Skiing!

No pictures tonight, but great stories from the Daddy! Take it away Jake!

Isabela and Maya's Adventures

Kent, one of the guys I work with, suggested a few weeks ago that we take our kids skiing on MLK day since his kids were off school that day. That sounded good to me, take a day off work and ski? You bet.

On the Saturday before, Laura and I started to condition Isabela and build her excitement to go skiing on Monday. I had to re-mount her bindings on Saturday so we could do a test run in the back yard on Sunday. After her nap on Sunday, we bundled up and went outside on the deck. I showed her how to put her skis on and taught her the "snow plow" and how to side step and move around with big sticks on her feet. Then I had her "ski" down the 5 foot drop off our deck where I had piled a bunch of snow. She kept wanting to sit down, but she eventually got it. After dinner she helped me wax her skis. I also installed some ski tip clips that she got for Christmas - they velcro to the skis and then have a clip to hold the tips together for a no-brainer snow-plow move.

Monday morning Laura made us applesauce pancakes for breakfast so we had a good chance of making it more than 30 minutes before Isabela got hungry (Isabela or me being hungry is not a good thing). We packed up and were on our way. We arrived at about 10:30 and were on the bunny hill by 10:50. We met up with Kent, he had Anna Beth and Eli, all three were snowboarding.

The first couple runs, I heard a lot of: "HOLD ME!" "Hold my hand" "Don't let me go." We had the ski tip clip on so she was actually doing pretty well with the snow plow, although I couldn't get more than 10 feet in front of her without getting in trouble. Those were some long runs. The carrot at the end of the stick was the chairlift ride back to the top (vicious cycle :) ). She would get on the chair which was traveling just faster than Maya crawling and yell woo-hooo! A couple more runs and it was time for lunch (my favorite part). She improved a lot and the last run before lunch she told me to un-clip the tip clip. I imagined a pink pretzel in the middle of the hill, but I listened and un-clipped them. She actually did great and had really good control doing the snow plow.

After lunch, we decided that she was ready for the big time. We headed for the high speed quad and got in line. Eli, Kent's son came with us, it was his second time as well. We waited in line and Isabela had fun talking to him. She asked hime if she could hold his hand and he pulled his hands in tight and scooted away. We finally got to the front and hopped on. Since this was a high speed chair we had a high speed woo-hooo! and were off. Every time we had to ride up with a stranger so she would look over and ask me who they were. Then of course, she would make friends with them.

We took the route to the far right which was a green circle run and she did really well. If anyone got close to her, she would put out her hand and say "watch out!" Eli was in front of her so Isabela would tell him to "Stop!" She had a lot of fun catching up to him occasionally. By this time, she was really catching on. I didn't have to hold her hand much and she was laughing and having a great time.

By the last run, she told me "Don't follow me" "I'll meet you at the bottom" and would make it all the way down with only two stops.

We left at about 4pm, I thought she would only make it until 1pm. After 10 minutes in the car, she was asleep. It was a great day, I can't wait to take her out again!

Jake

Quick Isabela Story

I just have to share this one from last night!

"Once there was a horse and a dog and a pig. They all lived together and they loved to dance. Then they had supper and they were full."

Jake asks: "What was for supper?"

"The pig was!"

Jake and I burst out laughing right away. She laughed too, but she didn't know why it was so funny. Anyway, just had to share that quick!

Back Again... and Better than Ever!

OK, OK. So I am terribly lazy, etc. After being bombarded by vicious e-mails (not really) I am finally writing the Adventures. Hooray! Now I have a week before the harassment begins again. Well, no more time to waste. I hope that you all had wonderful holidays. We did!

