It's snowing, where I am going!

Off to Tamarack for a "kid free" snowboarding, 4 day weekend. We will be joing three other couples that are all old high school friends of ours. We all snowboard and it should be a good time for all. Wow, what will it be like with no kids? It had been a while since Matt and I have left the kids behind. We need a grown up vacation. Here is the Estate Home where we will be laying our heads till Monday: Once again we are being blessed by the snow gods, and Tamarack (as well as the whole inland northwest) is getting dumped on. It seems like we have planned these snowboarding trips just when the big storms come in and bless us. Last month when they closed the roads, we were at Schweitzer loving it.

So hopefully we can make it down there. This morning they closed the road to McCall then sent more snow plows down to Grangeville and opened it back up. I will be pretty bummed if the roads close and we miss our vacation. The other problem is my aunt is staying here to watch the kids while we are gone. She lives in Uniontown on the same road as my Dad and Step mom. They are all snowed in up there on their 3 mile long road, and the highway out had been closed.

I guess you can go around the barricades if you live up there, but if not you get a nice ticket. So I can't even drive up there to help clear a path and shovel. My dad wanted to follow us down to McCall, because they are staying in McCall to Ski Brundage one day and Tamarack the other. We were going to hookup one day. I hope it all still works out.

So now I have to worry if my dad and stepmom and aunt can chain up and get out of their road to the highway. Which by then hopefully had been plowed and re-opened. If my aunt can't get out, I am willing to snow-shoe in and pack her out to go on this vacation:) The good and the bad of snow. I guess I can't have it both ways.

This is the email I just got on road condition's: "Travel will be very hazardous in much of the region today. The Idaho State Police request that driving be limited to emergency and essential trips only. All semis are asked to chain up throughout North Idaho." My trip is a essential, right? Maybe I need to write my Last Will and Testament before I leave.

I broke a new record

I have officially broke all housewife records of sort. I cleaned up a total of 4 different body excretions yesterday. Which one do I start with?

First, I have a sinus infection (boy those India Antibiotics are sure coming in handy Brenda) and breathing is hard. So I wake up and blow my nose, and end up with a horrible bloody nose. Blood is dripping all over bathroom. Nothing new, I can get bloody noses pretty easy. So I get to clean that up, woo-hoo day is already off to a great start.

Second, my son has not had a Mr. Hankey in his pants in a while. He is doing great with potty training. So before his nap I put him on and he can't go, just a couple of turds honking for the right-a-way. So off to bed he goes. I am downstairs with Miss Chloe reading, when all of a sudden I hear him bolting across the floor upstairs. He appears at the top of the stairs with a pull up on (he went to sleep with underwear) yelling, "Momma, I go poo poo in the toilet!" I am thinking great, but did he wipe his hiney? So I go check his pull up and see he sure tried but left a few dingle berries. So I go to clean him up and find his undies with a nice skid-mark in them. Where is the poop I am thinking? Cormac says, "Momma Louie ate my poo poo." Ohhhh, yes of course........yummy Louie. Louie loves a good Mr. Hankey, and treats them like a nice delicatessen. It must have fell out on Cormac's rug in his room....because that is where I scrubbed up that excretion. Two down, two to go.

Thirdly, at dinner Cormac put to big of a bit of dinner in his mouth and gaged it back up. Since he has the same gag-reflex as his parents....the rest of his dinner then came up as well. All over the table and his lap. Yep, you guessed it....got to clean that one up to.

Fourth, I of course get the pleasure on a daily basis on cleaning up pee dribbles that my son leaves after peeing. He has now decided that he doesn't need to stand on his step and pee. He can just get on his tippy-toes and still make clearance, minus the little dribble at he end:)

It that a record or what? Throw and body excretion and I can clean it right up.

I have been taged.....

I have been tagged, so let's see if I can follow the rules:

You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. I am not very good talking about myself, but I will try.

L - Laughter. I love to laugh and have a good time. I have been known to bring on a few laughs myself. I don't like being around people who are too serious and can't laugh at life or themselves for that matter. Or people who you can't joke with because they get their "feelers" hurt because they are too "sensitive" or can't take a joke. BORING. Life is tough....get a helmet.

