more skiing

Who would have known that Reuel would get an email the last day of our ski trip from a U of I friend who was coming to New England this weekend and asking Reuel to go skiing with him while he's in town, just 3 days after our return.  Of course the last thing I personally needed was this weekend alone with the kids meaning no rest for the weary before the onset of the following work week.  But what wife of such a wonderfully giving husband who never puts himself first could refuse?!  So Reuel is in Vermont right now shushing down a mountain and will get back tomorrow late afternoon.

This morning, when I brought Owen downstairs...
'Mommy, where's Daddy?'
Well, he and Mr. Danny left early this morning and took a trip.  They are driving to the mountains and spending some time together there [I didn't want to say the word skiing for fear Owen would be heartbroken that he wasn't included].
[pause for thought]  'Is Daddy on a date with Mr. Danny?'
Well, no, not a date.  They are just going to spend some time seeing the mountains.
[more pause] 'Mommy, are they going skiing?'
Umm Owen...yeah.
'Ok Mommy, they can wear their boots and helmets and goggles and skis and mittens together.'

We took our own little vacation and went to a new indoor playground this morning.  It was fantastic!  Well, it would have been fantastic if it hadn't been the last weekend of school vacation week.  When we got there the door was locked with a sign that it was full, please wait 10-15 minutes before being able to enter.  Ugh.  I would have found something else to do but how do you break that news to a kid now glued to the window watching the fun inside.  And in the end, we were there late enough in the morning that the crowds were on the wane and it was at least tolerable (as long as we didn't acquire a bad bug...I'll revise the statement in 3 days).  I've never seen Owen play so hard!  There was a race track with tons of ride-on cars and after a few laps watching the other kids really fly around the track while he scooted only with great effort, he learned quickly and was speeding by and crashing just like all the others.  Then he tackled the climbing wall (quite high and he was fearless...I was not, but forced myself not to hover) and the big spiral slide, then the two giant bouncers.  When he goes to slide down anything these days he never sits on his bum to push off.  Rather, he jumps and throws his whole body into the air in order to initiate some forward velocity before he even starts downhill.  He did this all morning, and it led to some pretty spectacular slides/tumbles down the air bouncers.  He giggled and squealed the whole tumble-bumble way.  It was cute, but I was really debating whether I needed to put a stop to it.  It was a tough judgment call, but he seemed to be pretty well in control.  After about an hour and a half of full-tilt play he came up to me, took his shoes off the stroller and said, 'Mommy I need to have lunch and go home.'  He was tired!  He's taking a NAP now, testament to the activity level.  Very fun morning!  Asher on the other hand was so completely wound up after being there...I think he was just a *leeeetle* bit overstimulated.  He didn't fall asleep at his naptime in the car on the way home for the first time.  I hope that was an anomaly!!

Owen has been saying a ton of hilarious things lately but it seems that unless I write them down immediately I lose them forever.  I sat down to try to recall some, but I can't come up with even one!!

Baby awaking...then swimming lessons for Owen (on the one day he's napping of course!  I'll probably have to wake him early.)