Leg Cane

Here's the deal. I feel like I haven't blogged about my monkey in a while and that makes me sad. I love writing about how funny Cole is or what we've been up to. So here are some of our latest adventures.

Play date with Dylan.

Hiking with the family.

Built a Lincoln Log Ranch.

Swim lessons.

Hanging at the bowling alley while we bowl.

Play date with Shane.

Dancing.

Playing games.

Riding bikes.

(sometimes, all this in one day - no wonder why I need naps on the weekend)

I love you Monkey!

Six

Today, March 1, marks our 6th wedding anniversary. We celebrated by eating at Vesta Dipping Grill (SUPERB). It was fabulous and it was Denver Restaurant week so it was $52.80 plus drinks and tip which put us at another $50....but it was worth it. Apps, entrees, and desserts!

Anniversary Recount:

Year 1. Trip to San Diego

Year 2. ? - it's a blur because of the newness of parenthood

Year 3. ? - it's a blur because my memory was out of commission for a few years due to giving birth.

Year 4. Devils Thumb X Cty ski trip

Year 5. Dinner at Bloom

Year 6. Dinner at Vesta

So, for a month I've tried to figure out something to buy Chris made of "iron" which is the traditional 6th wedding gift. So of course, the day before our anniversary I figure it's time to get serious and went to Home Depot in hopes that I may find something. I'm looking at the smokers (you know for meat) and I turn around and Mr. Wonderful is looking at foliage near by. I accuse him of spying on me and we have a 20 minute discussion on buying a joint gift, which turns out to be nothing made of metal.

Happy Anniversary Chris!

It's funny what parenthood can do to a person. Driving home from picking Cole up from school, we drove by an outdoor hockey rink. There were only two people in the rink, a dad and his little boy. His boy was probably about 6 or 7 and his dad was playing hockey with him. They were both on rollerblades and while it was a quick drive by, the boy was much better than the dad. And it made me smile as I saw his dad trying to manuever, wobblely, on his skates mainly to teach the boy. He definitely had heart.

You see, we attempt to teach people, usually our kids, things we may not be great at because maybe THEY will be great. Kids have that potential - not all kids have an athlete ability, or a singing ability, but what they do have, usually, is a desire to learn. So, teach 'em. Don't just teach them what you're great at or the things you love, but be adventureous, try to learn something new with them.

Be wobblely and get on those skates.

The most important thing is Heart!

Umple Joe came up with what we believe to be the most accurate description of what the most important thing is in someone's character.

Just ask Cole, "What's the most important thing?"

And he'll answer "Heart!"

It's a simple word that carries big weight. It's something we live by here at the Velez house.

Heart emcompasses all the good stuff - passion, spirit, love, tenderness, curiousity, drive, motivation, will power, giving, selflessness, EVERYTHING!

Try it out.

Rats

Tonight Cole and I got home from our day at work and school to an awful smelling house. And I do mean awful. It smelled like 10 dead mice had been rotting in a wall for about two weeks. It wasn't a mouse though. Through the darkness, I could see stuff on the floor, so as I tiptoed to reach the light, I found the source of the most dreadful smell....doggie diarrhea. And I mean lots of it. It trailed the span of our dining room, through the kitchen, through the TV, to an attempt to get out a locked backed door.

Poor Nilla. Sorry you didn't feel good today girl and thanks for trying to get outside. My brother would have just added to the mess by barfing all over the place so thank goodness he wasn't here. Cole just plugged his nose and continued to eat his candy. Meanwhile, I grabbed a pair of latex gloves (three pairs total), the mop, and got to work. I have to admit my gag reflex went off about four times.

I'm sure there is worse things, but half wet half dry doggie diarrhea spread half way across your house has to rank pretty high, right? But all is clean now (i broke the mop...not an opportune time). Just writing about it now makes me want to barf so enough about our welcome home surprise.

I had a disturbing dream the other night. I dreamt there were four rats in our basement. HUGE rats. FAT rats with long thick tails. It was like a nightmare and I'm still scarred from it even though I can't remember all the details. I do remember that they scared me and I tried to kill them but they were so HUGE and FAT and their tails so thick....

The next night I dreamt about sex.

What will tonight bring?

p.s. Thanks to Veronica for her post about family night. It was a nice treat to have you guys over. We love you all so much.

Why I Do It

I've been wanting to answer a question lately about why I blog.

Blogging makes me appreciate the simple things in life. The things that really matter. The things that make me the happiest. I remember when I didn't have a blog and I would read NieNie's blog and think, how is her life so wonderful? Everything can't always be that good, can it?

Blogging makes me feel closer to myself, to what's really important to me. It helps remind me to keep things in perspective. And while my life isn't always peachy, it's pretty damn close and blogging helps me give thanks for the little things instead of consuming myself with the things I can't change. It's about making cookies and taking a picture of them because you're so proud of how beautiful they look. Or talking about how you first met the love of your life. Or documenting some of the "firsts", like Cole riding his bike or singing in the holiday show. Or telling my mom how much she means to me.

I focus on the little monkey and how in the bottom of my soul, he has changed me. All the brillant things he has shown me and taught me. His little laugh, his beautiful eyes, his soft touch, his amazing character. I am so proud of him. He is my angel and I am filled with so much more love because of him.

I can't speak of love without mentioning Mr. Wonderful. I'll let you all in on a little secret - I don't always think he is wonderful (and that's ok and I'm not always wonderful either) and our marriage isn't perfect (and that's ok, too). But, I love our little life and the home we've built, and most of the all the son we're raising. And, those are the things I write about. Sometimes, I read through my old blog entries, just to smile at the silly things. And one day, Cole will read these and hopefully feel how much we love him and how lost we would be without him.

I love you monkey and I love you Mr. Wonderful - Happy Valentine's Day!

