Fall Behind!

Tis the season for pumpkin carving, leaf raking and other sorts of Fall-like activities - such as making an update to my blog. Yes, indeed, it has been a whole year (eeek!) since I last updated my blog...how pathetic! I have tried, but failed miserably on several attempts. So, with the change in season, and this whole extra hour at my disposal I decided to give it another go.
The Gilpin clan is doing well and adjusting to life with a newborn/infant again. Audrey is now in Preschool a half day M-F and I am working 3 days a week. Miss Sydney is in day care those 3 days and doing wonderfully. Scott is dutifully hanging in there in a household full of ladies.
The pictures are pretty recent and the pumpkin was the crowning achievement of an otherwise dismal gardening year.
Hope you are all well and promise (no really, I promise) the get better at the blog posts!

Halloween Festivities

Admittedly, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Personally, there is nothing better than a holiday about food (which is why I love Thanksgiving so much...another story). You throw a little chocolate and maybe some bubble gum in the mix and I'm all for it. Trying to instill this appreciation for the Halloween holiday isn't tough when you have a daughter like Audrey. She is, without a doubt, a choco-holic...if allowed. She was also more than happy to get a little dirty when it came to pumpkin carving. Its tough to beat sticking your hands in gooey pumpkin innards and cutting silly faces into something you then nearly light on fire. What kid wouldn't love this holiday?
Audrey had several ideas about what to be for Halloween. Here are some of the potential outfits discussed...in one conversation.
"Audrey, what would you like to be for Halloween?"
"I want to be a kitty cat 'meow'...or maybe a light bulb, nope, I know - a house."
"Wow. You know you have a Snow White outfit already."
"No mommy, I'm going to be an ant eater."
"Really?"
"Mommy, whats an ant eater?"
As you can see, Snow White was the winner, and she was quite lovely! She had a blast trick or treating in our neighborhood. We met up with cousin Hope in the morning for trick or treat street, and cruised our neighborhood just before sundown with Grandma and Grandpa Gilpin.
And now it is my job to instill some hint of self control and modesty when it comes to eating candy. Those of you who know me well, know my love for candy, mainly chocolate. And you know my inability to control myself around large bowls filled with the glorious goodness. Lets just say Audrey has asked several times, "Mommy, whatcha' eating?" And mommy's sad reply is a muffled "noffing honey." as I try not to drool any chocolate out the sides of my mouth.

Finger Paints - Friend or Foe?

I am perplexed by this question at least weekly. The exchange goes something like this:
Audrey: "Mommy, wanna paint?"
Mom: In a hopeful plea "Water paint Audrey?"
Audrey: "No, no mommy, paint, paint! -outside"
Mom:, "Ugh, alright."
I roll out the butcher paper, get the paint box from the closet and hope for the best.
What follows is one of two scenarios. The Audrey has her way with paints scenario or the mommy is a kill joy scenario. Either way its messy, mommy's flustered, and Audrey is almost always in need of a clothing change and some kind of hosing off.
You see in the Audrey wins scenario I throw all caution to the wind and let her have at it. The free loving mom in me thinks this sort of thing is important. I generally try and look the other way while Audrey has the time of her life painting, with or without brushes, with or without concern for things around her (like Meg) and with utter enjoyment. This lasts until she is so messy she actually asks to be cleaned off or i can't take it anymore and I hose her down. But , as far as I'm concerned, she got to have it "her way" and every now and then I think that's good.
Then there's the mommy kill joy painting scenario in which I try to keep paint off of things I deem difficult to clean, like say, the dog, the front walk way, myself, and Audrey's hair. I personally think that is pretty fair. Audrey however believes it is sheer torture and so unbelievable she often screams at the top of her lungs, "mommy no, no, no....STOP!!!" Its quite embarrassing when your neighbors ask what was going on earlier that morning and the truthful answer is "oh, just some finger paints."
The dilemma will continue undoubtedly for quite some time

In a Nut Shell

August was a crazy month. There was, at one point, 9 people staying in our house - 5 adults and 4 children. It was cozy, but honestly, it was loads of fun. There was never a dull moment, someone was doing something fun most of the time so the kids were never bored. The adults may have wanted some peace and quiet from time to time, but we all did pretty well. Aunt Sandy and the twins flew down from Durango for a nice long stay, uncle Doug meet up with them later in the week so the boys could challenge their manhood and charged up Pikes Peak (some 14, 000 + feet above sea level). They lived to tell about it, and actually thought it was fun, so who knows this may take the place of our annual Imogene pass race. Will keep you posted on that one.

