Ski Bums!

C's Northern Lights

Our ski chalet!

J: I think it's too dark to go to school.

D: Jimmy has lots of gravy colors. Next to his eyes is all gravy colored.

J: Hats make me have more energy. Well, and clothes, instead of cardboard.

He says while wearing a box on his head.

J: BUT I WANT DESSERT.... Oh wait, I forgot.

LOL, we told him at least 100x that we weren't having dessert tonight.

J's Northern Lights

D's Northern Lights

D: The person we really want down here is Dad.

Me: Gee, thanks. Good morning to you too, D.

J (on the tower): I AM UP VERY HIGH, AND AM VERY UNSAFE!

D: But WHY can't you come to my Plan, Do, Reflect?

C (exasperated): Mom has to share her love.

Me: Good morning! 

J: How is it that quick?

(1/7) Lazy Sunday for me & the boys.  Dad had to work, but was able to come home a little early so we could go to the Silvertips game. Tips won handedly tonight!  Fun game!

(1/8) Work from home day for me, normal work day for Dad, and the boys had school. C was not feeling well this morning, and grumpily went off to school.  He seemed better this evening, and played well at practice tonight.  He may have had a little video game incentive, but it worked.


(1/9) Work and school day for us tonight.  Nanan came to watch the boys after school today, and Dad pizza'd them all. She went home after dinner, and we all had a pretty relaxing evening.


(1/10) Day off for me, and work day for Dad.  I worked in the boys' classes today. D was bummed because I'm going to work in his class in the AM now, and in J's for the Plan/Do/Reflect (centers) session. I tried to pull kids out individually to read with me, but he kept wanting to come out, and was a pill for the guest teacher.  Once we got to the computer portion he was better.  After school, C had an appointment, and we met Dad at home.  Dad said he felt like being a "good cook," and took us to sushi.  Our favorite waitress was shocked at how the boys have grown.  She's known them since they were babies, and it's been a little while since we've been in.


(1/11) Work day for me, and Dad had the boys.  I took the twins to Zumba tonight, and the day care had a 5+ kid line to get in.  Gotta plan better in January. I always forget that.  I got to class 20 minutes late, but whatevs, I still enjoyed.  Then it was home, with bedtime shortly thereafter.


(1/12) I had today off from work, so saw the kiddos off to school, then went shopping.  We needed some new snow bibs and boots, since my children won't stop growing! I got the boys packed and ready, so as soon as they came home, we were off for our ski weekend with the grands.  We had dinner at the Old Mill Cafe in Plain, and then stayed at the Kahler Golf & Ski Resort in Leavenworth.  The resort was gorgeous! C & J played video games, and the grands, D, & I played Monopoly after the boys were done playing in the snow.


(1/13) Ski day!  We dropped the boys at snowboard school, and headed off to ski.  We had expected 10-15" of snow, and got drizzle instead. Bah. When I went to watch the kids, J was coming down the little slope all on his own, and could do up his bindings.  Yay, J!  C was in a beginner class, and stopped to cheer on J for a few of his runs.  And there was D. Deedles played in the snow park, lost his board, and really had no interest.  Le sigh.  We told him that if he doesn't snowboard tomorrow, he's not coming back when we bring the other two boys for their next lesson.  After lunch, the twins were *done* and stayed to play in the snow with Grandma & Granddad while I went out with C for a few more runs.  C bombed down Daisy and has really come a long way!  He says he's feeling way more confident than even at the end of last season.  The only hitch in our giddy-up today was someone boosted Grandma's skis.  Grrr!  She filed a report, but there's not a lot that can be done.  We decided to head on back to the condo instead of going out again this evening.  The boys were totally fine with that option, and were excited to hit the video games, and get into all the snax we brought.  We were all in bed by 8:30pm since we have an early day tomorrow, and were beat from today.

What D spent the day doing

J rolling down the hill on his back

(1/14) Ski day!  We were up early, packed, and at the lodge when it opened this morning.  I got the boys off to snowboard school, and went and collected my skis.  Grandma ended up demoing some skis and found a pair she liked.  They were having a sale this weekend ~ so while it was rotten that they were stolen, and least this story has a good ending.  I skied until 11:30, and then went to watch the kids.  D actually got up on a board today!  Hooray!  When I asked to move C to a novice class this morning, they moved all the boys.  The twins were so not ready.  Thankfully, they had the same instructor as yesterday, and she made it all work.  C got to go up Daisy and spent his whole class there.  They boys were exhausted when I collected them, so we went up for lunch and a break while Grandma & Granddad wrapped up the purchase of her skis, and took 'em out for a spin.  We headed out early since the grands had a long drive home. We had a blast!


(1/15) Today was absolutely beautiful!  After Zumba, Sarah and I took the boys to the park.  They played outside without coats!  We celebrated Dad's 40th birthday this afternoon at the Silvertips game.  We rented a suite, and had a great view!  The Tips won 5-6 tonight! I ran the teenager home after the game and we got to gab on the way.  So nice to see her!


