Skiing part Deux

It was our first day on the mountain this weekend, and a banner day it was. Colorado put forth her best snow and her best weather and Grannie Annie and Eric joined us for fun at Beaver Creek. FFM and I had all new gear (new boots are great!) and the three of us spent the morning on the bunny slopes.

If you listen carefully you'll hear Travis' instructions to stop, the key lesson of the day. Watch the wedge get bigger, and then F STOPS! Success!

Grannie Annie and Eric met us just before lunch and whisked FFM away for sustenance and recuperation, and Travis and I had a great afternoon hitting some of our favorite runs. I haven't been free to ski since the winter before I was pregnant, it sure felt good to get my ski legs (as wobbly and out of shape as they are) back under me.

Uncle Q will appreciate the mad bomber on the rollers headed straight for Eric

Click here if you'd like to revist FFM's maiden voyage on the slopes. Last year we just hiked up a little way and let him slide down a few times. This year we rode up the lift and did the 'big' mountain.

Happy Happy Happy

It's Travis' Birthday! It's the day of the year where he's finally as old as me! Wait, I should phrase it, he's finally the same age as me! That sounds much better.

He must have been very good this year.

Travis and I celebrated his birthday this weekend with date night, and tonight we had one of his favorite dinners (it's the kind of dinner that takes a whole stick of butter so it's reserved for special occasions like birthdays) and since a whole cake for three of us seemed like a lot I procured a sampling of fancy pants cupcakes.
After about three bites of the tower of frosting even my two boys who are totally and utterly devoted to frosting declared that it was a bit much and they scraped it all off. The cake part was really pretty good.

Here's to many more birthdays sweetie, the more the merrier!

How My German Heritage Invaded Date Night

It's a good thing Travis and I were not on our first date tonight. I might have felt compelled to order something more dainty and lady like than the cast iron crock 'o meat that I did get. We ate at a nifty gastropub in town and we both made the menus quite soggy with all our drool. I did not make it through the entire crock of sausages, potatoes, kraut, and juniper berries that sounded oh so so good to the bit of me that is German,no not even close. I had to save room for the baked alaska with chocolate-chili ice-cream, marshmallow, and fire (not German at all). Don't fret, Travis is stoked about leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

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Backseat Driver

Sometimes I reminisce about the days when we were worried about FFM's lack of speech. Like today. We had a fairly long drive to do some volunteering with my cousin's Girl Scout Troop and he commentated my navigation of early rush hour traffic.

"Mommy, you forgot to use your turn signal." (oops, I actually was being lazy)

"Mommy, don't drive too fast." (I wasn't)

"Mommy, you forgot to stop at that stop sign." (I paused at a stop sign in totally empty strip mall where there were zero other cars or pedestrians in sight)

"Mommy, that's a school zone, watch out and slow down." (Roger that but thanks for the reminder)

"Mommy, the speed limit is three five. Are you driving slower than three five?" (yes)

It should be noted that he's much harsher to Travis. The commentary on my driving is pretty light, poor Travis gets hammered. Mostly because Travis doesn't really like to use turn signals, but I guess he'll learn since he now gets reminded fairly constantly. I should also point out that FFM likes to tell us where to go when were on familiar territory - i.e. things like "turn left here!" or, "keep going straight!" Helpful for our out of town guests.

500

Yeah, it's not much to brag about, but I'm ecstatic. I got back into the water yesterday after nearly two years of not being able to actually rotate my right arm. It's been a LOT of doctors on multiple continents, x-rays, a couple MRIs, and endless endless endless physical therapy, but I SWAM! An entire 500 yards. That's 20 laps for you landlubbers. Nothing to get excited about, but my shoulder is still very weak from, well, not being able to rotate for two years. I managed my first full rotation the week between Christmas and New Years and last week got the OK to move beyond rubber bands and into weights (no more than 5lbs) and *gasp* the gym OR pool (not both, I've been warned). Hip Hip Hooray!

I Heart Brisbane

As news from far far away finally trickles into our news here in America, as we deal with our own crises and mourn for those in Tuscon, I watch the floods in Brisbane.

We see photos of the place we used to live, the exact streets we used to walk, the bridges we crossed, the trees that gave us shade, the gas station we used to fill up at, the park we played in, and they are all underwater now. I hear quick messages from people we know there saying they've moved everything to their second story and they are hope for the best, that evacuation was imminent (No word from them for a couple of days...but I'm sure all is fine. Who has internet in the middle of a flood?).

If you would like to help, please click on the link here to donate: Queensland Flood Relief

The boat ramp at Univ of Queensland, where FFM took his first swimming lessons. Normally a steep ramp down to the river it looks like it's floating uphill now.
The river path at South Bank, where FFM and I logged many, many km in the stroller. Just steps from our apartment. Eagle Street Pier, a yummy spot for lunch and where friends Megan and Stephen would catch the RiverCat. Our path to the library where we'd go for storytime and songs. South Bank, our home in Brisbane, totally underwater. This is normally, from left to right, river, boardwalk, sidewalk, building (which is the library). Our apartment building is to the right behind the big wheel.

Like pictures of a blizzard, or probably any great disaster it's hard to understand the scope of these without any frame of reference. It may look like just a couple of really big puddles but Travis and I have been amazed at how far into the city the water reached and, from the sounds of the news we hear here, how quickly it happened. Good Luck Brissy, we'll be back to visit someday and see how you recovered.

Breakfast Discussion

"Mommy, did you have any dreams last night?"

"Yes, I sure did."

"What did you dream about?"

"I dreamed we were about to buy a really, really, really big house with a fantastic kitchen with lots of storage space. But then there was a problem because my sister-in-law* crashed our red car. And we had to go out to a farm to find her because she ran away. And then we all got chased by a giant white horse and a giant white cow."

(Yup, when I dream they are a bit weird.)

Finn replied, "Wow! I dreamed we went to the store to buy STRAWBERRIES!"

*You all just have to guess which one of my three this was. I'm not going to name dream names.

Holidays Merry and Bright

On the night before Christmas, all through the house, every creature was stirring, making gingerbread men and a house! We had a great holiday season, kicking off with a balmy afternoon at the ice rink at Southglenn. The Gales, Grandpa Moore, Penny, and Mom and Eric all converged for skating/observing, and lunch on a fine afternoon. All the advanced skaters gallantly took turns running FFM around the rink, Uncle Byron was his favorite by far (note his feet aren't touching the ice...)

Christmas morn dawned at a perfectly humane hour, with adults and kiddos bright with anticipation. The much wished for Woody and Buzz were indeed under the tree, it took no time at all for them to start flying around the room.

Cousin Audrey (and her parents) were here for the week, and she and FFM were great at making each other get really, really, really silly.

Lunch treat one afternoon was Casa Bonita! The food never gets any better but it's totally awesome all lit up with Christmas lights and I have a whole new perspective watching the divers and gorilla show with amazed two and three year olds. I thought they might explode with excitement.

We rang in the New Year with a trip to the Children's museum, some snow, and some crafty hats (Audrey was not a fan). The bubble room at the museum was a favorite, the kids are actually standing in a giant bubble in the top left photo.