Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

While at REI one day, we picked up a book with the top 50 hikes in Colorado Springs. I wonder if I can return it.

We started out, gung-ho, and Gunner took the kids to the PX to pick up child size camelbaks for the kids, so there would be no complaining. No "I don't want to drink after her" or "She's drinking all the water and there's not going to be any left for me" and the best of all "Are you trying to kill us by only having one source of water?". So off to get camelbaks he went.

He returned home with 4 new camelbaks (Junior's held 32 oz, and the other 3 held 50 oz). We filled them, packed snacks, located directions, and headed off.

Junior should be a walking advertisement for Camelback.
He loved that Camelbak and wore it the entire time. Unlike someone else....but I digress.....

Our first stop was the bathroom. We ran into a really nice Ranger who reprimanded us (nicely) when while giving us directions, Junior shows up with flowers that he found and picked.
It was the 40th anniversary today, so everything was free, saving us a whopping $6.

This area is known for all of its petrified stumps. The girls picked up the Junior Ranger books at the gift shop, and had to complete a certain number of assignments, as well as fun pages in order to get a badge or a patch.
It was beautiful out there. We headed out to walk to the Boulder Trail, where the Ranger told us that there were huge boulders that formed caves and you could crawl all over them. He said we were more likely to see wildlife going that route as well. But.....there's always a but with this crew......Abs and Em wanted to go see the Homestead first since it was one of the things that was on the Junior Ranger checklist.



We started walking. Abs got rocks in her shoes. Abs didn't want her Camelbak. Junior didn't want to walk.

I asked Abs to open her eyes and smile when I counted to 3. I got this.



We kept on walking. If there was supposed to be any wildlife, we weren't about to see it with the amount of noise we were making.

Junior polished off his water the first mile. We finally saw the Homestead in the distance......it was right off the main road. Everyone else got back in their cars and drove to it, which was really looking good at this point.

I tried to get a picture of Junior, but he was too busy sucking down water.


Em didn't mind posing for once.


We keep on walking, and by the time we get there.....the homestead was closed.


We had a snack. We discussed walking back along the road since it would be much faster, but we figured we came to hike, and we could still try to salvage this trip.

Em was less than enthusiastic about taking a longer route back. But there was a bridge...




Then we discovered that Junior pooped. Gunner was still carrying him on his shoulders and finally the smell got to him, so we stopped, removed the pullup that we thankfully that we had put on him. We had no wipes and no more pullups. Not too smart. So we used water from the camelback and I know Gunner now unconditionally loves his son as he washed his little bottom out in the forest with his bare hand. Ewwwww!

We got everything cleaned up as well as we could, and luckily Junior had underwear on over his pullup, so he didn't have to go commando. Maybe even luckier because when he pooped again, while on Gunner's shoulders, it didn't just explode all over my poor husband. And then the boy fell asleep....
At that point, the girls figured it wasn't worth complaining anymore because they thankfully didn't have a poopy boy sitting on their shoulders.

We finished our walk, never made it to the boulders, and hit the road, having walked almost 5 miles. The girls turned in their Junior Ranger work and were able to earn their award.

Looking back on it now, it doesn't seem as bad as it did at the time. We did see a bunch of chipmunks, birds, scat, and beautiful scenery. Next time we will be better prepared though!

We ended the day with Mexican food, a stop at the Arc, and the find of a chicken soup bowl, so the day ended on a good note. Now all the kids are tucked into bed and we are right behind them.

The update

We got up early--let's be real, we were up, but we had to get dressed, in order to head out to the doctor this morning for Junior. After yesterday's mess with the doctor calling his scratching and itching a psychological problem, I was hoping for a better outcome.

What a change! The dermatologist we saw was WONDERFUL! He was friendly, understanding, liked kids or at least pretended too, and listened to everything I had to say. I asked him if he thought that the problem could be psychological based on what the doctor yesterday had said, and he was floored. He started to go off--has he ever had eczema? He assured me that there was nothing wrong psychologically with my son, and that it was obvious he was miserable. He cultured several of the areas to make sure there wasn't something more going on.

He prescribed a new course of treatment with two baths a day for 10 minutes, a new cream slathered all over him, and then being put in his pajamas. This should do wonders for his potty training too, right? We still have to put his pajamas on backwards too. Fun times!

I called to check on my classes getting paid for through the My CAA program. I signed up for one class that I shouldn't have, so the voucher was wrong. After a 30 minute phone call to military onesource I was able to correct the problem and I think we are squared away. Good thing since they start Monday!

