baby thataway

Sneak peek.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:36:00 +0000

For those of you following at home, tomorrow is Emma's big "Night of the Notables" presentation. We're putting together the last-minute touches on her Frida Kahlo costume. Here's the hairpiece.

Now I need to work on the Pablo Picasso earrings. Thank you, Lolo, for the Sculpey!

I prefer Abstract Expressionism but ....

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Thu, 08 May 2008 23:28:00 +0000

At least I'm not Thomas Kinkaid. Ugh. Sick.

You Are Impressionism

You think the world is quite beautiful, especially if you look at it in new and interesting ways.

You tend to focus on color and movement in art.

For you, seeing the big picture is much more important than recording every little detail.

You can find inspiration anywhere... especially from nature.

What Art Movement Are You?

Ski Puppy!

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:22:00 +0000

Ugh. I've finally reached the point (age?) where it's becoming impossible for me to remember all the various passwords I have, even though I do my best to keep some continuity.

I couldn't remember my password for this blog and have been dying to upload some snaps from HSP Family Day last month at Winter Park.

So, at long last, and not in any particular order, here is Emma at Winter Park. The second one is with her beloved instructor, Stephanie. (Just today she said, "I want Stephanie again next year.")

Emma skied the "fun race" course that was set up for the kids at Marmot Flats. Her race name, by the way, is "Ski Puppy" - hence the title of this entry.

That was a wonderful weekend, I must say. That Friday Em and I went to a Nuggets game. And they won. Of course. They always win when Emma goes. She's got a completely skewed perspective on Denver sports teams' win-lose records.

Saturday I rode the bus with her up to the resort and then we met up with Pam and Matt. Actually, they met up with Em. On the mountain. They skied over from Mary Jane to Marmot Flats since that's where Emma always skies. They found a group that looked like HSP, asked if anyone knew Emma and they said, "Oh, Ski Puppy? You just missed her on the race course." But Emma skied the course again so they got to cheer her on. How completely cool.

After the skiing, the four of us loaded up into Hans (Matt's Audi wagon) and drove over to their "farm" near Parshall. Pics of those to be posted later.

OMG, though, their mountain home is incredible. Matt cooked. Emma and Pam got in the outdoor hot tub ... it was 22 degrees outside but they were toasty, of course. We stayed up and talked. Emma got altitude sickness during the night so I stayed up with her, back and forth to the bathroom. In the morning, Matt made breakfast. He went skiing. Pam, Emma and I played Life, and then we headed back down the hill. Emma and Rex, who went up to the farm with Pam on Friday, fell asleep together in the backseat of Greta (Pam's Audi ... his and her Audis ... ha!). Very sweet.

Oh, PS: Yes, I am an idiot for activating the date stamp on my camera but not programming in the correct date. Ack!

Haloween 2007.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 22:37:00 +0000

A couple days late getting these posted, but ... we've been busy busy.

Took Emma early this morning to get evaluated and fitted for her ski equipment from HSP. OMG, her little boots and her little skis - and dayglo yellow helmet! - are too cute for words. She's going to have so much fun.

After that we went to Horseland, and then to Flatiron Crossing, where we dropped off several of her old old old coats for Coats for Colorado.

Now we're home. Finally. Whew. Where does the day go?

Anyhow, enjoy the Emma Halloween snaps. I tried to post just the non-blurry ones. :)

One Weekend.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:28:00 +0000

We've all heard the old saw about Colorado: if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes? Well, we had to wait overnight to go from 70, sunny and gorgeous on Saturday to cold and snowy today. Emma got so excited a little while ago. I looked outside and said, "Wow," which brought her running. She gasped at the wintry scene and hugged me and said, "I love days like this - the first snowy days and we're staying home!" Awww.

It's been another nice weekend, though, setting aside the weather fun. Emma had a good session at CTRC. Her horse, Missy, was injured so she rode Pretty instead. Seemed to go well. She brought flowers to Shelby, one of her walkers, since her b-day was earlier in the week.

