Polish Slippers

The best thing I brought back from Poland for Wyatt - slippers!!!

Everything's a Hat

Winter Has Finally Arrived

Since it was 50, 60 and 70 degrees through November and part of December (seriously, I wore sandals and flipflops to school until the second week of November) - it was a nice change to finally have some cooler temps and snow!  We needed the moisture pretty bad, and Mother Nature is delivering.  Normally we don't get a lot of snow here - a dusting in winter and wet snow in spring - but this feels like a Midwestern Christmas with sun and warmer temps!  Love it!

So does everything , and everybody, else! Notice our matching Lion pride! We cheer, kinda, from a distance.

Cookies With Wyatt

Central and Eastern Europe

I know I never really reflected on my trip - and honestly, I've had to think a lot about this one because it was so profound on so many levels.

When a colleague from another school suggested we travel through those areas I got super excited as everyone always wants to head to the popular Western European countries. Our travels were also going to bring us though some of the major areas I teach specifically about during our Holocaust unit.

I didn't really think about how significant these areas had become due to teaching year after year about them.  It was easy to teach about a place you've never been to without having an emotional attachment to the area or the things that happened there.

Things changed over the time I spent traveling through parts of Germany, The Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary.

Reminders of WWII, the Holocaust and the Iron Curtain are still very much alive, the economy is still very much affected, and I strongly believe the people are not the same people they were before the these events rolled over them. I found the people to be very friendly and helpful, but they hesitated to engage in conversation unless spoken to first.  This was very different than Western Europe where it seems everyone is vying for your attention - and money.

Berlin was disturbing.  A beautiful, edgy city, overshadowed by the Nazi party buildings and constant reminders of the communist regime; including stark, empty, abandoned buildings - and the wall.   Monuments to people who attempted to assassinate Hitler, died under his rule, tried to escape by climbing the wall, and to the Holocaust dot the city as daily reminders of what people believed could never happen.  It was sad. It was disturbing. It was fascinating   I was happy to leave the city, but could visit again and learn so much more.

Dresden was a peaceful contrast, until we found out that all the rebuilding we saw was due to the horrific civilian bombing at the end of WWII.  It was a beautiful and sad city.

Prague and Krakow were awesome. Again, reminders everywhere, but the original artistry and beauty of the cities remain.  I especially loved Krakow and would love to spend a lot more time there.

Budapest was chic and ancient and way cool all wrapped into one. I would have loved to have seen more of the city.   As it was, I explored the castle and the Christmas markets - and needed to see so much more.

For details and pictures see the link to the left.

Know How I Said I Loved Pinterest?

I found myself walking out of the house today with no less than three different applications of things I had learned on Pinterest.

1) The ONE sock, NO HEAT, 5 MINUTE hair curling technique. OMG WORKS! (Fun Stylin')
2) Boot socks...or are they? Cheat using old sweater cuffs from Goodwill stores!
3) Skinny Jeans?  Roll your regular jeans into boots without the "muffin top" (Duds)

Want to know how to do it all?  Visit my Pinterest boards!

It's That Time of Year Again!

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Central Europe

Leaving for Europe today. Follow our trip through the link to the left!

Shooting Rockets

Bison Roundup

The beginning of November marked another year of bison roundup at the Zapata/Medano Ranch.  This time it only lasted three days as around 1400 head were brought in via a cake truck and four-wheelers. It called for a much less stressful gather, however it wasn't quiet as exciting as previous years...

See Ya!

I thought a two year old couldn't steer. Yeah right...

Happy Halloween!

The weekend before Halloween we spent the afternoon carving the many pumpkins we brought back from the patch; including a massive pumpkin the dogs could fit inside of!

Everyone went as a dragon since the movie, How to Train Your Dragon, is rather popular in the house right now. Wyatt and Wrigley matched! Even Berlin had a set of wings!

Notice our subtle tribute to the Tigers even though The Series was well over...

Oh yes, and the cats have received the names: Toothless and Astrid. Go figure. Guess which is which?

Weeeeeeeeeee!

We picked up an old swing set from a friend! Yeah!

Cleaned the Shed!!!

Ok - I have become addicted to Pinterest.  I love it. Great idea for EVERYTHING!!!  However, I have found that I unable to do most things unless I get my house and yard together. There is just so little space...

It was a beautiful weekend so I decided to move the storage bins in the shed to the new shed and turn the old shed into a good place for feed and yard supplies.  I could not walk from the front to the back of the shed before.

As we also had two little kitties dropped off so they now have a safe place to live until they grow (I'm not sure why Wyatt looks like he has a huge noggin in these pics, but they were too precious to leave out! I especially like where he and the black kitty are touching noses!).

I'm feeling motivated!

Any ideas for kitty names?

Pumpkin-riffic!