Y - Yada, Yada. I talk really fast, as fast as my brain can spew my thoughts out. Sometimes my mouth is not fast enough for my brain and people who are not around me often, have to ask me to repeat myself or slow down. I have tried to slow my speech down and talk at "normal" speeds, but it pains me. In my head it feels like I am talking reeaallly slloow. Like someone who is slow and special. Can't do it. Sorry folks. I also, depending on my mood, will not have the patience to repeat myself sometimes and have refused on occasion. I have a few good friends who speak at my level (not meaning a superiority thing) and we can speed talk together.

N - Nature. I love the outdoors and being in nature. Growing up in Alaska and northern Idaho helped that love grow, as I grew up with the woods as my backyard. I took that love to have it become my profession, and I got my Bachelor of Science in Environmental Field Biology. I worked in fisheries and wildlife before I became a domesticated housewife and mother who now uses her degrees to do laundry and changing diapers. I am usually outdoors year round....camping, hiking, backpacking, fishing, snowboarding....etc.

N - Natural. I like to be as natural as I can be. I do not wear makeup, maybe a occasional wedding or Holiday you might catch me, but it is very rare and take a picture while you can. I do not own any hair products. That is right, no hair spray, gel, mouse or whatever else it is that they sell theses days..I am kinda out of the loop. Nope, just moisturizer and brush is all I need. I buy organic as much as is possible in this town, and will not ever vaccinate my kids. GASP! I hate pre-processed junk food, and don't buy it. My kids get junk only on holidays or at Grandparent's house:) I am a freak about not heating up food in plastic containers in the microwave, and like to bake everything in the oven usually.

MIA and TMI

Yes I have been Missing In Action and will probably be giving you To Much Information as to why. So I am not sure whether or not I got food poisoning or the flu on Friday night. My first thoughts were that someone at the gym had poisoned me to get a bike, but then decided that was to irrational. I either got sick from a restaurant that I ate at on Friday night, or the flu from someone.

MIA: I had several plans this weekend that all went down the toilet....literally. I missed my all day crop on Saturday, my birthday girls dinner on Sunday along with a few others things I needed to get done around here since I am leaving town next weekend.

Now comes the part of TMI: My stomach ached after dinner Friday, then I was up all night praying to the porcelain god and sh*ting through a screen door. I got no sleep and prayed that I would be a good girl if God would let me trade places with a mother in labor! I felt close to death people. Lets just say the ol' brown eye is now the ol' red eye, and I thought about ransacking my daughter's room to find the A&D ointment for myself. My husband thought it would be funny to go to the store and get me some Tuck's medicated wipes. Then lucky me got to sit on a bike this morning for 45 lovely minutes....hee-haw.

I did however get out of chores and got to lay in bed (within feet from a bathroom) all day to recover. The only time mother's get a day off is when we are sick, but the minute anyone thinks we look a little better, it's "What's for dinner?"

My husband and son took good care of me. My son was so sweet. He would say, "Momma, you don't feel good?" I would say, "Yes son, momma is sick". Since he is a pleaser child, he would try to relate to me to make me feel good by saying, "Me sick too." Ahhh. Then would show me my Tuck's medicated wipes and say, "Momma, your medicine." Yeah thanks. A few times he said, "Momma I rub your back." He climbed onto my bed and rubbed my back, and then say "Mommy you all better." Now I am son. What a little man.
Good News: At least I got a good colon cleanse and lost a few pounds:)

Friday Facts

1. Emergency rooms treat twice as many left-handed people for accidents as right-handed people.
2. Henry Ford was America's first billionaire.
3. Chickens can live as long as 14 years.
4. If you're average, you'll keep your old magazines for 29 weeks before you toss them out.
5. 10% of Americans read the Bible every day.
6. In 1955 a book was returned to the Cambridge University library that was 288 years overdue.
7. 58% of Americans believe they have above-average IQ's.
8. It took 14 years to build the Brooklyn Bridge. (a chicken's life span:) )
9. Tornadoes can last as long as nine hours.
10. At least 8% of the U.S. population is the result of unwanted pregnancies.