Then we came home and Pam picked us up so we could go to Boulder. I'd gotten an invitation a couple of weeks ago for a Defenders of Wildlife Wolf Awareness Week event at the Unitarian church there. We went and it was a really great, informative session. Emma answered several questions and asked a couple of others. Plus, we met a wolf-hybrid named Samantha, who is about 80 to 90 percent wolf, they estimate. She lives at W.O.L.F. in Larimer County. Beautiful animal. Emma was entranced. Samantha walked in and out of the room a few times (on a long lead) and twice she came over to Emma, who was sitting on the end of the room, and just sniffed and brushed on Emma. That child has definitely got a gift when it comes to animals ... though we joked that maybe Samantha wanted a little of the Slim Jim Emma ate on the way to the program.

After the program we headed back up the turnpike for Pam's birthday dinner. She decided she didn't want lobster this year ... just a big salad. Lo and behold, there was a Dave & Buster's at the Church Ranch Road exit. I love their "stinky" salad, the parmesan-crusted chicken Caesar. Emma was dubious but I told her to just go in the place. If you've ever been to a D&B, you'd know why. If not, just check it out. We played Centipede, a couple of horse-themed games, Emma played a motorbike game and did pretty well, and Emma and Pam tried the Dance, Dance Revolution game.

The motorbike pic is blurry but it's a little glimpse of Emma the Easy Rider. :) The funny thing is, as we were wrapping up dinner, Pam said, "Let's leave by 7:30 p.m." We just wanted to play a few games and get out of there. Ha. It's set up like an actual casino in that you just want to keep playing! LOL I got us one Power Card to share (you load the card w/credits and swipe for the games). Then I kept adding more credits. Then Pam went and got her own card so she and Emma could dance dance!

We left at 8:30 p.m.

Emma.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 04:13:00 +0000

Just wanted to post a few more recent pics of Emma, CTRC and Missy, horse of the "energetic and lively trot."

Laura & Denny, y'know what?

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 20:56:00 +0000

Chicken butt.

Let's go to Horseland!

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 20:49:00 +0000

If you have a tweener daughter you probably know all about "Horseland." It's must-see TV around here on Saturday mornings, which leaves just enough time for Emma to eat breakfast, watch, and then get ready to leave for her Horseland.

Great session today. Her friend Hannah B. brought her a horse book to read, and then her lead walker, Shelby, gave her a present -- three miniature horses (the cute, plastic kind) and two packs of Bella Sara horse trading cards. Awwwww.

All this for the girl who whined last night that, "No one likes me."

On the way back into town today I reminded her she said that and she said, "Mom! That was last night. I'm over that now, OK?"

Anyway, here are snaps of Emma and her horse this session, Missy; her walkers, Shelby and Lee; and then Emma and Hannah, with Hannah's horse, Poco Dos, a former police horse, by the way.

"Dog Days of Summer."

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 06:02:00 +0000

Emma, Pam and I attended a preview party at the start of the summer for The Wildlife Experience's "Dog Days of Summer" exhibits. Emma got to meet a wolf-hybrid dog, a stunningly beautiful animal. Anyone who knows Emma knows she was beside herself with joy.

Emma and Pam also took advantage of the photo opp during the water life cycle exhibit. Heh. Who could resist such a thing?

Sidewalk art.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 06:00:00 +0000

One afternoon Emma befriended the neighbors -- it was really hot and they were playing in the water so Emma put on her bathing suit, grabbed her bucket of sidewalk chalk and away we went. We all ended up drawing on the sidewalk in front of our house, and then on the sides of the house. It lasted for a few days and then we had a big rain. So glad these images turned up.

Emma & Kyle, finally friends.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 05:52:00 +0000

Some pics sure to warm the hearts of Laura and Denny, who were witness to Emma's first impression of her younger cousin, Kyle: punching bag. Now they get along much better. Just the other day Emma admitted that they're friends "kind of," and she does love him - "He is my cousin," she said. Observe them having fun together in the backyard of Casa de Derbs, Katelyn & Kyle back home in Louisiana.

Oh, and just how incredibly green is Louisiana anyway? Every time I go home I'm always surprised at how lush it is. Denver is beautiful, but lush it ain't.

More new old pics.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 05:49:00 +0000

From field day last May:

href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V_Uzl3yW0Sg/RuzETJ5upRI/AAAAAAAAAGs/hviVnOLeiYE/s1600-h/PICT0725.JPG">

Thought these were lost.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 05:40:00 +0000

I tried to download some photos I took last night at Boondocks and today at Emma's first lesson of the fall session at CTRC, but they don't show up on the computer. Instead, several batches of pics I thought had been accidently deleted appeared.

