Winter Fun

The Winter (and snow and ice) is in full force, and we are as busy as ever.

Miller is loving her new ballet/tap class.  She did ballet last year and did not love it, but this is a new studio and seems to be much more fun. She loves the music, the dancing, and the disco ball at the end. 

   

We took the kids ice skating two weeks ago and gave them each a private lesson.  Miller is a bit young for it, but hung in there for her lesson.  She was pretty much done after that, though.

I didn't get a good picture (I did get lots of video), but Colby was an ice skating machine.  After his lesson, he spent two more hours practicing, and he was whizzing around the rink within no time.  He wanted to "go fast" from the minute he stepped onto the ice.  He had so much fun and brought home a gigantic blister to prove it. 

 No matter the season, Miller loves to color. Her drawings almost always look something like this:  geometric shapes and colors.  Pop and I both used to doodle in shapes and patterns (actually, we both still do), so it might be an unusual family gene she inherited.

We had our first snow!  It was only a couple inches, but it was enough to get the kids out of school for the day. 

 We took the kids skiing for the first time last weekend.  Our friends let us use their condo as a locker room which was a total lifesaver.

This is Miller and her good friend Marin- they have been buddies since they were in the same three year old class. We see them quite often now because Marin's brother is Colby's age, which makes for a perfect playdate.  (By the way, Marin's mom and dad are both over 6'1".  Marin is tall for her age.  She and Miller were both turned four in July.  That's just a little window into how tall Miller actually is for her age).

Colby ready to hit the slopes

Looks like a perfect ski day, right?  It was kind of a disaster.  Miller's boots were too tight, and after 5 minutes of her lesson, she was in tears.  Colby was determined to catch on during his lesson, but his skis were too long for him and he could not control them.  I tried to ski with him after the lesson, but after two times down, I told him we had to stop.  (He had one speed- straight down)  I am not a ski instructor, nor do I have the patience of one!   Colby was very upset, but I promised him we would swap the skis for a better pair and try again soon.  We are actually scheduled again for private lessons in a week.  Fingers crossed it's a better experience!  

The start of 2013

Well, I haven't given up on the blog just yet.  I feel like one day, I'll regret it if I do....so we'll see how this goes.  

Colby began 2013 by losing his second top tooth while waiting for a hair cut at the hair salon.  It had been dangling for days, and it started to bleed while we were waiting, and he said "Ok, pull it mom."  I couldn't believe it, as his other teeth either fell out or were knocked out.

This picture is awful of me, but  I wanted to show another toothless grin as we prepare for the tooth fairy.

A little fairy dust is crucial for helping the tooth fairy find her way.

Sprinkle a path from the window to the bed, as she most likely comes in through a window crack.

Carefully place your tooth in the small pillow, and then place under your bed pillow.

The tooth fairy did not disappoint and left $5!  I bet in thirty years when my own kids are reading this, the going rate will be at least double.

This weekend, our sitter Adela from our old house came to visit.  We have really missed her, and the kids were thrilled to spend a day with her.   Even better, Lee and I got to escape for dinner and a movie.

Savannah, or "Cato"as Lee calls her, is fitting right in.  She loves the chaos and noise from the kids and usually follows them from room to room.  She loves to be held by the kids and has not yet scratched or bitten them.  (and if you could see what she puts up with, that's pretty amazing)  We've even gotten her scratching and food stealing under control.  At bed time, she likes to hide under Miller's bed and play peek-a-boo with her dust ruffle.  After the bed time routine, she goes back to the family room and hangs out with Lee (who is usually up later than I am).  He then carries her upstairs when he goes to bed....if he doesn't it, she will cry at the bottom of the stairs until he goes back down and carries her up.  We aren't sure where she goes after that, but she always ends up on our bed by morning.  

Miller adores her kitty and loves to carry her around.  

The kids are starting off the year doing many activities.  Colby is doing karate at school, a winter soccer league, and a winter swim team.  Miller is doing a gymnastics class, swimming, and a new dance class that includes tap. (I'm very curious to see how that goes)  We also are hoping to get them skiing this winter.  

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

We spent New Years Eve in Vienna with our good friends.  The kids had a blast (and didn't go to sleep until 10:30), and we stayed up playing Cranium and Balderdash.  

Happy New Year!!!