Worry

ooooh baby, it has been getting way to serious over here and so I decided to take some time off from parenting and spend the Labor Day weekend gathering some downright entertaining content. It all began   What worry is: Worries are movies that you make in your mind complete with images, characters, scripts, you write it, film it and you run it and you watch … Continue reading Worry

What Not to Do With a Pregnant Mama

Meet The Oldest Boy of Aspen Real Life

[su_heading size=”18″]Meet The Oldest Boy of Aspen Real Life[/su_heading] Meet Thumper – The Oldest Boy of Aspen Real Life. With him I became a mother, which brought forth a fierceness that I didn’t know I was capable of. With the birth of Thumper, our now seventeen year old son, Baddy and I were the happiest people alive, running to his crib at the first sound of his little … Continue reading Meet The Oldest Boy of Aspen Real Life

How Children Impact Our Lives

Having children impacts our lives in ways that are impossible to predict. In this past year our son’s artistic talents have introduced us to the art sub-culture of our valley, beginning with Axel’s art teacher at Aspen High School, Stephanie Nixon, and continuing on with his being awarded scholarships to take art classes both at The Art Base and at Anderson Ranch Arts Center over … Continue reading How Children Impact Our Lives

Teen Mental Hygiene Through Mindful Parenting

Teen Mental Hygiene Through Mindful Parenting I  have wanted and needed answers to my questions on what resources and programs are available in our Roaring Fork Valley and in our schools to keep the mental hygiene of teens healthy. I have needed to learn what to do when I question the behavior of my boys, their friends or other adult influencers in their lives. I … Continue reading Teen Mental Hygiene Through Mindful Parenting

A Letter From A 15 Year Old About How Substance use and Addiction in Teens Affects the Family

Substance Use and Addiction Hello, My name is Ashley Adams and I am a freshman at Glenwood Springs High School. I am reaching out to you to bring up an important and necessary topic where we all need to have a conversation, and this is substance use and addiction in teens and how it affects the family. On May 20th myself along with mom and … Continue reading A Letter From A 15 Year Old About How Substance use and Addiction in Teens Affects the Family

A Mother Gives Thanks

A Mother Gives Thanks If we could, would we raise our children any differently knowing then what we know now? The woman who submitted her story for me to publish to my readers listened carefully as I trepidatiously asked her for more details. I appreciated her wanting to tell her story, and I knew that I was venturing toward raw territory when I asked her … Continue reading A Mother Gives Thanks

Parenting Teens in a Legalized Marijuana Resort Town

Parenting Teens in a Legalized Marijuana Resort Town When people think of life in Aspen, some may sneer at thoughts of kids being dropped off at the high school in cars that cost more than thir homes. They may feel envy for families with private jets who fly off on a whim on exotic adventure trips for the weekend, or for the year if their … Continue reading Parenting Teens in a Legalized Marijuana Resort Town

Turning 18 in Aspen

Written by Guest Blogger: Isabella Reynolds Turning 18 in Aspen “Dad, I want to go to Aspen for my birthday.” The facial expression I received in response was essentially what you’d expect from the father of a seventeen-year-old daughter that had never been west of New York. It was August, and I had just come home to Connecticut after living with my grandmother in Cape … Continue reading Turning 18 in Aspen

A Mother Gives Thanks

Imagining Life Without Children

[su_heading size=”28″]Imagining Life Without Children[/su_heading] When people ask me if I love having children my answer is always conflicted. Honestly, I love having children. It is my vocation, my life, it is what I signed up for. There would be no magic for me without my children showing me the world through their eyes and helping me to understand the value of nature to a … Continue reading Imagining Life Without Children

teenage Aspen boys

Seeing Aspen Through a Teenager’s Eyes

[su_heading size=”18″]Seeing Aspen Through a Teenager’s Eyes [/su_heading] It has been a long time since I have actually written about the children of Aspen Real Life, as soon as the older ones turned 14, all bets were off. They went from take me, film me, let me see, to MOOOOOMMMMMMMM! Now they get soooo pissed off if they are remotely aware that I am writing about them … Continue reading Seeing Aspen Through a Teenager’s Eyes

Top Ten Ways to Help Keep Your Teen Safe

  There is a quiet buzz of concern one can hear if one listens carefully enough to the conversations of many parents in our valley regarding the health of our youth. Last year, while on the board for the Valley Partnership for Drug Prevention I tried to start a movement along with the Executive Director, Michael Connolly. We began a Parent to Parent Alliance to … Continue reading Top Ten Ways to Help Keep Your Teen Safe

Can True Love Survive Children

Can True Love Survive Children

[su_heading size=”18″]Can True Love Survive Children[/su_heading] Everybody wants to know how to find that true love, but what about finding it and keeping the love while raising children? So far, Baddy and my love has endured the true test of time, from building and then losing a dream house together, to the trials and tribulations of raising boys in “Paradise”. After watching writer Mandy Len … Continue reading Can True Love Survive Children

Why Children Need Grandparents

[su_heading size=”18″]Why Children Need Grandparents[/su_heading] It all changed a few summers ago when wanting our then 13 year old to experience the deliciousness of no plans or schedules after all the stresses that school brings, we decided to allow him to truly enjoy long languid days spent hanging with friends. BIG MISTAKE! This is when his desire to completely sever any and all parenting began … Continue reading Why Children Need Grandparents

What to Do with your Kids on a Snow Day?

[su_heading size=”18″]What to do with your kids on a snow day[/su_heading] Yesterday I got the call at 6:00am that it was a snow day and there would be no school. Michele was away watching Devon ski race in the Junior Olympics and Nikki and India were staying with us.  I was relieved that I got the call before I made all five lunches. It is … Continue reading What to Do with your Kids on a Snow Day?