(1/16) Work day for Dad & me, and school for the boys.  We had a pretty chill evening, and spent the time hanging out, and video gaming.


(1/17) I usually love to volunteer in my kiddos' classes, but D was challenging today since his class had a substitute while his teacher was doing assessments.  I was helping by listening to his classmates count, and D ended up sitting in another classroom because he was was running feral in his own. Changes are hard.  I had fun building blocks in J's class during Plan/Do/Reflect thought. He also had a guest teacher, and she was a riot.

C!

J

D on a leash

Also D...rolling down the mountain

Over the Ferry & Through the Woods ...

C: Snow, in the summer, we're gonna have to call you Puddle.

.... and I'm sure there were more, but I didn't write anything down this weekend.


(12/26) It's over the ferry and through the woods to Grandmother's house we gooooooo! Today was the first time seeing the grands' new home, and I just love it! They had the attic finished for the kids, and it is the perfect play/sleep space for the herd.  We had an old TV we weren't using, so I took that and my old Nintendo 64 over and got it all hooked up in the play room too.  C chose Thai chicken and vegetable curry for dinner tonight.  He and Grandma made it up, and we all were fans.


(12/27) After a wonderful breakfast of coffeecake (from which the twins mined all the chocolate chips), we packed up and got ready to head on back. C decided to stay and help make a zillion meatballs for the upcoming kids' dinner and baby shower.  It took us something like two and half hours to get home due to the wait for the ferry.  The teenager wanted to go hang with a friend once we finally got home, so I dropped her, and then came home to put Christmas away.  It always looks so plain in here when the decorations come down.


(12/28) Everybody was off today.  Sarah invited the twins over, so Dad and I had an impromptu sushi date for lunch.  It was delicious as always!  I collected the boys after we got back.  We spent the rest of the day playing with toys and lazing about.


(12/29) Sarah and I hit the gym this morning, and then drove to Sbux.  Hey, it was raining! Dad was off, so I was able to leave the kiddos at home. He and the twinsies made muffins this morning, and the twins wore their aprons. He made us a turkey dinner tonight with all the fixins.  Yum!


(12/30) My dear, darling husband.  I agreed to watch Sarah's younger kiddo today, and as soon as he was dropped off, my husband disappeared.  He was gone for hours.  When he finally did come home, it was with a new car.  We now have a hybrid.  He did let me drive it up to kids' dinner tonight.  Grandma and Granddad host a dinner every Christmas for the whole gang of kids (now plus their significant others/families) that used to appear for Saturday night dinners.  Such a cool tradition!  This year, with their house just being completed, it was held at a "kid's" house - Granddad said it was so odd welcoming everyone to someone else's house. We all had a blast, and all of the littler kids ran around in a huge pack.


(12/31) The boys and I hopped a ferry to go to the grands' for another Christmas/NYE celebration with all my siblings.  It was so lovely to see everyone - I'm just thrilled for my folks!  Their new house is perfect! The teenager stayed behind to attend a New Year's celebration with her friends, and Dad has to work early-squirrelly tomorrow so couldn't join us this time either.


(1/1) Happy New Year!  We joined the parents for a delicious breakfast, and bummed around while my siblings got packed up.  We walked on the ferry, so the parents kept all our stuff for me to pick up this coming weekend. We had such a fun time - it sure is tough to get us all together, but when it happens, it's pretty awesome.  Just wish the hubs could've been there.


(1/2) Back to work & school for all of us today. Nobody wanted to get up, and there was much complaining from the small ones. Nanan picked up the kiddos after school this evening, and we finally had a chance to do Christmas with her.  She gave all of us RC cars, so we can race against each other.  We discovered they're all on the same frequency though, so you never really know which car you are racing!


(1/3) Work day for Dad & day off for me. I volunteered in both the boys' classes today.  In D's class, she had me work 1:1 on reading with the kids, in which D *really* wanted to participate, but then refused to actually read. I also helped get all the kindergartners logged into their Chromebooks. That was a process. In J's class, we played at the dramatic play center.  The boys built space ships that carried all the people away.


(1/4) Work day for me, and Dad had the kiddos. Dad had some errands to run today, and stopped by to have lunch with me. Traffic was horrible this evening, but I managed to get home and get the whole herd to Zumba only a few minutes late.  Such a nice way to cap off a hectic day.


(1/5) Work day for me, and Dad had the kiddos. The boys were SO excited to receive a bath bomb for Christmas, and they finally got a chance to use it after I was done experimenting with the color tabs.  Their bath was VERY colorful tonight.


(1/6) I hopped on a ferry this morning to head over to Grandma & Granddad's again today for my sister's baby shower.  So happy for them!  D was really mad that he didn't get to come and play Nintendo, but I told him that it was going to be an adult party.  Plus, I was able to return all of Grandma's plants we've been watching while they were waiting for their house to be built.  C was supposed to have a hockey game today, but brilliantly forgot his pants.  Dude, they were *right there* where your other stuff was drying.  /facepalm   He's off at a friend's party this evening.