While the weather outside is frightful.....

Our cartoons are quite delightful.

Do any of you have this channel? It rocks. We are hooked at my house. The Cartoon Network made a whole other channels to house all the "old school", "politically incorrect" cartoons from the good old days of our parents youth, as well as our childhood's. This is only if you have satellite TV. The Boomerang channel can keep you entertained for days, and bring back good memories. Nice to watch fun cartoons with your child that you enjoyed as a child. Just to name a few: Flintstones, Snorkes, Smurfs, Jetson's, Tom and Jerry, Captain Caveman (you have to say it in his voice: caaaaaaptain caaaavaman. Don't act like you just didn't) Quick Draw Mcgraw, Yogi Bear, and Scooby doo. These are just a few of the great cartoons to watch. They even have the old Warner Bros and MGM cartoons which are way cool. I don't know about you guys, but it is nice to not have to watch all these stupid cartoons (Spongebob Squarepants aside) they have these days that are all business with no pleasure. You understand? Like what happened to watching cartoons for entertainment, not trying to shove ABCD, 1234, Spanish, every animal in the animal kingdom down their throat? I for one, prefer these subjects as great teaching tools for our young:

The Flintstones: Where else can our young learn about a crazy dad who works all day, and comes expecting to be waited on hand and foot with a hot meal on the table? Yell at their wives about "everything"....Wiiiilma! On the Flintstones Christmas special this year we learned that, "No one should have to spend Christmas in jail." Darn right! Who cares what the Spanish name is for apple. They also hawk Winston cigarette's on the side. Multi-talented. See the video on my blog

The smurfs: Who by the way just celebrated their 50 year anniversary a few weeks ago. Here they are: Baby smurf, Brainy, Cook smurf, Farmer smurf, Greedy, Handy, Harmony, Hefty, Jokey, Lazy smurf, Papa smurf, Poet smurf, Smurfette, and Vanity. You gotta love the pimp....papa smurf. Who was baby's smurfs daddy? They need to bring all the smurfs and Smurfette on the Maury show. What is up with only one girl around all those men? Living in shrooms? I think this cartoon was created when someone ate some "magic mushrooms" if you catch my drift. Who cares though, the smurfs along with the gummy bears where my two favorite cartoons growing up. My kids love the smurfs. You gotta love the evil Gargamel and his cat Azrael who just want to eat the smurfs and make weird potions all day.

Tom and Jerry: This is one of Cormac's favorite aside from Thomas and Friends. Nothing like watching a cat trying to commit first degree murder by way of cannibalism on an mouse who is trying to commit involuntary manslaughter by way of self defense. I love how they are silent cartoons with only the sound effect. Not very politically correct with Native Americans and African Americans though. I just watched one of them smoking "Peace Pipes" in a tee pee the other day.

These cartons however don't censor out religion and have lots of reference's to god and heaven which you won't find much on TV now days. I guess you gotta take the good with the bad:) Besides what's a little pipe smoking, first degree murder, and a cigarette smoking, male schovenistic pig gonna hurt my kids. I turned out OK, right?

E-lec-tricity

My daughter has just signed on to be the new spokes model for the new Public Service Announcements (PSA). Here is her poses for the one on electricity:She is saying, "Bad....no touch." She is quite the natural PSAer. You get the drift? If not here is a video to help you and your children understand electricity:

"Stroking a cat to make it purr, you building up static...e-lec-tricity." Hmmmmm so that's what you call it ;)

Spinning 101

I thought I would share the basic rules and techniques for spin class. If any of you are thinking about joining the gym for the new year, read this first to get one step ahead of the rest.

First of all, as of now my body hates me very much....or at least my legs do. They have not have a break in over two weeks, after snowboarding for 8 days, I then came home and got right to the gym on Monday. After 14 days of straight abuse, I did allow them to have Sunday off since it was a day of sabbath. But back to the gym ASAP this morning.

