Spring weekend

March is not known for being an especially springlike month in Colorado -- it's usually very snowy and cold. But except for a couple of minimalist snowfalls, we're having a pretty springy March. Of course I immediately start to worry about drought, but the mountains are so clogged with snow and we've had such good regular snowfall all winter that I don't think the D-word is going to be a problem.

After our last swim lesson yesterday, we went to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese (note to self: do not have a birthday party ever at Chuck E. Cheese). Actually, it was reasonably fun. I like playing arcade games, and the pizza was good. It's just so loud there. And of course the twins have already decided they want their party there next year. Yeah, yeah. Lots of time to change our minds about that one.

Here we are with our presents for the birthday girl, on our way out the door.

It was actually cold and a bit snowy yesterday, so I was really grateful that we'd had our party the weekend before -- and glad for the birthday girl that she was having her party indoors, at Chuck E. Cheese.

But today was a glorious day, warm and sunny, and there are signs of spring all over. Green grass is starting to grow, and bulb flowers are poking up all over. Maybe next year I can plant some. We have irises that will bloom later, but I don't think my old crocuses still come up. Not sure. Must keep an eye out for them.

In the morning we took two trips to the park -- that is, Rocket Boy took Kid A on a long walk/bike ride, and I wheedled and cajoled Kid B into taking 3 coasting runs on his new bike -- the first time he's been willing to mess around with his bike at all. He kept saying "I'll practice IN THE SUMMER!" and I kept saying, "Oh, but it feels like summer today, let's just do a little bit of coasting, I'll hold on," etc., etc. It's really going to be tricky, getting him to learn. I can see already that he's not a natural rider -- it would take much more than a day for him to learn even if he weren't dealing with the shadow of his twin brother.

But it's only March. If I get him out for a little while each weekend, maybe by June he really will be riding. We'll see. I seem to have a lot of patience for teaching biking, not sure why.

In the afternoon, we went on a quick shoe-shopping trip (both boys, sigh), and then at Rocket Boy's request we did a hike. He wanted to do a vigorous hike, but I voted for something easy, since the boys were making noises along the lines of "I don't wanna go on a hike." I want them to think hiking is fun, not something we always have to drag them to do. So we went to the Bobolink Trailhead of the South Boulder Creek trail.

This trail is FLAT, well, nearly, plus it goes along a creek, so there's lots to look at. It's also a very doggy trail, but the dogs were all very well-behaved. In addition to the dogs, we spotted a lizard, which I at first thought was fake -- a statue of a lizard.

But no, it was real -- a Bearded Dragon. It was a woman's pet, and she had brought it to the trail so that it could get a bit of sun on this rock. The twins petted it extensively and it seemed not to mind. Although we used to see far more lizards in the desert, none of them allowed themselves to be petted.

We continued our walk -- I think it can't really be called a hike. Such a pleasant day.

But pretty soon someone needed to go to the bathroom (and the trail was a bit too busy to go behind a tree to pee). Fortunately the trail branches off toward the East Boulder Rec Center (where we have swim lessons), so we went that way and used their bathroom.

And then, since we were right next to a great park, we decided to just go there and play.

Rocket Boy went back down the trail and got the car, which he drove back to the park. We spent about an hour there, enjoying the sunshine. I guess it wasn't much of a hike, but we all got outside in the springtime. Can't beat that.

For dinner, it being the day before St. Patrick's Day, I made roasted cabbage and boiled potatoes, and for protein we microwaved a box of Trader Joe's steamer clams (since I had read that although corned beef is traditional, seafood is much more commonly eaten in Ireland). Wouldn't you know it, my funny boys scarfed down the clams (see all the shells on their plates?) but thought the cabbage was yucky.

I like my daffodils (also from Trader Joe's). Spring is coming.