we're on a train

Once again, we have a huge backlog of photos. Instead of hitting you over the head with ten posts at once, I’m going to try to space them out a day at a time.

Here are some shots from our September trip to the Georgetown Loop Railroad…

Junie had fun playing peek-a-boo with the conductor…

I must confess. I’m the ding-dong that chose the seats right behind the engine. The horn was deafening…

Jolee wasn’t fond of the horn either. She still talks about it. “Train, toot, loud”…

boo!

Jolee the snow storm is fueling up for trick-or-treating with what else—candy…

Adrienne is the master of the precipitation-themed costume. Here is rain cloud June at age 1 in 2007…

a bunny picking berries off the bushes. Junie insisted on her same costume from last year. Still cute as can be…

Just like we did for Junie in 2008, we managed to capture Jolee’s very first trick-or-treat transaction. ever…

Adrienne the bratwurst maker. Brilliant…

young noodler

Remember the Let's Go Fishin' game from when you were younger? Adrienne and I both loved it as kids. June got it for her birthday and it's been a big hit for her and Jolee. Jolee, however, doesn't care for fishing rods; I think we have a noodler on our hands...

just jolee

Adrienne and June have been in Florida for the past four days visiting their 98-year-old grandmother/great-grandmother. Tonight they return from their trip. Even though I know handling one kid is easier than two, before Adrienne left for Florida I wasn't too enthusiastic about the prospect of being on round-the-clock solo parenting duty for four days.

Instead of being a hassle, it has turned out to be such a treat to have Jolee all to myself. I didn't realize it until Adrienne and June were gone, but it's the first time I've been able to spend such an extended period of time with just Jolee. Jolee occasionally gets a few hours of undivided attention on Junie's school days, but she never gets to be our sole focus from morning 'til night. And I've had the most fun with her just before bedtime. Like most kids, as they get tired and it gets towards bedtime, June and Jolee frequently get really wired and silly. It's certainly fun with both of them, but it's been nice the past few nights to give Jolee all my attention. She is one sweet baby.

Today we met Mike, Jenny, and their sons, Owen and Emmett, at the 4-H fundraiser at the stables just down street from our house (the stables are about a two-minute bike ride from our house, so we visit the horses there frequently). For the most part, we just talked and meandered around the event, but before we left we took a carriage ride. I'm really sorry June wasn't here because we see the carriage and its horses, Spike and Maynard, almost everyday around town. Why haven't we taken a carriage ride before? This is Breckenridge and a 20-minute ride is usually $50. Our five-minute ride today cost us only $2—a much more reasonable fee. Jolee loved it, although she let it be known that she wasn't pleased to get off the carriage at the end of the ride.

Jenny and a sleeping Owen…

Mike, Emmett, Jolee, and me…

enjoying the ride…

relaxing at the end of the ride. moments later she was screaming as I pried her off the carriage…

Jolee is now off to bed so our weekend is at an end, but it's one I won't soon forget.

the scrumptious and white grass

Here's the toy that received the "it's the scrumptious" billing from June. It’s a bucket (500 pieces worth!) of snap-together beads. Adrienne had her eye on it at the store for several weeks, if not months, and thought it would be right up June’s alley. She was right.

In a rare moment with June away from her bucket-o-beads, Jolee pounced…

Last night after she went to bed I went back into her room to give June an extra kiss. I found her standing up on her bed sorting through her bin of beads by the dim light of her nightlight that sits on her windowsill. June has always had an ability to stay focused and entertain herself for long stretches of time, but today is extreme as she has already spent no less than four hours creating necklaces, bracelets, and a lovely assortment of collars for a few of her stuffed animals…

And for those interested in wintery precipitation, we received our first dusting of the season at our house this afternoon…

quotes and snow

This morning June jumped into our bed and exclaimed, “I love my new toy! It’s the scrumptious!”

The scrumptious… I like that.

And a day or two before her birthday arrived, Junie asked, “When is the Four Fairy going to come to our house?” She then explained that “the Four Fairy is just like the Tooth Fairy, except that it brings you your fourth birthday.” Brilliant. She’s undoubtedly in the 99th percentile for her theories on aging.

Grandma and Grandpa sent June a great new set of ski clothing for the upcoming season. The way things looked this morning, she might get to use her new gear pretty soon…

our 4-year-old pickle

Today we celebrated. Four years ago today we welcomed Junie into the world. I think she left the ranks of toddlerhood awhile ago, but now it’s official. Hard to believe.

only 4, but she doesn’t seem so little anymore…

Junie getting ready for liftoff…

miraculously no balloons sailed off into the sky…

Jolee’s a balloon enthusiast too…

lighting the candles on Adrienne’s masterful chocolate cupcakes with coconut frosting, per Junie’s request, of course…

the birthday girl…

Breck Crest Half-Marathon: I did it….

…but it wasn’t easy! I have to say this: every girl should have a coach/pacer/photographer/videographer/husband who hangs back with her and documents the whole thing (and hands over all the glory). Thanks, honey!

And huge thanks to Molly, who made our run together possible by coming up to spend the night and watch the kids. She took them on a wagon ride to a horse stable very near our house, and they all had a lovely time. Perfect, no?

We had a beautifully clear sunny morning and, except for some seriously gusty winds on the ridge at the top of the course, the weather couldn’t have been improved upon.

I can sum up our run like this: we ran up the mountain for a long, long time, we hiked up the parts too steep to run, we were blown about by crazy winds at the top, and we ran down again, all the while surrounded by the majesty of the Rocky Mountains.

Oh, and also, once I tripped over a rock and bit it pretty hard. Lloyd said it looked just like I was sliding head-first into home plate. Fortunately, nothing was bleeding or injured. Also fortunate: I landed on a sand/dirt patch and not on one of the many jagged rocks. A bit unfortunate: I got my wind knocked out of me by landing oof! right on my belly. That was weird and not fun—it hasn’t happened to me since I was a kid. It took a few minutes of slow walking to get my breath back to normal. But then we took off again and cruised it from there.

I had heard this race described as a suffer-fest, and at times I would have agreed. But, before it was even over I was already thinking that if we’re around I’ll do it again next year, and hopefully go for the longer 23 mile run. Incidentally, we finished in 3:08, which I feel great about given the terrain. And I’m able to walk normally! Which is especially helpful, because it’s back to work tomorrow bright and early…

Breck Crest Half 2010

rainbow park

I’ve clearly exhausted my word quota, so I’ll keep my ramblings to a minimum. Twenty five minutes from our house is the amazing Rainbow Park, which just opened in July. I wish it was closer but it’s well worth the drive. Here are some photos from three recent trips (I spend most of my time helicopter-parenting over Jolee the daredevil, so she’s typically my photo subject)…

that’s what I call a park…

today’s picnic. Jolee likes to enjoy her milk no-handed…

the sports field next door. There’s also a skate park; maybe we’ll try that next week…