Super Heros and other things

Here's the dealio - there is nothing more adorable than a kid in costume for no other reason then the fact that he just wanted to wear it.

Recent Hightlights:

1. Velez Entertainment down grade turns into upgrade - We canceled cable! That's right, no What Not To Wear, Project Runaway, America's Next Top Model, Ace of Cakes, or all the other fabulous things on TLC. No more DVR/tivo. We're on rabbit ears and hulu. So, I remember when Tivo came out and thinking that was the best invention ever, one that we used daily. But now, with Mr. Wonderful's talents, we now have a computer hooked up to our TV and we watch free shows off of Hulu.com. It's amazing.

2. Tupperware - the second exciting upgrade is throwing away all of our tupperware and replacing it with the "Smart Spin". Now, the marketing for this product is all about the carousel that the tupperware sits in, but not for me. The thing that sold me is that it comes with three different sizes but uses all the same lids! In fact, the carousel is in the recycle bin.

3. BFF - this is the latest and greates from the monkey. He said one night this week, "Mama, you're my BFF." Knowing exactly what that means, I had to hear him say it. "What does that stand for?" "Best Friends Forever." AWE! How precious is that?! It's his new favorite word this week and he can keep saying it because it's so freakin cute. At dinner last night, out of the blue he says "Dylan is my BFF". Chris and I just look at each other, thinking our baby is growing up. Kindergarten registration happens Wednesday! It will still be six months before he goes, but just the fact that we are registering him, is CRAZY.

4. My bowling league ended last week and while I'm going to enjoy getting in bed on Tuesday night at 9pm instead of midnight, I'm going to miss it. I'll miss my team and the sounds of the bowling alley. We bowled today with Umple Joe. Mr. Wonderful is a closet bowler - he did GREAT today for not bowling in a long time.

5. Found out that I'm allegeric to peanuts, almonds, seseame seeds, tomato, clams, cantalope. Who would have known?!

Reflection

I'm sad that I'm just now able to post. It's been too long. I've been in New Mexico at a professional conference for work and a session I attended is the inspiration for this post.
It was given by a collegue , Larry Center - Asst Dean at Georgetown Law School, whom I hold in high regard even though I haven't worked with directly for very long. His session was one of reflection, introspective, potential, and growth; both personal and professional. So without futher ado I will share what I can with you and encourage you to participate.

The session was about setting goals and how to create a life plan whether it be for a year, or 5, 10, 15, 20 years. Through a series of questions, it's amazing how clear your life and intentions can be. Copy and paste everything below into a Word document.

Answer the following sentences/questions with the first thing that pops in your head. Don't overthink your answer:

Set I
1. I am at my best when:
2. I am at my worst when:
3. I am really happy when:
4. I want to be a person who:
5. Someday I would like to:
6. My deepest positive emotions come when:
7. My greatest talents and best gifts are:
8. When all is said and done, the most important things are:
9. Possible life goals for me at this point in my life are:

Set II
1. When I daydream I see myself doing:
2. If I had unlimited resources, what would I choose to do?
3. When I look at my work life, what achievements do I consider of greatest worth?
4. When I look at my personal life, what activities do I consider of greatest worth?
5. What do I consider to by my greatest future contribution to others?
6. What talents do I have, whether developed or undeveloped?
7. Are there things I should really do (eve if I've dismissed then before)? What are they?

Set III
1. Who has served as a positive role model for you and had a significant impact on your life?
2. Why did they have such a big impact?
3. What qualities did they possess that you want to emulate?
4. What other character traits do you admire most in other people?

The next part goes like this:
Write your current age on a piece of paper. Now write 10 below that number and add the two. This is how old you will be in 10 years. It's powerful to see it on paper, it has a great impact.

Choose five roles you have in your life. Some examples are (parent, spouse, church member, volunteer, friend, etc.)
Write them down.
Next to each role, write down the name of the first person you think of. For example, I chose parent and the person is Cole.

Now, imagine you are at a big birthday celebration in your honor (10 years from now). For each of the people named who are associated with the roles in your life, write a tribute statement for you from each of them. What would they say during a speech at your birthday party in front of everyone?

Re-read the tribute statements out loud.
Now ask yourself, what do you have to do to make those tribute statements real and true?

If you left your job today (or your position as volunteer, or church member, etc.) how is it a better place because of you?

Some food for thought. I thought this was a very powerful exercise, a much needed escape into my inner thoughts, desires, priorities, that get lost in the day to day rig-a-ma-roll of life.

TIPS:
1. Focus on the relationship - success comes from people not things. What people can you have a positive impact on?

2. Emotional Bank Account - this is the amount of trust in your relationships based on a scale of 0-10 (0 being none and 10 being infinite). It also includes things like kindness, curitosity , being a role model, not gossiping about people - people are always watching. How do you want to be thought of?

3. Be Proactive - think ahead. Focus on your circle of influence, not your circle of concern.

4. Life is a portrait and you are the artist - what is your life portrait?

Chapter 1 - In the beginning

*picture taken Feb. 2002 on our way to Hawaii.

I thought I'd write about how Mr. Wonderful and I met. It's a complicated story and for the fun of blogging, I won't reduce it to the short version.

Chapter 1 - Everyone knows Everyone

I was renting a room from a guy named Kevin.

Kevin and Chris were friends.
Chris and Wendy don't know each other.
I knew of Chris through a girl named Carla because she was madly in love with him.
Carla and Chris were friends.
Wendy and Carla were friends.

It's Boulder - everyone knows everyone somehow, some way....

I ended up going to a party (Ward Baker -Summer of 2001) everyone was there - Chris, Kevin, Carla, me, etc. This was the night Carla introduced me to Chris. From the way she talked about him, I thought they were an item (but this apparently was only in her book...poor thing).

