Bear Sighting

Guest Post: Commander Mouse

Yes, Amy was kind enough to allow me to go for a hike with some folks at the Y while she assisted the kids with crafts and a Junior Explorer class. It was a glorious day to spend a couple of hours hiking and eating lunch at the top of one of the mountains, 9876 feet above sea level and high above the YMCA retreat center. On our return drive back, about ½ mile outside the park entrance we stopped near a bed a breakfast since about 50 people had gathered in the area. We saw a 2 year old brown bear sitting on the roof of the house. A few minutes later he decided he was hungry so he climbed down the tree onto the wraparound porch and tried to get in the side door. When that didn’t work, he proceeded to rip the screen for the small window next to the door and kitchen sink with his teeth in an attempt to get into the house. The elderly lady inside the house started making a bunch of noise to try to scare the bear off, but he didn’t seem to mind the noise.
Now here’s the funny part. Picture a lady, probably in her 70’s, with wild white hair, coming out from the back of the wraparound porch, banging two pots together, probably 5-8 feet away from the bear. Initially, that got the bear’s attention and he promptly climbed the 8 feet back up the tree to her roof. She continues to bang away with her pots and the bear just sits there looking at her, while all us bystanders are roaring with laughter at the site of this lady with the wild white hair, totally unfazed by the bear. Eventually, the bear decides he has had enough, comes back down the tree, off the porch and promptly goes to the neighbor’s trash can to find something interesting to eat. One of the senior Y volunteers that hiked with us that day was happy to see a bear on his 6th day of working at the Y this year while the rest of us will never forget the site of the lady with the pots banging away 5 feet from the bear. What a site to see!

YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park

This was our third stay at the YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park and this place never disappoints. I love it because this place is whatever you need and want to make of it. This time, we needed rest, relaxation, and some fun after 3 days of packing (2 went til midnight) and the sadness of having to leave our beloved friends in Colorado.

Back to the Y. We stayed in the brand new Peaks Lodge, the nicest lodge accommodations on the property. That said, families, I'd recommend staying at the Alpen Inn on property as it is closer, rooms are bigger, but not as fancy and you get a balcony. For this trip to the Y, we slept a lot, ate a lot (they have wonderful, healthy meals on the meal plan which we did, and played. Mouse went for a hike and the girls hit the craft building and painted til they dropped.

We played at the park, went roller skating did a junior explorer class to learn about hiking safely and played putt putt.

I am going to miss this place but know I'll be back.

The Ice Cream Man

Guest Post: Commander Mouse

Remember the days when the Good Humor truck used to come around the neighborhood playing his oh so familiar musical melodies? When I was a kid, we would all go running for our money or beg our parents for an ice cream treat. At some point in time, I believe when I was a teenager, the parents decided they had enough of this wonderful or annoying sound (depending upon your perspective) and passed an ordinance, banning the music being piped from the Good Humor Ice cream truck, essentially putting him out of business in my township.

In Colorado, he doesn’t come around quite as frequently and we had avoided up to this point, explaining to our kids about the ice cream man. Of course, that all change during moving week when I decided it would be a great treat to buy them ice cream during packing night #2.

Fortunately our lawn chairs had not yet been packed so while Mom was kind enough to be inside with the movers, the three of us thoroughly enjoyed our ice cream or popsicles on the front sidewalk, lounging about in our lawn chairs and talking about the next time the ice cream truck might drive by our house. It will be interesting to see if we have a musical ice cream truck in our new neighborhood, because I fear I’ll be buying a lot more ice cream/popsicles if he does.

Trip Across Country

It's always been a dream of mine to drive across country and take my time and explore the rest of the US. Two years ago, this dream came true and we're getting to do it again at this summer. I am so sad to be leaving Colorado Springs, but am looking forward to the trip to Jax and exploring that area. Lucky me, we're taking our time going across and will get to explore new places.

Highlights:

YMCA of the Rockies at Estes Park. We're staying at this fabulous retreat center, where all meals will be included and all activities. Look forward to more craft time, classes, roller skating, swimming, golf, tennis and of course exploring Rocky Mountain National Park. It will be our last hooray in the most beautiful state of Colorado. Sniff. Sniff. If you are military, thank you for your service and let them know at the Y. Our package is $150 for two days in a phat new room with all meals. Thank you YMCA.

Great Wolf Lodge, Kansas City, KS. Just got a report from my brother that we will enjoy this water park resort as he is there now. I've never been to a Great Wolf Lodge and can't wait to go and play with the family for a couple days. Again, it's a bargain for military, firefighters, and police officers when you use code HEROES. It's $129 a night for a suite. In Williamsburg, VA, I remember it being over $300/night to stay there.

