Frolic

On the first day of spring, Maile and I met a fellow blogger and her sweet daughter, in Denver, for some good quality play time. The girls were kind of all over the place, so we didn't get to chat as much as I would've liked, but it is such a great feeling when someone you feel like you've gotten to know via the internet is just as nice in person! (It's not always that way.)

Maile and I spent the rest of our day running up and down the driveway in our bare feet, drawing "outsidewalk chalk" art in front of our home, drinking cold water "with ice cubes," and loving every bit of the beginning of a new season. I just wish this weather was supposed to last -- there's snow in the forecast for Saturday.

Autumn on Pearl

A day on Pearl Street, with a dear friend.

The weather was cool and crisp.

The trees were vibrantly hued. 

The aroma of freshly baked breads and pastries hung in the air ...

... and Pearl smelled of Autumn.

41/52

"A portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Maile: Her first pony ride, at the local Punkin Chunkin and fall festival.

I've made a personal goal to spend less time 'connected' -- on the computer, my phone, social media. Along with this goal, I have another, to make the time I do spend online more engaged and meaningful. 

I appreciate that you're still visiting me here, as I figure all this out, and have come to realize that you, my friends, aren't here for flashy posts and giant giveaways; you're here because you care, which is amazingly humbling, and encourages me to get back to the basics of blogging. About and for my family, and about and for our friends, be they 'real life,' or the ones we've made here. 

xo

Berry Patch Farms

I Instagrammed a little of our trip to Berry Patch Farms in Brighton, with Sarah and Eleanor, but here are a select few more photos. I'd love to go again before the hard frosts really settle in. Between being able to eat berries straight from the bushes, and the quaint atmosphere, we had a wonderful time!

*All photos taken with my DSLR.

*And don't forget, our Little Starling Tots giveaway ends today, but there's still some time to enter! Happy Friday!

Hello, Hump Day!

Hiya, Wednesday! We love 'second week Wednesdays,' because they mean that Dada will be home to us in just a few short days, and -- let's face it -- everything is a lot more fun when our family is whole. 

This week so far, some of us wore mermaid costumes for the great majority of our waking hours (sorry to disappoint, but "some of us" = Maile). We made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. We explored Hudson Gardens (the best time of year to meander this lovely, free! venue). We ate too many biscuits (with copious amounts of gravy) for breakfast. This week has been good.

Other plans include a girls date with our friend Shea, a yard sale with neighbors (so exciting, I know), and some new material for Real Oilfield Wives. 

Here's to the rest of the week! Hope yours is fab!

PS - We have a beautiful Instagram giveaway going on right now, with sponsor Little Starling. Enter here!

iFavorite

My favorite iPhone pic from the past week:

{After a fun morning with our littles, at a local working homestead, my friend Annie mentioned that she spied a new-to-her thrift store on our drive. Even though the kids were tired, we decided the worst that could happen was that a. the store would be unimpressive, or b. we wouldn't get to browse -- so we decided to stop. We were so glad we did; this place was packed, wall to wall, ceiling to floor, of secondhand treasures for children. Maile almost immediately spied the doll swing you see, which is a handmade, solid wood heirloom. It needs a bit of love, and paint, but oh, does she love it! $1.34. Yep, I'm proud!}

Follow along on Instagram: mrskittymitch

And Happy Weekend! Any fun plans?

iFavorite

My favorite iPhone pic from the past week:

{A week ago, my friend Sara and I took Maile to the zoo. Now, the zoo is only equaled by Barnes and Noble, when it comes to Maile's favorite places. That being said, she's a pretty serious little girl, and it can be hard to capture one of Maile's real, candid smiles. In true Maile form, despite the fact that she just watched an elephant show, and had soft serve ... a furrowed brow. The sweetest furrowed brow in this mama's world.}

Follow along on Instagram: mrskittymitch

That White Hot Day in June

We love water.

And sunshine.

Tacos ( ... evidence around Maile's mouth).

Lemonade.

Splash, splash, splash!!!

And watching Maile discover she can do the things she wants to do.

This life is so precious.

Hope you had a happy weekend!

A Tuesday Look at Our Weekend

Now that I posted about Easter, I'm going to skip ahead to this past weekend, which was pretty fantastic itself. When the weather is in the 60s and 70s, I feel more in sync -- emotionally, physically, spiritually. I'm not one of those who's always craving the next season. No, I'd be happy with spring and summer weather year-round! Probably why I'm (only half jokingly) still trying to convince Tim that we should sell our house, and make a permanent move to Hawaii, so Maile can grow up in the land of her ancestors (our other choices being England or Scotland, which are cold). ;) It felt like Tim's days home went by particularly fast this time, so I suppose there's a slight downside to beautiful weather, but we sure did enjoy it.

Above two photos from Tim's Instagram account.

