Girl Scout Camp

Thank you to everyone who supported Sophie in her Girl Scout cookie sales earlier this year. There have been so many rewards. The first was that she got to attend a three day camp at Cloud Rim, a Girl Scout campground located in the mountains above Park City.

The second was that I got to attend a "Mother/Daughter" overnighter (also at Cloud Rim) with Sophie over the weekend.

It was a gorgeous place. We hiked, kayaked on the lake, crafted together in the lodge, and slept on bunkbeds in a rustic little cabin. Sophie was able to show me all of the places she had told me about from her previous camp experience, including "the biffy" -- as they like to call the bathroom. Several of her camp counselors were there too so it was fun for her to see them again.

I called ahead to find out the menu and since they were serving pasta the first night, I decided to swing by 1025 Eatery -- a fantastic new restaurant in Bountiful -- to pick up a gluten free meal. I got a mock pasta dish, ribbons of zucchini in the most flavorful sauce I've ever tasted. Yum! It was a real treat to be gluten free that night. The chef is such a fantastic food artist that I felt kind of guilty pulling out my gorgeous mound of food (it was lovely even after being rocked around in the cooler and re-heated in the microwave).

In my dream life, I was planning to take Sophie shopping for hours at the outlet malls on our way up to camp. In my real life we were hours behind schedule so we barely had time to pick up a t-shirt and hat at the Park City Wal-Mart and peek inside two outlet stores before it was time to head up to the mountains.

We wanted to hit the outlets on the way home, but there were two problems: 1) again the issue of time, and, 2) ewww - we had just been camping and hadn't showered, so we weren't exactly presentable for shopping.

Sophie was determined to stop at the Justice store (which we discovered is not actually an 'outlet' for Justice but, just a regular store). And, while we were finding a place to park, she scouted out the Harry and David's gourmet popcorn shop. Oh how that lovely popcorn was calling out both of our names! I looked at the popcorn and almost didn't buy any. But, at the last minute I picked out a combination of caramel, dark chocolate and milk chocolate popcorn (by the way, the chocolate popcorn is coated with caramel before it is dipped in chocolate - oohlala!). I almost died when I saw that there were 210 calories per 1/2 cup!!! Yikes. I knew we could polish off several cups on the long drive home. So, I made a rule that we had to wait at least five minutes between each bite so we could savor our tasty treat and keep from making ourselves sick. I also made a rule that we each had to tell a story before we could have more. It turned out to be a great bonding time of sharing stories with each other and when we arrived in Ogden, Sophie said, "That was the best long car ride ever." Awww. That was great to hear.

What a gift this weekend was to me. I can't believe how the years keep passing and somehow I hardly ever manage to make one on one time with my kids. The more and more I am involved in Girl Scouts, the more and more I love this program.

Hopefully cub scouts will be the same way because one of my greatest fears came true last month when I was called to serve as the cub scout Bear leader. I've had some time to get use to the idea, but, hello? Girl scouts every week and now cub scouts every week too. Zooweemama! That is a lot of scouts.

The good news is that Ian will be a Bear in a few months, so, it will be fun to be his leader for the coming year.

Backyard Beach

With Isaac's birthday August, we seem to always be on a vacation or something like that when the big day rolls around. We end up getting a cake and celebrating with the family or friends we happen to be with. But, this year -- Birthday #6 -- we finally threw him a proper friend party.

He got SO excited about having his own birthday party that I got SO excited I couldn't go to sleep last night. I felt like I did when I woke up at 4 a.m. on Christmas morning.

It's so fun to see your kids that happy and stoked about something.

We decided to take advantage of the weather and make it a backyard water party. There was a slip n' slide, sprinklers under the trampoline, lots of sand and sand toys, a wading pool, water balloons, sidewalk chalk, and a bunch of games I had planned that we never got to.

The kids seemed to have a good time. Outdoors + water + sand = heaven for Isaac. So - to add a bunch of friends and gifts pretty much made it his best day ever.

