A Winter of Olympic Proportions

The Winter Olympics may be over, but we are still inspired by the athletes.  The weather has finally been nice enough that we have been able to get outside and enjoy some fresh air and outdoor activity!  Part in keeping with our resolution to become more active, and part because the chidren are behaving like wild bush babies from being cooped up indoors all winter, our exercise routine is now winter-sportin' it up!

A couple weeks back we drove past our favorite city park (about 4 blocks from home) which we frequented during the summer months. We discovered that they maintain these 2 really great skating rinks (plus a warming house!)  So 2-3 nights/week and usually twice on weekends, we'd bundle the kids in the snowsuits, lace up, and hit the ice!  The Princess is really picking it up quickly, and Jordan has found a new sport to love.  We've even taken Lil' Man in his stroller or toddler sled -- he loves it!  I've enjoyed skating for years but it's even more fun now that I have people to share it with!  Friday night we even took some friends from work -- one from India, one from Japan -- who had never gone before, and I think we might even have some new skating fans on our hands?! 

The kiddos on their way to the skating rink on a beautiful Saturday afternoon!

The pairs skating competition heats up...

Mom (not quite Olympic material) and Lil' Man (future bobsledder)?

But perhaps my favorite winter activity (no Seth, not sledding.  NEVER sledding.) is skiing.  We used to live 5 miles from the nearest slope, now we live 110 miles from... well, I suppose it qualifies as a "slope".  So this afternoon as part of our "girls' night" series, The Princess and I went skiing!  I was a bit nervous... I haven't skiied in 2 years, and actually, neither has she (21 months old her first trip down on skis!)  We had an absolute BLAST!  The Princess got the hang of it almost instantly and off she went down the bunny slope, 89 times (give or take)!  She was a big brave girl and decided to try one chairlift run with Mommy, too she was awesome!  We had a great run, with only one 'biff' each.  What a wonderful way to spend a gorgeous winter day with my girlie!

Watch out, Lindsey Vonn...

Hangin With the Baby Dude

I got the pleasure of spending four whole days with my baby boy this weekend!  Jordan & The Princess went to visit Grandma this weekend so Lil' Man & I spent the weekend together, napping, playing 'ba', eating Cheerios, and just hanging out.  It's been so different with baby #2, mostly because I'm working full time with this one and also because I'm not able to devote 100% of my attention to just one kid.  I often feel like I don't get to spend enough time with either kid so I really relish the one-on-one time I get with each of them.  I absolutely love watching their little personalities blossom!  We had tons of fun but I am exhausted --even though he is a great sleeper, he ran me ragged!  Pulling everything out of the kitchen cupboards is a new pastime; and crawling away to go hide from Mommy whenever she turns around is his favorite new game (of which Mommy is not exactly a fan, as it invokes a panic when she can't spot him at all times)

Anyway, here are some pics from our weekend together...

Rockin' the faux-hawk.

Top Chef in the making?

They both sortof have that same astonished google-eyed look, don't they?!

Words

Diets are boring.  -5 pounds in 2 weeks, still enjoying the elliptical, blah blah blah. Now on to much more interesting stuff:  Words.

Baby Man said his first word at a few days shy of 9 months: "ball" (or rather, "ba! ba!").  We're so proud!  But that was last week's news.  This week's new word is Dada, though I'm not fully convinced he's saying "Daddy" or just toying with new sounds!  Jordan is of course certain he is.  He also says makes a "t" sound whenever the kitty wanders by (his name is Tweek) so we're not sure if he's saying "caT" or "Tweek" but it sure is cute. I absolutely LOVE this age, where new words start to roll out on almost a daily basis.  Can't believe how quickly that crept up on me!

As for The Princess, words have not stopped flowing from her mouth since she said her first words at about the same age.  She has an enormous vocabulary for a kid her age, and is never afraid to 'test drive' new words.  For example, her most recent addition to her verbal arsenal.   But her new word is something we're not quite as excited about:  "sh*tload".  Used in a sentence:  "Mommy, there's a sh*tload of kids in that pool!"  Now, while her statement was not entirely untrue, we have advised that this is not an appropriate word for little sweet girls say and should not be repeated.  To which she replied, "Is 'buttload' okay then?"     *sigh*

Like my mom says, I totally deserve that child...