Mommy Notes

Hello everyone! I thought I would put my two cents worth in this time! ;) Once again we have managed to keep ourselves busy the last couple of weeks. Last week I was down and out with somekinda bug - and no it wasn't the Swine Flu!! I didn't have a fever at all, just horrible congestion, and a sore throat to go with it. Riley got a little snotty about the same time, but not near what I went through. I ended up missing a couple of days of work including Greg's birthday party, and am just now getting over my cough. However, that didn't stop us from going to Rocky Mountain National Park last Sunday to enjoy Elk rut. The first weekend in October is usually "Elk Fest" in Estes Park. So after driving through the park we stopped there. We had missed most of the day's activities, but we did stop and listen to a talk from a Wolf Sanctuary. They brought wolves with them and it was very interesting to learn about them. Wolves are much bigger than I had imagined. I guess I just always assumed they were about the same size as Huskies (from what you see in movies). But they are much bigger!! These were females and they were about as tall as Mowgli and much thicker!! I would say close to the size of a St. Bernard, or Burmese Mtn Dog. HUGE!!!

Anyways, we went to the park and got to listen to the elk bugle. We got some video of it, but you can't really hear the elk, just Riley saying "Look, Elk", after everytime they made a noise! He was very intrigued by them, and really seemed to enjoy himself! And he can definately pick an elk out of a crowd now!!

Sunday we also decided it was time to try to break Riley of his Pacifier. We have gotten him down to just nap time and night time, but we knew that we needed to get him off of it completely before we started working hard at potty training (coming soon!) So Sunday night before bed I went in his room and gathered all the paci's off the shelf where they are usully kept, and hid them away in our room. I couldn't find one of the yellow ones, but it had been missing for a little while and I figured it might be at the sitters or somewhere lost. I put Riley to bed that night, and we brushed his teeth, got dressed, and read a story as usual. When it came time for the paci, I took him to the shelf and showed him they were all gone. He seemed a little bummed, but not heart broken, and went to bed easily, with no tears about the paci! I'm a little concerned as to how easy it was, but went to bed as usual. Cam wakes me up Monday morning to say goodbye for work, and all I can think is WOW we made it through the night with no paci!! Then after I hear Mr. Chatty in his crib, I go in to get him up. What do I find when I open the door . . . Riley laying playing in his crib, with a YELLOW PACI in his mouth!!! Apparently he had hidden it in his crib for just such an occasion!! Little Stinker!! Needless to say I hid that one as soon as possible and we have been Paci-Free ever since!!! YAY!!! and only one crying episode on the second night!! Guess this means we should move on to potty training now . . .

This week the weather has really taken a turn towards fall, and even winter!! Last weekend at Elk Fest it was really cold, and it was even snowing when we were hiking around Bear Lake. Trail Ridge Road is already closed for the season. But this week it got even worse! Yesterday it snowed most of the day (at least for me it did - I was at work in the mountains). The foothills and plains got some rain, but mostly just a cold and dreary day. I was at work and spent the day at Red Mountain (because going up there has become an all day event!). I hiked the big loop, about 10 miles, checking mileage and looking for stray cattle (we've had some problems with escape artists). It was snowing the whole time I was up there, and it was beautiful!!! There was only about 2 inches on the ground, but it had already drifted to about 10 inches in some places up on the Cheyenne Rim. I should have brought my snowshoes along! Unfortunately I forgot my camera, but I was able to get a couple of panoramic shots with my phone.

Today was a little warmer. Once again this year I got to be in the CSU homecoming parade. Cameron had to work, so Riley got to come with me. I rode a bike this year, and pulled him in the trailer!! He was a HIT!! Everyone loved him, in his Rams sweatshirt and my Ranger hat. By the time we got to campus (the oval), he was waving at everyone! Not to mention he loved the CANDY!! The guys I work with thought it would be great to give him all the suckers he could eat!! So everytime I turned around he had one in his mouth! (And yes, he was running around on a sugar high til WAY past bedtime!!) Anyways, By the time we got back to the car the wind had really picked up, and before we got home it was snowing. There is now close to an inch on the ground!! I'll have to get some pictures tomorrow morning of the snow, and Riley playing in it. And I'm definately taking my snowshoes to work tomorrow!!

In other news - Cam's been messing with the Jeep again!! We decided to put some more money into it so that it will last us for a few more years . . . and to Cameron that means what ever is being replaced is being replaced with the biggest and best I can find!!! ;) He's spent the last couple of weekends tinkering with it, and even sending me to the far corners of the state (and beyond) to fetch parts! But now he has bigger tires, we're up to 33's now - That's 33 inches high, new leaf springs in the rear, adding 1 inch in total height, new longarm kit for the front (coming this weekend), and new steering and brakes. Although it seems like more than that. Thankfully he says there's only a few more things he wants to do to it, but one of those includes entirely caging the body (good for safety - bad for wallets!) Hopefully when he gets everything all done we can still go on one wheelin' trip before the year is out. He hasn't made it to any this year, between broken Jeep parts and timing of summer events. Maybe we'll make a trip to Moab for some fun next year (just ssshhhhh . . . don't tell him I said that!!) ;)

Well, this has become way longer than I expected. I won't say much more. Just that Riley is getting so big!! And growing up!! He's quite the little talker now. He picks up new words everyday (yes, words - plural!!). He's also putting together phrases - not quite sentences, but you definately get the point he wants to make. And he's absolutely in the terrible (I mean TERRIFIC) two's phase!!! When he gets into a crying fit it takes forever to get him calmed down enough to figure out what he wants. One second is the paci he started out crying about, then it's the book he sees on the floor, then it's going downstairs, but he wants to walk, no carry, no don't touch me . . . you get the idea!! What FUN!!

I hope everyone in Indy is staying warm for the time being - we have already transitioned into down comforters and warmer sheet sets!! (and footed pj's for Riley) Now I just have to figure out how to make the cute little Halloween costume Colorado Weather-Proof . . .