I am a young women who has baby weight to loose and here is my story:

Well This whole last week at the gym, I was unable to "get" into my spin classes because they were filled up to capacity, no bikes left. So I spent the whole week stratergizing and planning my attack on how to get in, as I exercised on the elliptical. You see after the New Year, all the nut brains with "New Years" resolutions pile in to the gym and bum rush you for about two months. By the end of February, those nut brains loosed their momentum and slowly slide back to donuts and coffee in the morning. They run out of my life at the "hamster cage".....leaving a place for me to bike on in one place, while I don't go anywhere.

In fact there are several times a year that these classes fill up. I know them all and stratigize ahead of time to get in. I just was out of town after the New Year, so I was off my game and couldn't get my spot reserved. Other times of the year you have to watch your back:

1. Every holiday. These days every teacher, state, federal, and county employee..along with a few other "chosen" ones have these days off and try to get in on my 9am turf. I however am one step ahead of them since my hubby is a government worker too. So I know ahead of time when to pay off the front desk lady to put me on the list.

2. Teacher holidays'. Yep the whole....spring break, summer break, thanksgiving break, and Christmas break. That is about 4 months a year. Sometimes I wonder if these people ever work? And let me tell ya, those teachers travel in packs and are ruthless when it comes to getting a bike. Like good students, they all have to be in the front row and fight over the fans.

3. Summer break. Teacher as stated previously, but then you got the college student who don't go home for the summer added with the ones who did come home. They crowd in and always show up late, and then try chiving for a spot....making class start late.

So the rules for getting into spin class:

1. You have to call and put your name on the "list"

2. You are only allowed to call and put your name on 3 days in

advance.

3. If you fail these first two set of rules, you then can be put on the "waiting list"

4. You have to be on your bike at least 5 minutes before the class starts or your bike may be given away.

5. If you are a personal trainer or instructor, you have to relinquish your bike to any gym member who may want one.

My one friend had to be at work at 5:30 am, so I would have her call around 4 am just to get are names on the list. And yes their are people who show up and hang out like vultures waiting for someone to not be on their bike 5 minutes before class starts. If you are lucky enough to get a bike you get there at least 15 minutes before class to claim it. You sit on the sucker and DON'T move. I don't care if the fire alarm goes off, you will find my charred body still sitting on my bike waiting for class to start.

Then you always have people who don't play by the rules and end up causing a scene, like the one we had today. First of all I broke one of my own rules, and forgot today was a holiday. I was one of the chosen "ones" to be on the list, but I wasn't prepared for the overcrowded drama. So I get there early, get my bike. All good to go, then the bikes all fill up as usual. So then of course there are people standing around that are on the "list " but don't have a bike. People know if they are on the list or not, but they will sit on their bike and not fess up. The instructor will have to start taking roll call, just like 1st grade.

I then realize, "Ohhh it is a holiday...doh!" People are so crazy, because the scabs still won't fess up and she then has to go around the room to confront these scabs. They always will lie and say, "No, I called and they put me on list." So then the people on the list always get mad and want a bike.....then we have a standoff. They throw dirty looks back and forth, us people on the list loudly stat, "Well I am on the list." So we don't get the dirty stares. So today a few people on the list gave up their bikes and so did the instructor. So then class started late, and we had to have a class with a teacher standing!

Then there is a WHOLE other blog about the "fan wars" that take place. You can only imagine how selfish some people can be. You wonder how they make it through life.

So needless to say, I only had to kill 3 people and run over a few in the parking lot last week to get in today. Us spinners are hard to run over too, since we can run fast. It was worth it to get in and sweat like a pig and burn 800+ calories in 45 minutes. Move over Kelly Ripa...MILF in training here I come.

