Month: April 2009

Bellybuttons, bathrooms, and book signings OH MY!

I grabbed a coworker of mine by the arm last week and pulled her into the bathroom with me. There was something I wanted her to see, and lifting my shirt up at her desk just seemed like a rude thing to do to everyone who surrounded us. It was my bellybutton. It has slowly gone from an ugly, war-torn innie, to an ugly, war-torn outie… sort of solid, hard to hide when wearing a form-fitting t-shirt and, holy macaroni, OUCH! This wouldn’t be so troubling if the rest of my belly had grown right along with my navel. I’m quite familiar with that type of ailment. If I remember correctly, it was accompanied by swollen ankles, back pain, and massive cravings for chocolate-covered pizza. Yes, my NOT-a-doctor friend confirmed my suspicions for me in that bathroom in front of way too many mirrors̷...

There is no vaccine for fear, and it’s contagious

[photopress:soup_1.jpg,thumb,pp_image]Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the SOUP! event for The Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition (CCIC). SOUP! as you may have guessed is an acronym. It stands for Shots Offer Unrivaled Protection. But, there really was real soup involved, too. Ten top restaurants in the Denver area provided samples of their best soup recipes, and we all had the opportunity to vote for the most creative and best tasting. This event was equal parts tasting tasty soups, networking with people in the healthcare field and honoring the work and dedication that has gone into protecting Colorado’s children from vaccine-preventable diseases. What struck me about the event was the genuine care and concern these scientists, doctors and healthcare professio...

The Mom Behind the Mom I Am

I was her first. She and my dad had waited nearly 4 years after getting married for my arrival. Mom and Dad both had a strange sense of humor, as evidenced by the names they came up with for me. Good thing I was a girl and became Lori. If I’d been a boy, according to family lore, I would have been given my father’s initials, and thus been named, Golden Folden Holden. Mom was hands-on. She was always playing games with us, teaching us to play piano, living at our level. Unlike me as a mom, she seemed, in those early years, to have no interests of her own other than raising her three girls (see, no boys. Proof of God?). Consequently, I learned to read at age 3, because Mom spent hours upon hours reading to me while I potty trained. I grew up thinking books and bathrooms go togeth...

How to Prevent “Puke” and “Play Date” from Ever Going Together

I love play dates for my daughter. Not because I particularly enjoy entertaining another rugrat but because Haddie and her friends are finally at the age they can entertain themselves. And if they do interrupt me, I just announce, “Go play. Don’t bother me.” OK maybe that is not exactly correct. Some days I say, “Don’t bother me. Go play.” You know, just to mix things up. I always take them to do something prior to setting them loose on their own. Some days we have a picnic in the park. Other times we go hiking. Last week, it was Central Park playground. If you’re a Denverite and have never been, repent now. This ultra-cool modern playground in Stapleton is a children’s Mecca and features all kinds of nifty rock-like climbing areas, swings, s...

Win Mother’s Day Brunch Aboard the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad!

**Contest closed. Congratulations to Mile High Papa John Czarnecki who won tickets for his wife!** [photopress:riogrand.jpg,full,pp_image]To my beloved husband, Forget the flowers for Mother’s Day. This mama wants to get thrown ON the train. See below. XO Your Wife Back by popular demand: families looking to forgo the traditional Mother’s Day gifts can treat mom to a moving feast, combined with unbelievable mountain scenery, on-board the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad. The special “Throw Momma on the Train” excursion offers a new way to roll on Mother’s Day and get a sneak peek of the train’s five newly remodeled 1950s-era dome cars, offering panoramic views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, almost two weeks before the regular season begins. Along with breathtaking views of the San Luis Valle...

Mama’s Weekly Picks for Colorado’s Best Family-Friendly Events

Aaaahhhh. . . . can you smell it? I’m talking about Spring! There’s no snow on the grass. And it’s green! This week the kids and I spotted the first snake in the yard. I can hardly contain my joy. Pretty soon we’ll be visiting farmers markets and going to concerts in the park. . . . [photopress:animal_grossology_1.jpg,thumb,pp_image] This is the last weekend to catch the Animal Grossology exhibit at the Wildlife Experience. Next month they’re opening up a new exhibit that looks to be over-the-top cool. If you haven’t headed down to the Wildlife Experience to see all the yucky stuff that animals do, this is your last chance. You might also consider a trip to see the Titanic Exhibit at the Flatirons Mall. 50 artifacts from a ship that sunk almost 100 years ago. That’s sure to impress. Commun...

