Adams Falls

We had a great playdate Saturday, hiking to Adams Falls with our summer friend Cash and his mom. He's started preschool down in Denver now, but — since his dad runs the local bike park — we'll see him again next year. He doesn't have any brothers or sisters and decided on this trip that he's going to adopt Arden and Sawyer as his siblings. Too cute.

Roll the 'Little House' theme song ...

Steamboat

I met my Leadville roomie and great friend Sarahgirl in Steamboat Springs last weekend for a little bit of girl time. We enjoyed a drink by the river and dipped in the Strawberry Hot Springs. Fall has finally arrived in the high country and the aspen and cottonwood trees are vibrant yellow. It was a perfect little get away.


The hot springs were far better than I anticipated. Great, even, for kids — although I left mine behind.


This was the bathroom.




We didn't stay, but next time I really want to. They have these great little gypsy caravans that you can camp in during the summer. They also have rustic cabins and nicer places for those who'd rather not rough it. It'll be a great side trip for folks who visit us.


Oh, the best part of Steamboat — a drink by the river with a best bud.

Recipes for Picky Eaters No. 4

Burrito Night

This one is simple. It's all about the process. Put out a lot of different ingredients and let the kids decide what goes in. A little piece of tinfoil around the bottom makes for easy holding (and keeps the bottom together). This is by far the most common dinner in our house. We shake it up with different kinds of leftover meat, chicken, cheese, veggies, sour cream, etc. But, for my kids, we pull out a batch with no taco seasoning. Then we season a batch for the adults. Always a winner.

About the Quilt

I've been working on this quilt since long before Arden was born. The batting — the heart — is an old tattered bedspread from my very early childhood. Other children cling to a blankie. I clung — apparently — to an entire, quilted, twin-sized bedspread. You'd probably even recognize the pattern — if you could see it. It's one of those recognizable early 70s bedroom patterns. Like, um, this:


Orange roses on green vines. Woodies, maybe Hecht's circa 1976. My parents tried to match the color of the stems when they painted their walls. Ah, good times. It was like that for years ... That green room used to be my sleepy place. I think about that, sometimes, when one of the kids crawls in bed with me at 5 a.m. I think about the green room.

Back to my quilt. The old comforter traveled with me and got softer and more wonderful straight through college. By the time I headed into my outdoor life I had made a white duvet for it out of two old army sheets my mom had in a trunk in the basement. I decorated the closure with buttons I'd collected over the years. I have no idea what happened to it — probably made way for a real down comforter.

When I moved into the Leadville house I found a huge popcorn tin full of pre-cut fabric and started stitching the squares together for fun. Then life got interesting, and sitting around stitching things for fun became a thing of the past. The quarter quilt and my giant binky moved around with me six times and across 5,000 miles before landing here.

IN THE MEANTIME — we got this awesome wedding gift from our dear friend Joanna. A quilt. It lived on our bed for a while. Then I had to rescue it from the boat, where it was growing too comfortable. I washed it up and made a baby mat out of it:

Learning to crawl

Last winter, the wedding quilt became Arden's winter bedspread and kept her warm until it was literally shredding on the backside from love.

AND SO — I have taken the three sentimental quilts — the Giant Bedspread Security Blanket, the Leadville Quarter Quilt and The Wedding Quilt — and married them into one crazy but much loved and far-traveled blanket. There is some serious sentiment in that thar' blanket. And, assuming, if I manage to finish it before winter, she will love it forever. Until she decides she'd rather have a Dora bedspread. (Over my dead body.)