Catching Up

In eleven years of blogging this is the least I have ever posted! I looked at the number of posts on the blog for this year and was somewhat surprised to see that I have only posted eighteen times. At the same time I wasn't all that surprised either. I am sure this would be the case if I was still home full time as so much has shifted this year with two teenagers among us. I suppose it's the normal order of things really. There is not an age or a stage that I haven't loved (though age four did leave something to be desired) and I am glad that I have recorded so much of their growing up years here. Over the last couple of years I have often wondered about the need for this space. Does anyone even read blogs anymore? I have no idea, but I do like having a record of our days for myself so I continue on. 

Let's get caught up, shall we?! 

This picture was taken back in February and I had all intentions of posting it back then but somehow life got in the way (as seems to be the norm lately). Not quite a month late, but pretty close! 

The increase in daylight hours (and warmer weather) has our hens laying up a storm! We are getting four to five eggs daily (from our five hens)! I can't believe they will be a year old soon. They have been a joy and a true bright spot during this pandemic! 

Winter Sundays are spent at the mountain and this year was no exception! The only thing that really changed about Sundays thanks to Covid was the girls don't go up with Dave. Instead I bring them. It's been lovely to have that time with them (and then on the way home I chat with my mom)! It's a sweet Sunday routine that we are all going to miss now that the season is winding down). 

Grace sculpted this out of clay for her anatomy class. Seasons of Seven Virtual (Waldorf) School continues to be such a total blessing to us. The girls have done so well and we continue to be amazed at what they do each day! The transition to Seasons of Seven was pretty seamless as it's so incredibly  similar to how we have rolled all these years as it was started by the woman who wrote the curriculum we have used since the girls were little (just now with classmates)! 

This past Friday was dance team dress rehearsal. I took exactly two pictures (both involving this gorgeous costume). The girls performed their duo for the first time in front of our dance family and blew people away! Though I took a video (and some have seen it) I will share it here after the competition season has gotten underway! 

Dress rehearsal was so much fun! One year ago we didn't even make it to dress rehersal as Covid had shut everything down right before. Seeing them running through their dances was a little bit of "normal" returned to us. And while I do so hope that the "new normal" that will arrive post-Covid has people making changes and not returning to their frenzied lives (and the world continuing to stay peaceful like it has been so Mother Earth can continue to heal) it was nice to see the girls all together again like this! 

On Saturday we met up with Frank and Brady. They had come to Boston to celebrate Brady's birthday and invited us to join them for lunch. It was one of the few times that we have dined in a restaurant in the last year and it was the first time we had gathered with people who live out of state. It was wonderful to get to spend the afternoon catching up with them. It wasn't nearly long enough of a visit but we were grateful for the time we got to spend together! Until next time, dear friends! xo 

The Ultimate Birthday Surprise

Yesterday we pulled off the ultimate birthday surprise for Emma! With her birthday being a Sunday and Sunday being ski team, we had decided weeks ago that I would come up around 4:30pm and we'd have her birthday dinner there. A few weeks ago David said to me that we should get her skis for her birthday and that after dinner that day we could head to the ski shop and she could choose them and then have them ready to use the following week. A little over a week ago I said that we should do one better and have them ready for her to use ON her birthday. He loved that idea however, we'd need to sneak one of her boots out to make that happen. We decided that we'd run to Wachusett right then, telling the girls that we were off to do errands and we'd be back later.

When we go to the ski shop we found the skis and let the staff in on the plan (which they loved). We paid for the skis, bought two cider doughnuts and set off for home. During that drive we hatched the plan on how to pull this off.

Our plan (and hope) was that she wouldn't figure out any sooner than maybe Saturday night that one of her boots was missing. We would say things like "Emma, how did you loose a boot?!" or "See this is why I am always saying that ya'll need to put things back where they go." It was also decided that I would drive everyone up at 6:30am so that we "didn't have two cars there." We looped Grace in to the plan and began to hope that we could pull this off without a hitch!

Yesterday, we got to the mountain a little after 7:00am. Dave got out, Emma got out, Grace was taking a little longer (not surprising). Dave has a mat that they use for changing in and out of boots that he puts down near the car and they begin to get boots on. All of a sudden Emma says: "How do I only have one boot?!" and Dave replies: "What do you mean you only have one boot?" At this point Grace and I both get out of the car and look at her as her mind is boogled. I said "well, lets see if we can rent ONE boot!" knowing full well we can't. Dave replies that he needs to pick something up at the ski shop before we head to rentals. Emma grabs her skis and she and I head over to put them down and wait for David and Grace. On our walk over, Emma tells me that she really needs new skis for next year because her current ones are way too short. As we stand and wait for the others to arrive she is still perplexed..."I just don't know where that boot went. I know I brought it home. Maybe it's in Daddy's car???"

Dave and Grace arrive, he makes some more "dad comments" tells her to grab her one boot and we head in. He sends her over to go wait as he picks up the thing, then calls her over. She arrives and the staff have the two boots next to each other and the new set of skis. The staff, Dave, Grace and I wish her "happy birthday" and she then realizes what's happened and is blown away! Brand new skis on this gorgeous bluebird day for her thirteenth birthday! What could be better for a skier born in February?!

The pictures at the top of this post have been lightened so that Emma and her smile could be more easily seen. The pictures below are the straight-out-of iPhone ones. I kept them because I love how they show so perfectly how beautifully blue the sky was yesterday! xo

View From The Rear View Mirror

 

Captured this moment as the girls were getting their stuff together to head to ski team. Gorgeous day to be on the mountain (and pretty impressive picture captured by my iPhone through the rearview mirror)! xo