Cropping all night long, till the Zip Dry is all gone

I went to a great crop last night at Crop Paper Scissor. I of course ran out of time and stayed up real late. Amazing how fast time will fly when you are scrap booking. We had great women and food. We enjoyed a great display of Chinese food that hit the spot. I finished 5 new layouts, and am slowly getting caught up!! My son is almost to his first birthday now:) I am slowly getting the hang of this scrap booking thing. Here are my layouts I did last night for Cormac's album:
Some of you ladies, and I won't mention any names, are is TROUBLE! You better come out and fess up. I may have to go next Saturday for another crop, since I am on a roll now. Let my scrap book fillith full!

Men are from Mars, and women live here on earth

You know the whole age long battle of men and women trying to figure each other out. About how we feel men just don't understand our "emotions" and they think we are too "sensitive. Or how we think men just don't think or care about anything, or anyone. Well,there is HOPE. I got this link in a email. It is pretty funny, and puts a different view on how to explain things. It goes into the difference on how men verses women's brains work. I thought I would share it with all you ladies out there who sometimes feel like jumping off a cliff. http://marriageresourcecenter.org/videogallery/4/med/VideoWidget8.htm

Enjoy!!!

Because I have never done one of these on my BLOG

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 5 items.You can only pick one thing from the following departments.. what is it?
1. Produce: Grapes
2. Bakery: Hawaiian rolls
3. Meat: New Your Steak
4. Frozen: Pizza
5. Dairy: Sour Cream

Let's say we're heading out for a weekend getaway.You're only allowed to bring 3 articles of clothing with you.So, what's in your bag?
1. Jeans
2. White t-shirt
3. Slip on's

If I was to listen in on your conversations throughout the day, what 5 phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?
1. Do you have to go pee pee or poo poo?
2. Don't push her!
3. You don't need anymore food Chloe!
4. What are you doing Cormac?
5. Serenity NOW!! Where's the keg.

So, what 3 things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn't get to do, you probably wouldn't be in the best mood?
1. Enjoy a little child free, nap time TV
2. Check my email
3. Go to the gym

We're talking a 3 hour block with nobody around. What 5 activities might we find you doing?
1. In spin class sweating
2. Watching my DVR'd shows
3. Reading my People magazine
4. Blogging
5. Talking to friends

We are going to the zoo. But, it looks like it could start storming, so it'll have to be a quick visit.What 3 exhibits do we have to get to?
1. Polar Bears
2. King Salmon
3. Giraffe

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on t.v. of your choice. You can pick between 4, so what are you deciding between?
1. Oprah
2. LOST
3. The Hills
4. Survivor

You're hungry for ice cream. I'll give you a triple dipper ice cream cone. What 3 flavors can I pile on for ya?
1. Cookies 'n' Cream
2. Vanilla
3. Those are the only two I eat

Somebody stole your purse/wallet…in order to get it back, you have to name 5 things you know are inside to claim it. So, what's in there?
1. Cell Phone
2. Kayu wallet
3. Checkbook
4. Dior sunglasses
5. Lip balm

You are at a job fair, and asked what areas you are interested in pursuing a career in. Let's pretend you have every talent and ability to be whatever you wanted, so what 4 careers would be fun for you?
1. Surgeon
2. Acting
3. Children's boutique owner
4. Anesthesiologists

If you could go back and talk to the old you, when you were in high school, and inform yourself of 4 things, what would you say?
1. Get to know all walks of life
2. Have more respect for your parents
3. Take more trips with friends
4. Take college courses instead of getting out early

Tag you are all it! Maybe you should run faster next time:0

Time to Cricut

It's HERE! Yeah, my cricut has finally arrived. I ordered it back in December and was ready to ship for at least a week........then UPS finally came. I was getting impatient to say the least. I can't wait to try it out. But first I must name it: it has to be a boy.......ummm Gavin. That is his name and he shall be referred to from now on as "Gavin the Great" Cricut. As some of you know, I name lots of things from my vehicles to my plants. Don't ask.

Some of you may be wondering what h*%$# is a cricut? It is a electronic cutter for scrap booking. You get different cartridges for it, and it will cut out all kind of letters, fonts and do-hickey's. I may have to go down to my friends store for her crop this Saturday at CPS and break Gavin in.

You all know the only reason I blog is for scrap booking purposes. GASP You mean I don't do it to have you all be amused with goings on's in my life? Sorry to break the news, but I am just trying to keep up with scrap booking. Since I don't want to start in the present and go back to the past. I am a newly converted scrapper, 6 months young. I want to be able to remember the present, so I blog it down. OK, I admit I also like entertaining all you yahoo's out there too:)

So below is some of my layouts I have done since I started a few months ago. Below is Cormac's album. I stared at the ultrasound, got him born and out of the hospital....that's it. I have a lot of catching up to do since he is 3!

My layouts

Sick Lord Louie

WARNINGS: FOLLOWING POST MAY CONTAIN GRAPHIC INFORMATION. NOT FOR THE FAINT OR SQUEAMISH OF STOMACHES. PLEASE ASK ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 12 TO LEAVE THE ROOM.
As if it never ends around here, I tell ya. So Louie got his round of India Antibiotics as stated in a previous blog, and his green eye goo cleared up. Then it came back right before our trip, along with sneezing boogers. His right eye looked swollen and was loosing hair around it. So he was going to the Vet's office to be kenneled anyway, so I had them give him a wellness check-up while he was incarcerated, cough, I mean stayed with them. So I am up enjoying my vacation and I get a call from Dr. A informing me my dog was definitely not well.

Well, let me back up. Our other dog Blitz passed away a few months age, and Louie has not been acting well since. He still eats and drinks, but has no energy and lays on his bed all day.Not too perky anymore. So I thought he had gotten a cold outside with Blitz. This topped with Blitz dying, lead to him acting depressed. So I decided to treat his infection and see if he perked up.

So Dr. A tells me he is not very energetic, and has goo coming out his eyes and nose. I told him I have been giving him antibiotics and antibiotic eye ointment. So he decides this may be symptoms of Anodes disease which is common in this breed. So he does the blood work, calls me back and lets me know that he doesn't have this disease.

Thanks goodness. So he may have a upper respiratory infection. Also he suffers from dry eye due to the fact that when he was a puppy he had "Cherry eye" and had to one tear gland removed from each eye......so that may be leading to his eyes "issues".

So I come home from my trip to find my new part time job, cough, I mean these medications that Louie will be taking:

1. Antibiotics (cephalexin) taken twice daily

2. Antibiotic eye ointment applied three times daily

3. Tear stimulant to help produce tears given twice daily, and will be on for the rest of his life.

Oh and of course he is sooo compliant.

I talked to Dr. A Monday to verify what was going on and let him know that all day yesterday I could not get that dog to move off his bed. He did get up once to eat and drink, but I had to forcibly drag him outside at midnight to go to the bathroom. I told him he had been like this since Blitz died. By which we decide to let the antibiotics run there course and then see how he feels. By which I then jokingly said, "Maybe he needs some Prozac." Which was followed by the rely, "Yes, I was going to bring that option up if he didn't do better." He told me that it works well on dogs. So my dog needs DRUGS! Poor thing may be depressed about loosing his buddy. So I guess maybe my dog will have to be my drug dealer.

Hey Louie I have had a bad day....can you hook a sista up?

Were outta beer, were outta here!

DAY 8:
Yep, that's right were hitting the road. It has been a good time and we have definitely made or mark...or cut in the mountain. We all stayed up late last night playing loaded questions and trying to eat all the food that was leftover, and drink all the rest off our stashes. Was a good time, and I can't wait till Schweitzer 2009!
Here is a picture just as we were taking off. Matt cleaned off enough snow to get to our racks and load up the boards. I hope next year blesses us with this much snow. Sure will be hard to live up to this snow next year.

Tired Legs

DAY 7:

OK, so now my legs are feeling it. Feeling sore from pushing all that heavy snow around for several days. I decided to take the morning off. The fog finally lifted and this is the view from our house:

This is the closet to heaven you can get people. The Pend Oreille lake was beautiful.

