Skier Chicks

The girls and I have been skiing a lot in the last week. I am not as good as Eric and I am not quite sure how to teach them, but I am having a lot of fun with my ladies!

Elise is really able to just go this year and that makes it easy for everyone.

Maddie and I got one day to ski alone and we did the big runs. It was great to just be together.

She's a little skier girl and even took me on a sneaky way through the trees.

When the three of us go, Maddie often finds a friend to ski with and ride the lift with while I stay with Elise.

Vacation at Home

We are spending winter break in our PJs. It has been great to sleep a lot, play a lot, watch a lot of movies, build a lot of fires, and just plain take it easy.

We all need the rest and relaxation, but it is really good for Eric. His mono is a huge bummer. We have learned a lot about adult mono now and talked to a few others who have had it. Prognosis varies for everyone but it seems to last 6-9 months for adults because older bodies have a harder time with illnesses compared to teenagers. I think the real reason it lasts so long is that adults have more responsibilities and cannot get the needed rest to recover. There is no treatment for mono other than to sleep a lot, eat well, and take it easy.

It is really terrible for such an active person like Eric, but we are making our house a good place to -- just be.

Thanks Uncle Steve for the crazy fort building kit. What do you think of their first creation?

We have had lots of lego creations!

Happy Christmas Day!

What a Christmas!

PJs all day, toys galore, calls with family, convincing Gus he cannot open every gift, candy canes for breakfast, dinner with Rob, Nikki, and Liam,

So much to be thankful for...

Gus didn't understand why he couldn't go down the ramp like his trucks. :) I love the size confusion that happens when you are 2!

First toy to be played with -- Legos! Thanks Grandpa and Grandma!

Figuring out the Wii -- our big family gift!

We had a great meal with Rob, Nikki, and Liam. The fire was going, the food was delicious, and the kids were happy. Ahh....

Christmas Eve

Our full day Christmas eve started with Santa pancakes for breakfast and a phone call with an old friend. ;)

"The girls" had a lovely time skiing until I almost passed out on the last run. Yikes! Thank goodness we live in a small town and everyone made sure I was okay.

Listen to the song Elise sang as we passed other skiers on the bunny hill. :)

After a warm bath and hot tea, I was ready for more Christmas fun.

Fabulous fondue with the Larsons for dinner!

Cookies, anticipation of Santa, and candy canes with more friends.

Caroling, Christmas lights, and traditional luminarias out to the Eidenbenz house made it a special night.

When we got home ~9:30pm, Elise climbed into bed and Gus was asleep. But Maddie was on a mission -- getting things ready for Santa. Cookies and milk, 9 carrots for the reindeer, a sheet of paper for Santa to leave a message, and her nice letter below:

There were arrows from the fireplace to the couch with a spots labeled for Maddie, Elise, and Gus.

She even left him a gift, an extra book.

As she went to sleep at 10pm, she said, "Mom, make sure that the camera is on the counter. Dad, wake me up if you hear anything. Hey, can you get some rope, so I can tie him up for a minute to get his picture. Mom, if you see him, will you take a picture? Hey, if Santa is just your parents it would be such drama..."
She was so excited. But as I returned to check on the kids at 10:34, she was passed out like a log. Poor girl! She missed it all! It is amazing to see how those little minds change in how they view Santa...so much to figure out when you are 7 years old.

Of all the gifts under the tree, we are most thankful for our family and our love.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

We HAD to see Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel on opening day! The girls decided that we should wear our pajamas to the theater. What an event to remember -- buddies, popcorn, and a great movie in our PJs!

Christmas with Sandy and Paul

We celebrated Christmas with Paul and Sandy on Tuesday, December 22. They are our local "grandparents." We are so thankful for their unconditional love for our kids.

It was the first of our gift opening and the kids were bubbling!

Sandy got Gus an airplane quilt and he has slept under it every night since then.

Elise and Sandy are real buddies. They will really miss each other next year when Elise is off at Kindergarten.

Christmas Party

Elise had her Christmas party at Canyoncito on Monday, December 21. There was lots of singing, cookies, and Santa! He came during the songs and passed out gifts to everyone, including Gus and Maddie (whose last school day was Friday, the 18th).

These are her best preschool buddies -- Nyla and Emma.

Canyoncito Alumni
Maddie (05-07) and Elizabeth (07-09)

More Cookie Help

Elise Loves School

Elise has had a great few months at Canyoncito. The kids worked for days on this snow fort on the playground. Her favorite thing to do at school is the computers, jobs, and the reading books. Her best friends are Emma and Nyla.

Piano Recital

The girls had their very first piano recital and it was so sweet!

Maddie was very nervous once we got there and she realized she was going to play in front of the other parents, but she did a great job. Elise, our little singer, was in heaven!

Their piano teacher, Ms. Warren, is from Russian and the girls don't know what she is saying sometimes, but they love her. She is full of love, warmth, and support. And, hey, music is the language of the heart anyways! :)

A few of the kids sang "Jingle Bells" at the start. Check out how comfortable Elise is...she is tapping her toes at the end. Maddie realized, in this moment, there were people watching her. She was the first to play her songs and did great (even though she could "feel the people watching"! :))

Breakfast with Santa

The Kiwani's Breakfast with Santa has become another yearly tradition for us. After tasty (and free!) pancakes and sausage, we get to see Santa and share Christmas wishes. It is always nice to see our friends Saturday morning and share in the anticipation of the holiday season.

This year the adults all sat together and let the kids have their own table! :)

Waiting our turn to see Santa...

Gus' List:
1) Tow Truck
2) "I'm Dirty" Book
3) A Banana Thrower (? Eric and the girls came up with this on the way there because Gus was crying and it distracted him...hey, whatever works!)

Elise's List:
1) Wii (Thanks to all our midwest cousins and the fun with theirs!)
2) Barbie
3) Little Pet Shop Animals and House

Maddie's List:
1) Sit-Up Thing for her bed so she can read
2) Gold Earrings
3) Gerbil with a cage with MANY tubes (She brought a picture!)
4) A photo of Santa bringing the presents and his autograph. :) (She's getting very concrete in her thinking!)