I served a "dirt cake" (chocolate mousse, crushed oreos and gummy worms) and blue jello with gummy fish. When Isaac opened his gifts - he got about 10 mega-water-machine-guns and a whole new round of fun ensued.

I love you Isaac! Six years old. So grown up. I know you are going to have a great year in full day Kindergarten. Love, Mom

Baby Kate

For a long time - what feels like forever - and what has probably been for about a year, Brian has been Katie's favorite parent.

I don't mind him being the favorite. I recognize that he is the "fun one." I know that all kids go through phases at this age where they pick favorites.

I remember that our other kids went through a stage where they were super attached to Brian too. But, it has been different with Katie. When the other kids ranked daddy as #1, I was still a very close #2. With Katie, it's almost been as if she has to prove her loyalty to daddy by outright rejecting me. Even when he's not around.

It's been hard. She is my baby. First, she could not wait to wean herself (we barely made it to her first birthday), and then this. She hasn't wanted me to snuggle her, or rock with her, or lay with her at bedtime. She hasn't wanted me to comfort her when she is hurt or upset.

Rejection.

I've tried to remind myself that being "the favorite" isn't always all it's cracked up to be. Especially at times - like while we were at Bear Lake - when Brian would be ragged from all of the clinging and he would want a break, but, she wouldn't go to anyone else. Especially not me. I was like, "Sorry babe, I'd love to help you and give you a break but she just doesn't want me." It was kind of a relief as I remembered the many, many times I've been at the other end of that statement over the past ten years.

But, mostly, it hurt my feelings. A lot.

Kate is my baby, and I was kind of hoping she would be a snuggly sweet baby who loves her mommy for awhile. At least the first 18-years.

Kidding.

This stage passes way to quickly. I want to enjoy it.

I have also been perplexed about what I am doing wrong. None of my other kids rejected me like this. (Answer: I think it is because I don't have time to play anymore.)

In the past few weeks, something has happened and, just like that, I'm back in her good graces. Last Saturday night we went to a performance at a park and Katie sprawled out on my lap for over an hour. I held my breath that it would last and relished every moment.

It has been a gift the way she has clung to me at bedtime instead of pushing me away and has insisted that I lay beside her while her tiny eyes flutter and her little breaths become more shallow.

I am cherishing these moments.

I know Brian feels a little thwarted. He has really been basking in his time in the spotlight ("you are the favorite to all the others," he would say). I'd love it if she would just pick us both instead of one or the other. But, this is a mommy payday that I really need. Thanks baby Kate.

P.S. Have I ever mentioned that Isaac laughs out loud in his sleep? Who does that? It is one of his most endearing traits.

Bounce Back

We decided to "bounce back" to Lagoon (return for a second visit for only $10/person). I took the kids to the park early in the day and Brian met us after work. I decided to indulge in a Pioneer Village photo shoot. It was suppose to be just the kids, but, they put this ug dress on me and had me get in the last shot.

That dress on Katie is cracking me up! It makes her look like she's a foot taller than she really is. The whole shoot was a riot. Katie could go from serious face to happy face in a heartbeat (the photographer was asking them to do both). The first time she asked them to do a serious face, Isaac kept grinning ear to ear like this: (imagine everyone else in the picture looking serious)
Then, he finally understood what she was asking him to do and he quickly switched to this "serious" face:
What a character! This last photo is the one I had made into an 8x10. Love it.

It was another big day for the Nicholson family as far as thrill rides go. Katie and Isaac will officially go on (and love) anything we put them on. Sophie is still very timid about going on "big" rides, but, added "The Bat" roller coaster at the end of the day after we assured her 100 times that it was (if anything) even more mild than Bombora (and, as added incentive Brian told her she could pick anything she wanted for breakfast today -- bacon and homemade pancakes).

Ian was itching to ride Colossus. He said Puff the Little Fire Dragon officially has no more appeal for him and Bombora is bomboring. He rode Colossus over and over, and the Wild Mouse (although, he said he hates that ride, and to be honest, I a little bit hate it too - those scary turns on the top level - Mama!). He rode the Jet Star 2 for the first time, and it briefly became his new favorite ride. Then, Brian talked him into the White Roller Coaster in the evening and that took over the number one slot.

He has now ridden all of the roller coasters except Wicked and The Spider. He told me this morning that he will ride Wicked if we will go back to Lagoon this summer (and, if he can pick what we eat for breakfast). Sophie added that she will ride the Jet Star 2 if we go back.

That might happen because we got free passes to return to the park after enduring a power outage from about 4-6 p.m. Everything (and, I do mean everything) was closed. Try managing four littles, by yourself, in a theme park where all they want to do is ride rides, but, they can't (and, two of them can't understand why). For the first 30-minutes, it was no big deal, but, then they started to get restless and fight with each other. That's O.K., we'll just grab and Icee and cool off in the shade. Oh, wait every single food stand is closed (you'd think they could sell you a dilly bar or something, but, no, the cash registers weren't working, so, no). I guess we'll go play in the fountain until they figure things out. Nope. Closed. Everything was at a dead standstill. After the first hour, people started seeking answers and I was pretty disappointed in the way the employees were handling the situation (chalk it up to a park run by teenagers and twenty-somethings -- their responses were things like, "Why don't you just go hang out at your house until the power comes back on and then come back the the park." -- because, of course, everyone lives five minutes away). But, then, they told everyone they could come back to the park on another day for free, which completely exceeded my expectations and was awesome.

By the time 8 p.m. or so rolled around, I was thinking that I was so tired, I wasn't sure I could return for another day. I mean, I love taking the kids to Lagoon and I want to do it once, or maybe twice, every summer, but, I don't know about having THAT much fun three times in a row. But, now, it's a new day. Sleep has erased the challenges and discomforts of yesterday. Sophie and Ian are excited to try more thrill rides. And, it looks like we'll just have to go again.

I Love a Good Fireworks Show

I love a good fireworks show. I really do. Every year, there is a big one at Weber State University on the Sunday before the 24th. It is a crazy event with thousands of people putting down blankets all over the campus the day before. This year, we watched the fireworks from a grassy area across the street and still had to park several blocks away. That's how crazy it is. It was fun to go early in our pre-kid days and hang out on a blanket at the campus and see pretty much everyone we've ever known from Ogden milling about.

We got home from Bear Lake late last Saturday night. It was our third trip to Bear Lake in two weeks. This time, a family reunion with my parents. My dad bought a camp trailer this year, and my mom decked it out in a Mickey Mouse theme (super cute). We usually stay in a cabin near the lake, but, this year we camped out with the new trailer. Brian, the little kids, and I slept in our new tent and it was fun being under the stars.

I swore off camping for a few years. It just wasn't working for me with pregnancies, newborns, pre-schoolers who never slept through the night, etc. I wasn't sure if I would ever be into it again (sleeping on the ground just ain't what it use to be). But, it made me sad for my kids to miss out. I grew up camping all the time and some of my best childhood memories include exploring in the dirty mountains.

Brian bought some sort of pad for me to sleep on, and, although I was skeptical, I gave it a try. I am totally amazed that I slept soundly through the night and woke up without a single ache or pain anywhere! Even after two nights! Camping -- I'm back. I've missed sleeping outside.

We had three amazing days on the lake. North Beach was a crazy zoo (almost as crazy as the WSU fireworks). But, I didn't mind the crowds at all. The beach was lovely. The lake is so high this year. The water is beautiful. It was even quite warm. We cruised around on the boat and pulled all of the kids on the tube. Katie loved it most of all. She is such a little adrenaline junkie.

After three beautiful sun-filled days at the lake (and one amazing windstorm in the late afternoon of the last day), we returned home late Saturday night - happy and completely drained. But, that couldn't stop us from the fireworks show on Sunday. We snatched up my niece and nephew who are visiting from Arizona and Brian and I hauled all six kids to a grassy spot at the top of a very tall grassy hill (which, the kids rolled down and ran up about 100 times). When it got dark, I busted out the packages of glow bracelets that we've been saving ever since we forgot to use them at Disneyland. The kids had a riot seeing how huge of loops they could make by connecting them all together and throwing them like giant glowing frisbees through the air.

Then the show started. And, although it was short, it did not disappoint. Some of those fireworks were so enormous, they seemed to fill the whole sky. I love the new colors they come out with each year. Remember when we were kids and they tried to spread them out? So, it was like one firework . . . wait five minutes . . . then, one more. Until, the grand finale (which was the only part worth watching anyways). Then, people finally got smart and made the whole show into one short, sweet grand finale. So much better this way.

Fireworks are so romantic.

(my kids with their cousins wearing the m&ms shirts my mom bought them)

We didn't get to bed until almost midnight, but, I still think it was worth it. On Wednesday, my mom and I took my kids and my brother's kids to Dinosaur Park.
And, on Thursday, we went to Lagoon. It was a really big day in Nicholson history. You must know that my kids are big scaredy cats when it comes to rides. I use to think, "It's fine. Just let them be kids and they will ride the big rides when they are ready." But, now it's getting a little ridiculous. So, Brian and I were giving them a lot of pressure to try something a little more daring than "Puff the Little Fire Dragon" this time.

It took a lot of coaxing, but, Sophie finally rode Bombora - the new roller coaster. Incidentally, Katie is just barely tall enough to ride this roller coaster too. She was adorable. The whole time we were standing in line she would have a huge smile on her face and repeat over and over, "This is fun!" Then, the whole time we were riding, she would look really scared and say, "This is scary." Then, as soon as the lap bars were released at the end of the ride she would say, "This is fun!" And, "Again, again!" What a character!

So, maybe Bombora isn't the biggest thrill ride in the park given that our two-year-old enjoys it. But, it was a big step for Sophie and I am proud of her.

Isaac would pretty much go on anything and everything he was tall enough to ride. This included the Wild Mouse (he was a little too short, but, the guy was being nice). He was laughing his head off each time we whipped around those sharp turns that were scaring the pants off of me. What an adventurous little man.

The biggest event was that Ian rode Colossus! First it was Bombora, then, The Bat, then, he graduated to the Wild Mouse and after anxiously considering it for most of the day, he took the leap and rode Colossus. I was so proud of him! Do you remember the first time you rode Colossus? I totally do. It was a huge deal (and, I was about his age).

He's thinking about riding Wicked next time.

What a stud.

Isaac and Izzy wanted to ride the Music Express. They needed to be accompanied by an adult and no one in our group would step up. Finally, I decided I would do it. I haven't ridden that ride in years because rides like that started making me throw up about 15-years ago. I was really nervous that I would get sick, but, guess what? I didn't! It was so fun!!! We even did it twice. Then, I started to wonder if I was over motion sickness. I decided to ride the Centennial Screamer just to see. Brian and I were going to take Izzy and Isaac, but the Nazi ride worker wouldn't let the kids on because they were barely under the height requirement.

She probably saved me from barfing, so I should be grateful.

(Music Express)

Friday we went to Bountiful for their Handcart Days Parade. Brian is running a marathon Monday morning and I'm sorry but I'm not taking four kids to a parade by myself. Brian's parents set up chairs early in the morning, so we had a perfect spot in the shade. Ahhhh . . . We were planning to stay for the fireworks show that night. But, sometimes you just have to draw the line on late nights with the kids.

(I was sad to miss it)




It has been a really fun week with my kids and I'm grateful we've had this time to spend together. I miss my stay-at-home mom days when we could have these adventures all the time, but, I also feel like working is the right thing for me and my family right now.

Let's see . . . fireworks show? Check. Parade? Check. I guess on Monday, we can sleep in!

Happy Pioneer Day!

My Cabin by the Lake

We just returned from a lovely time at the lake, and, once again, it's that time of year when I start dreaming about how I could one day have my own cabin somewhere by a lake.

Every year, our amazing friends invite us to spend time with their family at a cabin on lakefront property in Garden City. It is one of the best things that happens to us each year.

Every year, Brian's side of the family holds a reunion in the High Uintahs where we make unforgettable memories like fishing on Moosehorn lake from the canoes and hiking to the top of Bald Mountain. This year, the Uintahs were a no-go because of the unusually cold weather. So, Brian's family decided to hold the reunion at Bear Lake. And, it turned out to be the exact same week that we were invited to be with our friends.

So, we combined the two, getting to be with friends in the mornings and evenings, and spending our afternoons at the beach with our extended family.

On Sunday, there was a brilliant sunset as we lazed around the huge yard at the cabin. I've mentioned before that I love yoga. The past few months, I've been getting to attend classes twice per week. As I gazed out over that gorgeous lake at the sky changing colors, I was itching to do some outdoor yoga. But, I wasn't sure if I was brave enough to just start striking poses right there in front of everyone.

Then . . . I did it. I decided I didn't care if everyone was going to make fun of me or not and I started some sun salutations. It was the first time I've gone through a yoga routine without an instructor guiding me. I'm finally doing it often enough to be able to do that. Soon, the kids were copying my poses and the adults were saying, "That's really cool." Whew! Relief that they weren't making snide remarks (although they may have been doing that behind my back).

It felt awesome. And, the next morning, my friend's step-mom (who I'm guessing is around 70 and really outdoorsy) came to me and asked me to lead her through a yoga routine. This was the first time I've ever led someone, so, I learned two things this week. 1) I can do yoga without an instructor leading me and 2) I can talk (and somewhat remember the names of the poses) while doing yoga. This is fabulous because, for a couple of years now, I've been considering going through yoga teacher training. It's not so much that I want to be a yoga instructor as it is that I want to get better at yoga. I've always wondered if I could actually keep my balance while talking, leading, and thinking through what is coming next . . . now, I know I can.

Yesterday, at the beach, I was itching to do a headstand. I was a little nervous of what Brian's family would think, but, once again, people were nice. In fact, one of my sister-in-law's revealed that she has just started doing yoga too, and, then she whipped out a perfect shoulder stand right there on the beach. We were about to do a few poses together, but, just then, the wind picked up and started blowing all of the shade structures down. So, that was the end of that.

Now, I'm home and back to the daily grind. But, only for a few days, because we have to get back up to the lake so Brian and Steve can do a 100-mile bike race. That Brian is a powerhouse. He's doing the "Grand Slam" (all the marathons in Utah) and he's added 100-mile bike races to his regiment. (except, his bike race last month was actually 140-miles)

Now, he's talking about preparing for an iron-man triathalon (which at this point, basically means adding swimming). So . . . maybe if he gets his triathalon, I'll finally be able to justify the expense and time commitment of going through instructor certification . . . hmmm . . . not a bad idea.

Meanwhile, does anyone want to go in on a cabin together? Anyone?

I mean it.

Happy 4th of July

I was so proud of Ian at church on Sunday when he stood up, placed his hand on his heart and sang the Star Spangled Banner (closing hymn) with much gusto and passion. Sophie even joined in after awhile.

For our 4th of July treats, we had red, white, and blue waffles (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and whipped cream) and with dinner we had strawberries dipped 2/3's in white chocolate and 1/3 in blue sprinkles. They were a huge hit.

Now I'm lying peacefully in a hammock next to the lovely Bear Lake. My kids are sleeping in (knock on wood) after a late night of lighting off fireworks and watching an outdoor movie in the big screen (at our friends' cabin). Brian's family happened to be having their family reunion here the same week, so it's off to the beach to play with cousins today.

Why was I nervous for summer break (thoughts of being outnumbered by all these kids)? It has been the loveliest of times.