Beer. It's What's for Easter.

The boys and some friends enjoying a little apres ski on Easter Sunday.

I'm kidding, of course. They didn't drink beer. They did shots.

Kidding again. We would never let them do shots on Easter.

We woke up to this:


But later it cleared and we headed to the mountain, met up with some friends, and spent the day skiing.

Finn was crabby. Found out later he was getting sick. We made him keep skiing because we want our kids to be tough mountain kids. And we're clueless. And we wanted to stay until it was s'more making time at the fire pit.


We made it to the fire pit. The kids made s'mores. I ate 4 homemade gourmet marshmellows (toffee x2, vanilla bean, kahlua). I didn't drink any beer because I didn't want to ruin my preparation for my detox food plan I was starting on Monday. Apparently I didn't feel the marshmellows would be a problem.

Preparing for Easter, the day before.



We're now busy eating a lot of hardboiled eggs. Well, not me, because I'm trying to be a gluten-free vegan for the next two weeks. I'll report back on how that goes. I've discovered it's really hard to be a gluten-free vegan when you decide to make brownies for teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. Let alone the week after Easter.


Hunting for eggs. Note the hockey bag in the background. It's usually packed away by this time of year. This year's a little different. More on that later. . .




Here's the view out the back door this morning.


At least it didn't happen on April Fool's Day.

Waiting for the Onslaught

Tonight Declan has invited 8 friends for a birthday (late) sleepover. I thought maybe 5 would be able to come. So far 7 are coming. I don't know what the deal is with the other kid's parents who maybe didn't know what RSVP stood for? I'm just guessing. I wonder if he'll show up un-RSVP'd?

Anyway, I'm feeling a little nervous. I originally thought I'd take them to the park for awhile to run off some energy. Over the course of today we have received 6 inches of the wettest, heaviest snow ever. As a result, I feel uncompelled to have 10 (the party kids, Declan, Finn and a friend for Finn) kids go out into the wet, heavy snow and then return to the house. Since pitching a tent in the backyard and having them sleep out there isn't feasible in this weather, I think I'll just lock them in the basement until tomorrow morning.

I might have to blog over the course of the evening and let you know what happened. That's if I have the time to blog. I still have to decorate the birthday cake. And do some picking up around here.

As a parting shot, when I arrived in the employee parking lot at the base of the resort at 7:30 am this morning, there was a little bit of light snow falling. When I returned to my car at noon, I found this:


The snow was level with the bottom of the car. I had to shovel a path to drive the car out of the parking space. I'm glad Eamonn had the foresight to put a shovel in my car last week before all of our spring storms. I would have had issues today if not for the shovel.

Same Story, Different Year

March 31, 2008



April 1, 2009



I think this robin is in shock. It fell over dead right after I took this.

Just kidding.

Dear Mother Nature,

March 26, 2009--noon

Dear Mother Nature,
Remember how sad I was in January, February, and even early March when you didn't make it snow in the mountains? OK, you did send some snow to the resorts, I'll give you that, but it wasn't really enough to make the skiing great. I would have given anything for a couple of powder sprinkles here and there and even at our elevation. I hate early thaws that let the nasty brown grass and all of the road grit show. It's just dirty looking and I can't stand it.

Over time I started to accept that fact that we were just weren't going to have much snow after all and that it would be an early spring. I decided I was ready for the warmth of summer. I'm sick of the kids being sick. We just need a good heat wave now to dry up all of the germs that have been festering all winter long.

So when the meteorologists started talking about a snowstorm for yesterday and today, I didn't really pay much attention. That has happened multiple times this winter--the promise of snow, my hopes up only to be dashed with the storm missing us yet again.

The drive to Denver yesterday had its dicey moments, but by the time we hit Georgetown, things were clear and dry. Over the course of the afternoon, which we were able to spend at an outdoor museum, the wind picked up, the temperature dropped, and we headed to. . .Chuck E. Cheese. I know, this goes against all I stand for, and yet, I did it anyway.

The news people said you would do it, Mother Nature, but I didn't believe them. So many times this winter they said you would send a storm, and yet, you did not. So when The Worst Storm of the Season was predicted, I was a doubter. Eight to 12 inches in Denver, they announced. Measuring it in feet in the mountains, they warned. But frankly, I didn't really hear all of that until I was already in Denver. I'd been in Utah after all and was out of the weather loop.

