Skiing again...

On Saturday after Thanksgiving, we went skiing again. The kids wanted to show Gee and Pops what they had learned. Justin was working, so I was very reluctant to go without him. I must say, skiing has a new meaning when you go with three kids, versus the trips you take in college with your friends. It is such work, and I was completely exhausted on Saturday night. I honestly do not remember getting in my bed that night.

Claire and Braden learned to get on the lift, so we were able to ski the green slopes. They did GREAT!!! We saw some of Justin's friends on the mountain. They reported to Justin how "fearless" Claire and Braden were coming down the slopes. Kids learn this sport so quickly.

More Thanksgiving...

My theme for thanksgiving was "I was NOT dreaming of a white Thanksgiving." We had quite a bit of snow on Thanksgiving. It was very cold, i.e. less than twenty degrees.

We did have a great holiday. We had several friends join us for dinner, and the kids were very well behaved. It was one of the best days we have had in Colorado!

Martha Stewart Can't do this!!

Please know that I do not mean any disrespect or harm toward my idol, Martha Stewart. I LOVE her; however, I KNOW she can't do this. What I mean is you should have seen the "help" I had cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Claire, Braden, and Drew were "all in my business" while trying to cook. They had such a great time, and surprisingly, everything turned out ok, without foreign objects appearing in the food. LOL!! The kids helped in every dish. Their favorite was cutting out the leaves and pumpkins for the pumpkin pie. Aren't they cute. (On that note, I have to plug the gadget from Williams-Sonoma that we used. It was this cool pastry cutter that comes in a set of four. It was fabulous and the kids had fun using it. I highly recommend it).

I also have to mention that I kept waiting on someone to appear with the little dishes that had the ingredients pre-measured where all we had to do was dump the items in the bowl. Where do you get those people? I need a Wes and Angie like Martha has in her kitchen.

Seriously, I do not think Martha could have cooked Thanksgiving dinner while entertaining three kids. I felt very accomplished when we were finished...as did the kids.

WHY DO WE DO THIS?

How about "Have a 'rockin' Christmas"?
At this point we were thinking about omiting Drew from the picture and maybe drawing him in with a pencil.

The greeting for the picture above could be "Drew picked this card for you to wish you a Happy Holiday." The worst part is that in the following picture, please notice the position of his finger. We have caught him picking the booger and then eating it on film. What a memory!!!

My mom has been here visiting for the past two weeks. During her visit, my plan was to get as prepared for Christmas as possible, i.e. shopping, decorating, and...the dreaded Christmas card picture. Seriously, that is one of my greatest obstacles every year. It is a feat to get three kids, fed, dressed, and napped in an attempt to get the perfect Christmas picture.

Have you every thought about the concept of the Christmas picture? Honestly, we are trying to send out a little P.R. for our family each year. This picture is to portray the perfect family, living their perfect life, in their perfect house, in Pleasant Valley, on Happy Lane, etc... WELL, as I have mentioned before, we are no June and Ward Cleaver, and Wally and "the Beav" are not our children.

I am going to provide you with a little sample of my success (or lack thereof) in acheiving the perfect picture. Imagine me rolling on the ground to get the right angle, threatening my kids within an inch of their life to smile and to look like they love each other!!! What a pleasant experience. Mind you all of this was performed in front of a park full of people, quietly enjoying their Sunday morning...until the Seales arrived.

Skiing

The first opportunity that Justin's schedule would allow, we took the kids to the mountains to learn to ski. It was early (November 10), so there was not a crowd. The kids were able to have their own ski instructor because there were so few kids there that day.

Braden learned to ski on his third attempt. It was humerous because he was the one who did not want to go. He cried as we were walking to the slopes because he didn't want to do it. After he learned, he was "hooked." He loves it!

Claire learned very quickly also. Initially, she was a little frustrated. In true "Claire fashion", she felt that she should have been an expert skier on her first attempt. Of course she had to learn, which did not fit into her plan. She ended up doing very well.

