"My Family Needs Me"

John has been working some pretty long hours the past week or so. I successfully encouraged him to take a little time off this morning, because we were going skiing. A bit cold - very windy, but so much fun. It is too bad John has a real office these days and not just a cubicle, I would love to hear him explain why he was grinning all afternoon.

Play

I am so glad we dedicated yesterday to playing in the snow. With a high of two degrees today, and -20 windchill, I think today we'll stay in.
I think John and I might try in a few days to make an igloo by cutting blocks with a saw. The temps here are supposed to be mostly below zero for a few days so the snow should harden up quite a bit. Although below zero temps could curb our ambition.

Forecast - actually a little shy

It seems like the news casters are always warning about a "huge storm" that never seems to pan out. We'll get a few inches but it will never be as big as the ones you remember from growing up.
The forecast for last night/today was for 5-7 inches overnight with a possible 4-6" more today. It is hard to say what fell vs what blew and drifted but there is well over a foot of snow outside. The official word is 17" at the airport . . .
Soft fluffy fun to fly into snow. I am sure for many it was terrible to drive in and shovel, but for us pure joy.











We went out this morning to meet Santa at the Y -partly to jet John drive in the snow and partly to eat pancakes and meet Santa. Odin talked to him, but didn't get too close.

Skiing!

I had a fantastic day skiing with my son today. All over (our tiny) mid-western ski hill. All morning he was holding onto my ski poles and skiing along side of me, then one time I let go (the pole wasn't doing much) and he did the rest of the run holding my pole horizontally in front of him making turns. After that he was on his own. Off the chair lifts down the runs. While getting back into our gear after a short break he was looking at the area map and wanting to go on a black diamond run, like it was the ultimate prize to be won. In the end we did a run on the far side on some steeper terrain, no black diamond this time, but maybe next (?).

It is so easy to forget the he is not invincible. He shows no fear at the hill, he can conquer anything. While I load the car he is attacking snow mounds taller taller than me. Sometimes I forget that when he speeds up it really means that he needs to slow down. Sledding this afternoon wasn't the best idea. He was wiped out tonight - and put up a very loud fight before surrendering to sleep.

The train

A few weeks ago Odin saw an ad with a gingerbread train kit in it. He really liked it, he liked it so much that we cut the picture out and he has been carrying it around for a few weeks. Yesterday we decided to make one. Going only from the picture, this is what we came up it.





We also made some cookies. Today I wondered why red tastes so bad. I remember it from growing up that red tasted super gross. It hasn't changed a bit. But meringue powder is still oh so lovely.

Shhhhhh.

Don't tell but last night I made THE COOLEST CAPE for his birthday. Trying it on I felt like a superhero. Pics after his birthday (likely in early Jan). But I just had to share. It's black satin with a velcro closure.

11.27.2010

45 minutes later . . . Anyone know where Odin is?



Oh of course, he climbing grandma & Grandpa's laundry chute.

Another trip around the sun

Yesterday was my birthday and Thanksgiving. Full of food, family, snow and more food. Today was no shopping allowed - the order of the day was skiing. And lots of it. After a day of skiing, Odin played King of the Mountain in the parking lot. Then when we returned home, he ran around with the dog until we called him in.

1st Snow!!!

Much news yesterday about a big winter storm. We woke up this morning to see that it was not just talk. Lots of wet heavy beautiful snow. While we were playing outside it sounded like thunder with all the tree branches cracking and breaking.

All the kings horses . . .

And all the kings men can go and help Humpty Dumpty, because this guy doesn't need it. Sorry ill equipped parents with only a cellphone camera. He climbed all the way to the top and was bummed that he couldn't quite reach the rope to ring the bell.

Squeak

Of all the random things I thought might happen today little prepared me for a mouse to jump into the car.
As we were walking out the door this morning Odin wanted to chase some squirrels. Sure have at it. He comes back holding what I thought was a dead mouse. I was sitting in the car with the door open and as he was showing it to me, I realized it was alive as it jumped into the car. Fearing thousands of baby mice overtaking the car, I was pleased to keep my composure. It was hiding under my seat. So I simply moved my seat forward and asked Odin to remove it. He was very gentle (far more that I would have been) removing it from the car and taking it to a tree. I was surprised to see the mouse climb a tree so fast. We watched it for a moment and then I spent the rest of the morning talking about why we could not keep it as a pet.

Gus

Sometime yesterday but our pumpkin/jack-o-lantern was named Gus. I suspected that Odin thought it felt disGUSting scooping the seeds out, but I was there the whole time. We brought Gus home from Michigan with us. He hung out in the garage where it was cool for a couple of weeks then yesterday we carved him up. Odin did the design and most of the carving this year, he was very into it. Last year John saw a battery operated pumpkin carving knife and HAD TO HAVE IT. Odin really wanted to use it, but thought the "manual" knife was easier.




Over the last few days Odin wore 3 different costumes. He wore the Army Dress Uniform to his school party.

A sort of Viking costume walking the dog.

And he was Wall-E for the Y's event yesterday and this evening. Ever since our neighbor was Wall-E two years ago, Odin was determined to be Wall-E for Halloween. We borrowed the costume this year and he was so happy.





The response was great, I am not sure if it was in part the costume, but he found lots of candy!


Oh and Samo was a pretty flower.

Dunes

We had a little time to play in Traverse City before the wedding activities started. John really wanted to see Sleeping Bear Dunes so we spent a morning there.
I, his mother who is around him daily, cannot believe how much running in the sand Odin did.






He played on the dune climb for hours, and still had a ton of energy left over to play (ie. run around like a crazy person) for the rest of the day
I also cannot believe that a sandy incline still offers me no help in executing a cartwheel.


We all had fun that morning, that evening was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, all in all a great day.





It was cool in the morning so I improvised a hat from my sleeping bag hood (it detachable and green!)