Sweet Escape

This is the view from our balcony in our room. It's quiet. It's secluded. It's perfect.



And what am I doing? Thinking about the kids. Not that I don't love being here with my best friend in the whole world. Because I do! But I also consider this a jump start when I get home to giving my kids all the love and attention that they can possibly handle. All the time. Should work, right?

Right now we're watching the Rockie's game. Relaxing.

Today we enjoyed some put-put golfing (Craig won, humbly), walking downtown, dodging lightning downtown, ducking in Penelope's burger place to get out of the rain...and then staying for lunch, getting lost trying to find Chipper's Lanes, then finding it and bowling three games (total of the three games for me, a whopping 214, for Craig, a more manly 350...beforewhich I was bragging to Craig at how decent of a bowler I was...yeah, I'm not), playing a couple of games of pool, walking around Safeway to waste time (and waste time we certainly did), walk around the shops near Safeway and talk to crazy lady in an art gallery, spending an inordinate amount of time at a wannabe Stanley Hotel Museum, but also being impressed with Chansonetta Stanley....something or other's photography, getting movie tickets to Thor 45 min. early and watching the same 12 Estes Park commercials over and over again until the movie started, stayed until the end of the credits after the movie was over to watch the "secret" clip at the end and not really understanding it (that's the point of secret clips, though, right?), hitting the pizza place beneath the theatre for dinner and talking about how annoying we think Natalie Portman is and watching the beginning of the Rockies game. I wanted to take my camera to most of the above said activities, but Craig wouldn't let me. Some things are probably better enjoyed when I'm not mentally thinking about how to blog each picture later. :-) And now we're back at the hotel, already ate our complimentary cookies, and I'm thinking about jumping in the jacuzzi here in a bit.
Estes is really a pretty place! The mountains are all beautifully dusted with snow and then everything below is green and lush. Seen about a bazillion Elk around town...and even though they're everywhere I keep gasping and pointing them out each time I see them.
Tomorrow I think I'm going to be brave and go to the actual Stanley Hotel's ghost tour (me and spooky things don't mix so well, but I think it would be interesting), go back downtown, maybe see Pirates (just because we can!), take some walks if it's not raining again, take some more pictures of pretty things, and eat at our all time favorite Italian restaurant, Mama Rosa's.
...Wonder how the kids are doing...missing Odell's little cherub cheeks and Chloe and Linus's giggles...

What happens the morning before my last day at work

A tall and mysterious princess brushes back her bristly blond hair and grips the rope in her hand a little tighter. Her palms are sweating and her heart beats loudly. She squints her eyes and curls her lip. The clock echoes in the other room one deafening tick at a time. One wrong step and her life could be on the line. This is the moment she's been waiting for.
Quickly, she peeks around the corner. There's a tall, dark bookshelf in the way, but one snatching glance past that and she catches a brief glimpse. There, sitting by the chair, reading, no doubt, an evil sketch on the wicked ways of the world, is the witch. Her appearances would fool you in a heartbeat. Caring, motherly eyes, arms full of warmth and fun, but underneath that tenderness is a heart of stone. Scheming and plotting, she is unaware of her immediate and impending doom. The ticking grows louder, the weight of the world in anticipation crushing each second onward. Now is the time. The princess inhales and grips the rope again.
"We going to get her," a voice speaks from the dark behind her.
"Yes. We will," the princess affirms. The prince, lurking in the shadows, is as breathless as the princess beside him. His thick brow, blond as his sister's, arches in intense emotion, and he poises himself to strike.
The anticipation shatters in one blasting call. "GET HER!!!"
The princess launches herself around the corner, the prince a breath behind her. The steps seem to happen in slow motion as she pushes the ground underneath her towards the woman by the chair. The witch does not flinch as they draw nearer and success seems immanent for the royal brother and sister...
...until at the last moment the witch shoots her arm out and with almost unearthly ease snatches the young boy and girl off their feet into the air, flying, soaring, and then crashing together on the floor in those deceptive arms. No time to think, the witch begins enacting her most lethal attack...
The prince and princess are suffocating, air being blasted from their lungs, together they are helpless as the witch sneers her most vicious laugh. "You thought you could defeat me?? You thought you could tie me with this pathetic rope? No one escapes the witch! You shall now suffer... death by tickling!!!"


"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!! Okay okay you win! Don't tickle us anymore, we can't breathe!!!!!"

Evil witch: 1. Pathetic princess and prince: zippo. Mwa ha ha ha!

Linus is FREE!!