Friday, we finally became zoo members, and met up with some friends for a day of fun. Trying to get three toddlers to move through the zoo at a reasonable pace is like corralling monkeys, but it didn't really matter; we meandered through the zoo, laughing along with our silly littles. For a weekday, it was really crowded, but the Denver Zoo is one of the most spacious zoos I've ever visited, and the whole city seemed to have it worked out that even though all of us decided to go to the zoo that day, we would be polite and kind. I did see one mom there in 5-inch wedges and a little shift dress. She was pushing a pram, with a baby no more than 3 months old inside, and holding the hand of a toddler (who also looked adorable). I have to admit that my first thoughts were mean-spirited: Who does she think she is, dressing like that to come to the zoo? But she looked wonderful, and I checked my heart and realized that I -- in my chino shorts, sweatshirt, bare face, and ponytail -- was just a bit jealous. I do want to know what her secret is to walking a few hours on uneven pavement in those shoes, though!

Saturday, we went to the home of some friends, and were treated to some grilled Jamaican chicken and sweet plantains. It was such a nice time, and for whatever reason, Maile always eats a ton at everyone's house except ours! We hung out most of the day, trying a couple of new microbrews (the variety is endless here in Colorado), playing with the kids, and chatting about our big camping trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park coming up in June. We watched a bit of basketball, let Maile fall asleep on the drive home, and had a fairly great evening, too.

Sunday was kind of a tough day, but my new friend Helen invited me and Maile over for a chicken nacho dinner, and it ended up being just what Maile and I needed that evening; I can't believe how much we laughed in those few hours. We talked about the fact that, as mothers, it's hard to give ourselves a break when we raise our voices, or just want some time alone. But the thing is, we all do, from time to time ... and it's okay! It's such a great feeling, to bond with another mom in person.

I've been a little down. I've been comparing myself to others too much, wondering how some moms "do it all." (I've come to the conclusion that they either ignore their children, or don't sleep. Ha.) As such a particular perfectionist, it's easy for me to get overwhelmed, so the weekend was incredibly therapeutic. There is just so much more to life than perfection; if that's my goal, I'm going to be disappointed, for sure.

I hope your weekend was great! And if it wasn't, don't be afraid to share. The mess is beautiful, too.

xo

PS - If you entered our Baby Wisp giveaway, click here to see if you're one of two winners selected. Thanks to all who entered and shared!

Warm Day Wiggles with Friends

We got to enjoy a beautiful spring-like day with friends, a couple of weeks ago. Since we weren't sure how long the weather would hold, we decided to take full advantage of the afternoon -- sidewalk chalk, the park, and even popsicles! I can't believe how much these kiddos of ours are growing up.

Can you guess where we'll be most of the spring and summer? Getting awkward tan lines at the park. And I'm looking forward to every minute of it.

Click here for my newest Shrinking Kitchen post: Buffalo Chicken Salad!

Les Canards

That guy in the background? Not exactly the type you'd expect to get excited about feeding ducks. But after seeing my post from our first Clement Park adventure, and hearing how much Maile loved it, he insisted we take her again before he had to head back to work. He stocked our pack with bread, tortillas, and snacks. We left the house early, in our hats and sweats, wanting to take in the entirety of the gorgeous day.

70 degrees and hardly a cloud in the sky. More often than not, this is what Mile High winters look like, friends! (Though yes, the pond is frozen, hehe.)

This moment is forever imprinted in my memory, and I'm actually thrilled I captured it on camera. It's hard sometimes, isn't it? To photograph, or not to photograph ...

Photograph.

Photograph.

Photograph.

At least, on this day.

Duck, Duck, Goose

Yesterday was beautiful.

At 55 degrees and overcast, it was markedly chillier than the 67 degrees our local meteorologists forecasted, but it was lovely all the same.

We spent most of the day outside, with our friends Annie and Silas, at the picturesque Clement Park. Clement Park is over the hill from Columbine High School, and is also the location of the Columbine Memorial. Although we didn't stop by the memorial, I can say with confidence that the location was perfectly selected. The park is gorgeous, even in the winter, and making a point of visiting the memorial is something I want to do in the near future.

Silas slept through most of our walk around the lake, and Maile's duck-feeding frenzy, but he sure did look sweet!

I wish I could put into words what it was like watching Maile feed ducks for the first time. Her face. Her exclamations and expressions. It was one of the most fun things I've witnessed as her mama. She was in seventh heaven.

After a week of being cooped up inside with the flu, I couldn't believe the change I witnessed in our girl. She was waving hello to everyone who passed, chatting up me and Annie, making friends with a wiry little dog named Rags (who delighted her with his tricks of sitting up like a prairie dog, and dancing), and jumping all the way back to the car. Little Miss Maile is such a "Colorado baby," as my parents like to say.

What could make being out in the fresh Mile High air even better? 

Ducks.

She told me so.

;)