A little winter, finally

We lucked out with the huge storm that ripped across the country this week--it gave us nothing more than a regular ole foot of sticky snow.  A snowstorm--finally!

It is March and Mary had yet to build her annual snowman.  It's been heartbreaking.  We live in Wisconsin, for crying out loud.  So when Mother Nature starting piling it on Friday evening, we got that girl out the door to build her snowman right then and there, lest the snow melt during the night and she lose her one and only chance.

Mary's dream came true...

With the help of her dad, of course.

Daddy, Mary, and "Katie" the Snowman.  (The picture was taken in the dark--but it still came out pretty good!)

We also got David out the door Friday night too for some fort-building and snowball-throwing.  Miraculously, for this winter, the snow was still there on Saturday.  So we had some mandatory outside time--and the kids had a blast sledding down the little hill on the side of our house.  Greg even built them a jump--and they thought it was the greatest thing ever.

Hooray for winter!  (Seriously.)  And now that we've finally had a little, Spring, you are free to come.  Sixty-degrees on Tuesday, come and get us.

Summertime?

This morning Mary asked, "Is it summertime?"

True, the sun is shining.  And we haven't been wearing coats or snow boots.  And the kids went on a bike ride and played at the park yesterday.  So it was a fair question.

On the way home from church, David asked the same question.

"Is it summertime?"

No, we explained.  It's winter.  Greg pointed out that it was 37 degrees, which is still pretty cold.

Then we looked out the car window and saw a guy driving his convertible Beamer with the top down, wind in his hair.

It's February and we're in Wisconsin and it's 37.

37!!!

Yes, it is summertime.



P.S.  What I'm going to say is blasphemy, I know, but I'm going to say it anyway: I hate this unseasonably warm weather!! You want to know what unseasonably warm weather in February equals?  MUD.  Mud, mud, mud, mud. Muddy shoes, muddy snow pants, muddy cars, muddy floors, muddy socks, muddy everything.  November is muddy.  March is muddy.  But I expect two to three months each year where the world is so frozen that mud is physically impossible.  I thought my dream would come true here in Wisconsin.  But, no, not this year.  This is the year of the never-ending muddy fall/spring.  (Also known as "summertime" in our house.)

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas!!!

We got a little dusting of snow last night.

It's about time!  The first snow was back in November, and it got everybody in a tizzy pulling out their snow gear and preparing their laundry rooms to look like this.  But it quickly melted, and we've had basically no snow since.

This is a problem.

You do not live in Wisconsin to NOT have a white Christmas.

Oh well.  We did get a magical Christmas Eve blizzard in Dallas that one year.  That was a miracle (and helped to make it one of the most memorable and special Christmases ever, even though it was one of the hardest).  You definitely don't plan on a white Christmas in Texas.  So if I personally don't get a white Wisconsin Christmas one year, then me and the Universe are even.  A white Dallas Christmas cancels out a snow-less Madison one.

Irrespective of the scales of Christmas justice, I have to admit that folks are all a little confused by the mild weather.  What do you do when it's 40 out instead of 4 at Christmastime?  We live in Wisconsin--we have cold winter gear.  And, by golly, in December we wear it.  I noticed that for the first few weeks of December, kids and grown-ups alike were sporting their down coats and Sorel snow boots and warm beanies and deluxe mittens.  We all looked like a bunch of explorers to the South Pole.  (Or Texans on a 50-degree day.)  It was a little odd.  Because, you see, when it's 40 degrees in Madison come April, people sport flip-flops and short-sleeves.

But what do you do when it's 40 degrees in December?  You sport your heavy winter gear for a while until you realize coats are a pain in the rear unless you really need them and you gradually start leaving more and more of your gear at home each day until you find yourself sprinting across the Target parking lot through an ice storm in flip-flops and a hoodie.  Because who needs coats or shoes or socks when it's a balmy 40-degrees out?

To be perfectly clear, I did not describe myself in the above paragraph.  I described what I have observed.  I, myself, am a hater of coats, and I will not bother to wear one until it's absolutely necessary--even if it's December in Wisconsin.  I've been wearing hoodies and light fleece jackets all month.  Also, I have not reverted back to flip-flops, but that's probably just because I'm too lazy to paint my toe nails.

