Worth Jotting Down

We were trying to come up with a nickname for the baby and I suggested "peanut." Dude says,"Silly Mom. Dat's what I call my poop." We ended with "squirt," which isn't much better, but Dude seems to dig it.

I was kneeling down so dude could "tell me somefin cool." He could NOT get the sentence out. I said, "Spit it out buddy." and he proceeds to spit, directly in my face. He was confused as to what he was spitting out, but I got exactly what I asked for.

We parked at the store and dude shouted, "Mom, I see a wish!" I didn't get it. He got out of the car, ran up a grass hill in front of the car, picked a white dandelion and blew it, making a wish. Melted my heart.

Dude was running around in the sprinklers, minus his clothing. Suddenly, he's shouting, "Mom, Dad! I watering the grass!" I don't think I need to explain what he was doing. He thought he was rather awesome.

Kids have a way of offering a humbling picture of the things we say, do, express...stuff we're totally naive to. Dude's latest "Mom phrase" is, "Uhhhhh! Seriously guys?" And he says it right on cue when he's frustrated (or when he senses that we're frustrated).

Mr. Tim was mowing the grass across the street. He always pulls the mower behind him in-between rows. Dude was watching him, laughing. A few minutes later I look in the backyard and dude is walking around our yard, pulling his bubble mower behind him saying "I just like Mister Tim!"

My Fave Work Weekend

I heart the end of August. Not because lovely summer is drawing to a close...I definitely don't heart that. But rather because it's the week of my work's annual Joe Sakic golf tourny and dinner gala. 2 days I'm paid to drive my little golf cart around and take pictures at one of the country's most beautiful golf courses and take in an elegant evening with my hubbie and some additional rad folk.

Golf was Thursday - another picture perfect day at Sanctuary. The picturesque backdrop there is impossible to describe. It's breathtaking. Maybe some day I'll learn how to swing a club correctly and not just sit my butt on the golf cart all day. Probably not though.

Last night we partied hard at the Lone Tree Marriott and had a bllllast. I love getting all dolled up with my main man. I do have to work quite a bit while we're there, but he holds his own just fine. Sad that it's all over already, but there's always next year.

Look at my handsome hubbie. Isn't he darling?

Us Food Bank gals with Mr. Joe Sakic.


Joe and our comedian, Jake Johannsen. My face hurt from laughing at this dude and I'm pretty sure most people in the room peed their pants at some poit throughout his gig. If you get a chance to go see him, do it. He won't disappoint.

Our neighbor buddy Randy owns the photo booth company we hired for the night. He's explaining the art of posing to Joe and Debbie Sakic.

The planning committie, plus a few. Marc Moser, far left, from Altitude Sports, committee members, Jake Johannsen, moi, Joe and Deb, FBR staff and hockey guru Ave's star, Paul Statsny, far right. My favorite? Little Daniel on the back screen. He and his family rely on one of our agency food pantries.

A Week with Gigi

Dude doesn't get much quality Gigi (my Gram) time with the 1200 mile separation between the two of them, so when Gigi and her hubby Jerry decided to come visit, we were thrilled. We didn't know that their visit would fall smack in the middle of our Wyoming trip, but we made it work. They stayed with us 5 nights and Bruce and Barb hosted for the days we were out of commission. Teamwork! Gigi and Jerry were so good with the dude. Kids don't see age. They just see two people willing to talk to them and entertain them. It's a beautiful thing.

Gigi and Jerry were able to take dude to his second day of pre-school.

We lounged at the pool for a few hours.

Dude decorate Grandpa Jerry with every sticker he could find. Bless your heart Jerry.

The dynamic duo departed on Wednesday after a week in sunny Colorado. We all enjoyed hangin' out with Bruce and Barb, reading books, sitting in the sun, taking drives to see the sites, soaking up happy hour time and playing spades. Thanks for visiting you two! It was a pleasure having you.

Side note...we checked off another item from my list and finally went to visit Tim's Grandma Eleanor. Shame on us for not visiting more often, but it was good to see her and catch up.

Dude's Gonna Have a Baby.....

Check out my other blogging baby for all the priceless details from our mega weekend!

You Go Home Now Mom..Kay?

That blog title summarizes Dude's first day of pare-school. All morning, he'd throw his hands in the air and say "Yeah for Schooooo!" I got him all dolled up, walked him in , prepared to spend some time letting him adjust. No adjustment needed. He told me I should go home now. That was it. I did enjoy my 3 hours of running errands, sans child, but it was weird to leave my little man at a big kid school. He's on his second week now and is doing just great.

Its been quite a week over here in land of Vogels. Gram and Jerry have been here for 7 days, so I'll be updating with pictures and fun from their visit soon....haven't had a whole lot of down time as of late. I couldn't neglect this cutie pie post though. Hope all of your little ones are kicking off their school year with a bang.

This is blowing a kiss for me to go away and let him be on his way.

Like I said, arms were in air a lot that morning.

My little man in a big, big hallway.

His cubbie hole. How cute is that?

Worth Killing the Grass For

No words necessary.

Perma Smile Saturday

This past Saturday was one of those summer days that leaves a perma smile on your face. We, thanks to do the dude's random, but much appreciated tiredness, slept until 8:15, had breakfast and headed to a pool that Cara recommended. Rather than spend the money on Pirates Cove, she told us to alter my goal and settle for Cook Pool. It was well worth it. Water heaven. We snagged Riley from across the street, which increased dude's fun factor by 100%. Oh how we love having a permanent play mate so close to home.

