Colorado Crockers

There are some things in life that you think you understand...and then you have kids. Things like how important sleep is or what clean looks like. Emotions like guilt and worry. My kids are petite, which is just a nice way to say "scrawny". Generally, I am ok with this. It is how God made them, and while I do get sick of hearing how little they are from everyone, I can accept that I will never have a kid who has a bunch of cute and squish fat rolls. I took Annabelle to the doctor for her 9 month well baby visit. She doesn't even weigh 15 pounds yet and has put on less than a pound in the last 3 months. This isn't good. I am not a worrier usually, but this got my attention. Here is the thing, the child eats just fine, with lots of wet diapers and such, she just isn't growing. Developmentally she is doing fine but we worry a bit about her not crawling yet. Guilt is pretty much a worthless emotion, but I have a better understanding of it now. Somewhere in my head, i...

Step 1: Sit in your chair and scream indignantly until food is brought directly too you Step 2: Examine everything offered with a critical eye Step 3: Poke it Step 4: Lick finger and decide on first course Step 5: Eat all the fruit and carbs and throw the veggies on the floor for the dog. Take a bite of meat, shudder, gag and decide to eat it anyway Step 6: Squeeze everything that is left on you plate in your fist and watch in amazement as it oozes between fingers. Step 7: Lick hand, get mouth full of food and sneeze. Giggle Step 8: Smack slimy hand on table, enjoy the noise and the splatter Step 9: Rub whatever remains in your hair Step 10: Holler and sign "all done" frantically until someone releases you from the confines of your chair. Fight every attempt to get you clean.

- Underwear is over-rated. At least on 2 year olds . She can't be bothered and, while at home, either can I. - Being a good neighbor is hard. Sometimes I just don't want to. - Picking berries with children means 3 very stained and happy kids and very few berries that actually make it home. - Everything could be made better by bacon or strussel topping. - The 3ed kid's life looks way different from the first kids. Pretty sure I should never get to kid #7 because they wouldn't make it through the first year of life. I would misplace them somewhere or they would be dismembered by a sibling, by accident of course. - I can tell how good of day my children had by how many outfits they go through. - Sleeping naked is the only way to go in the summer. -Pets teach children a lot of things including that just because it is on the floor doesn't mean it isn't ' good to eat and licking is an appropriate greeting in most situations -I have no idea what to do with a si...

I am lucky. I was blessed with sisters. I may not have always considered this a blessing, the teen years were a bit sketchy. My sisters rock, and I don't just say that because they are mine, I really think they are cool chics . A few weekends ago, Amanda and I spent the weekend away. We left Saturday morning and hit the outlet mall where we enjoyed some uninterrupted shopping. We went from there to our hotel where we took naps. Yeah, we are crazy like that. We woke up well rested and enjoyed some happy hour adult beverages on the patio overlooking the mountains . Off to dinner at Outback and back to the hotel for some hot tub time. A FULL nights sleep with a big breakfast and then they day spent in exploring a cute little town and eating at a gluten free crepe place. We came home refreshed.

I can't believe the babe is 9 months. With the first kid, time moves a bit slowly, it seems your always on the look out for the next big development . Kid number 2 time moves faster. With the third I keep finding myself wondering where the time went! Here is what is new in baby Belle's world: -Alert the fairy, we have a tooth! Just one, on top. We are going to have to rename her "Fang" unless she starts growing more. -The conversations have begun. Eliana talked early, Addilyn still doesn't have a lot to say. Annabelle now says "hi" and "mama". She signs "eat" and "more" and we are working on "all done". -Not much sleep in the Crocker house. Belle still has NEVER once slept through the night. Sigh. I know it will happen some day but if my sanity is to remain in tact, I hope that day comes soon! -Belle is very happy to sit and has no desire to crawl. I have found her standing in her crib. I am in no hurry to have...

I have mentioned in the past that I have in my possession a few soap boxes. One of them is labeled "education". If you haven't yet, skim the options section in your weekend Denver Post. I am a teacher and have friends who teach and I have nothing but the deepest respect for those in the education profession. They work harder for less than most. Many teachers I know go above and beyond what is required of them, they buy there own classroom supplies, stay long hours to help students, and sponsor clubs and have a real love for kids and passion for educating them. Here is the problem, schools are failing our kids. Our children finish up k-12 unable to keep up with others around the world and, in this global market, it set them up for big problems. If we ask our children to give us 1/3 of their childhood to spend in classrooms, the least we can do is make it worth there while. Here are some of our problems: -Money allocation.We spend too much on administration costs and not en...