Drew, well, that is where the story begins. He loved it!! He learned very quickly to ski; however, he failed to learn the important detail of stopping. We would have to stand at the bottom of the hill and let him impale us. Justin took the majority of the "hits," and he was very sore from it at the end of the day. In fact, he had something in his shirt pocket that was completely bent at the end of the day from the impact of Drew. It was so funny!! Drew would get to the top of the slope and point his skis toward the bottom. He would then race, as quickly as possible, to the bottom...smiling ear-to-ear. He would then slam into Justin or me to stop. Crazy kid!!

More Halloween pictures...

Here are more pictures from Halloween.

HALLOWEEN

We had a great night on Halloween. Claire was a "movie-star witch." Braden was a pirate, and Drew was the red power ranger. Braden was going to be the green power ranger, but he later decided...after we had bought the green power ranger costume...that that was too "baby" and the kids might make fun of him, so he changed to a pirate. Justin was dressed as a tired, over-worked, orthopaedic fellow. Isn't his costume authentic?

Braden's class did a Halloween program. He did a great job. He had a speaking part, and performed beautifully. I was very proud of him. After the program, he joined the rest of the school for the parade around the neighborhood. It was fun to see the kids (and adults) in their costumes. Claire's teacher dressed as Snow White. Isn't she cute?

Catching up..

I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted. I definitely need to "catch-up." It may seem as if I have fallen from the face of the earth. Believe me, if that had been a choice over the last month, I may have taken my babies and jumped. LOL!

Since the last post, we have experienced a lot of "adventures" in Colorado. Halloween was a great night. (I will post pictures later). One of our friends (yes, we have maybe two friends in this lovely state), had a Halloween party. The kids trick-or-treated together, and had a great time. Of course, Justin had worked the entire night and day before, and was exhausted. He barely got to attend the festivities, and was on the phone the entire time. (I heart Colorado and Fellowships.)

The highlight of the last month (and possibly the last six months) was a trip to Arkansas!!! We had a blast. It was great to see everyone. The kids were able to eat lunch at their Arkansas school. They visited with their friends. It was great to be around our friends and family. We miss you guys SO VERY much!! The trip was impromptu and was the result of Claire's parent-teacher conference where I was informed how poorly she was being treated by the girls in her class. Apparently, this group of girls are notoriously mean. (Aren't we lucky to have joined them). With this news, I , like any great mom, packed my kids and headed south. I booked the flights at 2PM on Friday, and we were on the plane by 7PM that night. Again, mother of the year, I am teaching my kids to run from their problems (in case you are still trying to cast your votes). I do think it was helpful for them to see their friends and to remember how brief our visit to Colorado is. They came back with a sense of refreshment. Now let me say, it did not improve Claire's situation at school, but it made her feel better. Honestly, if you see me on the Oprah show in the near future as the mom who kicked some third-grade "tail", don't be surprised. I think that is my next step. Just kidding, but I am running out of options. I guess Claire is going to be a stronger person. Maybe she will become more sensitive toward other peoples' feelings, or something. ugh! Whatever...just another adventure, huh?

The other thing that my children are gaining from their experience in Colorado is a "potty mouth." Braden has been discussing various body parts that his friends at school discuss on recess. Can you believe they are discussing such topics in first grade? We did not have a clue! I would also venture to say that the kids in Arkansas are not discussing such topics. These kids are very "worldly," and knowledgeable. I hope my kids are not learning too much. My fear is now they will go home with a potty mouth and will be avoided by all kids at home. I can hear some mom telling their child not to play with Braden because he talks inappropriately. What lessons they have learned?! Fabulous, huh?

On the positive side, the kids have learned to ski. It has been great fun wathcing them learn. They are fearless. I will post pictures later.

I hope everyone is doing well in Arkansas. We miss you guys so very much. It also made me realize how important "girl time" is to me. I miss my buddies, and the support and information I gain from you guys. I can't wait to get home!!