Chris and I chatted and he said he was really into hiking too (ok, whatever) and liked my favorite hike (yeah, right...isn't what you mean to say is you really like my butt in these pants and want to jump my bones) so I gave him my number so we could hike together (yeah, right, more like leave me alone now). At this point, I'm just through breaking up with the famous Tim (my mom was secretly happy) so I'm NOT interested and giving Chris my phone number was the only way I could see of him leaving me alone.

Alone? Yeah right. The phone number was like a shoe in for him and he was always so charming, well mannered, innocent, slow, friendly. We did end up hiking Sinitas and talking, talking, talking. I can still remember that hike and sometimes when I'm there by myself, I can feel him there with me. I can remember the rain as we ran all the way down, drenched. It was glorious. On that hike, he said he was going to marry me. You know, one of those stupid comments that no one really pays much attention to (no offense babe).

It wasn't long before we became friends. But that didn't come without hiccups. He floated some of race pictures from the internet to Kevin via email which made me furious. It still does to this day. I'm a private type of person (that's an oxymoron since I blog about my life but whatever) so it really upset me and I gave him the silent treatment for a while.

By now, Kevin has decided to move to Europe and it just happens that Carla has a room for rent, so now I'm roommates with Carla and I'm friends with Chris. (She had smelly cats and she wasn't clean so I stayed in my room alot.) Anyway, I finally decided to forgive Chris and we made up after a couple of months. Besides, he was always at Carla's house dropping off sweet Nilla for Carla to run with. Chris is such a tease and flirt (don't think I don't know this about you darling. I do and I accept it.) Carla still had the hots for him. And you call me a player! Ha.

By now it's December, then New Years and just before going out with a bunch of my girlfriends, I get the flu at like 9 pm New Years Eve. LAME. I'm down for the count and sick sick sick for a few days. It was nasty. But I remember Chris coming over and taking care of me. We hung out quite a bit; snowshoeing, he'd cook me dinner, a romantic Valentine's (remember all of the little valentines card you put all over the outside of my car...awe, so thoughtful, romantic....again, I know you were just trying to get in my pants and it worked!). After awhile I asked Chris:

"I have a free airplane ticket to use. Where I should go?"
"Hawaii," he said.
"Do you want to come with me?" I asked.
"Sure," he said.

And in one weeks time, we had a week long vacation planned for Hawaii with a guy I don't really know all that well and a guy that my current roommate is in love with. Hmmm! And that's the beginning.

So in short,

Wendy was roommates with Kevin
Chris and Kevin were friends
Chris and Carla were friends
Wendy and Carla were friends
Carla and Wendy were roommates
Carla loved Chris*
Kevin loved Wendy*
Chris and Wendy loved each other*

*this is the juicy stuff. I'll leave that chapter for another blog post.

It's funny to document it, to try to remember the dates of all of this (we've known each other for 8 years already and married 6). Where does the time go?

It goes to creating all of our wonderful memories, our stories, our life. I love you Mr. Wonderful.

Thanks for tuning in. Stayed tuned for more, it only gets better.....

Mama Mia

Mom, you're beautiful. I love this picture of you.

Rodeo and Spaniards

That's right - A 14 inch hotdog. Besides the Rodeo, the flea market, and maybe the baseball stadium, these things should be illegal. It didn't take Mr. Wonderful and Cole very long to devoured this calorie packed piece of mystery at the Rodeo on Friday night.

The Rodeo -a little piece of childhood memory that as an adult I get to now share with my little one. We had a great time as a family. Chris and I have a pretty good setup, in that, we both require a lot of personal space - time by ourselves - to workout (mainly) or to get stuff done around the house or to shop or to do whatever. We compliment each other well in this area but what it means is that we end up doing a lot of activities alone with Cole. So, when we have a family outing, it really is a treat. I absolutely love this picture of Cole.

As for the Rodeo, the only thing I have to say is "watch out little fluffy sheep, because Cole's coming next year - Mutton Bustin at it's finest"! And as for this Alpaca or Llama or whatever it is, he was the cutest freakin thing. The picture doesn't do full justice, but his expression and his mustache were something else. I chuckle everytime I see this picture.

If he could talk, he would have the voice of a Spaniard and he would be saying "Adios mucho!"

Dessert First, Please

I've been tired all day today. I have no idea why because I got a good 9 hours of sleep. I don't function very well when I'm tired. It's like I'm not really in my body or my head. I have a hard time focusing and well, it's just not good. Just ask Chris- I suffered from this alot during the first two months of parenthood and I was, well, insane.

So driving home from work in my half slumber state, I decided that what I needed was some sugar. And then I thought that if Cole had been a good boy at school, him and I would go on a sugar hunt. Much to my excitement, he was a good boy, and we headed to Old Chicago. What's better than a pizzooki? That's right! Nothing is better than a pizzooki, except a pizzooki with ice cream on top. A pizzooki is a giant chocolate chip cookie, baked in a deep dish pizza pan. It was delicious. But here's the thing; I'm not sure Cole was excited about eating dessert before dinner. I, on the other hand, thought it was the best idea I had all day. I don't think in his whole 4.5 years, we've ever had dessert before dinner. It's an occassion to write about, don't you think?

We made it home, bellies full, and sugar starting to make it into our blood stream, when Mr. Wonderful made it home. But now, they are off at work (Chris took Cole to help him get some stuff moved at the office. Besides Cole being the cutest kid on earth, he is also wonderful hired help) and our usual noise filled house is empty and quiet, except for the occasional pitter patter of dog nails on the hardwood. The quiet is making me even more tired...that an my burning hot, non interpreted shower.

It will all change in about 15 minutes, when they explode through the door and the chaos of bath time and bed time arrive. But for now, I'm going to be lost in my own thoughts and the quietness of this wonderful house.

p.s. my heart is filled with so much relief that NieNie is back. Her life and her struggles to rebuild herself have changed me. Stay strong Nie.