St. Louis. Going across last time, I remember St. Louis as being one of the best places for kids to visit. We're going back to the Magic House, one of the top children's museums in the planet and the St. Louis Zoo.

Chattanooga, TN. I am so looking forward to this trip! I thought we could stay at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.in Nashville on the way, but I just heard and saw pictures of the hotel under water. Broke my heart. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those folks dealing with the devastation, loss of jobs and homes. I was so sorry to hear about it and was glad to see my girlfriend Taylor Swift reaching out to the folks there. Back to Chattanooga. This looks like a spectacular place for the family to visit. I've been talking with the folks at the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel and as a surprise, I booked two nights to stay in a victorian box car. With the children's fantasy package, we get tix to the Tennessee Aquarium and Imax, the zoo, children's discovery museum and model train car museum. Breakfast and engineer caps for the kids are included too! We'll first visit Rock City Gardens, the Incline and Ruby Falls. I hear they have a fabulous park there with an antique carousel and boutique shopping. FUN!!!

Atlanta, GA. May or may not have time to stop. Highlights if we can - American Girl Place for lunch and the Atlanta aquarium. Wanted to go to the World of Coke, but I am thinking that all that caffeine would not be great for the tikes.

Then we drive to Jax, stay on the beach til our stuff shows up for our new house.

After we move in, we go to Hilton Head to visit lots of family and then to Orlando for a week!

Travel around Jacksonville

Since we're living on the beach already, I wonder how many trips we'll be taking in the near future? Plus princess is starting kindergarten and I am not excited. Kindergarten is full day, add sports, homework, bathtime and not much time left. Sigh. I am very much enjoying this honeymoon period being home with my kids while I have it. Good thing we'll have the beach so close by!

I know us and I know we'll be traveling and finding fun and adventure in Jax and around the area. Some places we'll want to hit in the net few years:
-Cruises! Carnival has cruises that leave out of Jax. I've already scouted a weekend cruise that goes to the Bahamas (one place I haven't been before). November is looking good to me. Also Disney Cruise Line leaves out of Cape Canaveral. Next year.
-Atlantis. Always wanted to go and it is so close now!
-Orlando. I know we'll be going to Disney. I was there when I found out I was preggers with my first daughter and I remember making a note to self. Put this trip off as long as you can. So many cranky little preschool crying while their parents dragged then around in the heat. Anyhoo. I know we are going and we'll buy the Florida pass and make Shades of Green our 2nd home, as the YMCA of the Rockies is here. I am looking forward to going there! I love Sea World and can't wait to go there. I hear Universal has great deals for the military, so maybe we'll just drive straight to Orlando before we move to our new house.
-Tampa. Busch Gardens, Elmo's world. Need I say more?
-We have family in Boca Raton and in New Bern, SC. Yeah!
-Cape Canaveral. We are going to see the last shuttle launch for sure. So sad it is the last. But we will be there and just in time.

It will be nice to be on the east coast time zone again. And it will make for easier air travel.

Moving to the Beach

We found a beautiful house in an awesome quiet neighborhood and it is just a few blocks from the beach! I would have never guessed that I'd have the opportunity to ever live so close to the beach again. One summer, I interned for the St. Petersburg Times and lived on Treasure Island, just a few blocks from the beach. I enjoyed walking on the beach after work and am so looking forward to that becoming a tradition with my family when mouse comes home. And I get one more year with my little one before she starts school every day. I told her that I was going to pick her up and carry her everywhere and squeeze her. She responded no that she wanted "to go to school and do challenging work." That's a montessori baby for you. Anyhoo. We feel so blessed we found a house so early and have an address! That means we can register our children for school. The beach schools are fantastic, the best in Florida. Fingers crossed that princess will get in to the magnet school for gifted and talented.

Hilton Head, here we come!

Looking forward to a trip to Hilton Head, SC! I just talked to my SIL and my hubby's whole extended family will be going to Hilton Head in June. Can't wait to get all the little cousins together to swim and play at the beach. Our Hilton Head must do's - mostly nothing, but hang out on the beach, but when we do go - seeing Greg Russell sing under the big oak tree at Harbourtown, buying t shirts at the salty dog, shopping at the outlets in town. It is gonna be fun!

The girls are ready for some water time. They've been taking private swim lessons at Little Fins Swim School and those lessons are paying off bigtime. Spidergirl completed her level two test where she can swim independently across the pool. Princess has almost completed her level four test and will move on when she refines her advanced backstroke. It is amazing to see them grow.