Some friends came up from Post Falls to hang out for the day, and our friend Amy got convinced to go out and try snowboarding for the second time. I volunteered to go give her a few lessons and hang out on he bunny hill with her since my legs needed a break. So we got her some gear, and off we went. She did so awesome. Probably the best I have seen besides the year I showed my dad how to snow board. He was a champ, he went all the way down and never fell.............well only once when I ran into him! So what friend would I be if I didn't show you some video of our friend Amy learning to snowboard:

I also took a picture of our suburban that has been parked the whole time we have been here. This is how much snow we have got since we have been here. Pretty soon it will be snowed in.

You can't even see our snowboard racsk anymore. This should be fun when it comes time to dig out........Matt.

It's a bird? It's a plane? No, it a....Abominable Snow-DAD

DAY 6:
I always spend 1 father-daughter day out on the hill with my dad and our Neighbor-friend Tarren. Who dares come every year and hang out with our family. When you live on a 3 mile gravel rode, you learn to become great friends with your neighbors. He is probably now on prescription Zoloft by now I would assume after several years of dealing with us:) He always entertains us all with his "flashy" outfits and wigs he wears on the slopes.

Guys are funner to hang out with anyways, and I get to spend quality time with my pops. This is the only sport we can do together, even though he ski's and I snowboard. If we weren't related, we would have to be enemies on the slopes. There has been a long-standing feud on the slopes like the Hatfield-McCoy's feud. I would have to board him over and he would have to hit me with a ski pole. However, since we are family we can co-exist.

So off us three go for the day, 2 men and a snow betty. I am glad I tagged along...so I was able to document the entertainment of the day. Due to huge amounts of snow, my dad got snow stuck in his bindings. He then proceeded to have a few good crashes, which instead of me helping him up....I was happy to take pictures instead. Sometimes in life you gotta make scarifies, people!

Before he could figure out what the deal was with his ski's, he was pretty irked. You see he never falls down. He had been skiing long enough that he never experiences this sort of thing. After about 4 of these good,"yard sales" we went to the backside lodge to have a beer and fix his ski's. Here are of few pictures of the Abominable Snow-DAD:
Here is one of Tarren's spills:Me playing in the powder, enjoying the entertainment:I was just recovering myself from whiplash. So I knew there pain. I used to think that helmets looked pretty gay. However, since suffering from a black eye one year and whiplash this year. I may be changing my thoughts, and buying one next year.

Sledding, snow caves, tunnels, and jumping off the house

DAY 5:

We took the afternoon to all play in the snow. Do any of you know how much energy it takes to get yourself ready and two kids with snow boots, pants, jacket, gloves, and hat? That in it's self at least burns 1000 calories. Here is me trying to get Chloe dressed while she was being a squirmy-wormy:She thought she was being pretty funny, meanwhile mommy was already breaking a sweat. So out we went and started Cormac out on his ski's for one last time to see how he had improved:

As you can imagine, Chloe just sat by eating snow and watched brother:

We then piled the kids on to the sled and let'em rip:They had a blast and Chloe never cried once. I thought for sure she would start getting cold and want to go in. She was a trooper and stayed out for a hour. I had to drag her in. But like any day in my family, fun in the snow starts out normal and then leads to having to up the anti ,or getting kicked out of a place for that matter.

Sledding led to digging snow caves and tunnels, which then lead to snowboarding off the roof of the house. Family motto: "If the cops aren't called, who's having fun?

Of course my brother Isaac spear heads most of the excitement. Cormac joined in and loved jumping of the deck saying, "Do again." He suffers from a problem known as NO FEAR! Just going to have to kept him away from my brothers as long as possible due to liability issues.

4 snow bunnies and 2 snow betty's

DAY 4:
Here is a view of the front of the house. I had to take a picture to show you all the snow we have been getting. Pretty soon the snow will reach the deck. We have all agreed that this is the most snow that we have seen up here in about 7 years. Thank goodness our driveway and entrances are heated, or we might be doing a lot of shoveling. We might never come home because we might be snowed in!Today was ladies day. All the women in the house decided to ban together and hit the hill. With all six of us in tow, we enjoyed a great day on the hill. All piled on to the 6 seater high speed Stella chairlift and enjoyed the view, and girl talk.