But the lack of snow has confused me.  It's felt and looked like November all month.  You know, the month  when you can brainstorm and dream and make plans and write lists about Christmas--but you don't actually have to do anything about it.  When there is no snow on the ground, it's easy to think that Christmas is a month away, instead of a week.

So the little dusting of snow we got last night?  It's not necessarily a promise of a white Christmas.  But it is a good kick in the pants reminder to me that Christmas really is just around the corner.  (Did you know tomorrow is the day before Christmas Eve?)

Excuse me, I have some Christmas fun to attend to.

A rainy day

This was last week.

Fortunately, this week is bright and crisp...and even warm!  We're gulping it up--we can sense the snow pants in the closet taunting us.

First day of spring

Today is the first day of spring. Of course, the only spring colors we're seeing around here are on Mary's skirt. Right now the world is muddy and soggy and puke brown. But there is in the air the smell of hope. You can't see the rebirth yet, but you can sense the possibility.

To commemorate the day, we hung a spring wreath on the door. (Diana, I think it's the same one you have. Sorry. You hung yours first, but, as usual, you have impeccable taste, and I had to copy you.) It will probably look a little odd with the snow we're supposed to get later this week, but oh well.

Friday was a momentous occasion. Mrs. Q announced that her students no longer have to wear snow pants every day. Snow boots are still a yes. Like I said, the world is a muddy mess. No place for sneakers. But no more snow pants! (Unless it snows, of course.) Hooray! It's the end of an era. (Until it starts again next year.)

I remember, after my family had moved to the Bay Area, my mom commenting on how she thought kids needed the structure of four seasons. I think it was driving her nuts to see my little brothers run around in the temperate California climate coat-free and carefree all year long. She thought it was healthy for a kid to have to put on a jacket occasionally. I think I get it now.

When winter first hit us here, I was bitter. I was bitter that my son had to spend over an hour of his school day every day finding his gloves, changing his footwear, fitting into his snow pants, and struggling with zippers --while his peers back in Texas didn't miss a beat of their recess rhythm. That first week of winter was miserable. It's the only time this whole year David hasn't loved school. But he suddenly hated it. He was completely stressed out. Dealing with velcro and shoes and zippers and sleaves isn't exactly his cup of tea. He dreaded getting changed in and out of snow gear over and over all day long. Really, I have never seen David stressed like that before. And it didn't seem fair to me! Why did he have to suffer like that?

But within a two weeks, the suffering was over. David was a champ. He was among the fastest dressers in kindergarten. He could slip into his snow pants, change into his boots, zip up his coat, put on his hat and gloves, and adjust his hood in two minutes flat. We saw David mature so much this winter. Sure, some of it would have happened regardless of the temperature, but I think mastering all that gear gave him confidence. He also learned the importance of routine and organization. He learned exactly where to hang his snow pants, place his boots, and put his gloves. He learned that if you have a special place for things, and you put those things there every time, you will always be able to find those things when you need them. Remember how I mentioned that we bought David ten pairs of gloves. Yes, we lost a fair amount through the months. But NONE was lost at school. (They were lost in the car or on outings or in our house--usually due to my lack of organization.) Can you believe it?? Isn't it amazing? Last fall I think we went to the lost and found every day. It was just part of the daily routine. But this winter? Not once! I am beaming with pride. I am so proud of David for rising to the occasion. I am grateful (yes, grateful) for all of the practice he had in taking care of and organizing his belongings, and I'm grateful (yes, grateful) for the opportunity he had to conquer a multi-step process (getting dressed for recess). I guess hard winters really do a hearty person make.

With that said, bring on spring. I think my kid earned it.

P.S. Today might be the first day of spring, but it is the last day of spring break. Greg's spring break, that is. Greg, David, and Mary all have different spring breaks. Grrr. Greg spent a lovely week watching kids, doing homework, researching toxic industrial explosions, going to Costco, changing light bulbs, and sweeping out the garage. He has also been following the nuclear plant crisis if Japan very closely. We are here in Wisconsin so he can learn how to quantify risk, like all the risk connected to a nuclear power plant. I'm sure they will have a lot to discuss in class this week. And we all have much to pray about.

Survival gear

It is 40 degrees. It may reach 50 degrees today. Most of the snow in our yard has melted. And our furnace isn't clicking on every 20 minutes. What does it all mean?

