A Break. . . Mid-Winter

I am not delighted with the week long "mid-winter break" our school district has in February. I am especially disgruntled when it is followed 5 weeks later by a week long “spring break” and then possibly by a school year extended into late June when the kids have to do snow or flooding make up days. How about we just drop mid-winter break and get out of school earlier in June? Alright, I'll get of my soapbox now.

Since we do have mid-winter break and it did snow (so so happy) we decided to make the best of it. After skiing last Monday with the cousins we had big snowstorm hit our area and AH decided skiing in a blizzard was the perfect time to ski as a family so we headed back up to the local resort.

The state patrol was monitoring all vehicles for the mandatory chains, snow tires or all wheel traction devices and so there was quite a long row of vehicles "chaining up" along the highway.





At the ski resort there was an astounding 12 to 18 inches of fresh snowy powder on the bunny hill (amazing). It continued to snow while we were there, so heavily at times that I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of me.



The kids did really well in the deep snow while I felt the burn in my upper thighs and lower abdomen as I tried to maneuver my skis through it. By the end of the evening I was truly missing my groomed trails that require no strength to change direction or to stop. I informed AH that there would be no need to do P90X that night and that I was super thankful that we had only done the yoga workout the night before and saved my legs for that nights ski workout.

After a few hours we took the kiddos over to the ski school to meet up with the instructor for their regular weekly lesson. At the end of the lesson the instructor told me that the kids did really amazing through their first powder. Good thing we got their early so they could practice before we paid someone to teach them how to ski in it (isn't this like cleaning the house before the housekeeper comes?).



This was AH’s first time seeing the kids ski since their very first ski lesson in January. He was really amazed at the skills they have developed and what wonderful little skiers they have become.

This ski date was also a huge milestone in our nearly 12 years of marriage. . . AH and I skied together for the very first time. Hallelujah, it's about time!

I Feel My Age +10 Years Tonight

This morning the kids and I tagged along with AH's brother and his family for a day of skiing. I was excited to see my kiddos in action after 7 weeks of ski lessons but as it turned out I hardly saw them at all! They took off with their cousins and I would only catch a glimpse them in the lift line or soaring 20 feet above me from the lift chair. It was exciting to see them excel and enjoy a sport that AH and I love so much. The investment (minor investment - I found a fantastic and inexpensive ski school) was worth every cent!

The pack is ready to hit the slopes:


A rare picture of me with my kiddos:


Beeb and Miss B coming off the chair lift at the top of the hill:


Patiently waiting in the never ending lift line:


Miss C at the end of the day getting more practice in with the help of the magic carpet:


Beeb doing some easy magic carpet runs while we wait for the last of our group to meet us before heading home for the day:


I had a fantastic time and am so proud of my kiddos and all the progress they've made since January. I can't wait until AH can join us so he too can appreciate their remarkable ski skills. Unfortunately tonight my feet are terribly sore, my calves ache a bit and my overall body is tired and ready to lay down for the night. This evening I definitely feel my age plus 10 years - I need to hit the slope more often and take a decade or so off.

Cleaning in the Dark

I am on a bit of a spring cleaning kick right now. The new entertainment room cabinetry has given us lots of extra storage space so I have started transferring stuff (or "junk" if you ask AH) into the new cabinets which in turn has freed up closet space that then requires a rearranging (a sort of demented cycle but in the end rewarding).

A newly reorganized closet:


Having a clean closet only enhances the rest of the cluttered areas of the house so today I decided it was time to clean out a few of those areas too. For example the kitchen junk drawer that I dealt with this afternoon:



I was able to get partially started on my office drawers (which really means creating a bigger mess than before once I took everything out of the drawers) but had to postpone the work when it was time for the kiddo's to come home from school. Typically this would have meant the mess staying out for several days (possibly weeks) until I got my "cleaning groove" back but then this evening a fantastic miracle happened. . . the power went out.

AH had taken Beeb to basketball practice so it was only Mr. B and I home and he had just confiscated my Zune leaving me with nothing to do but finish my project by flashlight. I cleaned out and filed away old bills and statements; threw away many files of paper work that had long since been outdated and useless; sorted through all our music CD's, computer game CD's and miscellaneous other stuff really should have seen the bottom of the trash can a long time ago.



I must say a house of order truly does bring peace of mind, even if it only gets done in the dark.

Happy {Early} Valentines

Once a month we have a free "baby sitter" through a local church program that takes our kids for several hours giving AH and I a chance to spend a little time together. We drop our kids off at the church where they are ready with lots of games, crafts, running room and a movie room as well as 1:1 friend/supervision for kids with special needs. It's amazing!

This month AH took the free evening as an opportunity to surprise me with a wonderful Valentine's Day gift. After dropping the kids off we headed to a Thai restaurant that we been to in the past and had the most awful food ever (what a waist) but during dinner AH handed me with a little gift. I was truly stumped over the mystery gift because it was much too small to be anything from "the list". As I unwrapped the box I got so excited to see that AH took the initiative to purchase me my very own Zune.



AH bought himself a Zune about a month ago and I have been borrowing it regularly to play games or watch movies while the kids are at ski lesson, basketball practice, etc. I guess he got tired of his new toy going missing all the time.

Here's just one of the reasons I love AH so much. He knows who I am and that I am exactly the type of person who gets excited over all things computer related: RAM, external HD's, monitors or, as in this case, a Zune. This gift is the perfect gift because there is no monthly subscription to pay and yet I can still listen to my music, pod casts, videos, access the Internet or play games. Absolutely perfect!

I guess the lesson learned for this year is that AH has permission to veer from "the list" but only for things computer related but definitely not for adult sized footed pajamas.

(Beeb was so amazed at my transformation from "plain ol' mom" into "what I looked like before I became a stay-a-home-mom" that I thought I had better document it lest it never happens again and she has only this foggy memory of me looking halfway decent.)

Me just before we left on our date: