playing with his pocket. I asked him what he had in his pocket and he promptly replied “nothing”. I could not see anything in it, but had a feeling something was up. I would inspect his pockets when we got home. A few minutes later he was playing with his pocket again and when I looked back I saw the ball. I informed Morgan that we had to go back to the store and told him what happened. I proceeded to explain to Mason why stealing is wrong and of course scare him a bit. I explained how people can get sent to jail for stealing. I think it is best that he learns these lessons now when the consequences are just from mom and dad. He was very upset and scared. We informed him that he would have to go back to the store and tell the employee what he did. I don’t think I have ever seen such fear in his eyes. I was starting to feel bad for him – time for dad! It was decided that Morgan should take Mason into the store. He came out very upset and crying. Morgan said that he was so scared that all could say was sorry. Even though I know I should not feel bad for him – I did. Oh well, hopefully the lesson sticks and we wont have to deal with this again when he is a teenager. It is hard to see the loss of innocence! I want him to always be my sweet baby.

Growing Up June 18, 2007

Over the past week both of my kids have “grown up”. It seems like everything is happening all at once. This will be a long but simple post to try and capture a few milestones.

Last Thursday (6/14/07) Madeleine went “potty” on the toliet for the first time, this activity was repeated on Saturday. We have not really started potty training yet, but have sort of started introducing the concept. Today Madeleine left the baby room at daycare and is now in the early learning room. She will wear pull ups, start potty training, sit at the table, drink out of a big cup and so on. She is a little young, but the school thinks she is ready. I am not. Over the weekend Morgan reminded me that there is no more snap bottom clothes – that made me quite sad. As she is so tiny and still sort of young a lot of her clothes still have snap bottoms. I am not ready to part with them yet. I also realized that potty training means moving to a big girl bed. Perhaps in a few weeks – I am not ready for that yet. Over the weekend I bought her some big girl panties. She had them on Saturday for awhile. I will try to post a picture. Madeleine is also talking a ton. She has so many new words and is starting to make sentences. Her favorite words are dog and duck. She has a great book full of animals and is learning all of the names and sounds. Friday on the way home from school she told me that “our dog is a good dog”, of course normally she runs around the house saying “bad dog” (even when the dog is not doing anything). My favorite animal sound is ribbett. She says it so very cute. I need to get out the video camera. A few of Madeleine words include…momma, dadda, frog, cookie, juice, please, thank you, eat, kitty, cow, moo, go go, roar. She has definite shoe obsession. She loves to wear her shoes and if you put the wrong pair on she will let you know. If I take her to a shoe department it is difficult to get her to leave.

Now onto Mason. Saturday (June 16, 07) Mason graduated from preschool. He will start kindergarten in the fall at Big Hugs. He is a little young. Since his birthday is in October he missed the cut off for public school. We decided to let him move ahead since all of his preschool class is. He will probably repeat kindergarten in public school next year. He is such a smart boy. He now knows all of his letters and can write all of them as well. He knows most of the sounds and can name an object that starts with that letter. We will start learning to read this summer. He is a great artist and spends most of his time drawing. He is also a great dancer as we saw in his graduation program on Saturday. He performed the salsa with one of the girls from his preschool (Madison). Mason loves the girls. He has a daily update on who his girlfriend is and who Matthew’s girlfriend is. It seems to rotate between Madison, Mackenzie and Menaios. Just the mention of Menaios (the current girlfriend) and he starts blushing. A couple of weeks ago he informed me that you become boyfriend and girlfriend when the girl paints your toes. I just can’t beleive he is finished with preschool – he will always be my little boy!

Can I Have Peanut Butter on my Rice Please! January 20, 2007

Tonight at dinner Mason asked if he could have peanut butter on his rice. We asked if he meant butter and he was insistent that he wanted peanut butter. He proceeded to get up from the table and head to the kitchen to show us what peanut butter is. He went to the fridge and pulled out the peanut butter (actually the butter). Needless to say Mason had his version of peanut butter on his rice. It was quite amusing. When Mason gets tired he starts talking nonsense. It is quite entertaining. My adorable four year old!

Feeding the baby (doll) October 21, 2005

Yesterday Mason was busy playing with his baby doll (a gift from Grandma Patti & Grandma Sue when Madeleine was born) and he informed me that his baby was hungry! So, I asked him if he wanted me to get the baby it’’s bottle and he said no. Then he proceeded to lift his shirt and he started to breastfeed his baby. He was so very serious and it was difficult to keep a straight face. After the baby was done he put her down and lifted his shirt again. He asked me if I wanted to see his private parts (breasts) and then told me that they were “just little” and that he was just pretending! I did take a picture, something I am sure he will hate me for later.