Sweet & Simple

I haven't been feeling the flow of words lately. I hope I'm not getting writers block (ha!). It seems like there hasn't been much new going on. Maybe that's the problem...or maybe it's just that I wrote a whole blog entry and just accidentially deleted it. Damn it! Urgh...second attempt now.

1. Cole had his second swim lesson. He is such a ROCK STAR! He did the backstroke all by himself. It was another one of those proud parent moments. We aren't at our limit for those yet, right? Because in all honestly, I don't think they will ever run out.

2. Cole and I saw Hotel for Dogs - super cute. Wished Aunt Emma could have been here to go with us.

3. Chris has made two really good meals this week; Chicken Paella and Penne with Asapargus and turkey bacon - WOW - watch out Wolfgang, you've got competition.

4. I shopped at the new farmers market grocery store, Sprouts, and I even used our grocery totes instead of plastic bags. Way to save the planet Wendy. (Just a little side note about the planet - if you don't recycle, START! It's so easy. Start with cardboard, plastics, glass, alum...you'd be amazed how much less trash you have.)

5. I sat in my car and watched a guy roll down his window and throw out his burning cigarette. For about one minute, while I waited behind him for the light to turn green, I honestly thought about getting out of my car, picking up his disgusting trash, pounding on his window and throwing it in his car. This was quite a fantasy and I played it in my head out about three times before the light turned.

6. Amazing cross-country skiing adventure with one of my best pals, Charlie. She is just so British and just so cute. We had a blast. Thanks for getting me out there.

7. Four days of 60+ degree weather, sunshine, hiking, and riding my new single speed - all have hindered my motivation at work as I would rather be outside playing.

See what I mean... just doesn't seem like worthy blogging but then again, it is our life.

Simple and Sweet.

p.s. Umple Joe - we hope you start feeling better. We're patiently waiting to see you in your new bowling shoes.

p.s.s. Thank you to the President of Simple Computer Systems, Chris Velez, for upgrading my hardware. This new computer rocks.

Treats

The family who inspired me to start bloggin, Stephanie and Christian, are back. Nie Nie is back. She just updated her blog herself for the first time in nearly five months. It's good to have her back. I can't wait to hear her stories.

Beautiful weather is making me crave Spring. I want to ride my new bicycle. Isn't she beautiful? Chris built her up and had it sitting by the Christmas tree in the morning. Pink and Brown...oh so sweet. Pink is my favorite color.

Speaking of pink...Cole got me these slippers for Christmas. He picked them out by himself and I wear them every night and when I don't have them on, he asks me "where are your slippers?". They are my pink clouds.

Here's to pink slippers, pink bikes, and Nie.

Firsts

Thank you for all your emails, thoughts, and prayers around my mom's health scare. She is back home resting, going to doctors appts, taking her meds, etc. She has started her road to recovery.

On a lighter note, Cole had a couple of "firsts" this weekend. We went to Eldora and he tore up the bunny slope. Burton makes the cutest snowboard 90 cm which was perfect for Cole. Chris and I had a great time watching our little guy balance and cruise down the mountain (cruise down means in tiny little segments where the front end of the board points straight down and the instruction is "When you feel like you're going to fast, sit down") He loved crashing! UBER CUTE!

The second "first" was private swim lessons. He's always loved the water and he's old enough to pay attention and follow directions for half an hour. Ms. Ashley was TERRIFIC! She taught him airplane, soldier, chicken, pancake, ice cream scoops, big circles. He listened so good and did everything she said. He is so adorable. We got great video footage. He is on the path to follow in Aunt Emma's wake. Watch out Boulder Kids Triathlon - Cole is coming!

I didn't snap any photos of snowboarding and the ones of swimming didn't come out very well. ARGH! We did get great video of both so there is some documentation.

Hearts

My Mom... mini heart attack... hospital... angioplasty.... stent....prayer.... family....rest....home again.

It's the simple things in life that mean the most. It's the soft touch of someone moving your hair from your face, the gentle taking of someone's hand, applying chapstick to someone's lips when they can't do it themselves, repeating part of one of Cole's bedtime stories because I have it memorized, listening to a brother recite an essay he just wrote, laughing at silly things, being thankful for EVERYTHING all in one instance....and all this happened in the hospital last night.

I love you Mom. I'm so thanful that you're ok. Cole asked about you first thing this morning. What a sweetheart. He's a good nurse. I'll send him your way in a couple days. His kisses alone will heal your heart....(well, almost, plus some medicine, diet, exercise, etc.)

Flu

So, I've been laid up in bed with the flu. Dr. Chris and Nurse Cole have been taking wonderful care of me. Sweet Nurse Cole comes to check on me "Mama, how are you doing? It's going to be alright." And Dr. Chris has been a trooper changing out my vomit bags from the trash can that sits bedside. I'm amazed at the human body and how much force and contracting power it has during these episodes of throat burning extraction.

To hear Cole in the shower last night, giggling and talking to himself, was sweet sounds to my ears as I lay in the fetile position. I attempted to go to work today, even showered and dressed before I found myself laying once again under covers with the heating pad still in my work clothes, to tired to undress. I was able to eat dinner and keep it down (so far), so hopefully that will give my little body the much needed energy it needs.

In the meantime, a huge thanks to Dr. Chris and Nurse Cole for taking such good care of me at the Velez hospital. Dr. Chris is a much better physican than I am. He is a patient and sympathic and entertained Cole all afternoon on Sunday. I'll kiss the Dr. when I'm feeling better.