And by "free" he means "three". He's so cute when he holds his fingers so carefully to show people how old he is now. "IIIIIIIIII'mmmmmmm.....DIS many!!!" he says, trapping down his little pinkie finger so the other three crooked fingers can pop out. Adorableness wrapped in a smudgey, rascally little three year old boy.
After a very busy week and a very busy weekend, I barely got time to whip this slideshow together, as well as his birthday dinner and cake. Thankfully his birthday was on Sunday so I had all afternoon to put the food together (thanks to my amazing husband who had the cake ready and made for me so I could just frost it RIGHT when I needed it...husbands think of everything...). We had some of our favorite finger foods, presents, cake and ice cream, and of course the world premiere of his third year slideshow.
Happy Birthday Linus!

Oh dear! Your toes fell down!

Says Chloe to Odell as she sits in the high chair, fascinated with all her little "mothering" she does for her and listening to her jab away about absolutely nothing.
It's a rainy, cozy morning here at chez Ellingson. I'm feeling quite at peace with the world and cherishing every drop of precipitation that hits the roof of our house. Last Friday I felt completely opposite of this with 5 musical performances and a choir concert looming over my head...but now that I am past that (with flying colors, the kids did great!) I sort of melted into a puddle of contentment and I'm going to ride that till school is out next week.
To help the anticipation of school getting out, Craig and I scheduled a romantic weekday getaway to celebrate Craig getting done at Aimes/me being done with work/ celebrating our five year anniversary a year late because I was on bed rest last year. We splurged and are headed up to the decadent Della Terra in Estes Park for three whole days the week after school gets out. Kid free. The last time we tried to get away together was when I was pregnant with Chloe, first trimester- we got an "affordable" hotel room in Estes (meaning hole in the wall joint) and the next morning we had to wait forever at the breakfast place we went to eat and I got sick from waiting so long without eating. Like couldn't keep anything down sick. We had a whole day planned out, but we had to come home early (I somehow made it through all the twisty turns back through the mountains back to the front range, and then lost it when we were pulling into Windsor- I distinctly remember pulling over into the Safeway parking lot and Craig stopped just in time for me to grab a bag and open the door...right in front of a suburban full of soccer kids, I'm sure that was a real treat). We are so grateful that we have family close by to help watch the kids, every couple needs to get away alone together! Heck, I'll watch anyone's kids for them anytime y'all want to make a trip with your hubbies, it's so worth it. Really. In the meantime, though, the thought of what is to come after school gets out is making the time slow down too much...but anticipation is half the fun sometimes I think. :-)
Quick update on the kids. Chloe has had bifocal lenses for a couple of weeks that are supposed to help her eyes. If this doesn't work, then they are going to go to surgery to fix her crosseyes- although that is what they told me the last few appointments we went to and Dr. Arnold kept seeing just enough improvement to try something else before going to surgery. But with another $300 pair of lenses we had to get to fix her perscription again, I think I would rather them just do the surgery and get it over with! But she seems to be getting better, so that's all that matters. Linus is maturing a little more every day. When I have him by himself without sisters to torture and be tortured by, he is a pleasant, helpful, sweet little boy. It's nice to see that he at least has a nice side to him! :-) Odell is growing like a weed...well, more like a pumpkin, or watermelon, she is just a little butterball. She's been really congested the last couple of weeks- really snotty, coughing, and you can hear her rattling when she breathes. She hasn't been sick, she's still this pleasant little cherub that sits there and stares and coos at everyone, she just has snot running down her face all day too. :-) I'm thinking it's allergies, but she has her nine month checkup next week so unless she gets worse I'll just wait until then. She's figured out how to open and close her fingers in a "waving" motion and clap her hands, as well as sit up on her own finally. No crawling yet. No qualms with that in this house! :-)
No pictures this time, sorry. Got Photoshop CS5 from my wonderful family for mother's day (Craig wanted to get it while he was still a student at Aimes and could get it WAY cheaper then at price) and I haven't installed it yet, so pictures are waiting on my camera to be downloaded. Stay tuned for Linus's birthday this weekend and other fun and likely outdoor shenanigans (except for today...rain, you know...).

Mahna Mahna for Linus

My brother in law Michael made this for Linus when he was almost 2. Linus liked, and still does like, food. And lots of it. He had a universal word for a lot of things back then, and "numanum" was the universal word for "food". It came out of his mouth a lot. :-) Thanks Michael!!!

Oh Mister Sun, Mister Golden Sun....

