I don’t know what March has to do with it, but Elizabeth declared that now that it is March, she can dress herself!
I have been trying for months to get Elizabeth to do more for herself – like getting dressed, brushing her teeth, and her hair – without me having to prod and stand over her. It wasn’t happening, but then, with the flip of the calendar, she made her declaration.
I’m thrilled, and relieved, but also apprehensive…let’s hope this new trend sticks.
The snow was coming down hard, adding to the multitude of inches already on the ground. All public (and Catholic) schools in our area were closed. So we called it a snow day ourselves and closed the store. We had our computers and enough work to keep us busy at home, so we weren’t too bothered by “hunkering down” as we like to do on these frigid white days.
But then the snow stopped falling and I thought it would be fun to do something special with Elizabeth. Something indoors, that is. We had been trying to go see Charlotte’s Web at the children’s theater so I called and was surprised to learn they had available seats. They tend to book up, even during the week. We had to race to get there, and unfortunately did miss the first few minutes. It was her first play, so I thought she should see the “curtain” opening.
A couple of minutes into the play, she looked at me a little perplexed… “Is that a real pig?” she asked. Ha! I had to quietly explain to her that, no, they were all human actors portraying the pig, spider, geese, and the rat. She let her imagination take over, and I’m happy to say that she enjoyed her first play very much. Looking forward to more!
We got to go to the Zoo when frosty winter night to see Zoo Lights. Wow! Was that amazing! A lot of fun, albeit quite cold.
Wish I had a tripod to eliminate much of the blur.
Elizabeth got a big girl’s two-wheel bike from Mom and Dad for Christmas and Santa gave her a red Scooter, just as she wished for.
One of my personal favorite places to go to on a cold winter day…is the (humid and warm) Butterfly Pavillion.
I took Elizabeth to see the Dinosaur Museum one day. It was small, and there wasn’t a whole lot of engagement for her at this age, but still worth it to pop in.
So, since we were finished in a relatively short time, we went for a hike at Red Rocks down the street. It was chilly, with rain & snow in the clouds, and lots of mud on the ground.
She loved it.
We slip-slided all over holding eachother’s hands to stay upright. And she was a trooper. Three-quarters of the way in, she got tired, but kept hiking because there was no other safe way to carry her. Thank goodness for chewy fruit treats to re-energize her.
And, thank goodness for some good hiking boots! Found this purple pair not too long ago and we love them!
We took her to one of the Mesa trails in Superior for her to ride and us to go for a walk. When she is on her Strider, she is fast and I mean FAST! We will literally have to RUN to keep up with her when she gets going. I’m finally getting some exercise again. Woo-hoo!
We had put both of her bikes in the car, and took a different trail around the lake using her new bike. It’s amazing how quick she is learning. This was only the third (?) time outside on her new pedal bike and we’re definitely seeing more confidence and skill. We still have to hold her seat and help her control the steering some, but soon we’ll be able to let go. IF we can keep practicing.
She was so fast pedaling this time out that I was the one slowing her down. It is much harder than I thought to run while hunched over holding her seat and/or handle bar. Not so good for these middle-aged backs!
More pictures in January’s Album
Elizabeth’s pediatrician recommended a sticker-reward system to encourage Elizabeth to stay in her own bed. We were excited how well she did at the start of the program. She wanted me to send this picture to Dr. K to show him how well she did!
Went for a horse carriage ride with our friends Stacy, Finley and Alli.
She still is eating that Gingerbread House…
Flew home to Philly for Christmas. It’s great to see Eliz and Aidan together.
And all of her cousins.
She loves her new suitcase! She nicknamed it “Donut” since his eye looks like a doughnut? or because she thinks Rhinos eat donuts? I don’t know…
First time in years Karen and Craig spent the holidays with us back at “home”.
Went to Morris Arboretum with my mom, Karen, Craig, Eliz and Andy.
The tree-top fort/net was a huge hit.
The trains and the nature inspired theme was amazing.
And we were finally home during Bobby’s Beer Tasting event. That was a lot of fun. Thanks to Carol for babysitting and chauffeuring we had a date night!
More pictures on December’s Album and the Christmas Album.
Carol came out for a visit, and since time was short, we took her, Stephanie and Alex for a hike at NCAR>
Scary bunch, eh?
This time we headed up towards Mallory Cave to see if we could see any bats.
Fun and rocky, but we had to turn back due to time before we made it to the cave. We’ll try again another day.
Elizabeth fed the Lorikeets at the zoo this month. What fun!
She helped Daddy with his chores. She loves her tools, and his.
Playgrounds are still a weekly must to burn off some of her energy!
We celebrated Steph’s birthday this month.
Elizabeth enjoys Denver’s Museum of Science and Nature. Here she is learning how well Mule Deers can hear because of their large coned ears.
A first playdate at our house. With her bestest buddy, Lucas.
We helped Steph decorate her apartment for Christmas. Or did we?
A little arts and crafts on a snow day.
Being such a big girl, she wanted to decorate the middle part of the tree this year. Twenty ornaments on each branch! ha!
First time for me…making a Gingerbread House. It felt like a marathon race and I was exhausted afterward. It’s hard trying to make one of these with a four-year-old. I had to decorate it faster than she could eat the candy…and the gingerbread!
More pictures on November’s WebAlbums.
I love visiting the large pumpkin patches during the fall.
Elizabeth loved the opportunity to help Daddy steer the car on the windy roads inside the farm.
She races through the hay bale maze in no time!
Leaf jumping…and, er…biking?
Notice that most pictures have had her in her pumpkin tshirt? Yup, she wore it almost everyday this month! Good thing the weather was so warm for short-sleeves.
Costco was getting ready for Christmas.
We picked up a big wheel at a yard sale so she can start learning to pedal and steer. It was challenging at first, but she soon got her “pedal muscles” and was going up hill with ease.
One of our new favorite quick hiking spots. It’s the trail behind NCAR in Boulder. You quickly get into trees, parking hasn’t yet been a problem, and lots of trail choices.
Elizabeth helped us again during our Olde Town Arvada holiday events. She loved giving goodies out during HOWL-leen. She got to see lots and lots of doggies in costumes.
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| From 2014_October |
You know Halloween is close when the vampires come out at night…
Halloween in Olde Town – Trick or Treat Street. We met up with some of her friends to do our town’s event…
And then other friends came to our house so she could canvas the neighborhood. A fun-filled evening for sure. We sufficiently wore them all out by bedtime.
More pictures on October’s WebAlbums.