When we woke up this morning, there was a mere sprinkling of snow. Ha, I thought. You call that a storm? We went to breakfast and then prepared to head out. And there it was. The Worst Storm of the Season had actually started and you weren't messing around this time. In fact, after about an hour of heavy snow and high winds, it became readily apparent that we would be held hostage in Denver for the next day. Hopefully no more than that.

We're holed up in a hotel in Littleton. Fortunately there is a pool. Unfortunately, the room is very small. All they want to do is eat. This could get ugly.

So, Mother Nature, while I would have wished this to happen much earlier in the year, I'll not harp on and on about it. I'm mildly inconvenienced, but am glad that I didn't actually start the drive home and get stranded so that I had to sleep in a shelter along the way somewhere. This is great news for the resorts and hopefully it will bring people to the mountain.

I'll also be grateful for the nice day we had yesterday. Could any two days be more different?

Anyway, sorry to bend your ear, but I think it's time for spring. For real. You waited too long and missed your chance, so let's just get on with it, OK?

Sincerely,
Natalie


I am delighted to discover Little House on the Prairie dolls in the museum gift shop. I didn't purchase them, however.


Heading through the outdoor life museum in Littleton. It's sort of like a mini Ohio Village for those of you who live in Columbus.


A farm friend.


Checking out the outhouse.


Lambing season is here. Just in time for Easter dinner. Kidding. I'm totally kidding. Maybe. "Sonny, true love is the greatest thing, in the world-except for a nice MLT - mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe." Name that movie.










This turkey kept trying to peck my lens. I think their heads are kind of freaky.


Looks like spring to me. Or not.

Springtime in the Rockies

I don't know all of the actual words to the song that goes, "When it's springtime in the Rockies, I am coming back to you. . ." It just reminds me of my parents watching The Lawrence Welk Show on Saturday nights when I was little (followed by Emergency--hello, Randolph Mantooth). But was this what they were singing about?







Because somehow I pictured green grass, blooming flowers, and blue skies. Anyway, for those who want to engage in spring skiing, this is actually a sight to behold. For those who are ready for spring--not so much.


All About Declan
I love it when I can have a huge post about Declan. When your brother has cancer, sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes, you might have to blend into the background a little. You don't really want to, but stuff goes on and you sort of get the shaft. Your parents don't mean to, but sometimes it just happens.

Last Saturday, March 8th, was a day that was All About Declan. It was his last day of the Snowboard Outreach Society program that he did this winter. For five weeks this winter, Declan got up at 6:30am on a Saturday morning, which is earlier than he even gets up to go to school, and go with a group of kids from his school and one other school, and learn to snowboard. He had been dying to learn, and frankly, from what I've seen, he's now a convert. I wonder how many times we'll actually ever see him on skiis again?

Anyway,last Saturday was the last day of SOS and parents were invited to go, too. So Eamonn and Declan sent the day in Vail--Eamonn on skiis, Declan on a snowboard. Then Finn and I came to Vail as well for the "graduation" ceremony. A day of snowboarding with your dad, pizza for lunch on the slopes, a graduation ceremoney, all the cake you can eat, and then your mom sitting in the audience snapping pictures of you and clapping her hands every time you say something clever. That's a day all about you. And I'm glad for him when it happens.



Getting ready to ride



Work it, kid, work it


I didn't realize how much smaller Declan was than all of the other kids in his group. He went into an older group so he could be with Garvin. But then Garvin hit a tree on the first day of SOS and was never able to rejoin the group, leaving Declan on his own with the older kids. He made it!


Gabby, Declan's instructor, is telling the group about Declan's determination to stay with the older kids. He's eating it up. Nothing like being the center of attention. Ham.


The whole riotous gang


Declan and Gabby

Below are two video clips where you can actually see Declan snowboarding. Eamonn is trying to ski and film at the same time so don't watch these if you just ate. Or if you get motion sickness easily.





So now that I think about it, today has been all about Declan, too. He's had his birthday party tonight at the bowling alley arcade. We're having it early since his birthday falls during spring break. Because who wants to have a birthday party where no one shows up? I guess this would be infinitely cheaper for us as parents--no need to have so many quarters in my pockets that my pants fall down, but a bummer for Declan. So there you have it. A post all about Declan.

Oh grrr. Those clips aren't showing up. Angst. Angst. Angst.