State Fair Fun

    This weekend we went to one of our favorite places, the state fair.  We always have such a good time at the fair.  Joey and I have been going since we were dating.  It's something that we look forward to each year.  This year we were excited to have my mom, sister, brother-in-law, Ella and Jameson join us.
     We all had a great time.  There is so much to see and do at the fair.  I think we only got to a fraction of what there was to see.  It got very hot in the afternoon, so we had to cut our day a little short.  I love going to fair and am glad it is a yearly tradition for us.

Here is Ashlyn in front of a huge sand castle that they make every year.  It is very impressive to see.

Our favorite part of the fair is always looking at the dollhouses and the cakes.  Each year Ashlyn becomes more and more interested.  She was mesmerized by this cake.  We literally had to pull her away. I can't wait to teach her cake decorating one day.

Of course the food at the fair is amazing! I have to admit it's one of my favorite parts.  This year, they had a truck that sold all sorts of fried foods.  It was a difficult choice, but we decided to try the fried Oreos. They did not disappoint!  They were like an oreo wrapped in a funnel cake.  One of the best things I have had in a long time.

Here is a brick of curly fries that we also tried.  They were wonderful as well!  We eat pretty healthy as a family, so food like this is a rare treat.  They fair only comes once a year and we take full advantage!!!

Everyone enjoying the snack.

Dawson loving the fries

The boys checking out the trains

They have a huge bin full of beans that Dawson really liked.

Ashlyn comparing herself to a buffalo.

Dawson ran over and had to do it too.

Mommy and Dawson

Ashyn discovered the bounce houses and wanted to jump.  She had a great time!

 This year they had something all new.  They always have a normal petting zoo, but they had an exotic animal petting zoo.  It was the neatest thing ever.  They had kangaroos, a zebra, a turtle, deers, etc   The kids had a blast seeing and petting the animals.  Ashlyn said it was the best part of her day!

Ashlyn petting the baby kangaroo.

The turtle

Feeding the other kangaroo

So excited to see a zebra.

The deer were so sweet!

The kangaroo ate right out of your hand.

Dawson touching the baby.

First Day of School and Cuteness

 Here is Ashlyn on her first day of Preschool this year.  She just looked adorable in her dress.  She had a wonderful first two days back at school.  When I went to pick her up Friday, she didn't want to leave. Most of the kids who were in her class in May are still there.  I think that says a lot about her school.  Parents really like it and they keep there kids there which means to me that it is a great school.  I am very excited to see how Ashlyn grows and learns throughout the year.
     Ashlyn now insists on wearing dresses daily.  She has a closet full of other clothes, yet she always wants her dresses.  We are going to have to find her a bunch of new ones for the fall.  She is such a girly little princess.  She loves makeup and we have bought her some kid makeup.  She insists that I paint her nails each day.  She also loves to put ribbons in her hair.  She likes to carry a purse like her mom.  The other day she informed me that she would be needing an eyelash curler.  I laughed pretty hard at that one! She is always making us laugh.
  

Our princess

Such a pretty girl!

I had to throw in a couple of shots of Dawson.  He loves this little car that was Ashlyn's.  He will ride it around the house for hours. 

18 Month Stats and Back to School

    Dawson went in for his 18 month appointment on Monday.  He now weighs 23 lbs (12%) and is 31.75 inches tall (28%).  I am a little concerned about his weight.  He seems to be falling further and further down the growth scale.  He gained less than a pound in 3 months.  I  brought up my concerns to his pediatrician, and we decided to have some blood work done to test for various allergies and food sensitivities.  I am praying for Dawson's sake that they find nothing, but I really want the peace of mind to know he is fine.  Other than that, his appointment went really well.  It seems that our little guy is growing perfectly and meeting all of his milestones.  He had to get two shots which I always hate so much!
     This week is a big week in the DeLorme household.  I am going back to work and both kids will be going to daycare.  I will be continuing teaching 4th grade as a job share.  This means I will continue to only work 2 1/2 days a week which both the kids and I benefit immensely from.  Ashlyn is going back to her Montessori preschool.  She will even be in the same class which makes me very happy since I love her teachers and the school so well. 
    Finding a part time daycare for Dawson proved to be quite challenging.  In order to make it worth it all for me to work, I had to find somewhere reasonably priced.  Daycare is very expensive!!! I decided to go with a home daycare since they tend to be a little less expensive.  I interviewed a lady and had decided to go with her even though I wasn't totally convinced that she would be the best fit for Dawson.  She was pretty basic in her care.  Joey called me a few days later and told me that he found an opening at another place through an old coworker.  We went that night for an interview and I fell in love!  The provider has turned her basement into a daycare and the entire setup is very impressive.  She does a Christian based preschool curriculum for an hour and a half a day.  She has been doing it for 20 years and we have heard amazing things about her daycare.  I was even more pleased to find out she was the same price as the first woman I found.  She wasn't sure she had a spot for him and she told us she would let us know.  I prayed like crazy that he would get in because something just told me it would be the best thing for Dawson. I was ecstatic when she called the next morning and said she had a spot!  He starts tomorrow and I really hope that he loves it there and flourishes and grows under her care. 
    Thursdays and Fridays are going to be crazy again getting everyone to their daycares and me to work on time.  I am just happy we only have to do it two days a week.  My mom has very kindly offered to watch the kids on Wednesday afternoons for my half work day.  The kids are over the moon that they get to spend that time with grandma. 
  

