Imagination

This might look like an ordinary balloon tied with an ordinary ribbon to you, but 

with his imagination

it becomes a puppy on a leash.  A puppy that he ran back and forth with most of the afternoon.  A puppy he taught to sit and to jump and to roll over. 

I had forgotten the wonderful imagination children have and was delighted to be reminded by this little guy.

Cooking

It is very serious business getting those liners in the pan.

But then you get to lick the batter bowl!

I'm Fine

I asked if he needed help coming down the stairs.  He said "I'm fine".  He is walking down stairs all the time and has decided he doesn't want to sit in his high chair anymore.  (Sigh).  Time goes so fast.

My New Favorite Picture

Arm Flapping

The Colorado Symphony played an Independence Day concert last night at Civic Center Park.  We took a picnic and headed out in the late afternoon.  I am glad we got there when we did because it was packed and although we weren't real close we could still hear.

There were 3-D glasses for the light show.

While we waited for the concert to start, we played games

or painted with Auntie Carrie

we ate dinner and Kaiden had Cracker Jacks for the first time (he loved them)

played with Dad.

Finally, the concert started with patriotic music - Kaiden was mesmerized

Finally, the concert started and Kaiden was mesmerized throughout the 2 hours, watching the light show, listening.  I told him the man in front was the conductor and he watched him told me conductor makes music and flaps his arms!  He did not want to sit down until we showed him there were large screens that he could watch.  He was not sure about the fireworks.  At the very end when they got really loud he said he wanted to go to the car, he was scared.  He sure loved the music, though!

Baldpate Inn

One of the places Fayette and I visited was the Baldpate Inn.  The inn was built in the early 1900's and was named after a mystery book Seven Keys to Baldpate by Earl Derr Biggers (I did not get a good picture of the inn).  The storyline had seven visitors going to an inn thinking they had the only key.  In the beginning visitors to this inn were given a key to keep.  A metal shortage during WWI put a stop to the custom, so visitors started leaving keys at the inn.  There are keys to Mozart's wine cellar, Sherwood Forest, Hitler's desk, house keys, car keys, encryption keys, typewriter keys, monkeys, keys to the city, piano keys, hotel keys, key cards.  They are everywhere, in display cases, hanging from the rafters and are tagged with where they came from and the date.

You can look and look and see something different every time you go.

Getaway

I spent four wonderful days with my friend, Fayette in Estes Park.  Fayette and I have been friends for almost 25 years.  We met when we were both single mothers and formed a wonderful friendship.  Several years ago life took Fayette to Florida and we do not see nearly enough of each other.  We spent the time doing puzzles, playing games, eating popcorn for dinner, drinking wine, laughing, staying up too late, shopping and relaxing in one of  my favorite places on earth.

There is a winery  by the river that we have always said we should stop in there someday but never have.  Fayette and I did and it was great.

We did a wine tasting

With this view to one side

And this to the other side