March Snow

Last week it was 80F and this week it's snowy and cold. So it goes in Colorado. Audrey, Clive and I went outside with our friends in the neighborhood and built a snowman and snowfort. We followed our outdoor fun by some indoor play, snacks, and hot chocolate.

The next day, Daddy, Mommy, Audrey and Clive all took a walk over to the local sledding spot by the high school. Daddy and Audrey went down the hill a couple of times while Mommy and Clive stood on the sidelines snapping pictures.

Old Kiln Trail and Button Rock Preserve

We had 80F days this past weekend, so Adam and I took the kids out both mornings to do some light hiking (which is the only kind of hiking I CAN do these days.)

On Saturday we went down to North Boulder's Old Kiln Trail. Audrey had so much fun on this trail. Some sections are a bit rocky and loose and she enjoyed the challenge. We also got to see Prairie Dogs popping in and out of their holes!

On Sunday we headed to Button Rock Preserve. We walked the scenic road passing by sport climbers, anglers, and awesome rock formations to reach the dam. We stopped to eat our picnic lunch and even split a chocolate bar on the way back to the car.

Here are some pictures from our most recent adventures:

Some Faces of Clive and Audrey the Artist

Both babes are finally down for their naps and I have a little time to think about how things have been going lately.

Adam went back to work yesterday, so I had both Clive and Audrey on my own for the first time. We decided to brave the great outdoors and went hiking with some of our friends at Bald Mountain. It is a short, easy hike with excellent views. It is an easy enough trail that our ~2 year olds were able to walk along the trail by themselves for the most part. Overall the hike went ok, though Audrey did have a melt down over some veggie booty. Luckily my friend Liz was kind enough to put Audrey in her pack and carry her down the mountain for me. We never did make it to the top... but it was a nice morning anyway.

Today we decided to stay in to see what that would be like. Hmm, not sure it has been easier than going out. Audrey and Clive spent the morning competing for my attention. Audrey through a HUGE temper tantrum that lasted forever spanning late morning, lunchtime, and the beginning of her nap. Eventually I was able to calm down Audrey so she would nap. And once she was napping it was much easier to get Clive to sleep a bit. So, now here I am with an indeterminate amount of alone time to blog, read, nap or snack on brownies.

I started by snacking on brownies to take the edge off the morning. Next I decided to blog a bit. If I have any time left over I might try to read a chapter in The Fiery Cross which is going much slower now that Clive is born. It is so hard to choose a nap when there are always other things I'd like to do.

Here are some pictures of Clive making some faces. I find his mouth to be most expressive:



Audrey spent the afternoon yesterday painting some pictures. Paint is messy. Luckily it is also washable. Here are a couple of photos of Audrey's painting fun:



Tomorrow we are trying another walk with friends. This one is a stroller walk up near Flagstaff Amphitheater where Adam and I got married. Hopefully Audrey and Clive will both be agreeable and mommy will get a bit of exercise to work off all of the brownies I've been eating.

Lotsa Slideshows

Sharing
Audrey has been a great sharer since Clive came home. She especially enjoys sharing her bouncer, her monkey, and her blankets. Here is a slideshow of Audrey sharing with Clive:



Wonderland Lake
One of the first hikes we did after Clive was born was at Wonderland Lake. The weather was gorgeous and the ducks were out. Here are some pictures of Audrey playing with the ducks:



Pigtail Day
Audrey in her pigtails is overwhelmingly cute. Here are a bunch of pictures of her in pigtails. And especially for Grampy, in case you need pictures for an upcoming powerpoint presentation, there is a whole series of her brushing her teeth and looking really adorable.



Clive Sleeping with his Dolly
And finally, here are a couple of pictures of Clive:

Bye-Bye Grandma Rene

Grandma Rene was here this week. She was able to get a flight into town arriving just a couple of hours after Clive was born. Audrey loved having grandma here to play with her. Grandma was also a big help around the house keeping us in clean clothes and healthy meals and reminding me to take my iron supplement.

Grandma Rene even babysat Audrey and Clive Friday evening so Adam and I could go out on a date. It was the first date we've been on since Grandma Lynne was here and we went to see the Benjamin Button movie (which both Adam and I thought was crap.) On this date went to Praha Restaurant where we feasted on escargot, squash soup, filet and red wine. Mmm.

Grandma Rene took a redeye back east last night. She should be arriving in Pittsburgh today. We all want to thank her for taking such good care of us during Clive's first week. You made the transition much easier than it might have been.

Here is a slideshow of some pictures of grandma Rene with Audrey and Clive. The pictures of Grandma with Audrey in pigtails turned out especially well: