Mom! Come Here!

I am down stairs helping Cooper log into his orthodontist account for an appointment when I hear Maddux yelling for me from outside. I eventually make it out there and am shocked to see him riding a bike!

He previously had been fighting with Maggie in the kitchen over 3D glasses for a puzzle. He had just gotten in big trouble. He went outside, jumped on the pink bike and took off.

Maddux loves his training wheels and when we tried to teach him to ride without he would have a crying breakdown and not even try.

Last week I got Savannah's bike from storage, had John Wood help me get the pedals off and turned it into a Strider bike. Maddux quickly learned to balance and rode it often.

This morning we put the pedals back on after Maddux had ridden it strider style through  the neighborhood. He threw a fit about it and disappeared.

Mom. Come see me! I never imagined that in his angry state he would go outside to ride his strider bike, realize there were pedals on it and just start riding! So I missed it. His first time riding was completely independent. Poor but awesome middle child!

NAC Ski Lessons

Megan Palmer encouraged us to take advantage of the National Ability Center's ski school. The  Utah foundation of the Blind and Visually Impared will pay for all but $20 of Savannah's tuition for 5 private 2 hours ski lessons. This included a free buddy pass every lesson and 8 additional friend and family lift tickets at $20 a piece. I registered Savannah for 5 Saturdays in a row beginning January 12. I was a nervous wreck the week before shopping for long johns, ski goggles, wool socks and anything else I thought the kids needed. Deb Wineteer and Mom and Dad sent us some ski clothes and gear hand me downs. Friday night before our first lesson I had all our gear laid out and lunches made.

 Saturday morning was day 3 of snow. Parleys Canyon was listed as snow chains or 4 wheel drive. After 45 minutes of trying to find another way up the canyon I threw the cable chains we had in the car, said a prayer and headed to Park City Resort. 

 Savannah's teacher was Maddie. She was a quiet and nice girl. Savannah lasted an hour until she needed snacks and a drink. Skiing is hard work!

 Both kids loved it and were happy with their progress.

 I felt like an exhausted pack mule.

 They were both tired as well.

 Week 2 we met the Tibbitts before their ski lessons. It was a warm 40 degree day without inversion. Savannah did well and Cooper went up the Pay Day lift. He was not ready for the steeper hill and became discouraged after many falls. He decided to stick to the First Timer lift.

 Week 3 we were happy to leave the inversion and Ice Storm. Cooper was ready to master skilled turning by watching more You Tube videos.

We had fun  on the lifts and made great progress until Cooper was run into by an out of control Argentinian woman. Cooper was blown off his skis and was crying. The woman was very upset and appologetic. Cooper was done for the day with a headache and sore leg. Heidi came along and sat with Savy and Cooper so I could take my first real run of the season.

Week 4 Spence came up to see the kids ski. He was so impressed at how happy and good they were. Savannah's boot rental was not keeping her ankles straight so an hour in we traded her boots for a different pair. Cooper gained some courage for him and I to go on Pay Day 4 times.

Savannah's lessons went better if she and Maddie were alone. If Cooper and I were with her she would watch and follow us. It made her crash and not learn.

Week 5 was most fun.

January Moments

January was a record cold month. To survive it we made many messes painting,

 Playing in the Snow (endless boots and clothes drying in my kitchen),

 Watching Princesses,

 Skiing with Cousins on a Spring like day,

 Big Kid date with Mom and Dad to Road House Grill,

 Growing the tallest javelin icicles (which Spence attempted to heroically throw but it ended up tanking it in the gutter),

 planning and throwing the best 2 Arrow of light ceremonies and Pack meeting,

 Marker eating,

 Clara playing, or feeding :)

 Mischief making with lotion and Mommy's make-up,

It was one LONG and PAINFUL January.

Ice Storm of 2013

Utah received it's first ice storm since the 1940s. Thursday morning I went in to work at 7 am with the weather beginning to rain a bit. By the time I came outside at 9:30 the car was iced over. I had to run the defrost for 5 minutes before I could scrape the bubbling ice off with a plastic kid plate from my breakfast.

Spence works from home on Thursdays. After we threw ice melt on the driveway he was able to chip away at the ice with a garden shovel periodically throughout the day. Maddux thought it was great!

 As I was driving home Thursday morning at 9:45 am  I watched a gray haired gentleman walking to work slip and fall after crossing 1500 S in front of my car. He broke his glasses in 3 pieces and was hurt. I called and waved him over to my car and took him home to the Spring Wood apartments near the Clipper. He was upset and discouraged about his crushed and shattered glasses and about not being able to walk successfully to work. He was a bit childlike as if mentally slow. My heart hurt for this man. He babbled on telling me he had written a story for the New Era and didn't know if it would be chosen for print. This morning experience made me fear for the safety of the little obedient carriers for the Clipper. It only takes one little patch of ice to ruin your day and cause larger expenses or injuries. I spent my afternoon calling and receiving calls from carriers to postpone delivery of the Clipper until Friday. Over 50% of the routes were not delivered.

 Friday Wasatch Peak held school as usual but waived tardies. We were about 30 minutes late to school because of the icy roads. Davis School district announced a 2 hour late start because of the impassible roads.
 I ended up throwing a paper route on the Centerville bench Friday morning. Many icy driveways had not been salted. I climbed over huge piles of snow to tramp across the frozen snow lawns to safely make it to the porches. This driveway was complete ice I could have slid down on my rear. But I climbed through the snow instead. What wild weather!

Winter Storm Gandolf

Thursday was looking like a fine day. A monster snow storm was to be rolling in so Spence and I delivered Cooper's paper route in the early afternoon. By the time school was out the snow was falling heavily. It just dumped snow. Spence was out shoveling snow constantly. By morning Bountiful had received 3 feet of snow. The snow plows could not keep up with clearing the roads. By 7 am we received a call from the school declaring Friday a SNOW DAY!

Of course it was most exciting and required friends to come play in it. 

What would we do without great friends? Savannah got to be at Aubrie's, Maddux got to be silly with Oliver, and Cooper had Tanner, Will and Joseph over and at Tanners. We will remember what a crazy day of plush snow we had.

Turning 33

To celebrate my birthday Spence and I went on a dinner date Saturday night with the Olsens, Wendels and Dabels. They were all dressed up and going to the Mocktail party after. I was so exhausted from traveling I had opted out to just vegg at a movie after dinner. We enjoyed a long dinner at Olive Garden with the best friends possible. I do have great girls in my life to add support and enjoy life with. Unfortunately I was so tired I did not get to enjoy the move The Hobbit. I really just wanted to be in bed.

My birthday was on Fast Sunday. As Cooper put it, Sunday birthday's are the worst because you can't do anything and you can't go out to eat. Despite this, we invited the Tibbitts and Long families over to enjoy a Costco chocolate layer cake, mint hot chocolate cupcakes and ice cream. I felt grateful for friends and family to share my "One day older and wiser too."

In all honesty I was so tired from vacation, from being sick and taking care of sick kids, unpacking, working and worrying about a new start of the year budget to enjoy my Birthday. I has become more difficult every year to have a good birthday right after Christmas. Everyone is partied out, broke and too tired to celebrate. I need to think of a way to actually enjoy my birthday in the future.

New Years Eve 2012

Grandpa and Cooper stayed up "late" after the kids had gone to bed. Spence and Tibbitts had specialty Root beers in the fridge from the Liquor store. Grandma, Grandpa, Spence, Cooper and I watched the Ball drop in Time Square at 9 pm pacific time. We cheered, toasted, sang and slow danced.

Our plan was to leave by 6 am the following morning. Our bags were packed and in the car. Mom and I went out in the dark with flash lights to pick Tangelos, Mexican Limes and Clementines to bring back to Utah. This is one of my favorite things about going back home. The citrus fruit year round growing in the back yard. Happy New Year!

Cousin Fun

Family is the best part of life, even on vacation.

 Books

 Video Games

 Hair Pulling

 Napping

 Subway, NY Giant Pizza, Mexican, Donut outing!

Maddux still was not feeling well. He threw up in his stroller outside of Subway, then ate his pizza. 

 Jocelyn and Maggie

Grandma and Grandpa got a 3D TV. We spent some quality time watching movies.