Day +990: Seattle Visit
Happy New Year to everyone! The kids and I celebrated the new year with a trip to Washington to see Grandma and Grandpa, Auntie Kari, Uncle Steve and Cousin Carmen. I had a business trip to Seattle, and after checking with everyone, decided it would be feasible and fun to bring the kids! Keri was looking forward to a weekend alone to recharge, and my family was available to help out with the kids. It was really fun. We flew up Thursday morning into the teeth of a storm and spent the rest of the day Kari & Steve & Carmen's. Friday I had business meetings all day, but the rest of the family hung out together and had a great time. Saturday we all went skiing at Stevens Pass. We rented skis for Mina and Isaac put on the strap-on skis for a while, but we also rented a pulk, which is a kind of sled that he could sit in while I pulled him. Last year I ended up pulling both Mina and Isaac in the pulk, but this time Mina was determined to ski. "I'm NOT going to get in the pulk!" she declared. And she didn't. She skied for almost two hours, with Grandma Judy and Auntie Kari skiing beside her. Carmen is a good skier now, so she and Steve were long gone. Isaac loved sitting in the pulk, but I had to keep going to keep him entertained so I didn't get to ski with Mina at all. When we got to the little warming tent and were ready to head back down he wanted to put the skis back on, so I put them on him and he skied about 50 yards before he wanted back in the pulk. It was starting to get late so we had to head back toward the car, and he was very sad. He was tired from having missed his nap, but he really wanted to stay in the pulk! It's good that they had so much fun. We're all flying up in February for a 3-day weekend in the Methow, so they'll have the fun memories of skiing.
Isaac passed out in the car on the way back down and I thought for sure Mina was going to as well, but she rode back in Carmen's car and she made it all the way home. Carmen's birthday was coming up, and Kari and Steve had planned a little celebration for her that night which Mina didn't want to miss. Mina said she wanted to stay awake for "a healthy dinner and the birthday party. You need a healthy dinner!" She didn't want to miss the birthday cake, that's for sure. Mina also got fudge and hot chocolate, and the next day Grandma Judy gave her a gingerbread man she and Carmen had baked. Mina's comment was "I got lots of tweats this weekend!"
Isaac was fascinated by the airplane, of course. He wanted to know everything about it, and he was really excited when it finally came time for the plane "to go faster and faster and faster until it goes up in the air." I still remember last year at Christmas when Keri had to stuff him into his seat so the plane could taxi away from the gate -- he thought he was going to get to fly the plane and was screaming at the top of his lungs "No, I'm the pilot, I'm the PILOT!!!" This year the kids were so excited that they talked nonstop from the time we left the house at 7:30 until we finally got to Carmen's house about 1:30, but even so it was still a lot easier this year. Isaac played airplane all weekend at Carmen's house. He would strap everyone in to their seat belts then go around and turn off all the lights so the plane could take off.
Keri enjoyed her weekend as well. She did a lot of cleaning and organizing, and went out a couple of evenings with her girlfriends. When we got back on Sunday, her comment was "Next time you should go for a week."
The kids were back in school this week, and they were happy about it. They've been in great moods all week. Friday they went for the first of many field trips they're going to do this year. This one was just for a simple hike in Glen Canyon. Mina was really upset when she found out they weren't going to be at school, but she ended up having a ball and is looking forward to doing it again next Friday. We thought they were probably enjoying being back at school so much that they didn't want a break in the routine already.
We're still working through the Christmas presents. Mina has not yet opened her present with the stuffed puppy, and Isaac still hasn't opened the one with the drum kit. He keeps saying he hopes it's a bass drum and a cymbal and a stool to sit on, but they've been really patient. We're kind of waiting for the right time, perhaps a lull in their play that indicates they're ready for an infusion of new toys. But I don't know how much longer we are going to be able to hold out. One present Isaac loves is a book I bought him called "Jazz on a Saturday Night". It's a picture book with paintings of famous jazz musicians jamming together at a club on a Saturday night. We read it almost every night, and Isaac always has a lot to say about it. The other night he was looking at the picture of the audience watching the musicians, and he said "I wish WE were in there!" We need to figure out how to take the kids to more live music. It's hard when they go to bed at 6:30, though.
Isaac passed out in the car on the way back down and I thought for sure Mina was going to as well, but she rode back in Carmen's car and she made it all the way home. Carmen's birthday was coming up, and Kari and Steve had planned a little celebration for her that night which Mina didn't want to miss. Mina said she wanted to stay awake for "a healthy dinner and the birthday party. You need a healthy dinner!" She didn't want to miss the birthday cake, that's for sure. Mina also got fudge and hot chocolate, and the next day Grandma Judy gave her a gingerbread man she and Carmen had baked. Mina's comment was "I got lots of tweats this weekend!"
Isaac was fascinated by the airplane, of course. He wanted to know everything about it, and he was really excited when it finally came time for the plane "to go faster and faster and faster until it goes up in the air." I still remember last year at Christmas when Keri had to stuff him into his seat so the plane could taxi away from the gate -- he thought he was going to get to fly the plane and was screaming at the top of his lungs "No, I'm the pilot, I'm the PILOT!!!" This year the kids were so excited that they talked nonstop from the time we left the house at 7:30 until we finally got to Carmen's house about 1:30, but even so it was still a lot easier this year. Isaac played airplane all weekend at Carmen's house. He would strap everyone in to their seat belts then go around and turn off all the lights so the plane could take off.
Keri enjoyed her weekend as well. She did a lot of cleaning and organizing, and went out a couple of evenings with her girlfriends. When we got back on Sunday, her comment was "Next time you should go for a week."
The kids were back in school this week, and they were happy about it. They've been in great moods all week. Friday they went for the first of many field trips they're going to do this year. This one was just for a simple hike in Glen Canyon. Mina was really upset when she found out they weren't going to be at school, but she ended up having a ball and is looking forward to doing it again next Friday. We thought they were probably enjoying being back at school so much that they didn't want a break in the routine already.
We're still working through the Christmas presents. Mina has not yet opened her present with the stuffed puppy, and Isaac still hasn't opened the one with the drum kit. He keeps saying he hopes it's a bass drum and a cymbal and a stool to sit on, but they've been really patient. We're kind of waiting for the right time, perhaps a lull in their play that indicates they're ready for an infusion of new toys. But I don't know how much longer we are going to be able to hold out. One present Isaac loves is a book I bought him called "Jazz on a Saturday Night". It's a picture book with paintings of famous jazz musicians jamming together at a club on a Saturday night. We read it almost every night, and Isaac always has a lot to say about it. The other night he was looking at the picture of the audience watching the musicians, and he said "I wish WE were in there!" We need to figure out how to take the kids to more live music. It's hard when they go to bed at 6:30, though.
posted by Arne Olson @ 9:33 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home