peacock

food prep for world thinking day

Gwyneth and I volunteered to make the snacks for World Thinking Day. And when I say “Gwyneth and I” I should be clear that I really mean B, right? He was a trooper and offered to help us make all the treats and of course to use his kitchen. 
We let the troop know that we were making treats for the night and a few others joined us to help out. We made enough treats for two booths to serve 150-200 people in about 2 hours. That was all thanks to B. He kept us on task and really did all the hard work for us. 

half birthday migraine

Oh, our sweet little Gwyneth and her migraines. She was all set to celebrate her half birthday at school today (those pesky summer birthdays). Instead she woke up with a migraine and throwing up. Poor girl. 
We had dinner plans with friends that had to be cancelled and she spent the rest of the day and evening in the dark. The migraines typically happen when she doesn’t get enough sleep so I blame myself for the show the night before. 
We had plenty of cookie cake to get us through the weekend!

nunsense

We’ve been on a roll seeing great live shows!
Tonight all four of us went to see Nunsense at the Candlelight Theater. The food is definitely not gourmet, but man oh man, I think they save the worst for B. He got a bit grumpy because his food was cold and not good at all. Gwyneth was a little grouchy about her dessert which she didn’t like either. 
Luckily we were able to get past the food and enjoy the hilarious show. We had front row seats and they even picked on B a bit. We laughed our way through the show and we all really thought it was a hit. 

dinner date with G

Gwyneth’s troop had a special Girl Scout meeting tonight to get caught up on their World Thinking Day project. B had meal service pick ups and Annabelle had dance class. Gwyneth and I snuck out for a quick dinner before her meeting and I sure do love that one on one time with my girls. 
She caught me up on all the happenings at school and in her life. She’s a kind soul. She worries so much about others. She makes me so feel so lucky to be her momma. 

children’s museum

B had to head into the Kitchen and the girls slept in and had breakfast with Melissa while I drove with my dad down to Highlands Ranch to drop off his car. We decided to hang out downtown for the day and spend the day with my dad and Melissa.
The girls loved the view from my dad and Melissa’s bathroom. Not too shabby, huh?
We walked over to the Children’s Museum from the hotel. It was about 5 miles of walking round trip. The weather was gorgeous. We could have worn better shoes. Gwyneth was pretty hungry and grouchy by the time we arrived. We got that girl some pirates booty and she was all smiles…right after this….
The museum was pretty packed with all the kids out of school today. We made our way through quickly but spend some time in the art space. 
We grabbed lunch at the Thirsty Lion and then drove my dad and Melissa down to Highlands Ranch to pick up their car. We hit rush hour so the girls missed dance for the night but after a busy day I think they were a bit relieved. It was a fun-filled, busy day and with all that walking there were tired little feet that night. 

morton’s

We finished our evening Paz-style, at Morton’s. They have revamped their menu which is giving everyone around here a little heart burn. They took off a few of our favorites which are mostly our soup and salad courses. We are most certainly creatures of habit around here. It really is still a family favorite though. It’s always such a good time. 
My dad had to drop off his car in Highlands Ranch the following morning and the girls didn’t have school so we are stayed downtown at the Ritz. 
Gwyneth playing with the iphone photography effects. 
After dinner we explored the Denver Milk Market which besides Larimer Square, may be one of the prettiest in downtown. 
And then there was time for games and dessert back at the Ritz. 
We had a pretty amazing suite and the highlight was Gwyneth got a rollaway bed in the dining room. She was pretty darn happy about that. 

photography club and friends night

I signed up to help start a photography club at the girls’ school. Our first meeting was after school today and there was a pretty decent turn out. B even joined and snapped this fanstic picture of me and the girls… ha!
After the club we were pretty hungry and grabbed lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, La Fogota. I got these lovely faces from Annabelle…
We ended a busy day with dinner with our dear friends the Billeras. They left Miss Ruby behind for a sleepover. The girls were all awesome together and were out by 11 pm. It was such a fun night and a perfect ending to the week.

happy birthday, Mitch

Happy Birthday to our dear friend, Mitch!
His birthday fell on a Wednesday which seems to be everyone’s busiest day of the week. With all the activities planned for the evening we couldn’t all get out so we asked to bring dinner to them. B whipped up some chicken paprikash which is a big time favorite of this group. We gobbled it up and had a great ol’ time celebrating Mitch’s day with him. These are good peeps and we’re lucky to call them friends. 
I can think of no one who likes paprikash more than this guy! Happy, happy birthday!
Gwyneth and Sarah.
Cupcake time. 
Not a bad bash for a Wednesday night!

pizza quest | protos and sarah’s birthday sleepover

My quest for good pizza started on the 1st, here, but it’s really been going on for quite some time. It’s not too sad to force the girls to try all different pizzas with me until we find a favorite!
Today we tried Protos in Lafayette. The crust was crispy which I didn’t expect to like as much as I did. Gwyneth loved it, Annabelle said it was ok, and B didn’t like the atmosphere. It was a bit snooty for a local pizza joint. Our server took great care of us though and even gave some great recommendations for Italian sodas and pizza toppings. 

This pizza was not my favorite. It was good, but doesn’t reach favorite status.

We dropped Gwyneth off at the Tendler’s house for Sarah’s birthday party. That little lady, at the bottom of the stack, is turning 11.  My heart was filled to the brim when I walked in the door to find all these girls together. I adore these girls. They are kind and funny and are so joyful together. Gwyneth truly has some wonderful friends.

Of course, we gave the option to Annabelle to do whatever she would like that evening….I think she wanted to just lay on the couch and be a lazy bum tonight because of her sleepover last night. We tossed that option off the table and asked her to come up with something new. She asked for Melting Pot and to walk around Louisville. I loved that plan!

We spent way too long exploring The Singing Cook, which has way too many fun home/kitchen gadgets. We stopped in to check out the new restaurant, Verde, which is local and quirky and lots of fun. We grabbed a few happy hour cocktails and a Jarrito for Miss Annabelle along with a sample tray of their salsas and guacamole. We were pleased with this place and are eager to return to try out their tacos.

We had a late dinner at Melting Pot and this girl loved her raspberry mocktini. 
We had such a nice time having Annabelle all to ourselves. She’s awesome!
I woke the next morning to find these photos waiting for me on my phone. Connie sent them over and those girls sure did enjoy that sleepover. Such fabulous cuties!

smores

It’s been a slow return to everyday life around here. The schools that feed my studios all returned to spring session today which means a small reprieve from the hecticness of the holidays. I will miss those busy studios bustling every day. I love when the shelves are full of painted pieces and each chair is taken. 
Opening the 3rd studio in Littleton right before the holidays was difficult. I wouldn’t say that I excelled but I survived.  I’m looking forward to putting my best foot forward in 2019. There’s so much room for improvement….I just need about 10 more hours in each day!
After visiting all the studios today and a night full of dance classes for Gwyneth, we let the girls decide what they wanted for dinner. We ended up at Hu Hot which is one of their favorites (although maybe not their parents first choice). They can always sweet talk us with smores!