My High Flyer

Brady made me promise that sometime during Christmas break I would take him to the South Hills so he could build a ski jump. Not at a ski resort, just out in the mtns somwhere. Justin kept telling him it would be too much work. Hike up ski down. Hike up ski down. He would not be dissuaded.

With new telescoping snow shovel in hand he went to work on the side of a sledding hill at Diamondfield Jack.

Cousins Brooke and Logan, Arizonans, looked on in anticipation and support.

The first 360 was attempted.

Dad came in with adjustments. We were shaving the jump, steepening it, telling him to go FASTER, look over his shoulder harder, ride the jump longer....

The cousins were looking at us like, "You are the weirdest parents we have yet encountered."

We were just so proud.

Santa is Short

My boys had the opportunity to deliver presents and food for a local service agency. They voted the new kid to be Santa this year. Complete with fat suit and beard. Brady said he thought it was fun...for a little while!

He said he had to ride in the front seat and the seat belt wouldn't fit around him. He kept thinking how his mom would not approve of that part!

If any of the kids wondered why he was so short their story was that he was the Head Elf! A few kids ran up to him crying, "Santa! Santa!" and grabbing his legs.

"What did you do?" I asked him.

"I just patted them on the back and said, 'HO HO HO!'" he told me.

One kid wanted to sit on his lap, so he asked him what he wanted for Christmas!

It was great for them. It took them about five hours to make their assigned deliveries. I hope they can do it next year too!

Total Eclipse of the (Heart) Moon

Were you awake at 1:17 am on Tuesday morning? And if you were, were you singing Bonnie Tyler?

Darren got us all up at 1:oo and we headed to the hot tub to watch this amazing lunar eclipse. The last time this happened on the Winter Solstice was in Galileo's time, some 370 or so years ago!

Paige had a hard time fathoming that not even her great great great grand kids would see this happen again.

Lucky this happened over Christmas Break so no one was worried about missing sleep for school the next day. Before I got back into bed I promptly decided that my 5:00 alarm for swimming was a NO GO!

Made me feel pretty small and insignificent. A good reminder. Perspective at the Holidays. The universe keeps functioning even if Lisa doesn't get a gift to every neighbor or make the perfect holiday chocolates.......Cool! I love realizing that in reality I really don't control ANYTHING!

Cyclocross Pics

The cyclocross association posted some pictures from Saturday's race on facebook. The photog showed me some of the boys racing, but they weren't posted. I will try to get a hold of them.

Start of men's 60 min.

Paige and Biz, lifelong best buds. Paige sporting her medal.

Finished!

Happy to be finished! Mud on chin. Sporting my medal too. Maybe I'll be like my mom and wear it EVERYWHERE I go. (LOL mom)

Cyclocross Family Style

We did the COOLEST race today! And by we I mean our entire family! There was another cyclocross race in Twin. It was held at Rock Creek Park. The course was awesome. Grass, pavement, swampy stuff, deep icey puddles, sand traps, barriers to jump over......

Paige did the kid race, one time around the course. I did the women's - three laps. Brady and Justin did the men's short course - four laps. Justin took 4th, and Brady did awesome too. There were only adults who did this besides them. One point on the course had a steep, sketchy downhill that started off on snow/ice. All of the women walked/carried it. Justin came up to two men slowing to contemplate it and then went between them and flew down it! Brady rode it also.

The owner of Spoke 'n Wheel bike shop lent me his cross bike. I loved it! I am thinking about asking Santa for one of my own. (A girl can always wish).

Darren did the long race - 8 laps. He rode the cross bike as well. We are both addicted.

Darren took tons of pictures of us cruising through mud, lifting our bikes over barriers.......there was no card in the camera.

So below are the only two pics we have about this event.

I am loving my kids being at this age. Our truck was LOADED with cool bikes. A family that plays together.....

O Christmas Tree

Last Saturday we dropped the boys off at Magic for opening ski day and took still-in-a-boot-Paige to cut down a Christmas tree.
She did it herself. Cut it and hauled it out!

Messing About in Boats

"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."

-Kenneth Graham (Wind in the Willows)

Apparently many people agree! We hit the kayak roll session at the Y.

I was proud to be married to the "most experienced" kayaker there. That is another way of saying the oldest. The guy who puts this on is the son of the guy who helped Darren kayak when he was Justin's age! But in all seriousness, no bias here, he is one of the best around.
Justin teaching a friend to roll.

Brady could still do his back deck roll.

Darren and Brady teaching Paige to roll. She needs a little more practice, but is determined not to be left behind in the kayak rolling category!