Circus

No, I am not referring to the state of our household. Although sometimes I do feel like I'm living in a circus.

The boys and I have survived week 1 of Dad being gone during fire season. Our motto has been ~ Stay Busy. So far, it seems to be working. The Holiday weekend was jam packed with activities right here in Estes Park. An added bonus that we didn't have to travel far to find things to do.

Saturday was breakfast in the park followed by an arts festival. Sunday was THE CIRCUS and Monday was frisbee golf and a BBQ with friends. The boys were most excited about the circus. It was a pretty big deal.

I was a little on the fence on whether or not I wanted to support the circus. Mainly, because I thought it would give off a "carnie" vibe but I'm so glad we went. It was very small and low key. Yes, it did have a carnie vibe to it but the tent was right by the park we play at so there was no avoiding it. Cooper was well aware that THE CIRCUS WAS IN TOWN and that is pretty cool to be able to announce.

Here are a few pics of Coop 'n Cruz's first visit to the circus...........

Art

In the spirit of finding something to get us out of the house today, we went to an awesome arts and crafts/coffee/hang out and wreak havoc shop.

Cooper enjoyed some "art" and Cruz enjoyed some "snacks".

Cruz did partake in the art portion a little bit but thought it was more fun to dump small containers of microscopic beads all over the floor instead. Hence the quick diversion to the cookie and hot chocolate portion of our visit. Nothing a whole lotta of sugar can't remedy.



Cruz also managed to dump his entire MyFirstBigBoyCup'oHotChocolate all over the floor right after this photo was taken.

The finished products; a bobble head "fire dog" and a truck.

Sprague Lake

Today's adventure was to Sprague Lake. Our morning consisted of rock throwing, stick collecting, picnicking, breezy winds and temps in the mid 70's. Best of all, we made it home in time for Little C's nap and now Big C and I are enjoying a little quiet time. Today is shaping up quite nicely.

Do the Zoo

Yesterday we hit the "big city" and went to the Denver Zoo. We went with a group of Moms and kiddos and had a blast. It was a looooonng day but so worth it. The kids did great and were wiped out by the end of the day.

My photog skills were definitely lacking. It seems that I tend to leave my camera behind more and more these days. That leaves me with my phone which doesn't take the greatest pics. When you're juggling a lot of survival crap, food and drinks something's gotta give and that usually means the camera. Oh well.......whaddagonnado?

I noticed there's a common theme in the few pics I did manage to take. I seem to capture the backs of their heads quite a bit. And I just gave up on taking pics of the animals at the risk of my own little animals falling in a lion or zebra pit.

Don't be fooled by the serious looks in the first few pics. I promise they were having fun and weren't being tortured. The rest of the pics (of the backs of their heads) are all smiles but you'll just have to take my word for it.

Duck Race

Yesterday was the 24th Annual Estes Park Duck Race. A big deal in town. And rightfully so. We hung out at the starting line and enjoyed some live music, Bloody Mary's and ducktasticness on the patio with some friends.

The race is a huge charity event with great prizes. Here's hoping our adopted ducks won! (results have yet to be posted).

After the launch party we took a nap break and then headed over to a friend's house for a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta BBQ. It was a great day.




















Minor hiccup of the day; Shortly after the ducks raced by, Cruz decided to drop his sippy cup into the River (slightly embarrassing). Luckily the Rotary Club Members were posted along the river so I have no doubt it was rescued. Cooper was very worried when this happened. He did NOT want to leave until the beloved cup was saved. We finally had to tell him the cup was going to be very useful to the ducks as they were inevitably going to get thirsty during the race. Hopefully, the cup gave OUR ducks the extra pep needed to win. Way to go Cruz!

And here's my 'duck face' at the 'Duck Race'. Ya gotta love 'duck face'.....

Hike, anyone?

The boys and I really have a good thing going right now. Over the past several months we have met some amazing moms and kiddos. Our play dates have been great therapy for all. There's always something to do with someone which is wonderful. Usually, someone posts an idea of what their plans are for the week and we send a blast email to see who's up for joining. This morning, we planned a kid friendly hike in the park. It was the perfect spot and had something for everyone. The kids ranged from 3 weeks old(!) to 4 years old.

As we drove home through the park, I was reminded just how lucky I am that I get to spend my "work day" and "job" doing some pretty fun stuff with some pretty fun little buddies. My job is awesome and I am one lucky mama!

Note: Before you go accusing me of being all sappy and syrupy sweet, I don't always have days where I feel this way. More times then not, I do..........

Farm

Yesterday the boys and I spent the day at Sunflower Farm in Longmont. We went with several friends and had a blast playing, petting, picnicking, pony riding and experiencing "farm" life. We will definitely be going back!














Sandbox Silo, brilliant!









Don't mind the itty bitty toddler climbing above Coop.