We took all of Junior's paperwork into daycare and he is squared away to start on Monday. Whew. We talked about the egg allergy and they said to bring in his epi pen and the benadryl, and then I found out that his pediatrician is the doctor for the center. They also made a special note about his eczema so as the lady said "we don't want him being sent home for rashes when it is just eczema". THANK YOU!!! If only his last daycare felt the same way! They also don't serve eggs or any peanut products, so we are good to go.

We hit the playground this afternoon where Junior and Abs collected sticks, picked flowers, ran amok, and pointed out every plane, glider and skydiver that we saw. It was wonderful, and while they played I was able to read part of Julie & Julia. I heard the movie is great, and I can't wait to finish the book and see it.

My sister introduced me to pesto chicken sandwiches with fresh mozzarella. I don't think she planned for me to eat them every meal. I'm in heaven.....

Junior dressed and ready to go to the playground...

Screaming Kid

I won't publish the other post I wrote about the crappy doctor we saw today.

I have a screaming kid in his room. He is miserable about everything. We are in the throws of the terrible 3's.

I wish he still napped.

We did manage to get an appointment for the dermatologist tomorrow through the above crappy doctor, so hopefully we can make some progress on Junior's skin issues. The crappy doctor told me that it is probably psychological on Junior's part. Seriously? The kid can't figure out how to pee or poop in the potty, I doubt he sits around planning to itch all day.

When Junior gets mad he calls people bacon.

I don't know what I am making for dinner, but I do have dessert baked and ready to serve--yogurt marmalade cake. I have priorities.

Thank goodness today is family time, I need a break.

Still need to get my run in today, but it sounds like a perfect escape. Not much longer....

Stay home all weekend?

For not being very social people, we sure don't stay home very much. My neighbor told me that she gets tired from seeing us run around all day and then take the kids outside to play. Me too!

Saturday we ran errands, visited the local thrift shops again looking for chicken soup bowls. We looked at furniture since I have new table fever (last one is 15 years old and has a crack down the middle, it's time!). We took a long bike ride. So long in fact that Em quit about halfway through. We need to work on her stamina. Granted it is pretty hilly!

Sunday we decided to head to the local zoo. I'm not a big zoo person, but when we were stationed at Fort Lewis, we got a yearly pass and visited all the time because it kept the kids entertained, outside, and happy. The yearly passes at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo are $87 for a family, and there's a $10 discount if you are military. Considering it would have cost close to $50 for a one day visit, we just have to visit the zoo twice in order to pay for the pass. I can imagine that we will spend much more time there.

Your pass also gets you into the Shrine, which we didn't have time to visit. As soon as you enter the zoo, you see the giraffes.

You can buy crackers to feed the giraffes at 3 for $1. Thank goodness we only have three kids.
They divide the zoo up into different regions, and include the types of houses that they have there. Of course Junior had to explore them all.
Even Abs got in on the action. (Yes, I let her go out in public without matching. I have given up.)
We took a dozen shots trying to get everyone to look at the camera.
Forced them into another group photo. One day I am sure they will thank me...or need therapy, but I am hoping it will be a thanks.

We hung out with the wallaby people for a while. I bet they had never met three children that asked so many questions.
Made friends with a giant bear.
We rode the sky tram. I hate heights.
But everyone else had a good time.
We rode it up. And down. And up. And down. Apparently you can ride it as much as you want after you purchase the tickets. It was $17 for the 5 of us, after showing our new zoo card. Not something we will do very often, but fun.
I couldn't even get them to look at me. But with a view like this, who can blame them?


You have to dismount every time you reach the top or the bottom, so more time for family shots. (Maybe one day I will make a shot!)

The end result was that Junior couldn't stay awake while he ate his cheerios.
We ended the day with a run by Whole Foods to pick up dinner and artichokes.
It was good, but it did require me to get a long run in the next day. In the meantime I am trying to find a good book about seeing Colorado with kiddos, so if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

So much

We have been running around like crazy. More posts and pictures to come soon.

School has started.

Daycare starts soon.

My school starts soon.

We are slowly getting unpacked...just don't go to the basement.

Met another blogger and her daughter!

Saw my friend Erin finally!

Went to the zoo.

Potty training is not going so hot.

Went to a haunted castle.

Ate ice cream from some famous place in Old Colorado City.

Started my half marathon training plan.

I'm caught up on laundry, even with the 3 changes I had to do for Junior at the park today.

Discovered a love of pesto....on everything.

Turned the heater on this morning because I was freezing.

And more....to come later....