I'm not stupid enough to think that winter is over. I know how the month of March toys with your emotions. But the locals have started to congratulate us on surviving our first Wisconsin winter. I take their congratulations as a sign that the worst is probably behind us, and spring may be on the way.

This has led me to reflect on how we survived the winter. As some of you may remember, I kind of panicked at the beginning of winter. And it's true that our life turned into this. But we survived! And I am not institutionalized! And I did not once check out the price of plane tickets to Florida. So how did we do it?

It's all about the gear.

1. Mom's boots. I seriously believed I was going to make it through the winter without snow boots. What was I thinking?? That I was going to tiptoe through the snow all winter in ballet flats?! I was crazy grumpy those first few weeks of winter, and I soon realized it was because I had a footwear problem. I coveted these, but I happily settled for a less-stylish and much less expensive pair of boots from Lands' End. And it changed everything! I was no longer the victim! I felt like I could leave the house. I didn't have to tiptoe through parking lots or worry about slipping while juggling kids. My feet stayed warm (and warm toes can go a long way at preventing grumpiness). I could take a fun little romp through the snow with my kids whenever the mood would strike. Also, the boots I bought were high enough to keep my calves warm and protected when I wore my capri-length pants to the gym. I know it sounds silly, but having decent snow boots was empowering! I was suddenly confident in the showdown with winter.
2. Mary's pink boots. I think you've seen pictures of Mary's little Ugg-like boots. (She wore them to the Dells.) They were an impulse buy, and I think they may have been the best thing we purchased all winter. They are the winter equivalent of Crocs--easy on, easy off, and no socks required. We waterproofed them so they would hold up to the elements a little better, which was a good decision. She likes them so much that she generally refused to wear her snow boots. So these pink boots have taken quite a beating this winter. But I will be eternally grateful that Mary's had a pair of boots that she can put on and take off herself. I hope we can find some similar ones next year.
3. David's snow boots. I failed on the snow boot front at the beginning of the season. I had purchased some particularly affordable ones from Lands' End, and they were a disaster. (I'd bought these same boots when David was a toddler, and hated them. I don't know why I repeated my mistake.) Around Christmastime I finally accepted my mistake and bought new boots for the kids. Mary got these, and they are fine. David got these in a camo print, and they are wonderful! Wonderful! WONDERFUL! They are easy on, easy off. No velcro or laces to fiddle with. They keep the snow out, but they come with an extra set of liners just in case. Plus, David likes the camo print. If you have a kid who has to wear snow boots EVERY DAY, I highly recommend investing in some good boots like these.
4. High-quality snow pants. Last spring I had the foresight to buy some high-quality snow bibs for the kids on clearance from Lands' End. I am so glad I did. I didn't appreciate at the time how important it was going to be (especially for David, who has to change in and out of his snow pants three times a day) to have good snow pants. When your kids are using the snow pants every day--and are expected to dress themselves--cheap zippers and cheap lining lead to disasters. You want zippers that will work every time, and lining that won't rip out. I've said good-bye to winter gear from Target, Old Navy, Children's Place and the like. We're regular customers at Lands' End and L.L. Bean now. (Over the years, we've even had REI and Columbia brand kids stuff--but the quality and durability of the kids stuff at Lands' End and L.L. Bean is way better.) Also, I'm glad I spent the extra money and bought snow bibs instead of snow pants. Obviously, the snow bibs keep the snow out better. But what has been more important is the absence of a button or snap at the waist. A snow bib is one long zip up, and then you're done, which my young self-dressing kids (and their teachers) appreciate.
5. Cheap knit gloves. This was Mrs. Q's suggestion, and it has been great! I bought ten matching pairs of those cheap knit stretchy gloves. I send David to school with three pairs of them every day. That way, every time he goes outside, he has a dry pair of gloves. Also, they are so inexpensive that if he loses a few over the months (as is inevitable), it doesn't matter. We have plenty of replacements. It's been a relief not to be a stress case about David keeping track of his gloves. If he repeatedly lost one glove of a good quality $15 pair, you bet I would turn into a stress case (and a Mean Mom). I know that sending my son out into the Wisconsin winter with nothing but stretchy gloves may seem like a recipe for frostbite. But he's outside at recess for no more than 15 or 20 minutes. And I've noticed that once it gets in the single digits or below, they do stay in for recess. No matter how good the gloves, chances are they will be wet by the end of the first recess. They may be thin, but at least David gets a dry pair of gloves for every recess. That seems more appealing than having David put on some heavy, soggy, cold pair of gloves for second recess and the same even soggier pair to go home. Besides, David really likes the dexterity he has with the thinner gloves. We all appreciate Mrs. Q's suggestion. (David does have a good pair of waterproof mittens for skiing and snow fort building. We just don't send them to school.)

