Mother's Day 2013: Lookout Mountain

For Mother's Day, I requested breakfast in bed. Our little chef, Oliver, helped Dad mix pancake batter, and they whipped up some pancakes, scrambled eggs, and veggie "sausage" patties. The kids decided to climb into bed to eat with me, and Oliver declared it was a picnic. This was the best way to wake up!

This photo is pretty much my favorite photo ever. I just woke up, had hair everywhere, and couldn't keep my eyes open. Oliver decided to help Jo eat by feeding her pancakes. <3>

After breakfast, I asked to go hiking. I looked up some family-friendly trails nearby, and we decided to head to Lookout Mountain. There are numerous bike paths and trails throughout the area, but they have a pretty flat, 0.6 mile hiking trail from the Nature Center. On the drive up, we saw dozens of cyclists and joggers. At the Nature Center, the crowd changed, and we saw lots of families with small children.

Andrew put Jo in the hiking backpack. It's the first time we've used it since last summer, and she didn't remember it. She freaked out and started to scream at first. Once Andrew started walking, she calmed down and really enjoyed the ride. Here she is with her lovie, Tod the fox. Her Uncle Andy & Aunt Erin sent it to her for her birthday, and it is a very loved little animal.

As soon as we stepped out onto the trail, we spotted deer!

DEER POOP!

 

After the hike, we went into the Lookout Mountain Nature Center. Oliver loved exploring the poop molds they had. He got to compare elk scat with deer scat, which was very interesting to him.

Jo's favorite part was the animal pelts.

The kiddos fell asleep on the drive home. I was sleepy from the hike, too, so we made a stop at Starbucks. I bet they were busy today! When Jo woke up to a chocolate milk and cake pop, she was so excited that she squealed, "Yay!"

Once again, I had a very happy Mother's Day! Thanks for all of your hard work, Andrew! I feel incredibly lucky, and I look forward to seeing my mom this afternoon and Andrew's mom this evening. Happy Mother's Day!

Cold Snap and Pumpkin Pancakes

For 24 consecutive days this summer, Denver's temperature climbed above 90 degrees. Those 24 days set a record for our city, though it was one I would have been happy to have missed out on. Indeed, the summer was a scorcher...

...which is why I couldn't have been more thrilled to have this break in the heat. Today our high was 59 degrees, and it felt fantastically cool. We were able to break out the long sleeved shirts and put real socks and shoes on our feet. Absolutely delightful.

Aminta and I went to the mall. After browsing a few clothing shops, we stopped at Williams-Sonoma. I was thrilled to discover that Williams-Sonoma had their pumpkin display out, and I beelined it for the table. The focus was on pecan-pumpkin butter filled pancakes. During our last visit there in spring (Aminta's my shopping partner), I'd bought a pan for making filled pancakes. So, I had the pan. Now I just needed the fixings. I grabbed a recipe card and loaded up on pumpkin pancake/waffle mix and pecan pumpkin butter. It sounded positively scrumptious, and I was in the mood to pretend it was fall--pumpkin season!

After visiting with Aminta and Nicole for a while, I headed home to my beloved. I was so excited to show him my prizes. At first, he was a little skeptical. It's also quite possible he winced at the $15 price tag on the pancake mix. But once I showed him the recipe card with the picture of the filled pancakes, I knew he'd forgive me. For extra emphasis, I pointed out the fact that the filling was the pecan pumpkin butter blended with cream cheese.

Next thing I know, we're in the kitchen cooking up pancakes (at 11pm). The kitchen filled with the fragrant smells of pumpkin and spices as well as the sound of a begging dog. Scrumptious!

Tomorrow's back up in the 70s. I'm a little disappointed, but I sure am glad I got to enjoy the start of the season change. Just a few more weeks until the aspens begin to change colors. I can't wait!