Winter Park Weekend

This past weekend, we joined Uncle Paul and Aunt Megan at the Winter Park Resort for a fun little getaway. We drove up on Thursday after frantically packing in the morning and eating a quick lunch at Carls Jr, and... Kirsa got sick. In the car. Multiple times.

I learned two things. (1) I had no idea, as a kid, how bad my parents felt for me when I'd throw up in the car. The poor kid looks so completely miserable! (2) Carseats were most definitely not designed with the vomiting child in mind. I don't think she had motion sickness - our best guess is that it was some kind of virus - and she seemed okay after a good night's sleep.

Thankfully, our condo was ready for check-in when we arrived, and we struggled in, cleaned up, put Kirsa down for a nap, and settled in, spending the evening eating spaghetti and watching a movie, with mini cheesecakes for dessert.

The condo was beautiful - 3 rooms, 4 bath, nice furnished kitchen, big TV, one stall garage.... I think we will go back every year if we can!! There was even a nice nearby sledding hill with sleds - it was almost impossible to tear Chris, Megan, and Elijah away from it! :)

Friday morning, Paul and Megan and Elijah and I took the shuttle over to the ski hill, checked Elijah into ski school, and spent the day on the mountain. It was utterly perfect - the snow, the weather, the whole morning. I could have stayed all day. But I didn't. At lunchtime, Chris drove over with Kirsa and I drove back to the condo. Chris spent the afternoon skiing with Paul and Megan. Megan came back a little before the boys, who checked Elijah out of ski school at the end of the day and came back home to a nice dinner of steak, twice-baked potatoes, and chocolate chip cookies. The night was finished up with some hot tubbing under the stars.

Kirsa barely slept at all the second night, and I was glad that Paul and Megan were two floors down and unable to hear how often she woke. Saturday morning, Chris took Elijah skiing on the bunny hill while Paul and Megan skiied the mountain a bit more, and I gave Kirsa a short nap and checked us out of the condo and then picked up Chris and Elijah to go home. We were all tired and smelly when we finally got home Saturday afternoon, but overall it was a wonderful weekend and we really hope we can all go back again next year!!

In like a...

Apart from the crazy, crazy winds we've been having, I would say that March has mostly come in like a lamb this year. If it's a lion, it's a lame, starving one.

The nice weather - it's 65 degrees out today! - has given us more opportunities for long walks and outside playtime. (Obviously the above picture was taken a few days ago when it was colder and windy.) Plus, it's just nice to be able to go places without bundling everyone in a jacket! I have tried not to complain about the cold this winter, however, because I know how much I will miss warm socks and running the space heater when I am sweating in our not-air-conditioned house all summer! Oh well, bring on spring, anyway!

Elijah also got to try out a little Whipped Cream Painting with some leftover whip-in-a-can I had. He liked it a lot better once I pointed out that he could lick his fingers while painting.

(SuperNaughties Don and Elsa would also be proud of Elijah - when we had ice cream at a restaurant last Friday, Elijah ate with gusto, then tipped the bowl up to drink the last droplets AND had his tongue in the bowl licking at the same time. Proof that Elijah is truly from our side of the family.)

13 Months Old!

I don't actually plan to continue monthly updates on Kirsa now that she's a year old - maybe every 3-6 months for a while, then yearly - but this month warrants some updates because we have had some HUGE changes in this girl since her first birthday!

1. She crawls! Really crawls, fast. Both army crawl (more often) and hands-and-knees crawling (less often). She pulls up (on us). She goes from a seated position to crawling (without bonking her head). MAJOR developments in the gross motor areas - and it's about time. She doesn't quite walk or cruise yet, preferring to hop and dance every time she's on her feet rather than hold still and balance.

2. She talks! She has several words in her vocabulary, including - Daddy, Mommy, Elijah, Go, Done, Up, Jesus, Doll - in addition to being able to mimic many words and tell you what the following animals say: Duck (duck duck), Kitty (mew), Dog (oof oof), and Cow (ooooooo). She waves bye-bye (which can also mean "done" and "bottle" depending on context). She gives cuddles when asked.

3. She can show me where the following body parts are: eyes, nose, mouth, ears, tummy, and feet. Sometimes she does hands, too.

4. She still needs 2 naps a day. I tried one nap for a day and it was a total disaster. Apparently even when she doesn't sleep at naptime, the rest time is still crucial for a happy day. Not complaining here.

5. She has teeth! Both the upper ones in the center. She got her first tooth on Leap Day and the second yesterday. I'm guessing those bottom two will be coming in before Easter...

So, that's our Big Girl! It's been SO fun to watch her change right before our eyes in the last month - a big month of FINALLY!

Grandpa and Grandma Visit

This past weekend, Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle Daniel came for a visit! They flew in on Friday, and we all went out to dinner at The Melting Pot for Restaurant Week (=great prices!) It was, as expected, utterly delicious. Elijah was happy to be sitting in "the fondue room" to participate in our four-course meal of cheddar fondue, salad, meats, and chocolate.

The weekend also included a little celebration of both kids' birthdays - presents and some toxic-looking cupcakes that Elijah picked out at the grocery store, exhibiting his true four-year-old-ness by deciding on the treats with bright yellow and red frosting. Kirsa wasn't a big fan of the cupcake experience, crying as soon as it was set down in front of her. Maybe she wanted a red one?

There were also walks in the park, shopping, church, video games, playing in the backyard, and general indoor playtime as well. Elijah got in lots of quality video game time that he has never had before - driving cars with Uncle Daniel and playing Angry Birds with Grandpa. Meanwhile, Grandma and I went out shopping, and she bought both kids utterly adorable Easter outfits!

We are so glad that they were all able to come visit us and see the kiddos! We are really looking forward to May when we will see them all again!

Art - by both boys

Both Chris and Elijah have been busy with their art this month. Chris has learned how to frame pictures and posters like a pro - cutting glass, putting together frames, cutting his own mats, etc. Doesn't this old pic of my grandpa look fabulous?!He's also framed another picture of my grandparents, and several Pearl Jam posters.

Elijah's been busy too. In this pic, you can find: Mommy, Daddy, Elijah, Kirsa, the kids' blankies, our car, our house, and "a bunny on a string for the baby sister to pull."

Three Interviews

1. What is your name? Elijah

2. When is your birthday? when I'm five, it will be my birthday

3. How old are you? four

4. Who is your mommy? you are!

5. What does your mommy do? She cooks food

6. Who is your daddy? He's at work

7. What does your daddy do? He works

8. What is your favorite color? orange

9. What is your favorite song? He's Risen, He's Risen

10. What do you want to be when you grow up? A daddy bunny

11. Where do you want to live when you grow up? in a little bunny house underneath the root of a burrow

12. What is your favorite food? hot dogs

13. What is your least favorite food? chow mein

14. What is your favorite animal? a care bear

15. What does Mommy do when you go to bed? she does dishes

16. Who does our family love the most? me!

17. Where do we go to church? at our church, all the way over there [pointing]

18. Why do we go to church? to celebrate God

19. What is your favorite movie? The Fox and The Hound

20. What is your favorite kind of ice cream? white ice cream

21. Where do you like to eat? Sushi's Restaurant

22. Who is your favorite person? Elisa

23. Who is your best friend? Samantha

24. What is your favorite book? The Care Bears

25. What is your favorite thing to do? make Valentines

1. What is something your mom always says to you? she sings a lullaby at bedtime

2. What makes your mom happy? keeping the door to the basement shut

3. What makes your mom sad? Kirsa falling down the basement stairs

4. How does your mom make you laugh? She says funny things like, "Do you have a sandwich with pickles and cheese?"

5. What was your mom like as a child? Just like Kirsa and me!

6. How old is your mom? 15

7. How tall is your mom? the number before the end of the growth chart

8. What is her favorite thing to do? stay up late and work on dishes

9. What does your mom do when you're not around? grocery shopping

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? it would be the end of the world if Mommy was famous - nobody gets happy and stays famous

11. What is your mom really good at? opening mail

12. What is your mom not very good at? throwing things away

13. What does your mom do for her job? she does hugs and kisses for me

14. What is your mom's favorite food? the food we're eating right now [chicken potpie]

15. What makes you proud of your mom? when she's doing dishes

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Tangled's Mommy

17. What do you and your mom do together? we go to the doctor

18. How are you and your mom the same? we close our eyes the same

19. How are you and your mom different? my head's a little shorter

20. How do you know your mom loves you? she gives me kisses

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? to the dentist!

1. What is something your dad always says to you? I love you

2. What makes your dad happy? when I spell with letters

3. What makes your dad sad? a big mess of food

4. How does your dad make you laugh? he talks in a funny voice

5. What was your dad like as a child? He was like Kirsa

6. How old is your dad? 12

7. How tall is your dad? twelve fifteen - that must be really tall!

8. What is his favorite thing to do? run with me in the stroller

9. What does your dad do when you're not around? He looks for me

10. If your dad becomes famous, what will it be for? If he cleaned up the whole house

11. What is your dad really good at? putting legos together

12. What is your dad not very good at? feeding Kirsa applesauce

13. What does your dad do for his job? he gives medicine to people who are sick

14. What is your dad's favorite food? chow mein

15. What makes you proud of your dad? He comes home every day

16. If your dad were a cartoon character, who would he be? Amos, from The Fox and The Hound

17. What do you and your dad do together? we work on the Grand Prix

18. How are you and your dad the same? we're together

19. How are you and your dad different? I sit down and Daddy stands up

20. How do you know your dad loves you? Because he's the best!

21. Where is your dad's favorite place to go? to work

See Elijah's answers to last summer's three interviews here: (1 2 3)

hi there!