Isabela and Maya's Adventures

I think that I am starting to believe in alien abductions. After months of battles over food Isabela suddenly started eating her suppers without complaint; she stopped requesting food as she was going to bed and she started (unbelievably enough) to request vegetables!!! She has been asking for my vegetable stew and my tomato soup and eating ALL of it. It is starting to freak me out. She really eats it too, gobbles it down, and then thanks me for the delicious meal. Granted she always says that whether she liked it or not, but she actually seems to mean it. If she wasn't still taking toys away from Maya and torturing Oberon I would think that someone pulled a switcheroo on me. :o)

Maya has been her darling self. She is talking more, and (this just melts my heart) she started calling her sister 'Isa'. She follows her around saying. "Isa! Isa! Isa!" Jake noticed it first. We thought that she would say 'Bela' since that is what we often call her, but she did things her own way (just like her sister). Who knows how long she was saying it before we figured it out. In the afternoon when Maya is awake and Bela is still sleeping, Maya walks around calling for her. She seems to think that Isabela is outside a lot and pounds on the windows, laughing and shouting 'Isa'. She said 'hello' once too, clear as a bell, when she was playing with the phone and had it up to her ear. I have tried to get her to say it again, but she is as stubborn as her father. :o) Same thing with "Mama, up!" Only one time. Little bugger.

As you can see, we have a bit of snow around here. Isabela has had tons of fun in it. She found a beach ball and wanted me to blow it up so she could play with it in the snow. Then she started burying herself in the snow and making snow angels and when she came in she forgot the ball out there. It is still out there and every once in a while I get sad looks and stories: "Mommy, my beach ball is out there all alone. Don't you want to get it for me? He is so lonely and cold out there". She asks a version of that question often: "Don't you want to _____ (give me your dessert, let me watch a movie, play with me)?" This is often difficult to say no to without laughing. She also seems astounded when you do say no. Cripes.

We often walk down the street to the video rental place, and with all of the snow we have had Jake had the brilliant idea of pulling Isabela on the sled. This is especially brilliant because although Isabela has more energy than ten of us she wants to be carried! The first time we tried this out Isabela giggled the whole way there. Then on the way back she wanted Maya and me to ride with her. I was not dressed to have my bottom slide along the snow with only a thin layer of plastic and my jeans to protect me, but such are the sacrifices we mothers make. Jake was not prepared to have to drag three of us UP the hill, but such are the sacrifices fathers make (or some such nonsense). Both of the girls sat on my lap and giggled and giggled, and by the time we got home I thought my butt was permanently frozen. I have been prepared ever since, even though it means looking like the Abominable Snowman at the rental place. Who cares. Parenthood immunizes you to all kinds of embarrassments.

The picture with Jake and the three girls includes Baby Alexa. It was such fun to see her over the holidays and I am definitely enjoying being an Aunt (FINALLY! - Anybody else?). Girls are the best! And I am not at all biased. I am looking forward to Alexa becoming more mobile though. Then I can hear stories about Mike and Gretchen going to bed only to have a treasure hunt because of all of the objects hidden under their sheets, or Cheerios all over the bed in a desperate attempt to eek a few more minutes of sleep out of a morning. Heh. Heh. Welcome to the joys of parenthood. I haven't had any sleep in years, and I don't plan on it anytime soon! It is so worth it though. I would never trade a minute, even the screaming crying minutes when you are ready to pull your hair (and their hair) out.

If Maya is my dependable little munchkin (eats regularly, sleeps regularly, mood is pretty regular) Isabela is my Magic Eight Ball. You never know what answer you are going to get. I often ask her a question that I am undecided on just to hear her reply. It is usually unexpected and always entertaining. When Jake can't decide I tell him to 'ask the eight ball' too. We often take a trip to the Land of Non Sequiturs, although I have figured out that if you ask her enough questions you can find how they are related in her mind. I guess that Jake and I just aren't evolved enough to figure them out right away.

I suppose that is enough of the blibber-blabber for this evening. Enough to feed the ravenous crowds at least. I am even finishing them well before midnight! What do you know? Miracles never cease I guess.

Good night all!

Laura and the Amiable Alien and the Talking Toddler