tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76061260663830582672024-02-21T08:01:26.047-07:00rockymountainhi5Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-64778155334259448342015-03-17T07:51:00.002-06:002015-03-17T07:51:48.392-06:00
Uncomfortable
Conversations:
Living and Dying by
Social Media
I’m not sure I want anyone to see me die, unless I’m 93, my
long, gray hair is brushed smoothly to the shoulders of my favorite nightgown,
and I pass peacefully of old age or a quick bout of pneumonia. My mom’s nursing
colleagues call pneumonia “a dying man’s best friend,” hastening the process with
only a delicate Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-15905380628418596282015-03-03T13:53:00.000-07:002015-03-03T15:39:34.540-07:00Screen Time Versus Quality Time With Your Kids:
How Much Of Their
Childhood Are You Giving Facebook?
(Picture courtesy of abbyofftherecord.com)
I’m guilty of it myself.
Sitting in the pick-up line at school, scrolling through my Facebook
page on my phone, failing to notice my kids have gotten in the car, and suddenly
realizing that I’ve already missed several of the frontpage headlines of their day. I’ll attend a middle Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-76301648899985105752015-02-27T08:17:00.003-07:002015-03-03T15:38:06.939-07:00sister mac attack
What do a nun, two airbags, and a bleach blonde driving a crap heap of a car have in common?
Last Tuesday.
That morning, I was on the way to meet a girlfriend for breakfast. My one day off from school to get everything done, see friends I have abandoned, pretend I don't have seven loads of laundry awaiting me while I search for treasure at Arc. All I could think about was Eggs Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-29715808824088932202014-01-11T20:33:00.004-07:002015-03-03T15:40:41.049-07:00rocky road <!--[if gte mso 9]>
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Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-51231642496569495422014-01-11T20:08:00.003-07:002014-01-11T20:29:11.488-07:00435 S. Adams St.
If I pushed my sister’s vanity stool over to her dresser, I could boost myself up on top of it between her Love’s Baby Soft and porcelain ballet figurine to scan the scene out of our bedroom window. The view of my backyard was quite familiar, probably because we spent a fair amount of time together. In the center, was a birch tree covered with curly papyrus provoking me to peel it. Around theLaurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-73266392960822678722012-04-15T16:29:00.000-06:002012-04-15T16:29:03.247-06:00This digital scrapbooking design generated with SmileboxLaurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-91651188971156082562011-12-23T08:28:00.002-07:002011-12-23T08:28:58.751-07:00Personalize a digital slideshowLaurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-62245243202667502212011-09-02T11:10:00.000-06:002011-09-02T11:10:28.770-06:00poultry barn or pottery barn...
we started our homeschool year monday with a field trip to the colorado state fair. in the three and a half years we've lived here, this was our maiden voyage to steamy pueblo. i can say, without a doubt or the least bit of hesitation, that we will make it a yearly event.
the car ride there consisted of a lesson on how and when state fairs originated (detroit, 1849) and why Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-48984353343963139722011-08-29T07:16:00.001-06:002011-08-29T07:19:24.113-06:00just like that...
the "monkey bike", as the children refer to it, is this mini little schwinn that we've had since sam was little. everyone has learned to ride a two wheeler on it, including some neighbor kids here and in illinois.
audrey picked it up one day, got on and started riding. no training wheels, no drama, just riding like the wind. when audge tells the story she says, "i just picked it up and went Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-1817669283090789252011-08-23T16:00:00.000-06:002011-08-23T16:00:47.902-06:0015 years and 333 days later...sam turns 16 this september. as if that's not shocking in and of itself, i dropped him off at college today. yes, college. he's taking two classes at our local community college this semester (as a sophmore) and according to him "has some 50 year old guy" in his english class.
he's getting a couple of prerequisites done and then he will be able to embark on classes for law enforcement majors.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-404317806820498312011-08-21T14:12:00.000-06:002011-08-21T14:12:08.723-06:00sock monkey soiree
"i loved my birthday party, mom!" music to my ears. it really was a fun afternoon and was the first party where olivia and i really joined creative forces to make the day a success.
olivia made adorable handmade invites, a sign for the front door, frosted the cupcakes, colored in the paper plates with sock monkey faces, glued sock monkey faces to the cups and helped ready the house for her Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-73725350450674812672011-08-19T06:56:00.000-06:002011-08-19T06:56:32.195-06:00man alive, audge turned 5!
having a birthday on july 3rd is just plain fun. we started the festivities with the usual and customary flag cake (our thanks to ina garten).
the next evening, still in the celebratory mood, we headed over to miss angela and mr. gene's house for a cookout with both of our extended family and our brits. after eating an amazing potluck bbq dinner, we ventured out to see Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-2190580814927873832011-08-18T22:51:00.001-06:002011-08-18T22:56:40.543-06:00liv's 9 lives
olivia is nine! we celebrated with homemade pizza and cheesecake. daddy and i gave her a "real" (big girl) Bible and adorable carrying case, an "o" necklace i picked up while in breckenridge and a rather frustrating spool knitting kit. that may go back to hobby lobby. this weekend she's having a sock monkey themed birthday party (pictures to follow!)
liv at nine: she loves (is obsessed) Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-47720147297414411332011-08-18T22:25:00.002-06:002011-08-18T22:35:25.805-06:00adventures of audge
Well, Audge is off on her own adventure this year. She's going to an in-home Montessori program just a few miles from the house. It's only five other kids two mornings a week and gives me some one on one time with Evelyn, while it helps her spread her wings a bit. Although, that's never been an issue for Audrey.