Stick figures and notes

I'm amazed at how fast little kids learn things and how much they remember. We were driving yesterday and Cole and I were talking about the old Volvo beast and he recalled a time when we were driving in the mountains and the beast overheated and we had to walk and hitch a ride with strangers. And I thought to myself, "How do you remember that?" He even remembered that we were going to Sierra's birthday party when it happened. Darling boy!

So, I'm equally amazed when I see his drawings go from scribbles to stick figures, resembling people with arms, legs, eyes, hair, etc.. A few weeks ago he made a beautiful self portrait, a portrait of mom, one of dad, and one of grandma (which we framed and gave away as a Christmas gift). He even wrote g'ma on it all by himself. The picture here is one he did yesterday at school. He explains that it is Cole, Dad, Mom, and Eliana (which everyone knows is his little cousin) but in this picture, she came out of MY belly. HA! Precious! It's notable because he hasn't ever talked about a sibling before and this maybe the start of it. Easy does it Grandma - there is absolutely no hope of this happening so don't get excited. We just get to think it's cute when he talks about it.

Which brings me to my next topic - Thank You notes. He just wrote his first two thank you notes making the letters all by himself. All I did was tell him which letters to write. My little genius knows all his letters. (Thanks to Rachel for the great idea to take pictures of his notes and pictures. I love it.) This picture here is his note to Aunt Mary. It says "Thank you for my game".

Cole is good for the soul. He is part of my soul. Yesterday he woke up on the wrong side of the bed and was a cranky pants all day long. But this morning, I heard him slide down his slide, his little feet on the hard wood floor, a tap on my shoulder as I lay in bed, a quick pick up and tuck under the covers and him and I laid there giving hugs and kisses and tracing each faces. Oh what soft cheeks he has. Oh what a great way to start my day.

So long 2008

We don't have any remarkable New Year's eve traditions. I guess our tradition is staying home and watching movies. I don't believe I've ever attended a New Year's party and I'm ok with that. We watched a couple movies and like usual and I was sleeping when the New Year rolled in.

Maybe this is why when I do out with my friends, I make it a point to call someone who isn't out with us and have everyone yell "Happy New Year" into the phone. It's my favorite line and I think it started during a girls trip to New York some 8 years ago. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure Hannah is the one who started this and it just stuck with me. It doesn't matter if it's April or July or October, if you've ever gotten one of Wendy's late night calls (sort of like a drunk dial) then you probably have experienced the "Happy New Year" yell.

So, here it is officially the 1st day of 2009 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Multiples

Not much to report, other than I have the worlds most beautiful son. We've been hanging inside playing with all of his toys. We've played Trouble about 25 times (thanks Aunt Veronica), Cole has played his computer game about 25 times, he has read his Tag books multiple times (thanks Grandma and Grandpa), and in some small way, I'm ready to go back to work. It's exhausting entertaining and educating a 4 year old. I sincerely admire all stay at home parents. It really is the worlds toughest job.

Jingle Jangle

Merry Christmas! Let's first start by talking about traditions. You all know we go to the Gilpin Cty Fair every year with Rachel and Sierra. This is were we capture the growth of our little ones with ceramic hand prints, to remind us that they were once small.

The next tradition is going to Aunt Donna's for Christmas Eve. I can't tell you how long we've been doing this. I guess since I was little but my memory only goes back until sometime in High School, when my beautiful grandparents were still around. We all meet at my Aunt Donna's house, share baked goodies (I've included a picture of the treats we brought. The best homemade chocolate chip cookies EVER. They were so beautiful I had to take a picture), sing songs, get a visit from Santa, the kids do a craft (which decorate our tree every year), we rejoice in family, love, warmth, and blessings. This year we were treated with some instrumental music by my cousins and it was such a nice NEW treat for the evening.

But before all that wonderment occurred, we changed things up and went early to my mom's since we decided we would spend Christmas at our own house, creating Velez traditions. So, an early arrival, to some appetizers, a Honey Baked Ham, homemade America Test Kitchen - All-Time-BEST scallop potatoes, garlic rolls, and mixed greens with apples, nuts, and cransraisins, awaited us. Glorious!

As you know from previous posts, we do a name exchange so this is when we get to open presents and enjoy each others company. It was such a beautiful night. Maybe I enjoyed it more this year because of Cole or maybe it's because my heart is more open....no matter....it was a wonderful night.

This morning was just an extension of the joyeous evening. Cole woke early and I'm glad cuz I didn't sleep very good. I was too excited! We opened presents, ate Chris' famous eggs terrible (absolutely without a doubt, the best breakfast dish EVER....ok, maybe second to my Dad's biscuits and gravy), heard about how GREAT and WONDERFUL and ALL KNOWING Santa is.

We went to a movie (pretty sure a new tradition for us that will continue on). All three of us rode our new BIKES outside since it's ABSOLUTELY Gorgeous today. There is no way in a million years we could ever wish for anything better this.

We'll wrap up the day with another tradition by having dinner with Uncle Joe, Deborah, and Michael. It's a perfect end to a perfect day.

Well, the two months of talking about Santa have come and gone and we're left with a room full of new toys, all of which had to be opened one right after another, and every game had to be played practically at the same time this morning. It's like a hurricane came in, conquered, and left without a care in the world.

Love to all.

Cream of Wheat

As a kid, my mom would make us Cream of Wheat, sometimes for breakfast and sometimes for a breakfast dinner. Either way it was delicious. Pour a little milk, add too much sugar, eat with buttered toast. YUMMY!

Well, it's probably been 15 years since I ate Cream of Wheat. I saw a box of it at my brothers house (probably to be used as baby food) and my childhood memories came flowing. So, I took myself to the store, bought a box and made it for breakfast this morning. It was just as good as I remember, although for some reason, I think things especially like Cream of Wheat taste so much better when they are made by our moms with love. Don't get me a wrong, I poured some love in the pan because I had high hopes that my little monkey would eat it. But, maybe it just wasn't enough love (or enough sugar) because he only took one bite.

So, for what it's worth mom...thanks for all the yummy bowls of Cream of Wheat you made with love for me!

Proud moments

Cole's first holiday concert was on Tuesday. An early pick up from school, a quick trip to the barber (ok, not the barber because he remembers his first trip there and apparently was tramatized, but Great Clips...close enough), a new shirt (I thought it was suppose to be white, but apparently I can't read since all the other kids were in RED), left over pizza, and off we went with our little singer.

Cole has a tendency to get VERY shy in front of people so we kept talking about not being nervous and just singing as loud as he could and standing still and he was PERFECTION! I'm pretty sure seeing him stand up there in front of 125 ppl, so confident, was one of those never-forgot-as-long-as-I live-PROUD-parent-moments. He was so brave and sang so good and just look so friggin CUTE. Hopefully video to come soon....

Traditions

This weekend we held to our tradition of joining Rachel and Sierra at the Gilpin Cty Holiday Fair. Some highlights:

1. Cole and I decided to ride the bus up to Nederland since I'm such a chicken driving in the snow. This produced unwanted car sickness for me...urgh!

2. When Rachel and Sierra picked us up, it was time for some carrolling by the kids. We love this clip because Cole doesn't quite know all the words so he just puts in some "huhs" to fill in the gaps. And roll the clip:

3. Once at the fair, it's the typical face painting, cookie decorating, Santa visit and hand print printing.

4. We finished up our day with a nice long cozy nap and dinner with Dad.

And that was our Saturday. Hip Hip Hooray!

Fascinations

I'm fascinated by many things (mostly things that I see on TLC):

1. Treeman - must google - discovery channel http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/web/my-shocking-story/previous-episodes/half-man-half-tree/

2. Lady with the GIANT legs - again, must google - http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MedicalMysteries/story?id=5754738&page=1

3. How bridges are built over large masses of water

4. Obsesity

5. John and Kate plus 8 - I can barely handle one, how can they possibily manage 8

Mr. Wonderful is vying for attention while I try to concentrate on writing my blog. He is reading silly jokes to me. It's hard for me to concentrate....he's laughing in my ear, but I'm trying to remain focused on this blog....it's not working very well.

6. Wolf girl http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/web/my-shocking-story/episode-guide/real-wolf-kids/

7. Mermaid girl - http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a8e_1191760466

8. Conjoined twins that have been seperated

(maybe I should have been a doctor because these medical rarities are quite fasinating)

9. Single Parents - they amaze me! I'm sure I could do it, but I am SO thankful that I don't have to.

10. I'm sure there is a number 10 but I can't come up with it right now.

For all the Melissa Peterson's

You know what happens when kids come into our lives? Everything else stops. We're consumed by these beautiful little bugs. Our lives resolve around them. Sleep, feed, eat, play. Eventually, they run us ragged and we find ourselves quickly asleep (on the couch watching TV) or on purpose in bed soon after their bedtime.

But what happens to the people around us during our chaotic, exhausting, love filled bliss? The people in our lives, our friends and family, are still there. They support us, mentor us, love us, and WAIT for us. They wait for us to have time for THEM.

So, I dedicate this post to all my wonderful friends and I know they are truly friends because we can pick up exactly where we left off even if it's been two years or two months. I'm calling this the "Melissa Peterson phenomenom". I'm not sure I could count all the number of friends this applies to. But, they've WAITED, just like Melissa. It's been two years since I saw Melissa (we live 20 minutes from each other). I've been on her email threads for funnies or upcoming get togethers, but they often went unreplied to by me. Or calls that I thought about making hundreds of times, but never got around to it. Or visits that were never arranged.

It's amazing how life flies by; how much we take for granted...like all the Melissa Peterson's in our lives. It's also for all the other people in my life that I talk to every two days, two hours, or two minutes. My life is richer because of each of you.

I love you all. Thank you for waiting for me.

Sassy Sappy Signing off.

Christmas Spirit

It's official. We're ready for Christmas.

We've put up the tree and decorated it, with tons of help from Cole.
Mr. Wonderful hung the lights up outside.
Frosty and Santa inflatables are now present on the front lawn.

Cole and I went to the tree lighting ceremony for the City of Broomfield.

Cole and Michael made holiday crafts at the free library craft day.

I celebrated with co-workers at NITA 3rd Annual Holiday Party

*yes, that's right, Ruth's hand IS on Mary's boob!

In the spirit of holiday giving, Michelle treated Cole and I to the Seussical play. Fun!

Next up will be Cole's concert at school. His class is singing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.

And on a seperate note, we've been wondering all weekend how Grandma Carol and Aunt Darla did in the Las Vegas Half Marathon. Calling them now.....

Love to all.

Christmas Giving

So we drew names on Thanksgiving for who we get to buy presents for this year and the list goes as follows:

Wendy has Mom
Mom has Veronica
Veronica has Cole
Cole has Chris
Chris has Eliana
Eliana has Frank
Frank has Brian
Brian has Derrick
Derrick has Wendy

Happy Shopping!

Thanksgiving

WOW! What an amazing feast we just ate. The menu I posted last week was a HUGE hit. The three big winners: baked brie, spicy sweet potato casserole, deep fried turkey. The mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy, veggies with special grandma dip, green bean casserole, stuffed mushrooms...even the rolls....ALL was delicious. And, we can't forget about the desserts! Yummy!

It was a feast to remember not only because of the food, but because of the company. Mom, Frank, Brian, Joe, Deborah, Michael, Derrick, Veronica, Eliana, and of course Chris and Cole made the afternoon truly special. THANKS!

We even had time to play the pin the tail on the turkey.

So, a moment for me to give you a short list of what I'm thankful for:

1. My family and friends - there is so much that happens in my daily life and the enjoyment I get from sharing my experiences and dreams with each of you. Without you, my life would be empty. I am truly thankful to each of you for the part you play in my life.

2. Actually number 1 is so good and so important that it's the only one I'm going to list right now.

I'm exhausted, my fingers are like prunes from the dishes and the couch is calling my name. Love to all.

To have or not to have

I always go back and forth with this very serious questions..."Should I or shouldn't I get bangs?" Well, I decided after about a year of not having them, that it was time to have them again. So my fabulous stylist, Jen, did the works yesterday and viola.....

My ponytail today makes me feel like a cheerleader. It's funny.

An update for all those interested - Chris' Family Floor Project is coming along nicely. He's such a stud. More later....

Victory

This is my VICTORY face! I'm not exactly sure why we called it that last night. Maybe because we survived nine weeks of our first bowling league. The "we" included me and two of my coworkers, Darla and Vikki. There is something to be said about bowling....
it's down right FUN! I think more people should do it, more often.

Our team improved so much that we moved from 8th place (last) to 4th place to 3rd place going into the finals. I'm not sure how we faired in the end because we didn't bowl very good last night, but we had fun. Thanks for the nachos Vikki.

Besides finishing up bowling, I've been on vacation this week and it's AWESOME. Things I've done:

1. Painted the kitchen - Sweet Georgia Brown
2. Got a hot stone massage....pure BLISS
3. Went to a "Bone Marrow" drive with Chris to see if we can help any kids who may need our marrow.
2. Loaded and unloaded slate tile for the family room floor project
3. Had coffee with Katie this morning
4. Got my hair done by my fabulous stylist, Jen
5. Drove to Longmont to borrow a tile saw for the family room floor project
6. Another trip to Home Depot
8. Date with Cole tonight so dad can work on the family room floor project...probably go bowling!

Almost Thanksgiving and there is SO much to be thankful for. I'll write all about it in a couple days.

xoxo

Thanksgiving Feast

2009 Thanksgiving Menu:

Appetizers
Stuffed mushrooms
Brie and Cherry Stuffed Pastry
Vegetable crudite

Entrée
Deep fried Turkey

Sides
Green bean casserole
Sweet potato casserole
Mashed potatoes with gravy
Stuffing
Rolls
Cranberry

Dessert
No bake Pumpkin Pie

Wine
Soda

Let the shopping and baking begin. Can't wait to hang with everyone on Thursday!

Old Friends

Well, I survived three days in NYC. There are advantages to traveling:

1. Greater appreciation for where I live, the clean Colorado air and the sleepiness of Broomfield

2. Long, uninterrupted showers

3. Sightseeing

4. Seeing old friends

The first night I got to hang with my dearest friend Peter. Peter and I go back to 1999 when I did my first triathlon in Longmong, CO. The wonderful thing about our friendship is that we don't have to see each other to enjoy each other. When we do see each other, we don't have to do ANYTHING. Give us a place to talk and we're good for hours. And that's just how it was this past week. We only had a few hours together, but it felt like it was yesterday that we had hung out when in reality it is been two years since we last saw each other. What a treat!

Besides work, I did see some fun stuff:

1. On my first run, I went by the Today show and hung out while they were filming. I could see Harry Conick Jr. inside playing the piano. It was AWESOME!

2. Went for a couple runs in Central Park.

3. Got a breakfast sandwich and walked by Tiffany's pretending I was Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's...my favorite movie ever.

3. Walked to Time Square

4. Saw the new construction around the World Trade Center area.

5. Had a crazy taxi driver

6. Took the subway, multiple times....I actually like riding the subway.

7. Stayed at hotel no local New Yorker had ever heard of, but it ended up being FAB!

8. Bought Cole a snowglobe which he LOVES!

9. Eat a couple good dinners

10. Went to Century 21

But, I missed Cole and Chris TONS and was able to get an early flight back on Saturday so I practically had the whole weekend with them. And I got to sleep without ear plugs....ahhhh how I love Colorado.

Date Night

Last night was a spur of the moment self proclaimed date night for me and Cole. I picked him up from school, proclaimed DATE NIGHT and we went out for dinner, and then visited Michelle who is laid up from her most recent surgery. He was an angel and we had such a good evening.

While we were driving to Michelle's he told me ALL about what he learned at school that day which is usually like pulling teeth. I changed my usual "tell me about your day" to "tell me ONE thing you learned today". He said "Fire Trucks". And we were off..I asked question after question and he answered all of them....

What about fire trucks?
What do firemen wear?
Where do they sleep?
What do the truck sound like?
What does the truck do?
What do firemen wear?
Why do they wear that stuff?

I love you buddy. More than life itself. Thanks for telling me about your day.

p.s. I love you Chris. I always have and I always will.

p.s.2 Thanks for raising such a beautiful baby with me.

Brotherly Love

So, I'm at the mall yesterday with my little monkey (although he isn't so little anymore). We were trying to find him some new pants because all of his are becoming high waters and with white socks, that's just a NO NO! Then, my brother calls. My brother rarely calls me and because of this fact, I'm always skeptical and usually say "Did you need something?". Because otherwise why would you be calling; it couldn't possibly be just to talk.

But, it indeed was just to talk and it made me very happy. Although the conversation wasn't more than 10 minutes, it's made me smile everytime I've thought of him just ringing me for the sake of it.

So, I just wanted to say THANKS for calling. I love you very much.

Landslide Victory

Can I just say how proud I am today? PROUD that I voted, PROUD to be an American. Obama WON! I've never been into politics but this year was different. With Hillary and Barack battling, I was instantly engaged. I've been a fan of Obama since early in the race because the things he said made ME want to be a BETTER American, a better neighbor, a better friend....just be better.