They include these images from our Louisiana vacation:

The Last Saturday of Summer.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 05:11:00 +0000

Emma's Edible Map.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 21:44:00 +0000

Emma finished today her first social studies project of the new academic year - an edible map of her bedroom.

At first we were going to hot glue candy to construction paper. Emma sketched out a rough draft of the project last weekend. But then at the orientation the other night one of the teachers mentioned using frosting to "glue" the candy to the map. So then I started thinking, well, they did say "edible map."

I pitched the idea of a truly edible map to Em on Friday and she agreed it was a great idea. So we made a box of chocolate chip cookie dough and spread it in a shallow baking tin and that forms the base of the map. Here she is, happy and proud. (She whined a few times about doing homework on the weekend but while she was working on the map -- and she did this on her own, except for the hot gluing of items on the key -- she said, "I didn't know this was going to be so much fun.")

So, whew! first project of the year done. Many more to go.

Escaping the Heat.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 18:29:00 +0000

Emma and I spent Saturday in the mountains, heading up to Estes Park for the Colorado Hunter Jumper Association's horse show. Stanley Lake is across the street from the fairgrounds, so we went there twice. I suspect Emma enjoyed walking in the lake more than watching the jumpers.

It couldn't have been a more beautiful day to be up there. Warm, but not hot. Sunny with enough clouds so that every few minutes you got a break from the heat. Steady breeze. And, of course, the scenery. It was one of those days where I spent a lot of time thinking, "I can't believe I live in such a beautiful place."

Oh, the top pic shows one of the most famous places in Estes Park -- other than Rocky Mountain National Park, of course: The Stanley Hotel, which inspired Stephen King's "The Shining." Beautiful place.

Mount Blanca.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 05:48:00 +0000

One of the reasons I love living in Colorado: the views. Here's one from our drive home from Monte Vista in the San Luis Valley.

Vacation 2007.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:49:00 +0000

A little late, but here are some snaps from the Great Louisiana Vacation, most of which took place in the homes of my parents and little sis (separate homes, but only three blocks a part ... very convenient). I suspect Emma got a great big kick out of the great big backyard where she and her cousins Kyle played every day. A trampoline, swing set and Slip-n-Slide? What's not to love?

Here are the pics:

1. Kyle on the trolley at the Louisiana Boardwalk.
2. Emma on the Slip-N-Slide!
3. Emma and Kyle standing on my brick at La Tech in front of Harper, one of my old dorms. Had a heck of a time finding the spot but, all of a sudden, Katelyn found it. Good eyes!
4. Emma and Kyle by the Champ statue in the Student Center.
5. Kyle, Emma and Katelyn at the Boardwalk.
6. Emma and Katelyn on the trolley.

Emma goes to Horseland!

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:45:00 +0000

Em's summer session at CRTC just started and here's a little hint of just how adorable she is with the horse she's been assigned, Pete:

Fred is also elusive ...

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 12 May 2007 07:34:00 +0000

But then he turned around and ... what a sweet boy, he is. Please, someone, tell him about the wabbits.

Thao does not need or want your love and adoration.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 12 May 2007 07:31:00 +0000

Thao says, "Go away now."

This is what Emma looks like when she's not talking.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 12 May 2007 07:25:00 +0000

(Grace had to come see what I was doing in Em's room. This is HER child, you see.)

The Many Moods of Marla.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 12 May 2007 07:10:00 +0000

Marla feels kittenish.

Marla is El Chupacabra. (Run, Gracie, run!)

Just back in her chair after that visit to the front of the house. Exhausted. Must rest.

Rex Talks Smack.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 12 May 2007 07:06:00 +0000

No one ever believes me when I tell them that Rex talks back to me all the time. But here is proof ...

Rex Pester, Smack Talkin' Border Collie.

Did I mention he did this in French? Oh, yeah. He's that erudite.

Emma Goes Over to the Dark Side.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 05 May 2007 17:47:00 +0000

And, judging from the look on her face, loves it.

Snapped this last night at the annual PTA carnival, which was movie themed. Couldn't resist getting her photo with my fave villian of all time. Love that Vader!