So, the entire place is kid friendly. Minus the above featured water gym. Can you tell why not one of the 27 children at the pool were frolicking in this plastic hurricane like feature? Every 3 minutes it dumps. And freaks the crap out of all the kids. Including mine.

This was their reaction EVERY time the bucket dumped. "Wooooah! Look at dat!" Every three minutes for 2 hours.

After watching the boy on the left jump into the shallow pool, Dude and Riles decided that was a game for them. Cute stuff.

Again, "Woooah! Look at dat!"

We all headed to the adult pool to watch Daddy (and Mom) do fabulous tricks off the diving board. Well, my jumps could hardly be classified as fabulous...or jumps really. I hadn't been on a diving board since 8th grade, so I pretty much just stepped off and screamed.

Dad made impressive splashes to make up for my lack of coordination.

That night we dined with the McKinsters and Lindy and Matt at the Taste of Lone Tree and chowed on s'mores and some tasty adult beverages at our pad afterward. The twins experienced their very first marshmallow. It was a double thumbs up. We all slept well that night. With perma smiles on our faces.

Farmer's Market Ingredients...Cooked

That pretty produce I sheepishly purchased at the Farmer's Market last week didn't go to waste. I was determined to make something edible out it and make my hubbie proud. And so I searched my good friend Google and found recipes that would do the trick. The Sheas walked over to share in our skirt steak, grilled eggplant and summer squash, mozzarella and tomato salad, served with a salad topped with the purple pepper the fabulous cheese focaccia bread on the side. It gets better. I even whipped up an apple crisp (another item on my check list) and as evidenced below, master baker Maria approved of my handiwork. Mission. Accomplished. I might just hit that farmer's market again tomorrow. With my head held high.

Play Time with Jackster

Jack. He's our bud. He's our funny little bud. And he's finally at an age where he and Dude can wrestle, run, climb, laugh and speak each other's language. We had a play date with Sir Jack last week. There were fountains to soak ourselves in, which only took Dude about 45 minutes to warm up to, but he did. Jack, on the other hand, has no fear in the world. Megan and I have quite an enjoyable time comparing our polar opposite children's idiosyncrasies.

School Daze

My little man. Is going to pre-school. Next week. Per #30 on my check check list, my brain has start processing this reality. I know, it's only 3 mornings per week, but he has his own cubbie. With his little name on it. And he's going to walk through the halls with 8th graders. Big big 8th graders. And he's going to go out for recess and go to the computer lab. And he's going to love every single second of it, minus sharing attention with 14 other 3 year olds. Ms. Yvetta, get ready lady. He likes his attention.

We had "back to school night" on Wed. The three of us dressed up and went to meet his teacher, see his classroom, walk the halls, turn in our ridiculous stack of paperwork and convince dude that THIS is the place to be. That didn't take long. He would have stayed in his classroom the rest of the night if we let him. And he immediately took to his teachers, blinking at them uncontrollably (this is a new habit dude has picked up....when he's SUPER excited about something, he starts blinking like it's going out of style). Kinda like how a dog wags his tail when he's happy. Dude blinks. Tim says we should just keep him in sunglasses until it passes.

The school visit was a success. Dude will share a classroom with our buddy Riley, a boy named Ryker, a boy named Ryder, Cameron and Camdyn, to name a few. Seriously? Rylan, Riley, Ryder and Ryker? All in one enclosed space? We're thinking about giving dude a new name for the school year so he'll have a sense of identity in his classroom. First day of class is next Wednesday. My brain should be 90% wrapped around this concept by then. Happy back to school for all you all too! Can't believe it's already upon us.

Maria's been through this a few times already, but she cordially agreed to take cheesy pictures with me.

Dude and Riles in front of their little cubbies where he'll hang his little Cars backpack with a change of clothes for when he inevitably pees his pants.

More Check, Checks

That summer list I posted is slowly getting chipped away at friends. I love lists, but what I love more is checking off items on said lists. It satisfies my anally organized self in a way that I can't quite describe. So I won't. What's the latest and greatest?

#23 -QT with the dude. The nightly rain storms provided some rockin fun this past week. We got a lot smiles from people driving by this particular night. Rightly so. How darn cute is a kid jumping through puddles in red rain boots?

#18- The "old" playroom (babe's future nursery) is history. We emptied the closet and moved everything to the guest room. Welcome dude (and future dude/ette's) new playroom, down 3 steps from the kitchen.

#1 - Dude and I, along with friends Kristin, Avery and Taylor, visited the fantabulous farmer's market at Aspen Grove mall today. The colors and shapes and textures of all the home grown lovliness there was something worth experiencing. Not that I know what to do with any of it, but I'm gonna give it my very best attempt. For now, my finds are sitting in a bowl looking oh so pretty. Who knew peppers come in a scrumptious plum color?

#8- (and my most exciting update) is the completion of maternity shopping for Brooke. Hip, hip! I was so pumped to enter maternity sections. Normally I avoid those sections like the plague. I glowed inside, knowing that I'm expecting just as much as the girlies with big prego bellies. Thanks to my Kimmy and Megan for sharing in my shopping joy:) We bought a TON of options for her to choose from. It's tough shopping for a teenager you've never laid eyes on, but we tried our very best to put ourselves back in a high school state of mind and chose some ultra hip options. I think.

#29 - That box of really nice crap in the garage is now in the possession of random Craig's list stalkers. We got rid of some stools, mugs, place mats, shelves, etc. All in the matter of 2 days it was history. We HEART Craig's list, by the way. Tim has also drummed up a whole bunch of side accounting business through the free, dreamy site. Extra money = a very good thing.

The end. For now.