Matt took Cormac out on the hill to help him get stopping and turning down good. They played Fox and Hound down the hill to help with turning, and he made lots of Pizza' Slices for learning to stop. Here is a picture Matt snapped of then going up the magic carpet.

Ummmm, we have a situation here.......

DAY 3:
So I decided to go out snowboarding for the day with my sister, and my two nieces who are 12 and 6. She wanted help with the 6 year old, since this was here first year graduating off the bunny hill. She got to be a big girl and go on the backside with us. Little did I know that my negotiator skills would be exhausted by the end of the day.

All starts out well, we go to the backside and make a few runs. My niece is doing great. I am teaching her to turn. According to my sister she is going to fast, and is repeatably telling her to slow down. We stop at the backside lodge and I have a cold one by the fire pit and relax. Off we go again to hit a few more runs. Thus begins the "situation."

Down we go again, and my sister warns her to slow or she will be going back to the house. Thus begins my 6 year old nieces breakdown. She throws herself down and starts to cry. Of course us three are below her at least 100 feet. You don't ski up hill people. So there we sit while she throws a fit, helpless. This goes on for at least 30 minutes. By which I begin all my negotiating skills to no avail. The girl is not moving. We tried the threats, pleas and bribe. She is crying and alone so of course every passing skier stops thinking, this poor lonely, possibly injured girl. By which we always would have to say,"No she is with us." Even though a few times we thought, you can have her! I know that I am definitely not unstrapping and hiking all the way up there in the snow. We were close to a chair lift, and contemplated asking for a snowmobile to come out and get her.....which at this time had now refused to ski home, she is going to walk home she says and takes off her boots.

We try to explain to her that...that is impossible. This is not like the bunny hill where you can walk to the house, but we are FAR away and you have to ski out. My sister tells me.."Go get that guy and tell him we need a snowmobile." By which I reply,"no..you are going to have to take off your ski's and hike up and get her." This was already embarrassing enough, let alone having to get the snowmobile. She hiked up and after a few minutes we got her to agree to ski back. This all took about 40 minutes. By which point my sister said, " I need to go back to the house and drink a fifth." Off we went.

Cormac hits the slopes!

DAY 2:

This is our first sunrise

While my parents, Matt, and Cormac sat in the hot tub in the morning to soak their muscles before they hit the slopes, I took this picture of the beautiful sunrise. So I got Cormac signed up for his private Ski lesson and to hang out in the daycare for a hour before. While everyone else hit the mountain, I took the day to get Cormac situated. We went to fit him for his ski's, and he was sooooo excited to get out their and go. He was being a ham to the lady who was fitting him. Every time she asked him a question, he would be real coy. I think she asked him several times, "Can you wiggle your toes?" He would then just giggle and smile.

We got him fitted and took in him to the daycare, and away he ran! Not scared or needing me I guess. I signed the release and away we went. After all, I thought what kind of trouble could Cormac get into on the slopes? I probably should have had them sign a release....not me.

So I came back to the "Magic Carpet" half way into his lessons to watch and film. We told the ski instructor that we would like him to "graduate" to ski school. It cost $85 a hour for private lessons verses $35 for group. You have to be at least 4 years old though to get into the group, but since he already had a year under his belt, they thought he might be able to. You do the math.

In true Cormac form, when I showed up he was rocking the magic carpet. He was having a blast with Brian, his instructor. I listened as he kept trying to convince Brian that he need to go on the musical chairs chair life, and go down the bunny hill. The reply was "not yet." Little did Brian know, but we took him down there last year. He then proceeded to to point up the mountain and proclaim that he need to go up there. Baby steps my dear! Here are some pictures. He cried when his lesson was over and I had to take him home. Brian was really amazed at how well he did and was going to take him down the bunny hill, but we ran out of time.

I then got to go back and sit in the hot tub and soak with my sister and nieces. We all took turns jumping in the snow, and seeing who could go the farthest.