Trying to Survive Without Sleep

[su_heading size=”18″]Trying to Survive Without Sleep[/su_heading] Last night I skinned up Buttermilk with my fellow Monday evening companions. We gathered in the parking lot as we put our skins on our skis and stuffed our packs  with lights and warm clothes for the descent. The conversation immediately went to how we were all so tired and needed to gather our energy together to hike 2,030 … Continue reading Trying to Survive Without Sleep

Attending Cast Calls in Aspen

I’m thinking that if you are anything like me, too busy to take care of yourself, especially the emotional side, which results in embarrassing breakdowns with strangers, than it is time to take control over our lives and stop being such ninnies. And so, let’s do it together shall we? Let’s trust our intuition and enjoy life while we are in it and not sweat the small things…. no matter how large they feel at the time. Continue reading Attending Cast Calls in Aspen

Back To School – Routine is Good

After a summer playing Camp Director, I have decided that next summer will be different. I have done my boys a disservice by mapping out their days.

No longer will I take the responsibility of entertaining them every day and no longer will I be following them around the house cleaning up after them. I will establish a routine now that will hopefully help them with the transition back to school. Continue reading Back To School – Routine is Good

Back to School, Not So Fast My Friends!

About This Post

It’s back-to-school time, and this year Sprite and TwitterMoms have partnered with bloggers like me to share back-to-school tips and tricks, advice, stories and more! Visit Sprite’s back-to-school channel on TwitterMoms to get helpful ideas, learn how to survive the back to school rush, seek out advice from other TwitterMoms and join the conversation. You can learn more about donating your My Coke Rewards Points to support your local school, how to enter for a chance to win some Back to School cash, check out recipes, or even play some fun games. Here’s to a successful and stress-free back to school season from Sprite and TwitterMoms! Continue reading Back to School, Not So Fast My Friends!

What Not to Do With a Pregnant Mama

What Not to Do With a Pregnant Mama

[su_heading]What Not to Do With a Pregnant Mama[/su_heading] What Not to Do With a Pregnant Mama? Don’t breathe on her, don’t look at her, do as she says, and everything will be just fine! The first time we saw our first baby, it was while having an Amnio in the Doctor’s office. “Is that what I think it is” I whispered to Baddy, knowing that … Continue reading What Not to Do With a Pregnant Mama

Analyzing Children’s Dreams

[su_heading size=”18″]Analyzing Children’s Dreams[/su_heading] Axel did not like our discussion before he went to sleep. He is socially so different from Brevitt and is quite content hanging with his one best friend and his family. I tried to teach him how to be sympathetic and friendlier to the other children who look up to him and ask for playdates with him daily. He started crying … Continue reading Analyzing Children’s Dreams

A Mother's Love for Her Children

A Mother’s Love for Her Children

[su_heading size=”18″]A Mother’s Love for Her Children[/su_heading] Picking up the boys from school yesterday was different than usual.  I watched lovingly as my little weeds emerged from school with backpacks on and friends abreast. They ran up to me smiling and giving me hugs. Excitedly they shoved their homemade birthday cards into my face. I told them to wait for Baddy and give them to me … Continue reading A Mother’s Love for Her Children

Taking Little Children Skiing on Powder Days

Rising to a snow storm, I sluggishly forced myself out of bed keeping my eyes half closed as I crawled on all fours into the bathroom. The full moon had as usual tilted me on my axis and I was up all night writing. Sometimes the full moon has me waking the boys to run outside naked at midnight amongst the silhouetted mountains, other times it would … Continue reading Taking Little Children Skiing on Powder Days

Teaching children how to Communicate

If we teach our children to reason with one another through rational thought and discussion instead of fists and harsh words we are providing them with valuable skills to help them to survive. Raising our three boys ages 4, 7 & 9, has given me a completely different perspective on the perplexities of life. I was born the youngest of three girls and boys have … Continue reading Teaching children how to Communicate

Living with Boys

Living with Boys

[su_heading size=”18″]Living with Boys [/su_heading] The boys worship their dad and follow his lead as he clears 720’s off of every precipice. Or rather, Thumper clears it most of the time. Axel perseveres in manic attempts to clear it and Hootie-Hoo jumps off making all the appropriate sound effects. We travel from BMX park to ski terrain parks replete with full face helmets and pads for every sport. When we are home we … Continue reading Living with Boys

Getting Children Up in the Mornings

Getting Children Up in the Mornings

[su_heading size=”18″]Getting Children Up in the Mornings[/su_heading] In order to start the day without chaos, I wake up early enough to get the children’s breakfast and lunch made. It is so quiet. So unbelievably quiet. I’ll just fit in a few minutes of time to myself, before making the meals. Next thing I know it is 7:00am and the tornado is about to hit. QUICK…wake … Continue reading Getting Children Up in the Mornings

Watching Children Grow Into Daredevils

[su_heading size=”18″]Watching Children Grow Into Daredevils[/su_heading] Wednesday’s are Baddy’s evening to be full on testosterone with his friends. In the wintertime they race up mountains on skins as the sky shows off it’s magnificent sunset, skiing down with headlamps on. In the summer they mountain bike through ridiculously difficult mountain terrain, usually clocking something outrageous like 40 miles and 4K vert. It is amazing that they … Continue reading Watching Children Grow Into Daredevils

Teaching Your Children Table Manners

[su_heading size=”18″]Teaching Your Children Table Manners[/su_heading] I stopped taking my kids to restaurants for a while after our traumatic experience when fine dining in Florida. My mother and I took the boys out to a little French restaurant at six pm. After a day of organizing beach activities we were ready to treat ourselves to a nice meal and be waited upon by a well … Continue reading Teaching Your Children Table Manners