Without asking anyone else who lives with you, name the people who live on either side of your house. First and last names, please. What about the people who live behind you and across the street? Of the nine houses closest to you, how many neighbors can you name? Of those people you just named, can you tell me what they do for a living? What is the name of there pets and children? Where do they vacation? Hobbies ? About how old are they? Ok , now take it deeper. What are there dreams for the future, what are there hopes for there children? Are they struggling with anything? What makes them happy? Christianity 101 is very simple, repeatedly stated over and over in the bible by Jesus and those who know him: Luke 10:27 He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " This is kindergarten level stuff. Love God and love your neighbor. Lat...

I got three little girls dressed in swimming suits ( or "dewy doups" as Addilyn calls them) slathered in sun screen and took them swimming. I successfully brought them all home, I did not, however successfully apply my own sun screen and now have a purplish-red colored area on my back I hit 4 different stores to do my weekly shopping and almost stayed in budget. Almost. I went to see a fireworks show and hear an outdoor concert with my two eldest daughters. This proved to be very educational for Middle child, who up to this point had a lot of confusion about the difference between thunder, lightening and fireworks. I blame this on the massive rain storm we got caught in when we attempted to see them on the 4th of July. Confusion is now cleared up. At least on this subject I went to a meeting for the non-profit I sit on the board for. See, I am able to do grown-up things and even spend an entire morning without talking about children. At least without talking about my children...

things that have made me smile lately: -scooping baby Belle up after her nap. Her sweaty head buried in my neck, arms wrapped around me, her horse little baby talking voice and sweet baby breath. LOVE! -Playing doll house with Addie -Watching Eliana explore her new found independence while ridding her bike with the big neighbor kids -Magic bars. I have eaten ... a lot. Yum. So you too may indulge : 1 1/2 c. quick oats 1 stick butter mix and pat into a 9 X 13 top with the following 1 c. chocolate chips 1 c. butterscotch chips 1 c. coconut 1 c. chopped nuts 1 can sweetened condensed milk Bake in 350 oven for 40 min or until light brown on top. -Peanut butter frosting rediscovered . i used to make it as a child and now I remember why. It is good on everything. Currently enjoying it on a Peanut butter banana cake. - Eliana's awful jokes. They make no sense but she and Addilyn crack up.

I have a bunch of things that I should be posting about, things that most people would probably find more interesting than what I am going to write about. Cute things, like Eliana and the ice cream man, things like my weekend away with my sister, helpful things like the recipe for the yummy ice cream sandwiches. But, this is my blog, darn it, and I will write about what is on my mind. MOPS. I have never been a good fit for MOPS. Maybe that isn't entirely true, there might be a MOPS group out there that IS a good fit for someone like me, it just so happens I am not a part of that group. I am part of the fundamentalist christian group who has a great love for traditionalism. While I love many of the women at my MOPS, they are some of my closest friend and I am grateful for them, overall MOPS is just a bad fit for me, let me share a story to illustrate my point. Every summer MOPS goes on break, this summer not being any different. They needed someone to plan summer events to keep us...

Soapboxes come in many sizes and I happen to be the owner of a couple. One of the mid-size boxes revolves around television . I don't like it. It wastes time and gives you nothing back. Why does it matter what some person that you have never met and will never meet chooses to do with there weight/love life/kitchen? Television prevents you from being present with the ones your with, it stifles creative life, and when you look back in 10 years it will have given you nothing worth remembering. And don't even get me started on the who eating dinner in front of the t.v thing. This is my soapbox for my family, no one elses . Matt, sometimes begrudgingly, acquiesces . So television is not a big thing in our house. We don't have one in the bed rooms or on the main floor. Matt and I don't watch it very often. In the evenings you are more likely to find us reading a book or talking over a cup of coffee. We don't "follow" that many shows. Despite all of this, w...

My friend Jen is a woman of many talents. Besides being a wonderful mother, wife and amazing best friend, she is also a fabulous photographer. She is so good, she does it for a living. While they were out here visiting, she graciously took picture of my children. Here they are. No, I don't love Addilyn more than the other two, she just takes great pictures. She is a ham and an adorable 2 year old, if i do say so myself. Annabelle was being a grump. Eliana tries to be good and helpful and smile, but it isn't a very natural smile. More like a grimace . Sorta like she just ate something icky or got goosed or something. Despite those challenges , Jen managed to get some great shots of each of my kids. Thanks Jen! To check out more of her work click here http://www.mchamfamily.blogspot.com