He inspired me and that's what true leaders do. Even if the nation stays where it (it really can't get much worse), he was able to bring people together-all different kinds of people who want to believe in something better, who believe that change is possible. I'm optimistic that our beautiful USA is going to be in good hands....after all, they are OUR hands.

Pumpkin Fairy

We have now introduced the Pumpkin Fairy. That's right, the Pumpkin Fairy. This mystical being comes on Halloween night while the little ones are sleeping and takes all their candy and replaces it with a toy. She even left a note for Cole:

To: Cole

From: The Pumpkin Fairy

I hope you enjoy your new toys. Be good for your mommy and daddy and maybe I'll see you again next year. Love - PF

You would have thought it was Christmas based on Cole's reaction in the morning when he saw his little toy on his desk with the note. Pure happiness. He LOVES the pumpkin fairy and so do I cuz there is NO candy in our house and the little monkey is happy.

Freedom

In case you hadn't heard, Cole has been riding his bike now for about a month with NO training wheels. Here's a video for your enjoyment.

His freedom now expands to the dirt bike track by our house that has downhills, bumps and lots of dirt. He LOVES it. I'm so proud of him for taking risks and working through his fears as he tries new things.

Pet Peeve

So just quick rant before I get to the good stuff. I'd like to announce that it utterly disgusts me when someone throws a cigerette butt out of their car window. Everytime I see this happen, I have this very strong to urge to get out of my car, pick up their still smoking cigerette and throw it back in their window. Where do these people think their garbage goes? It's just plan disgusting. So, if you are anyone I know that may have the urge to do this - please, please, please DON'T. I've been holding that in for a week so thanks for listening.

Tomorrow is officially Halloween but that won't stop Cole from wearing his four costumes all year round. And I love that it's acceptable for four year olds to that. I mean, really, they won't be little forever. Let 'em live a little.

OUR FAMILY costume was Burger King, Queen of Hearts, and little Joker. Cole turned out super cute and Chris, well, super creepy. Fun was had at Aunt Veronica's and Uncle Derrick's Halloween Party.

p.s. In case anyone is wondering and hasn't gotten a chance to read cjanerun's blog, they are bringing Nie Nie out of her chemical induced acoma and she is responding well. It's a whole new life for her since she's been out of it for a few months and her new look and skin will bring new challenges and love to her life.

Sayings

I'm amazed at how many funny things my little monkey says. Like today, I picked him up from school and he was being so sweet and we were talking about our plans for the night. Then all of the sudden, out of the blue, he says seriously "Mom, what if a cow farted on me?" Seriously, I just started laughing.

He is ALWAYS talking (just like his dad) and I'm amazed at all the things he remembers; things we've told him, places we've been, things we've done. He recites them and I think to myself, "I can't believe you remember that. "

On a different note, my co-workers husband is in the hospital. He had a hip replacement yesterday, so a handful of us at work, made a jingle for him, in rap style and called him in the hospital and sang it to him. The words were pretty funny, but I think the part I like the best, is that we laughed so hard (I mean hard belly, tears in your eyes, laugh) trying to rehearse it so it would be perfect for him. I keep thinking about it and it makes me smile everytime. I hope it makes him smile too.

So, here's to silly questions, silly jingles, and just being plain ol' silly.

Hugs.

Simple Moments

I was hanging out with the little monkey and thought we'd have some fun blowing on these dandelions. It's usually the simplest things that bring pure happiness.

Pumpkin Carving Party

We had our first annual pumpkin carving party. I like to set traditions so that's why I'm calling this our 1st annual, because we are definitely doing it again next year. Zane, Katie, Veronica, Derrick and Eliana came over this afternoon and we carved those beautiful pumpkins that we picked last weekend. Our little monkey was a BIG help in getting all those seeds out; so was little Eliana who wanted to keep eating the gunk from inside...eeewwww.

4th Annual Pumpkin Patch Outing

Last weekend was our 4th annual trip to the Rock Creek Pumpkin Patch. It's ALWAYS cold when we go and this year was no different. But, we bundled up and headed out to meet Aunt Veronica, Uncle Derrick, Eliane, and Grandma and Grandpa.

We went to the farthest field and there were TONS of pumpkins. Cole kept tripping over the vines and I laughed everytime (I'm so mean), but it was funny.

Cole went through the kid maze, we were goofy, petted the animals (even though we weren't suppose to), took some photos, and hopped in the car, freezing! Then it was off to Woody's for some pizza. What a great day!

From Ordinary to Extraordinary

And so it begins. I've been changed by a family (http://cjanerun.com) I've never met except online. They have opened their lives to the world through blogging first, and by a tragic airplane crash second. I'm am addicted to them. They have opened my eyes and allowed me to view my life as extraordinary.

I created this blog in April after an incredible trip to Solvang, CA for my friend Charlotte's triathlon camp. When I returned, I was in some kind of funk for two weeks where all I thought about was being in Solvang. So in order to stay motivated in those moments of complete unproductiveness at work, I created this blog.

It's only now that I realize what I'm suppose to be blogging about --- my son, my husband, my life. My extraordinary life. And so it begins...

Less Strokes

Talked with Peter in depth about swimming efficiency. Goal is to reduce stroke count. I did a test yesterday where I counted my strokes on the first and last 25 of 200's and 100's. I was consistent at 22 strokes. Next swim set will be:

WU: 200 pull, 200 swim
Drill set: 3 x 200 (stroke count, catch up, side kicks, closed fist)
Main set: 1000
CD: 150

Mantra words: relax, glide, pull, long, efficiency

Yesterday swam:
WU: 100 swim, 100 pull, 100 kick, 100 swim (did some 25 drills)
Main set: 4x200; 4x100 counting strokes first and last 25 of each. came in at 3:40 on the 200's and 1:45 on the 100's with 22 strokes
Cool down: 200