Saturday, February 21, 2015

Ice and snow

Lake Tahoe had surprisingly little snow when we arrived December 23rd.  The ski resort Heavenly has a lift right in town but the skiing did not look too enticing.  Still, the kids slid on cardboard (because we are red neck sledders) on the hill of a yard.


Like all cooperative Christmas weather it snowed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.   They didn't plow the neighborhood so we were sort of snowed in if all of us had wanted to escape.


We found a place to sled after it had snowed with groomed hills and sleds far superior to cardboard.












The sledding also improved in the backyard after the Chrismas snow.


Still had cardboard until Miranda made it to the sled store.


Okay she went to Wal-mart.




Now they look like angels.




And there was ice skating, it was the first time for some of the grandkids.  



They let beginners have plastic buckets to push around to keep them on their feet.


The taller you are the higher your stack of buckets, it was genius.


The Townsend kids may have been skaters in a previous life, how else would you explain that they tied on their skates for the first time as tiny tots and then just skated?  We missed out on the embarrassing falls and the broken arms.
     

Bryce and Camryn and Reese were naturals as well.


Sometimes it is good to have a glass wall between yourself and this.




Adelaide did not like it.  She will change her mind, her daddy is one of the best.  Geoff always won the speed races at the school skate parties that Jenks West Elementary hosted every month.


Colton looks like a spectator but he skated until he was worn out too.


Look at those tiny skates.


Miranda arranged for all the food for 10 days.  She shopped and cooked and the rest of us tried to help but mostly we just ate up all of her delicious meals.  This homemade hot chocolate was the perfect remedy to a cold day.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

A Bear Hunt


I don't know if the little girls have actually captured this bear or just friended him.  We picked up the jammies in Alaska but the bear was in California which is coincidentally where I have had my most frightening encounters with bears.


The kids liked their bear cheek bums.



We had a bear hunt.  We didn't have the book but we had a youtube video.  Then they all dressed ready to saw down a pine tree.  And just like out in the woods a run to the restroom during the night was slightly inconvenient.


and we'll never be royals


although we have thought about moving to Genovia.  We enjoy having a themed party when the grandkids get together so this year we had Princesses and Knights.  


Everyone had to try to save Eric from the stocks.  Reese (and everyone else) rode the horse 


and slayed the dragon.


Reese liked being a princess!


The girls were crowned.



The boys were knighted.


All the royals were there.



We had told them all the kings and queens had left the country







and only they, the little knights and princesses could save Prince Eric.
It was a desperate situation.


I am not sure I would have trusted this bunch


if they had been there.


What do you think?


Prince Eric was rescued,


the kingdom was saved


 and someday these kids will rule the world.


If they can stay out of trouble


and the stocks.