I am not finished thinking about winter. You probably have another post or two coming with reflections on the cold. But at this moment I am going to stop thinking snow pants, and start thinking spring.

Moths to the light

So there we were after the basketball game on Saturday: Just blocks from the state capitol on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Seemed the perfect opportunity for a walk down State Street. Greg and I looked at each other, and we both knew immediately we wanted to go check out the capitol.

And why not? We've embraced cheese curds, the Packers, super short ski runs, Big Ten athletics, and snow pants. I've even walked on a frozen lake. By choice. Why wouldn't we adopt that quintessential Madisonian past time and take up protesting?

Relax. This isn't a political post. We were merely curious spectators with an hour or two to kill on a lovely afternoon (and with children whose walking muscles could use some strengthening). I won't even tell you which side of the capitol we were on--the east with the handful of Tea Party members or with everybody else.

Here was our walk down State Street.

David was quick to note that the people with signs were on their way to "help say no to the rule the teachers don't like." (In the face of a complicated issue, I think it's only natural, and sweet, for a five-year-old to feel protective of his kindergarten teacher.)

The steps of the capitol were crowded. It was calm and festive and serious all at the same time. In the picture below, you can see the sign (on the left) of one brave soul who planted himself on the unsympathetic side of the capitol. (Oops. I just gave away where we were.) I had to give him points for not preaching to the choir--but he lost twice that many points for explaining that his reasons for passing the bill had something to do with Jesus.

In the above picture, if you look to the very left, you can just barely see David on Greg's shoulders with Mary's little face underneath David's shoe.

Our kids were happy to be there. (Partly, because we didn't stay long.)

Their suburban legs couldn't carry them all the way back to the car though. So David rode on Greg's shoulders, and Mary rode on mine.

The best part was Mary's determination to get INSIDE the capitol building. She doggedly pushed her way through the crowd on those steps until we yanked her back. She pleaded to be taken inside. I'm not sure why . . . happy memories of the building? Is she a political activist at heart? Or, most likely, did she harbor an irrational belief that the building contains chocolate donuts?

Whatever the reason, there was no way we were pressing inside. Here is a picture of the inside. Incidentally, on Friday while Greg was meeting with his adviser in her office, she received a phone call from the county emergency management office. They wanted to know how many people could stand on the terrace inside the capitol before it collapses. Like I said, there was no way we were going inside, no matter how forceful my little girl can be.

So we walked back to the car. And that was that.

I have lots of little quips (about both sides) in my head. But tensions are high, and people are very earnest. So it doesn't feel entirely appropriate to take a quippy tone, especially given the fact that I'm essentially an outsider.

But I think poking our heads in for a few minutes at a good old-fashioned Mad City protest puts a couple little drops of true Wisconsinite blood in our veins. That and the snow pants.

Stack of stuff

I've begun to resort to stacking things up as a way of "cleaning" my house. Sigh. That's never a good sign.

But in honor of the stacks on my kitchen counter, the computer desk, and the chair in the corner of the dining room, as well as the stacks in my closet, the basement, and the laundry room, here is a metaphorical stack of stuff all squashed together in one precariously balanced tower for the blogosphere.

I will number the items in this stack, lest you become lost in the clutter.

1. LOST TOOTH. David lost his second tooth! And this time he didn't lose his lost tooth. It fell out yesterday afternoon during Lego Club. Another volunteer happened to have a little plastic baggie, so the tooth was safe until bedtime. Incidentally, David was grossed out about putting a nasty bloody tooth under his pillow, even though it was in a plastic baggie. He insisted on leaving the tooth on the other side of the room. To be honest, I can't blame him. Fortunately, the tooth fairy found the tooth in its less than traditional keeping place.

2. PARTY. A few weeks ago we drove to Milwaukee for a party. My kids are always game for a party! We were there to visit Leah, a very dear friend from my mission in the Dominican Republic, and to celebrate her son Ian's third birthday.

This is David, Ian, Noah, Mary, Cole, and Benson.

A good time was had by all. Best of all, I finally got to meet his beautiful baby girl, Sage.

You can see more pictures of the festivities here. I highly recommend you check out the cool pinata Ian's dad made. But then come right back because I have more stuff for you here.

3. CAREER PLANS. Mary announced, unprompted, that she wants to be a teacher when she grows up. Oh, it warmed my heart. She also told Daddy that he should be a doctor when he grows up.

4. COUSINS. Back in November, just in the nick of time for Thanksgiving dinner, we discovered real, live cousins here in Madison! This past Saturday I got to go to Deserae's baby shower, then on Sunday she and her husband Mikhael came to dinner AND Deserae's mom was in town too. So we got to visit with Aunt Rula as well!

Here we are with Deserae, Baby Elim, and Rula. Mikhael kindly took the photo.

Baby Elim was a pretty busy that evening. At one point, Deserae let David put his hand on her belly--and Elim gave him a big kick! You should have seen David's face. It was like he'd just seen Santa Claus. Later on, he bragged to Mary about how he'd felt the baby kick. The next morning he was still thinking about it because he asked me if he had ever kicked me when he was inside. When I said that he had--a lot--he wondered why. His theory was that I had poked him with long needles, prompting him to give me a big kick. I assured him that wasn't the case. We look forward to meeting Elim face to face next month. And maybe some more baby kicks.

5. BASKETBALL. Right now would be as good of place as any to post pictures of David playing on his kindergarten basketball team. Except that I haven't taken any. Which is okay because I think this is one of those things we'd all rather forget. (Help!! What do you do when your kid is terrible at something???) I have to give David credit for going faithfully and happily to every game. But he definitely doesn't come home happy. He comes home every time broken-hearted because he knows he's the worst player. The problem is that he won't not go! He never says no to something that could potentially be fun. But we're running out of potential. Quitters never win, but quitters also don't get their confidence flushed down the toilet by a bunch of double-dribbling, traveling, fouling five-year-olds. How I wish my son would say, "I quit!" Do you think it's wrong to conveniently not tell him about the last game? Is that lying? Is lying to your kid in a situation like this wrong? I just don't think his self-esteem can take another game--and I know my heart can't.

6. VALENTINE COOKIES. On Monday night, my good friend Skye offered to watch our kids so Greg and I could go out to dinner . . . ALONE. Aaaah, it was so nice. In our absence, the kids all had a blast together, but they didn't get around to decorating the valentines cookies. So we all got to go back to Skye's house together the next day for a big heart cookie decorating extravaganza.

Fun, fun!

And yummy!

Though, as you can see from this little friend, decorating cookies can be a bit tiring.

Skye is also David's fabulous Primary teacher at church. (David is learning so much this year!) What a sweet woman to happily hang out with David three days in a row!

7. WEATHER. I am going to complain just for a moment about the weather. (Deal with it.) Everyone else in the state is walking on clouds of joy because we've been experiencing some balmy 40-degree days. But it's making me grouchy. First of all, I think I'm colder than ever. That's because it feels so dang warm that I don't bother to wear a coat or blow dry my hair. This winter is messing with my brain. Secondly, it feels like spring, but it's not really spring. I don't like Mother Nature lying to me. The world is dreary and soggy and muddy and brown and goopy-green and covered with a patchwork of dirty snow. Dirty snow! I hate dirty snow. I can find nothing aesthetically pleasing about dirty snow. All this warm weather has brought to us is ugliness. And in a few days the temperature will drop, and the ugliness will be FROZEN IN PLACE. We'll be stuck with it, and the feeling of hope will be gone. (Can you tell I am having a glass half empty week?)