At Orientation, her teacher, Miss Susan, asked Audrey whether or not she had anyLaurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-73942820651728055362011-05-15T08:06:00.000-06:002011-05-15T08:06:24.433-06:00snake for science...
it was an average monday morning. that is, until sam ran into the house announcing the presence of a six foot bull snake near the swing set. now, bull snakes are not poisonous, but they are really, really big. all snakes bite and bull snakes even rattle just like a rattle snake when threatened.
a few weeks ago, i saw a large mound in the open space just feet away from the sand box and the Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-85149459011186146732011-05-09T22:36:00.000-06:002011-05-09T22:36:46.684-06:00gluten tag. yes, gluten...
liv has been having lots of tummy aches. and headaches. i responded in the typical mother of the year way. "you're eating too fast" or "you'll be okay, just lay down for a bit". it seems to be getting worse, so we recently took her to our doc.
liv, audge and i walked into the office, checked in and sat for a just a few moments until we were whisked into an exam room. after a few basic Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-59163964413614946822011-05-06T08:39:00.000-06:002011-05-06T08:39:01.549-06:00audge loves awana...
audge loves awana! her program is called cubbies and it's a crazy filled night of crafts, games, music, snack, story time and scripture. she earns littles patches for memorizing scripture and i get to sew them all onto a cute little blue vest. she comes home with adorable art and side splitting stories about the kids in her class. the best part is close family friends run the program, so we Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-62250662678756839612011-05-01T07:27:00.000-06:002011-05-01T07:27:47.025-06:00patch-weeza
grizz has a best friend, other than me. a furry one named patch. patch is the howards' dog, good family friends and neighbors up the road. he's part border collie and part lab, a really smart and sweet mix! we have him over to play when they head out of town, or when they are gone all day. we love having him here~he just settles right in and makes himself at home.
somehow, we started Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-59607454867632775222011-05-01T07:18:00.000-06:002011-05-01T07:18:48.090-06:00hit the deck...
we desperately need a new deck. well, we did anyhow. when we purchased this house, the deck looked brand new, but the previous owners had thrown a fresh coat of paint on it, hiding the wood rot underneath. but worst of all, they actually used PAINT! anyone who knows the weather extremes of colorado knows that's a recipe for disaster.
while on vacation, marcus rented a floor sander and a Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-416152321136259482011-04-26T20:59:00.000-06:002011-04-26T20:59:43.446-06:00music to my ears...
tonight was the cottage school's spring concert. oh, how the sound of recorders brings back warm memories of mrs. lebensorger and my days at madison school. she was an excellent music teacher and always made you feel as if you were playing in the philharmonic.
ethan and liv are both wanting to play a new instrument, guitar and violin, respectively. i'm actually thinking about taking violinLaurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-64817874478466051282011-04-26T14:56:00.000-06:002011-04-26T14:56:38.573-06:00dos hermanas y el ciervo comen tortillas...deer love tortilla chips. who knew? moreover, little girls love feeding deer tortilla chips. listen for audge's belly laugh when she gets her salty little fingers licked.
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-23372696498928705072011-04-20T08:34:00.000-06:002011-04-20T08:34:45.417-06:00winter park...
world class skiing practically in our backyard is one of the best things about living in colorado. we took the oldest three to winter park for a mid-week spring ski session today. what an absolutely amazing day we had on the slopes! no lines, no crowds, and brand new powder overnight! yet another benefit of homeschooling! (we did do math and a state report on alaska in starbucks while dad Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-56456669101338604732011-04-16T15:39:00.000-06:002011-04-16T15:39:30.880-06:00matinee with the middles...since january, the middles have been preparing and rehearsing for their parts in two separate productions with a local childrens' theater. so, we all packed into the mini-van, filed into the theater and settled into our seats to watch the middles matinee.
ethan was uncle albert in mary poppins. we had just received a hand-me-down sport coat from our friends the parsons~perfect timing! Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606126066383058267.post-20457559752649035342011-04-12T18:57:00.000-06:002011-04-12T18:57:53.708-06:00popper toilee
ev loves the potty. she sits and sits for probably a couple of hours cumulatively a day. she talks to herself, talks to passersby, opens the drawers of the cabinet to have a look, investigates the goings ons in the water below.
the other day, while i was teaching the middles, she calls from the bathroom for me to come help. "mom! i need popper toileeeeeee!" ethan, olivia and i exchanged a Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821536740655937345noreply@blogger.com0