Dawson and Steven

The older Dawson gets the more I think that he looks like my brother, Steven.  A lot of my family has commented that they see the similarities as well.  My mom found some pictures of my brother as a toddler today.  I totally see a big resemblance between the two.  I couldn't find a picture of Dawson that was similar to my brothers, however I did find this one.  When I look at this picture of my brother I totally see Dawson. 

At the Park and Evergreen Race

  Two Sundays ago, I went up to Evergreen, Colorado to run a race.  My brother had run the race the year before and told me he thought I would really like it.  I love trying new races, so I decided I would run it with him.  Since the race was in Evergreen, we had to leave here at 5:00 a.m.  I was tired, but I went to bed early the night before so I actually felt pretty good.  I have never been to Evergreen before despite my sister-in-law growing up there.  I was amazed at how beautiful it was.  It is seriously breathtaking.  To me it is the quintessential Colorado mountain town.  The course was equally as beautiful.  You run down a street that is surrounded by trees and and nature.  The finish line is at the town lake.  The weather was perfect and it was a wonderful race.  At the finish line, they had great refreshments for the runners.  They also had massages which my brother and I always take full advantage of.  I was hoping to set a PR (personal record) for a 5k, but it just didn't happen.  I am getting a little frustrated that I have not been able to PR in quite some time despite training the hardest I ever have.  I am playing around with some things with my training in hopes of it helping.  My next race is a half marathon at the end of September.  It's actually the same half marathon I ran last year in Denver.  This time I'm running it with my brother and I am so excited.  I never thought  I would get him to commit to a half marathon.  I am going to continue to run a ton as preparation for the half.  Although I have been putting in so many miles a week, a half shouldn't be too challenging at this point.  I am actually looking forward to having some time before my next big race. 
    Joey usually always comes to my races with the kids.  But, because the race was so far and we had to wake up so early, I told him to not worry about coming to this one.  Instead he stayed home with the kids.  They had a fun day with their Daddy.  At one point, he picked up Ella and took the three of them to the park.  Joey is amazing with kids and I don't know many men that would be comfortable taking three young children to the park by themselves.  As usual, he did great and the kids had a wonderful time.




How sweet are they?

Ashlyn practicing her soccer

They love one another so much

Ashlyn is such a good helper

Pushing both kids

What a big boy!

Ella looks so determined

Look Mom, no hands!

My brother running

There I go.  Even though I didn't PR, I actually felt stronger than I ever have during a race.  Maybe all the training is paying off?

As usual, not the best picture of myself.

Denver Broncos Scrimmage

**** I have a lot to blog about, but Blogger keeps saying that we have reached our limit of photos for this blog.  Joey is still trying to troubleshoot things, so it may be a while before I get all the posts up!

    Last Saturday, the Denver Broncos had a free scrimmage game.  Joey thought it would be something fun for us to do.  We went up there with the kids, my brother, and a friend.  It was very hot and crowed, but we still had a great time.  It was neat getting to see Payton Manning play and being at Mile High is always fun.  We are definitely excited for a fun football season this year!

Our attempt at a family photo.  Dawson wasn't cooperating.

Ashlyn trying out one of the kids activities.

 

Manning

Enjoying the game

Dawson liked his first Broncos experience. 

Cheering for the Broncos