8. PROTEST DAY. School was cancelled today. No, it was not because we're drowning in an ocean of MUCK (see item #7). In case you haven't heard, the teachers--and a lot of other folks--are down at the capitol today. We heard an audio clip of the protests on the radio this morning, and David proudly declared, "I think I hear Mrs. Q!" (Since then, I've been careful to avoid audio and visual news accounts today--there is a lot of protesting going on these days and it can be confusing for a little kid to understand the difference between what's happening in Bahrain and what's happening down the road.) I suppose today proves that, as much as I love living here, I am not a true Madisonian: Instead of taking my kids to the capitol for an educational experience in democracy, we stayed home for play dates. And to stack stuff up....

Which brings me to the end of this stack of stuff.

Winter sport

David went skiing again today. He did really well! He's catching on. Afterwards, he was genuinely proud and satisfied. Yay! I love seeing my kids conquer new things.

Later this afternoon, when boredom had driven David and Mary to couch jumping, hand-standing, and assaulting each other with a light saber, we tried to convince them to go outside and go sledding. It was 30 degrees! Perfect for some outside afternoon fun. (Seriously, it is freaking me out how warm it felt to me today!)

But David responded with that classic know-it-all tone, "I already did my winter sport today."

(Little stinker.)

Sledding or no, I'm proud of his hard work at his "winter sport" today.

Winter weather without the whine

Hi. Just like you (or many of you anyway) we are digging out from that blizzard. But I am not whining one tiny bit because

1. We had the most gorgeous fall that lasted forever while many of you were freezing your toesies off by November.
2. We did not get our first winter storm until December.
3. We have completely missed out on all the "fun" the East Coast has been getting this year.
4. I'll take a foot of snow here over an inch of snow in the south. Plows, salt trucks, warm coats, winter boots, and snow shovels do a lot to make the snow manageable. (Please note the "fun" places like Atlanta have had this year.)
5. Here in Madison we definitely did not get the worst of the blizzard.
6. Kind neighbors with snow blowers are angels from above.

Okay, now I will begin my post.

When I woke up this morning, I rushed to my bedroom window to see the blizzard's damage. The first thing I noticed was the clear roads. It didn't look so bad out there. Seriously, I thought, my kids are missing school for this?

Then I looked out the front door.

Okay, so maybe I'm glad I don't have to open the door and take my kids to school.

(But I have to say I was very impressed with our city's public works department. Those roads sure fooled me as to whether or not there'd been a blizzard!)

In case you were wondering, this is what the backyard looked like this morning:

For comparison, this is what the backyard looked like for most of January:

Here is another picture of our backyard from January. Notice the snow against the fence.

This next picture is from this morning. Notice the fence.

So, yes, there was some accumulation.

Under those circumstances, there's nothing to do but suit up and head out.

Do you want to know what this is a picture of? (Well, besides Mary working on her snow fort.)

That, my friends, is what the edge of your driveway looks like after a snow blower has cleared it. Did I mention we have an angel who lives up the street?

I'm sure Greg loves it when snow fort construction debris ends up on the driveway. Doesn't everyone love to clear extra snow from their driveway?

Happy girl.

Happy snow.

Okay, okay. I admit, I have to whine, but just the teensy tiniest bit. My kids and I don't like being trapped in our house together all day. (Why can't we be like normal people who love the cozy togetherness and do things like crafts and cookie baking? Instead we watch T.V. or wander around the house aimlessly, our eyes rolling around in our heads from boredom.)

Also, that snow you saw up there in those pictures, it's not going anywhere. It will be with us until April, or whenever spring arrives. To be perfectly honest, I'm terrified of the spring thaw. Perhaps I should start building an ark.

Still my baby

Mary usually conks out in the car on the way home from school. Polishing silver can be quite exhausting. When we get home, I move her to her bed, snow pants and all.

I love the sounds she makes in my ear as she stirs in her sleep in my arms. I carry her down the hallway, and I hear little moans, squeaks, and breathy groans. Just the noises she would make when she was a tiny baby.

She is not so tiny.

But still my baby.

Daddy-David Birthday Date

Tuesday was Daddy's birthday. To celebrate, David took him on a little Daddy-David date.

Here:

Are you ready to have a heart attack?

The date was my idea.

Yes, MY family members using OUR family credit card to (can I bring myself to even type the words?).........SKI in the MIDWEST. Shudder.

At MY suggestion! (I'm feeling faint again at the thought of it.)

In case you didn't know, I have strict religious beliefs regarding skiing:

If you're not west of Denver, DON'T BOTHER.

