Everybody Loves Pictures

So much to post, so much to post. I'm assuming, of course, that you are interested in whatever random minutiae pops into my head. I would love to post a lengthy response to Nem's blog post from today, but I'm thinking perhaps all has been said and then some. I'm also trying very hard to keep resolution #6. (You forgot? Oh, very well, scroll down to the bottom of the page and I've got them all listed so I can keep reminding myself. They say to post these things on a mirror, but I'm obviously here way more than I am in front of the mirror.) I also must post the recipe I made on Saturday because, I promise, it is guaranteed to get you some Valentine's Day love. I mean seriously, skip the meal out and cook this for your sweetheart instead. I am also thinking about . . .

Well, anyway, I think people mostly just like pictures, so rather than give you a lot of commentary I will just post pictures from our latest nomad adventure. If you have never taken three little kids snowshoeing then you have not really lived. Our day was wonderful in some ways, but the snow was a bit of a disappointment--pretty crusty and the snowshoes, well, the need for them was probably not great. Still, the big boys were troopers and went as far as they possibly could. We snowshoed a short trail to a big waterfall. Plantboy carried the baby down and back; I carried Padawan back up the hill. And in case you are wondering, oh, yeah, it was aerobic.

It is interesting to note here that my kids will not, for some reason look at the camera. Coupled with a slow shutter speed, this makes for some pretty interesting pictures. We tried the above shot five times. They weren't looking at the camera once. The waterfall, thankfully, held still for its photo.

Jedi Master says, "Look away, Mommy, or the camera will steal your soul." Honestly! What part of "Look right here until you are told to look away," is so hard to understand?

After the waterfall hike, we went back to the sledding hill. We tried a bunch of little hills first and then Jedi Master decided it was time to attempt the big hill. Remember, this is "big hill" by Oregon standards. Old Main would take one look at this hill and give such a loud guffaw of derision that it would cause an avalanche. This hill was mostly characterized by the attempts of older sledders to make it exciting. Hence it was much potholed and riddled with frozen jumps. All was going very well with the sledding until Jedi Master said, "I want to go down there." He pointed at a series of bumps that I had gone down while dragging my feet. (I don't crave the big air like I used to.) "Are you sure?" questioned Mommy in her most concerned voice while still trying to understand that boys will be boys.

"Oh yeah. I'm sure."

He was sure until the very last bump. Until then he had been giggling and screaming. But after the last bump caused him to fly into the air, landing his bony little tush on the frozen snow, he decided that the whole day was a bust.

Things looked up considerably after a trip to Dairy Queen.

The last shot here is a picture of the boys in the jammies that Colorado Grandma sent for Christmas. Aren't they cute? Well, okay, only Padawan is smiling, but in eight shots this is the only one in which they are all facing the camera. Look at Padawan's legs. Even mine aren't that white. Poor kid.