Not to be outdone, Audrey got bit by a spider in the midst of all the company and wound up with an overnight stay in the hospital for IV antibiotics. It all sounds very scary...and at the time it was a bit frightening, but she was tough as nails. It didn't phase her a bit. The funniest part of the whole ordeal was Audrey having to take her oral medicine, which tasted awful. In order to get her to take it we laced it with Hershey's syrup. So every day, three times a day Audrey would remind us that it was time for chocolate medicine. On occasion she would show us her foot and say "my tootsie needs medicine." It was a hoot. I may not feel this way when we get our hospital bill, but she still has all her toes and thats what matters.



Cousin Hope began school last week and loves it, so thats great. We all walk her to school in the mornings I don't have to work and Audrey loves to see all the kids going to class. Uncle Drew starts school later this week, and although hes nervous about being a student again, hes going to have a blast, I know it. Its so different when you get to decide what you study and what courses to take. It makes me want to go shopping for school supplies. I always was a sucker for highlighters, the more colors the better! Oh, and those little stick it notes to flag pages, those were fun too. The only time I see those now are when I forget to sign something at the hospital...they've sort of lost their flare! I am going to try to do a slide show of pictures, a little taste of August if you will...wish me luck!

A Birthday Bash

Who doesn't love Birthdays? Maybe the better question is, "Who doesn't love children's birthdays?" I personally could care less about getting older, but they love it!
We got to celebrate cousin Hope's 6th birthday last week, with balloons, streamers, cake, sparklers...the whole nine yards. It was a righteous celebration. Uncle Drew made his famous lasagna, decorated the house beautifully and organized a quiet get together to celebrate the guest of honor.
Anyone who has a toddler know how difficult it is at birthday parties for your child to grasp the concept of "its not about you, its not for you, no, that present is not yours". As Audrey was the only other child in attendance (baby Ethan doesn't count because he cannot yet scream that awful word - "MINE!" He can however give the evil eye as you shovel ice cream and cake in your mouth...but thats a different story.
Where was I? Right, the toddler in attendance can be seen in the pictures wearing a variety of things, including goggles, too much chap-stick on her cheeks (she never can keep it on the lips) and using the jump rope ends as a hose. These little gifts were her presents, as we thought that would be safest for all involved - primarily Hope.
Hope is the ever excitable one tearing through presents. I think this is a preview of what our holidays are going to look like - a blurr of wrapping paper being tossed about, as we parents try desperately to get a glimpse of what they opened and who it was from. On that point, I ask, in advance, for forgiveness if I thank you for the wrong toy, piece of clothing, book, etc. Its not that I didn't try, its that my child can open presents faster than a tornado can take out a trailer park (no offense meant to those living in trailer parks, but lets be honest, they're the first to go!).
Enjoy the photos...perhaps some day I will figure out how to upload a slide show, until then...

Long Time, no blog

Hello again my dear friends. Sorry for the internet silence lately. Its been a bit wild and crazy here at the Gilpin household. We have had a whirlwind of a July..and its not quite over yet!
Lets see...we had a great visit from grandpa "Boppy" (as Audrey fondly calls him) over the fourth of July weekend. We hit the famous Cherry Creek Arts Festival, marched in the neighborhood parade, and caught some fireworks at Mile High Stadium. It was a wonderful visit with grandpa, who was ever so patient with Audrey and all of her two and a half year old-ness.
The next week Drew, my twin brother and his daughter Hope (6 yrs old) moved to Denver. More specifically, they moved in with us. We have managed to all adjust pretty well to the change and are grateful for the extra space in the basement, as it allows everyone to have their own place to lay their head. Its funny to hear Audrey and Hope bicker a bit about who has whose marker, etc. Here Drew and I are refereeing a game we ourselves used to play. The wild adventures of Drew Metelits are still unfolding as he is weighing the pros and cons of various GI bills for college and the benefit/risk of taking on some part-time or full time work while he gets his degree. Will keep you posted in that department.
As for me, I feel off the radar for a few weeks (well, lets be honest, months) getting myself as ready as I could be for my re-certification exam. Yep, every 6 years we PAs sit down and take an exam to allow us to continue writing that -C after our names. I have to be honest, the nerdy side of me loved reviewing some of the finer points of medicine I don't see very much of. I liked the review, I could have done without the test anxiety and sleeplessness, but am glad I dusted the cobwebs off. I took the exam last Wednesday and am pleased to announce I passed. SO good-bye flash cards and practice exams...at least for another 6 years.
I have been lacking in both posting photos and taking them as I review that last several weeks of candids. Promise to snap more the rest of the summer. Enjoy!

