Twin Peaks

This week's most embarrassing moment

2009-05-15T12:09:00.006-06:00

This past Wednesday I took the boys to register for Steele's/DPS Kaleidoscope Afterschool program in the fall. There was a small wait since there were a few people ahead of us, so I told them they could go outside and play on the playground. My instructions were to check in on me once in awhile.

So I finally sat down to begin the process and Aidan came in with a grumpy face and some complaint about how Evan wouldn't let him play on some structure. I told him to go tell his brother I said to let him play on it and also come talk to me. A few minutes later Evan came in and as loud as he could be says, "Mom, Aidan kicked me in the balls!" The entire cafeteria broke out in laughter.

Oh well, I guess all the parents and administrators at Steele will learn about the Lawlor/Westervelt family soon enough. Ugh!

Well, we made it through the first 5 years - barely!

2009-04-07T11:53:00.004-06:00

Whew! I can't believe its been five years already. The boys had their 5th birthday and first official soccer game on the same day last Friday. This past Sunday they had 18 of their best friends join them for bowling at Monaco Lanes in Denver. While I would have preferred to have it at home with more adult beverages, I have to say that it was a great party. The kids were entertained for an hour and then had pizza and cake. I didn't have to clean up and could relax and play hostess. Our friends were so generous with gifts and the boys are keeping occupied (right now, in fact) playing with them.

While the last five years have been tough (Aidan hospitalized with pneumonia several times, Evan getting the croup several times and spending hours in the ER, my mother passing away, Gerrit traveling so much, the loss of my job, etc.) it has also been an outstanding time that I couldn't possibly imagine missing. I love watching these little boys grow up and experience the world. In August they will be kindergarteners and I will lose a little more of them. But it is so exciting to see them grow and approach everything with enthusiasm and wonder. We are very fortunate to be able to experience the world again through the eyes of our children.

Another one of Mom's recipes

2009-01-23T10:37:00.003-07:00

Dad requested this one. He said it makes any kind of meat taste fabulous - even the cheaper cuts. And in these times with the price of groceries so high we all want to eat better for less.

Marinated Chuck
3 lbs. chuck – 2” thick
1 tsp Accent – rub it into the meat

Mix these ingredients and then pour over the meat sprinkled with Accent. Marinate overnight.
1/3 c. wine vinegar
¼ cup catsup
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp garlic salt
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Worchestshire sauce

Broil 6” from heat, 45 min.

My kinda girls...

2009-01-14T19:13:00.002-07:00

My friend Wende, whom I absolutely adore, sent me this story in an e-mail today. Speaks to the type of friends I am hanging out with these days:

"WOMEN WHO KNOW THEIR PLACE
Barbara Walters of Television's 20/20 did a story on gender roles in Kabul , Afghanistan several years before the Afghan conflict. She noted that women customarily walked five paces behind their husbands. She recently returned to Kabul and observed that women still walk behind their husbands. From Miss Walters' vantage point, despite the overthrow of the oppressive Taliban regime, the women now seem to walk even further back behind their husbands, and are happy to maintain the old custom.

Miss Walters approached one of the Afghani women and asked, 'Why do you now seem happy with an old custom that you once tried so desperately to change?' The woman looked Miss Walters straight in the eyes, and without hesitation said, 'Land Mines.'

No matter where you go in the world:
BEHIND EVERY MAN, THERE'S A SMART WOMAN"

Mom's old sausage bread recipe

2009-01-04T12:16:00.004-07:00

My mom passed away almost 2 years ago now. Dad recently sent me all of her old recipes. It was so fun looking through them and remembering some of the things she used to make us - like anise cookies, Italian cold pasta salad, crispy eggplant and her infamous sausage bread. Here is the recipe:

Mom's Sausage Bread

Ingredients:
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 lb. pizza or bread dough (make or buy)
¾ cup grated romano/parmesan cheese (the sharper the better says mom)
1 cup shredded provolone cheese (use Auribella says Mom)
2 eggs
Chopped parsley

Instructions:
Remove sausage from casings, crumble and cook until brown; drain well.
Combine with cheese, parsley & eggs. Roll dough into a 10”x15” oblong. Arrange filling on top and roll tightly jelly-roll style.
Place on cooking sheet, seam side down. Use sausage drippings to coat dough. Bake at 350 degrees 50-60 minutes or less depending on type of dough.
Cool completely & slice; or wrap in foil and freeze (warm in oven when needed).

New Bikes for Xmas!

2009-01-01T16:09:00.001-07:00

Evan and Aidan got new bikes from Papa Lawlor and Uncle Danny. They had already perfected the art of riding without training wheels but had grown so fast this year they needed bigger bikes. At first they were a little apprehensive - the new bikes are bigger and heavier - but they figured it out right away. Water bottles, reflectors, fat tires and kickstands - they are all set for a ride at the park or up in Alma. Thank you Papa and Uncle Danny!

Evan and Aidan boogie down for the holidays

2008-12-23T10:00:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

The Whole Wheat Tollhouse Cookie Recipe - thedailygreen.com

2008-12-15T09:35:00.001-07:00

The Whole Wheat Tollhouse Cookie Recipe - thedailygreen.com

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A great day at the Denver Zoo!