PLEASE SHINE DOWN ON ME!
It's been raining like ALL day (and by all day I mean maybe two or three times a day) for FOREVER, now, and I would really appreciate to get some HOT weather already! So, I may not be saying that in the middle of the July sun, but I'm saying it now. My feetsies deserve some warmth, they stay cold ALL winter long until it starts getting warm again. Really.
Easter- it was great. A time for new beginnings, for rebirths. I think I am going to start setting resolutions on Easter rather than on New Years. Here is a little pumpkin seed that Chloe planted a couple of weeks ago after she came home from library (she goes with a friend each week because I don't have time to take my kids! Another reason I will greatly cherish being done working in a few weeks...)- it is sprouting up so well! I think I'm more excited about it than the kids are. The shell of the pumpkin seed has fallen off now and the leaves are starting to separate. How amazing! All that little plant needed to sprout out and start growing was inside that little seed. How grateful I am to receive such beautiful gifts from my Heavenly Father.
Speaking of gifts, and new beginnings, I had one of those Mommy heart moments last night that planted a little seed in my heart. Working, even half time, has been a difficult thing for me. I just hate how I come home just spent sometimes and I have little to nothing left for my kids. So last night, Craig had class, as he does twice a week, and it's my job to get the kids fed and put to bed by myself on those nights since he doesn't get home until later. No big deal, some Moms have to do it every night (HOW DID MY PARENTS SURVIVE AFTER THEY DIVORCED??? I'm glad I'll never know). Usually they are pretty good for me when it's just me, we read books or sometimes we'll pop some popcorn and watch a movie if I'm particularly in the mood (aka wiped out) or just play together. Well last night from the moment we left Grandma's house, they were at each other ALL night. They got a late nap, and so they quite readily oscillated between giggling their heads off and not listening to a word I said or throwing gigantic tantrums. We read a few books before bed to calm them down a little, maybe one too many because suddenly I realized it was 6:57 and bedtime is at 7:00. Okay, I ask them to go upstairs and start changing for bed (no go, they just spat out a wild "NO!" and giggled like maniacs), so I went upstairs and put Odell to bed first. Came back down and spent the next 15 minutes herding them upstairs. I got in the room and tried to calm them down enough to get their clothes off and in the bathroom, but as soon as I caught one, the other ran off and started slamming doors or running back downstairs. Finally, my impatience got the best of me and I yelled, "OKAY FINE! You guys can change YOURSELVES!" and with a slam of the door, I marched downstairs and in a huff began putting all their books away that they had spread all over the floor while they began wailing upstairs (not my best Mommy moment, I know). After a few minutes, I was done and their wailing had subsided and I heard Chloe coming out of the room. "Mom," she said meekly from the top of the stairs. "I'm going to go potty, okay?". Still not ready to give in completely, I said, "Hurry" and then went upstairs to start changing Linus, who was still upset because I hadn't given him a hug yet. I marched them a la military style into the bathroom to brush their teeth and they silently filed back into the room for scriptures, Linus still gasping little breathy sobs here and there. I started reading where Craig had left off in the Book of Mormon in Alma. Lo and behold, we were in Alma chapter 7 directly on v. 11 where it talks about Christ suffering all infirmities so that he could succor His children. My heart softened just a little as I read, but I clung on to my pride and decided I wouldn't apologize until after prayers. When I was done reading, Chloe volunteered for the prayer. We all folded our arms and as she started, the Spirit whispered to me that the words she spoke would be directly for me. Here was her 4 year old prayer:
"Dear Heavenly Father, please help Mommy to stop yelling at us. Help her to forgive us..."
...and the dam broke and big fat tears started rolling down my cheeks. She must have had her eyes open because she paused as I tried to wipe off the tears. Then she continued:
"Heavenly Father, Jesus was nailed to the cross. He died for us. He forgave us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
Then she immediately got up and opened up her arms and wrapped them around me, gently touching my hair as I cried and blubbered out my apology to both of them over and over again. I held them both and we just sat there for a while and then Linus perked his head up and asked quietly if we could sing some songs before bed. I sang their two sweet requests, "I love to see the temple" and "Families can be together forever." It was nearly 8 by the time I got them to bed, but the Spirit had returned to our house after my temper tantrum had driven it out. I couldn't stop thinking about how I felt all night long.
And here's my sweet Odell in her Easter outfit. I am the luckiest, most blessed Mom in the world to have such beautiful children. I hope they will learn to forgive this stubborn Mommy as they grow up because Heaven knows I need it! Here's to a rebirth as a mother...as soon as I'm done with my job. :-) 4 MORE WEEKS!

And on with life

Snow in April??
I know, really. One of Spring time's little tantrums, I'm sure. But it was short lived and...still muggy and chilly and cloudy this week...but hopefully the sun will forgive the clouds and decide to come out again sometime soon. I miss it so...
In other news...
See those little faces up there in those pictures? Well those little faces, plus the face of their little sister, are going to have a brand-spankin' new stay-at-home mommy. The old one, the one who worked every day, albeit just the afternoons, and came home drained and grouchy and not always willing to cook and sometimes willing to spend money to eat junk and rushed in the mornings and frantic about getting everything done and totally wasted at bedtime when things should have gotten done and didn't....well, she was getting a little dull. So we got a new model. We'll be installing her as soon as the semester ends.
Hopefully the warranty won't wear out too soon. :-)