Crappy Happy.
This week has been so topsy turvy. Monday was shot with travel, Tuesday was normal, Wednesday and Thursday I was down and out with some kind of bug, Friday was catch-up and a forgotten bookkeeping appointment, and Saturday was jam-packed complete with a forgotten commitment to bring snacks and drinks to Holden’s football game.
Ugh. Lesson, lesson, lesson. A big fat lesson of, “Slooooooooow Doooooown.” The universe sent out that big ol’ traffic cop who slaps you with a ticket wrought with five-year-old tears of, “You forgot?” and a picture of me with my tail between my legs looking at our bookkeeper waiting in front of our house in her big, red pickup truck with the clock ticking away time in which we were accomplishing nada in those books of ours.
Do I even have to paint you the added picture of the huge pile of embarrassed crap that I feel like? Ugh again.
But as always, there’s the lovely balance of the other stuff. Like, Ewan’s new word.
happy.
He says it over and over. And when you’re not paying attention, he runs in front of you, gets in a stance that looks a lot like Papelbon on the pitcher’s mound, smiles his cheeky grin and says,
momma. happy!
Also like, Holden is writing and starting to sound out some words. And when he looks up from those written things, there is a SPARKLE in those beautiful eyes and his cheeks squish up like apple pie as he tries not to smile. Proud, I tell you.
happy momma.
And now, my promise of a second installment from that glorious weekend trip we just took.
We promised the minions that we would start our second day off right back at that little stinky-toot-park so they could work on their moves. But on the way there, we turned ourselves around a little bit and came upon this quirky piece of car art.
It took 19 high school students three months to sculpt and build this car of mirrors and shiny, reflective things. Holden wanted to bring it back home for show and tell.
It wouldn’t fit in our car.
So we drove a little further in the right direction and found ourselves here again: stinky-toot-park.
We dared not stay too long, though, out of fear that we would miss out on something else Steamboat-like. So after a few trips across the monkey bars, we set off for Fish Creek Falls. Steamboat has thought of everything. The trail is paved. PAVED I tell you. And it’s short and to the point. ANYONE can go see the falls, no matter your mode of transportation.
Pretty cool.
Holden’s modes of transportation kept coming untied, and he’s a master of tying them back up, though it takes a substantial investment of time and study. And Ewan, well that little munchkin took the opportunity to take a quick snooze. There’s nothing like a steady thump-thump-thump of his Daddy’s feet to rock that baby to sleep.
We couldn’t get very close to the falls on our hike; the Search and Rescue volunteers were doing drills there that day and ziplining a live person down from the top on a gurney. It was pretty cool to see what all is involved in a rescue, without the live adrenaline-induced drama.
We decided to stop a while for a snack and free expression time. Look what Hank built.
Yep. Ten rocks. All balanced, for at least six seconds of exposure time. Longer than that, really, because he left it there for others to be puzzled by.
(Pssst. I would soooo rather be doing that again versus forgetting snacks and drinks at a 5YO’s football game…)
Post-rock-balancing, we headed back to the condo for some rest time while Hank went on an incredible bike ride. It must have been amazing, since every time I asked about it that evening induced a stuttered, “It…was…well…just…incredible…” from Hank, followed by him sticking his nose back in the Home Guide magazine of the area searching for that perfect mountain getaway property to invest in.
And speaking of that evening, we headed back into downtown. We had to see the famous F.M. Light and Sons place. On the road for the 50 or so miles heading toward Steamboat, the sides of the road are peppered with signs for this place. Seriously. As a joke, I started taking pictures of them as we passed, but as soon as I’d whip out the camera and snap one pic, we’d realize that I’d just missed five others. I think they put up five signs for every year of the 100+ they’ve been in business.
I did spy some pretty snappy boots for my virtual Christmas list…as did Hank, I think. And Ewan spied a “mooth.” I know, I know, it’s an elk. But “elk” just doesn’t have the funny lithp like mooth doth.
The boys became sherrifs. I mean sherrifths.
And Holden rode the horth. But Ewan did not would not, no no no.
The horse is a big deal. But all of the kids are skeered of it. They all scream. All of them, not just ours. Except for Holden, who thought it was reeediculous. But he loves his Momma.
And now, just a couple of my favorite shots. This is the Steamboat Springs we all fell in love with.
Head over heels, baby. Now who wants to go in on that condo with us?
And Pee.Eth. Inthtallment three coming thoon.
