Please, Take It...

When I noted that if someone commented that they liked one of my possessions, I'd give it to them, I didn't realize how difficult it would be...for the receiver.

Let me preface this by saying that what I gave away will not be the only thing I gift to someone this year. You'll understand why in a minute.

We were in class. The lights had been dimmed. I was shuffling through my purse, feeling for a writing instrument. My classmate was standing there and as I pulled out my pen, I could see her eyes widen. "Oh, that is so cool...a Woody Woodpecker pen!"

The light bulb went off...give it to her!

"Here you go...you can have it."

"I can't take your woody Woddpecker pen. Did I mention it is so cool?"

"Please, I'm not attached to it and I really want you to have it."

"I couldn't take your pen."

"Ummm, it's a pen. Please."

"I don't know."

"You like Woody Woodpecker, obviously. So, it would make me really happy if you would accept this PEN!"

Finally, she accepted it!

The beauty of this interaction was that a pen could brighten someone's day. So simple.

Why Would You Put Soda In Bread?

This was the question that Elsa and Lucas wanted answered when I told them I was going to make Irish soda bread for St. Patrick's Day. They thought it sounded disgusting.

But then they tasted it...

Gone within the hour!

Hopping Around...

The spring-like temperatures we've been experiencing in Colorado have nudged us into Easter mode. And when one thinks of Easter, images of bunnies (yes, I know Easter isn't about rabbits, so please don't go there with me) come to mind. Which in turn, motivated us to visit The House Rabbit Society in Broomfield.

(When Elsa was a about 10 months old, I would put her in her baby back carrier and strap her onto my back while I did volunteer work with this group of wonderful folks. For more information about volunteering, donations, and other ways to help, check out http://www.rabbit.org/.)

Before we got to the house, I was sure to let Elsa and Luke know that we weren't visiting to adopt a bunny. However, if they found a rabbit that they liked, we would sponsor it for the time it was living at the shelter. Luke was intent on finding a fat, floppy-eared, black bunny to sponsor, while Elsa was more interested in checking all of them out and taking in the surroundings. Though, she wasn't so thrilled about  the smell.

The kids decided on Sarah . I was charmed by Micah (Luke was going to be named Micah which is one of the reasons I was drawn to this little guy. Plus, he was so stinkin' cute. And friendly!) . There's no compromising when it comes to adorable, soft, nose-twitching, furry bunnies...so we decided to sponsor both.

Play Day

On days in March that feel like spring, it's a requirement to spend them outside! First, we played tennis. Then, we decided to shoot some hoops. At the park, the kids always head right to the swings. I like the slide!
We were tired after a couple of hours and found ourselves lounging on the slides, basking in the sun like  lizards.

Three things off the list in half a day. Woot!

Busy Days

I know I'm ahead with my things-to-do list, but I miss this blog!

It's been a busy couple of weeks...

* Last week, my friend, Elizabeth (the Starbuck's coffee drinker from the gym), turned 40! The kids and I placed handmade cards, a big balloon (Sorry it wasn't Hello Kitty!...I looked!), and a bottle of wine on her front porch so she'd be surprised when she walked outside.

* Someone else's birthday was this past week...Dr. Seuss. We celebrated with green eggs (Elsa thought this was awesome. Lucas, not so much.) and ham. Then we had the neighborhood kiddos over for a piece of cake. The cake was supposed to resemble the hat from The Cat in the Hat. I didn't have time to make multiple layer cakes, so I had to wing it.


* The kids and I went to see Schoolhouse  Rock at the Arvada Center for the Performing Arts - http://www.arvadacenter.org/.  It was a fantastic show!
Since we were a stone's throw away from the downtown area of Arvada (one of my favorite Main St. areas in Colorado), we decided to head there for lunch. We stopped at The Egg Shell. They have the yummiest veggie eggs benedict!
Elsa wanted to make sure we were going to go to Rheinlander Bakery (one of the reasons this downtown area is at the top of my list)  for a treat after lunch. She volunteered to eat all of her meal if I'd assure her that she could get a cookie on a stick. We were going to go regardless of how much she ate...that bakery is incredible!

I went a little crazy with the pics on here! Just scroll...