Have Toddler, Will Travel!

The words Family Vacation conjure up all sorts of memories. From road trips in the old Volvo with dad to the four corners area, to beach time with the cousins in Laguna, CA.
Now, as a parent, I feel this deep burning desire to take Audrey to all sorts of places, some of which I hope her young little brain can hold on to in the form of a fond memory she too will look back on. I am certain I will blog about all sorts of vacation adventures, but wanted to start with sharing a few of my favorite photos.
There is, in my opinion, nothing better than a toddler girl in a bikini. I admire the way they let it all hang out, not a care or worry in the world, ahhh to be that oblivious of social pressure and the feeling of needing to suck in your belly!
There is also the inevitable site seeing expedition. If you want good entertainment, you should watch 8 adults and 2 children try to get themselves organized and ready for a 45 minute drive to an aquarium. The aquarium was super fun and marked a milestone in young Audrey's life. It was (drum roll here) Audrey's first public temper tantrum. I was thuroughly amused, but thought poor Scott was going to loose it. I did not, for obvious reasons, take a picture of this particular occasion, however momentous.
There was also the birthday party to end all birthday parties. Leave it to Aunt Joy to throw a party for everyone's birthday. An absolutely brilliant idea that had Audrey singing happy birthday to everyone for hours on end. This celebration was capped off by a round of bubble blowing on the beach. Unfortunately my camera did not pick up the ridiculous amount of bubbles that were created, but the look on Audrey's and Hope's face was priceless. Listen to me, I sound like a Mastercard commercial - Birthday cake, $20, decorations, $35, bubbles, $15, the look on the kids' faces...priceless.

A Sense of Style

Audrey is really getting in to playing dress-up and her Grandma Gilpin is an amazing seamstress. Thats actually like calling the Pope, sort of religious, but you get the idea. The lady can sew. Grandma Gilpin whipped up a few tu-tus for miss Audrey before her latest visit and they have quickly become the accessory du-jur. On occasion Audrey will become particularly attached to one tu-tu or another, and its not worth trying to get it off of her for errands, playing or general public appearances. To be honest, if I can get her out of her pj's in the morning, I consider my day a success. So a tu-tu, sure thing bugger-bum, wear the tu-tu.
I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous. I'd love to throw a tu-tu on every now and then and not think twice about it. Grocery shopping..."Yeah, diggin' my tu-tu." Library..."What are you looking at? Ever seen someone in a tu-tu before?" Jury duty...now there's an idea, next time you want out of jury duty, slap on your tu-tu.
Where was I? Oh, right, the tu-tu. Well my twin brother Drew came to town for a visit (and job hunt, yippie and fingers crossed) and I dragged him to the Denver zoo. I love the zoo, and more importantly, Audrey loves the zoo. On this particular zoo visit Audrey dawned what I have termed the hippie/psychedelic tu-tu. Its a sassy little number that is impossible to match with anything, so anything goes. Audrey being every flexible and always stylish tried the piece as a tu-tu, a shawl and a headdress. Sadly, I was not able to capture the headpiece number on film, but it was a classic, let me tell you. That is until she couldn't get it off and then all hell broke loose!
I also threw in a couple photos of Audrey in her fully glittered bodysuit tu-tu thingy - the satin shoes get me, every time!
I see ballet classes in our future.

Hide 'n Seek

Audrey's really getting into playing games, one of her favorites lately is hide 'n seek. This is an especially fun game for the adults involved, particularly her dad who really get into "finding" her. It goes a little something like this.
Scott: "Audrey, wanna play hide 'n seek?"
Audrey: "Yeah, I hide."
Scott: "OK, I"ll count to 10."
Audrey: " I hide on the chair"
Scott: "Well Audrey, you aren't supposed to tell me where you're hiding."
Audrey: "Ok, I hide on the chair."
Scott: "ugh, 1, 2, 3...
Audrey: "Come find me daddy, I'm on the chair!"
Scott, then proceeds to roam through the house calling for Audrey - "Are you behind the curtain?"
Audrey: "No daddy, I'm on the chair!"
Scott: "Are you on the couch?"
Audrey: (very stern and frustrated) "NO DADDY, I'M ON THE CHAIR!"
Scott: "Oh my goodness, you're on the chair."
Audrey: "Good job daddy, I hide again...on the chair."
God bless patient people, and god bless hide 'n seek. Its a fabulous game to watch, with or without a glass of wine!