(Hey, we all have the right to be snobs about something, don't we?)

But I got to thinking. About Tyrol Basin:

1. It's 20 minutes away.
2. It's affordable.
3. It's real snow.
4. It's small and manageable.
5. It's guaranteed to have a super gentle bunny slope because this IS the Midwest.

What better conditions for your kids to LEARN TO SKI??

Greg was pretty excited. Having learned to ski in New Hampshire, he doesn't have the same kind of hang-ups I do. (Although, once a few years ago my family took him skiing for his birthday to Sundance and Alta, and he then began to appreciate the snobbery.)

There was no way I was missing out completely on this momentous event in my son's life, so Mary and I tagged along to take a few pictures. We passed a lot of cows on the way to Tyrol Basin. That was kind of weird. And there certainly wasn't that thin mountain air feeling once we got out of the car. I think we gained about 18 inches of elevation. But I reminded myself of the 5 items on the above list.

First was the ski rental ritual. I think the ski rental buildings smell the same no matter which side of Denver you're on.

David with his skis.

For some reason, I think the above picture is so precious. David, with his skis cradled carefully in his arms. Oh, my heart is melting.

What a big boy I have. So big he can carry his own skis.

One of the best parts of my little visit up (more like over) to Tyrol Basin was Mary. She knew she wasn't skiing (maybe next year, when she's old enough for lessons) and she was a good sport about that fact, but she insisted on being very involved in David's first time skiing.

Mary deemed it essential to dress for the occasion, even though she herself wasn't skiing. So she wore her snow pants. And she didn't miss a beat of the ski rental process. Then, once David had his skis on, Mary was quick to grab his hand to keep him from falling. Look at this sweet picture:

It was a momentous and very happy morning for our family.

Did you notice in the above picture that Mary was still dutifully holding David's hand?

Then Mary pushed David up the hill.

She is a very helpful little girl.

I made Greg hang around with us while we waited for David's lesson to begin. I know he was anxious to hit the slopes--he only had one hour during which he would be unencumbered by a five-year-old. But, to me, our first born's first ski lesson was a special occasion, and we should ALL be there to celebrate it. As always, Greg was a good sport.

At last, it was time for David's lesson to begin. Greg sprinted for the lifts. And I helicoptered around for a few minutes until I could sense the ski instructor was like "Get the heck outta here, lady! You think I haven't done this before even though I look fifteen?" So I skulked away.

But not before spying on the class for a few more minutes.

Later, I asked Greg how many runs he got in during that hour. Fifteen. FIFTEEN! In less than an hour. What were they? Twelve feet long?? I guess that's what happens when you downhill ski where there is basically NO DOWNHILL. And now I will end this paragraph on account of "If you don't have anything nice to say....."

But I will say that I have a lucky husband whose wife is, on rare occasions, able to swallow her pride and snobbery. (Doesn't that make him a lucky husband?)

And I have a lucky son.....

of whom I am very proud.

We're already planning our next visits OVER (not up--18 inches doesn't count) to Tyrol Basin. Dairy cows and all.

The Christmas tunnel

And you thought I was finished posting about Christmas? Oh no, my friends. But, seriously, I'm almost finished.

On Christmas Eve Eve, David and his BFF started building a snow tunnel. And Christmas afternoon, Daddy finished it:

Nobody was brave enough to crawl through it, so Daddy volunteered to prove that the engineering was safe and sound:

Except that he didn't fit. He couldn't even get his shoulders inside.

So, like any good civil engineer, he expanded it:

At this point, Mary carefully considered giving it a try:

She carefully inspected the tunnel:

And crawled right in:

But she soon backed out and decreed, "I'm too big!"

Daddy was determined to prove that she was NOT too big. So he crawled in:

And got stuck:

And David had to "help" pull him back out:

So Daddy worked on the tunnel a little more, widening it and raising the ceiling. And then he tried crawling through once more:

Is he stuck again??

No! He made it! Hooray!

So then, after much cajoling, David headed inside:

And he made it through too!

Hooray for being brave!

Not to be outdone, Mary (after we convinced her that she was not too big) took her turn too:

Hooray for Mary!

And then she went back for a few more turns.

That concludes the story of our Christmas tunnel.

Hope you had a white Christmas too!