Sometimes she reads books the way Daddy watches TV

I think we’ve reached the stage where we could totally go without naps. And, by “we,” I mean my three-year old, Claire. And, by “totally go without,” I mean she still needs them but I’m not fighting it anymore. And, by “not fighting it anymore,” I mean I’ve resorted to trickery. Actually, truth be told, I’ve been doing this for a while now. Trickery, that is. As any parent of a preschooler will tell you, there’s a fine line between trickery and clever parenting. And, I’m okay with both descriptions if the results are favorable to both parties. Claire was always a good sleeper as a baby, so I really can’t complain. Overall, she was a great napper as a toddler, so I realize we’re lucky. It’s just been up until recently that the nap-times have really started to fade. Of course, my...

Ways To Celebrate Earth Day With Your Kids

It’s here. Earth Day. REALLY the start of Spring in Denver, giving the fact that most of the beginning of April is usually filled with a wild ride of snow, sleet and rain. [Case in point: THIS YEAR.] And not only does Earth Day symbolize rebirth for us Denverites, it’s main focus is – of course – the EARTH. Here are some simple ideas for celebrating the day of the earth with your kids, and instilling some environmentally sound principals in the process. [OH HECK. Have some fun while you’re at it.] – Plan your summer garden – or container garden if your yard is too small. Have the kids do the drawings for you and really participate in the process. Talk about what plants will survive here in Colorado and why. – Go through your recyclables toget...

Doing my part for the environment with re-usable undereye bags

My three-month-old son, Archie, sleeps well for a guy his age. He usually wakes once to eat, then easily falls back to sleep. There have been a few nights lately when he’s sailed through the night, no waking. His dreams must have been sweet and his tummy well-settled. You might picture me falling back to sleep the moment I put the full-bellied boy down. There I am: Weary, grateful, quickly glancing at the clock to calculate how many hours and minutes I can steal before the real bustle of morning begins. Fade to a dream about forgetting my locker combination…. But that doesn’t happen. As Archie snoozes a few feet away, I am persistently awake. I am sold-out to consciousness. It owns me. I toss onto my left side and scan the calendar in my head. I toss to my right and remem...

The Mile High Mamas Dream Doctor Wants to Know: What Are You Dreaming About?

One of the “worse” aspects of the “better or worse” marriage covenant for my husband Jamie is having to hear about my dreams. Not the visions of someday living in a house with a white-picket fence but rather, the ones about how I dreamed I rode to a desert island in a shark’s mouth. Those kind of dreams. I have very vivid dreams every night. A few times they have translated into gripping nightmares or deeply spiritual experiences. One night, I dreamed about my friend’s ailing mother whom I had never met. The dream was so lucid that I woke up in the middle of the night to drop him an email, letting him know I was thinking about them. I found out the next morning his mom had passed away around the same time as my dream. Before you think I am some kind of s...

Win a Hot Mama Designs Personalized Necklace!

As Mother’s Day draws closer, I have been sent a number of press releases for wonderful mom-oriented products. Hot Mama Designs’ jewelry line was a stand-out because it truly celebrates the essence of being a mother and a woman. I immediately fell in love with their personalized jewelry and treasure wearing my children’s names around my neck. This style features a single sterling disc, optional birth stone and optional birth date stamped on the back of the disc. Choose your own disc size, letter size, birth stone and birth date to make it a unique one-of-a-kind piece. Shannon Sunderland is a wife, mom and metalsmith living in Boulder. She started making the Hot Mama Designs jewelry line in 2003 around the time she gave birth to her son. She started giving her work as gift...

Mama’s Weekly Picks for Colorado’s Best Events (and Mother’s Day Preview)

It looks like it’s going to be another stormy weekend. I’m not one to complain (who am I kidding? I may actually have a tendency to complain), but can we not catch a break on the weekends? My son has so many soccer make-ups scheduled, he’ll be playing until the Fourth of July! Earth Day is this week. Go, Earth! There’s an Earth Day Fair in Evergreen, and the Museum of Nature and Science is free, also. There are a couple of interesting musical/theater options, as well as Doors Open Denver, an annual event. I’ve added a list of consignment sales going on around town. Because the economy. . . it’s not doing so well. In case you haven’t heard. I’ve also added a section for Mother’s Day events, so you can start planning now for that special day dedicated just to you Mamas. As always, please che...