Dolla Flowla

So Audrey is a fan of Dora the Explorer. And she is quite capable of saying her name correctly, however she is into funny voices and saying things really fast. So Dora the Explorer has become - Dolla Flowla. I personally like Dolla better, because then people don't know that I allow my daughter to sit mindlessly staring into a TV screen for 30 minutes almost every morning. But guess that secrets out now.
Anyway, dad discovered a Dolla bike for sale on craigslist this weekend and Audrey and I had set aside this morning to go on an adventure (very Dora the Explorer like) to Parker. If any of you have seen the cartoon you know that Dolla, aka Dora, consults her friend Map! for directions to the day's adventure. Which I did. And that she has several obstacles in her way, which I did as well.
First, I got my directions (thanks Map!) then we set off, to the southern regions of Parker/Aurora, CO. I got off at the marked exit and was presented with the option of going south or north...hmmm obstacle #1, the directions said to go east - no east? I know, call Scott, he's not as directionally challenged, and has access to the information super highway. Problem solved, we went south - way south.
Obstacle #2 torrential rain. I get to use this term because rain i s rare here and its June, in case you all weren't aware. So today, on my day of grand bike adventures, its raining and in the 50s. Gotta love CO weather! So after missing the turn not once, but twice because it was raining so hard, we arrive ourselves upon suburbia and purchase said Dora bike for a sweet 20 bones. Audrey insists on riding it-"just a little bit" before packing it in the car and heading home. She is not too sure about the training wheel thing, as you can tell by some of the photos, but I see family bike rides not too far off in our future!

To mulch or not to mulch? That is the question

So I have a question for you all, call it ethical or philosophical, but help me answer it, please.
Perhaps I should make it a theoretical question, then if anything untoward should happen you may or may not be able to link me to it.
So lets say there is a city park. A city park that has had a pile of damn good looking bark mulch piled 4 feet high in one of its parking lots for say, 3 or so months. Say that a local neighbor noticed that this pile has gotten a little smaller in the past few months, but in general, the bark mulch has sat there, unused and more importantly UNPROTECTED.
Now say this same neighbor had a pretty nice yard/garden going and was interested in getting some bark mulch to help keep weeds in control, tidy up the look of his/her flower beds, etc.
Now for the ethical question. This is a tax paying, generally law abiding citizen - Does this person have the right to take some much desired bark mulch that is not being used by the city (at least not as far as he/she can tell)? Keep in mind that he/she would not take all of the bark mulch, in fact there would be little of a dent noticed.
For those of you reading and wondering to yourself, "Is this really what she thinks about and debates in her head?" Well, the answer to you is a pathetic, "yes". I run through this park 2 or so times a week and this pile of bark mulch taunts me every time. I may just break down and do a late night reconnaissances mission later this week.
I drove by said pile on my way to daycare this afternoon, and I think someone else may have had the same idea...there seems to be a large dent in the pile. I'd better act fast, while the gettin's good!

Going Live!

I have toyed with the idea of starting a blog since before we had our little bugger-bum, Audrey. She is now 2 going on thirty so I figured I should get my act together. Besides I have random things I'd like to share with you, deep philosophical questions to pose, and other various rants and raves. I figure this way, if you want to know the inner workings of my little world, you can read on, check out the site from time to time, and if not, then phewy on you!
There are a few warnings to get out of the way. I was NOT an English major, I am NOT a writer. Do not expect any great works of literature coming from this site...its not going to happen. I don't use correct punctuation, I like the comma, and the - and don't forget...
Now that the basiscs have been covered, I'm not certain where to start.
I guess, some pictures, as I haven't sent out any Audrey updates lately, so until I get the hang of this blogging thing, peruse the photos! I haven't figured out how to get titles under the photos, so the random infants you may not recognize are Audrey's twin cousins Tava and Analee.
Enjoy
Molly...am I supposed to sign out like this hmmmm, maybe you seasoned bloggers can let me know