Drove up to Canon City Sunday with my friend and her two boys to hit up Diane's Pumpkin Patch for a day of fun!  We picked pumpkins, went down a giant slide onto a straw covered mattress, played in a giant bin of kernel corn, got lost in the 8 acre corn maze, rode the hay wagon, picked pumpkins, pet animals....it was exhausting...for the moms who had to chase the little buggers down! We also hauled home giant pumpkins as well as the ones the kids got to pick in the field.

I'm still tired thinking about it all!

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

Last weekend we headed down to Albuquerque to stay with a friend for the International Balloon Festival.  This is a crazy week as people come from ALL OVER THE WORLD to show their balloons, see balloons and compete is a cross-country balloon race. The park opens each day at 4 am and doesn't close until after dark.

On Saturday we woke early and went to the Park and Ride at 5:40 to catch a bus to watch the mass ascension of the balloons.  After waiting in line until almost 7:00, the ascension was canceled due to high, high winds. So even though it was calm on the ground it was windy "up there".  We headed back to my friend's house to take a nap after breakfast and then headed out to the Aquarium and Botanical gardens.  Wyatt thought the rays were 'waving' to him as they swam by so he had to re-visit every tank window to wave back to all of them!

Afterwards we headed to the Balloon Park to shop and watch the evening Balloon Glow and Firework show.  Then we headed to the movie theatre for Wyatt to see his first big screen show:  NEMO IN 3D !!! He sat through the whole thing and LOVED it!

Sunday we woke at 4am and was to the Park and Ride by 4:50. We were on a bus by 5:00 and at the park soon after to watch the Dawn Patrol (a dozen or so balloons that head up in the pre-dawn to check the safety of the weather for the rest of the balloon).  Since it was deemed safe, by 7:00 the balloons began lifting off.  There were wave after wave of hundreds and hundreds of balloons rising into the morning sky until almost 11:00.  We parked ourselves next to a group of Midwestern balloon owners and chatted a bit with them as they set up their balloons.  It was cool to be right amongst the balloons as they filled and lifted off.  Wyatt had to wave to everyone!

Autumn Has Arrived

My Child: The Daredevil

I swear this kid is always marking himself up in some way. It doesn't seem to inhibit his days in any way...just makes his parents have brief coronaries on a regular basis.

Exhibit 1:  Hair cut and watermelon seed spitting contest. Notice the angry red cut down his right cheek. Didn't slow him down any but he still has a nice scar that is slowly fading away. Not sure how this happened, but it involved the deck.

Exhibit 2: I get a phone call last week from the babysitter. I need to some over and make a decision because Wyatt hit his head.  Great. Evidently he was running to jump on the couch and tripped, flying headlong in to the bottom six inches of the couch and bruising his entire forehead.  We thought concussion for sure, but nope, he came back to school with me and taught my class during my lecture as well as teaching my neighbor how to count.  

                                     

 Notice the bruising peaking from under his bangs.  Stinkin' kid!

Labor Day Weekend

LOTS going on!

Saturday: The Farmer's Market and the Early Iron Car Show at the Park

Sunday: Riding the four-wheeler!

Monday: Antiquing in Westcliffe and picking up Berlin, Wrigley's new girlfriend, and Wyatt's new best friend!

Yeah...School.......

Well school started.  And we're on a block schedule. I like it.  I teach four classes a day and have one plan.  I find I am going over more material, it is more meaningful, yet we have less homework.  So far so good.  But I'm busy. What's new?

Besides killing myself working this summer I also did a multitude of things with my little man.  I'll attempt to update those events!  I've already downloaded my pictures so half the battle is won...

For those of you who were unaware...Wyatt's 2nd birthday has come and gone!  We've had a lot of birthdays this summer, so here they are in their full cupcake/pinata/ice cream/gift glory!

Poaching His First Concert

With a girl no less...we teach them young here.

Cruisin' Woodward

My first cruise

Guess Where I Am?

Drop a line if you want to see me...it was very, very last minute. Internet on my phone sucks, but i'll check my email.

Early Morning Cattle

It's been a long week. I rushed things with Ringo earlier this week and he put me off. I'm pretty mad at myself. That same night I tripped letting the dog out and I think I did something more serious to my ACL. I can't really straighten it. I've been wearing a brace and just working Ringo from the ground. Let me just say this very much parallels the rest of my life. And I just can't make myself go to the doctor because I know they will say surgery and it's just not a good time for it.

A little bear has been visiting the ranch this week. I never saw him, but I guess he had some fun playing with our massage therapist's yoga ball...and popped it. I have heard he put on quite a show.

This morning was my last morning. I have next week off to chill before school starts. I may take an out of state trip...but still not sure.  Just fall cattle work and bison roundup to look forward to.

I think i've done a pretty good job of posting my days on the ranch. If life hadn't gotten complicated I would have been better these last few weeks, but all things considered, it's been real.

Back to reality...