2008-11-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

It was 82 degrees and sunny in Denver yesterday so Aidan said "Let's go to the zoo!" It was packed - they were not anticipating such great weather and 2 of their entrance kiosks were being fixed but we sneaked to the front of the line because Momma had not renewed the membership yet. We rode the carousel - Aidan on an elephant, Evan on a leopard and Me? An ostrich. Then we took a train ride. The boys are getting so big compared to all the other little ones there. We had to leave at 12:30 to go to music but Aidan had to see his favorites - the giraffes.

Speed junkies at Santa's Workshop

2008-11-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

We visited Santa's Workshop at the Northpole in Colorado Springs, CO this past Saturday. Its a great little amusement park, much like Lakeside, that happens to have a Santa and some strange looking elves walking around. Anyway the day was beautiful and the boys loved all the rides. Including the more "adult" rides like the roller coaster, the dive bomber, the space shuttle and the parachute ride. That was enough for mom's stomach. It revolted on the last ride and she got sick all over. Aidan thought it was hilarious. Not sure if it was the ride itself or all the champagne the night before. Word of advice - don't drink many glasses of champagne the night before you go to an amusement park. I'll have to test my theory again sometime.

Renting the Alma house this year

2008-10-13T14:09:00.003-06:00

We're going to try to rent the house in Alma this year. See http://denver.craigslist.org/vac/877750788.html to see the listing. Tell all your friends!

Mighty Men on Mighty Machines

2008-09-14T10:57:00.003-06:00

Yesterday we visited the Denver Children's Museum and were able to climb on some big rigs which is one of Evan and Aidan's favorite things. Our friends Maddie Marie and Mackenzie joined us for a while. We finished the day off by having lunch at Confluence Park and rock climbing at REI.

What is the meniscus?

2008-09-10T15:52:00.004-06:00

The meniscus are cartilage rings found on both the inside and outside of the knee. They sit between the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone), and act as shock absorbers in the knee. In addition, they provide some stability to the joint. Apparently not enough stability as Gerrit tore his in a basketball game on Monday night. He's scheduled for surgery sometime on Friday. Looks like his vacation on Cape Cod is pretty much guaranteed now to be nothing but sitting on the porch drinking G&Ts. Men....

The Beginning of "Mommy Days" and the Premiere of Goldfish Stink

2008-09-02T22:03:00.003-06:00

This week begins the boys' 3-day school week. On Tuesdays and Thursdays they are home with Mom which they have now dubbed "Mommy Days." Today I built them pretend microphones using Tinker Toys and then they provided the talent. Move over U2 - Its the boy band Goldfish Stink. Watch the video on Yahoo's Jumpcut here

Consulting for Kimbelina.com

2008-09-02T21:41:00.004-06:00

I just began some online marketing consulting work with a very special client that owns www.Kimbelina.com. The site offers luxurious and comforting blankets and robes for all ages. I visited the owner last week and was able to see (and feel) all the products. She had me pick out two blankets and stuffed animals for Evan and Aidan. I brought home the toddler blankets that have angels wings embroidered in the corners. The blankets are soooooo soft, feature "bows" at the ends that the kids can play with and are just the right size to cover their entire bodies. Needless to say they both LOVED them. Here's picture of Evan curled up on the couch with his. This week Karen and I will be working on improving the current Web site before we begin driving new traffic to it. If you get a chance look at the products and tell your friends. The products come with poems that you pick out and a special personalized message. Its the perfect choice when you don't know what to say and for many other occasions.

Finally.... Photos from my rafting trip

2008-08-29T14:25:00.004-06:00

This past June, I went rafting on the Green River in Desolation Canyon, UT with 21 other women and 5 "guyeds" (all male). My good friends Heather, Charity and Kim joined me on the trip and we had a great time. Each night we participated in wine tastings, ate yummy dinners cooked by our guides and camped near the river. During the day we went down the rapids, hiked, swam and yes - drank. What a great way to relax. Kids... what kids?

Take a look at the slideshow below. We flew in small planes to the put-in so there are some aerial shots as well.

Fun at Lakeside Amusement Park

2008-08-27T21:22:00.003-06:00

Grow, grow, grow...

2008-08-27T20:49:00.006-06:00

Evan and Aidan planted these sunflowers in early summer and they are growing nearly as fast as they are. They've been watching the flowers every day as they've started to open up and wanted you all to see how tall they (Evan and Aidan) have grown.

Lawlor Featured in LocalOnliner Blog

2008-08-26T10:43:00.000-06:00

I was recently interviewed by Peter Krasilovsky at Kelsey regarding my thoughts on vertical development within newspapers, yellow pages and pure plays. He was kind enough to contact me to get my thoughts on this trend since I've worked with several companies now who have tried to kick off vertical implementations. And when I refer to "verticals" I mean categories like fitness, parenting, gardening, etc. With all the information that the Web offers, I believe more than ever that consumers are having to do more self-selection by interest rather than just surfing the Web. Verticals are a great way to encourage users to participate in an online community and for advertisers to gain that first bit of consumer data to direct content and advertising that is to their audiences' liking. Once you have several verticals built then you consolidate them through a "portal umbrella" and drive interest through integrated site search functionality. You can read my comments at Peter's blog.