The window is closing

I've been taking Eliana to Bridger Bowl to ski most weekends this winter.  She's been improving consistently.

A few weeks back I told Elizabeth that she really needed to start coming with us.  The window is closing I told her; soon her daughter would ski better than her and have no patience to wait for mom.

Two weekends back Elizabeth came with us.  She hadn't really been skiing since before Eliana was born, so she was a bit rusty.  She definitely started a bit slow.

When we got off the chair lift for the first run, Eliana headed straight for one of her favorite runs which ends at a spot where you have to make a couple of quick turns in ungroomed snow.  Elizabeth thought we were crazy.

As the day progressed Elizabeth regained her confidence and was basically keeping up with Eliana.  As Elizabeth observed later, she has better form, but Eliana a lack of fear.  I know that's not true because Eliana tells me she's too scared to do plenty of the (completely reasonable) runs I suggest.

Anyway, I've been really, really proud of how well Eliana is skiing this year.  I was particularly proud of her that day because she managed to put in twelve runs, which was well above her previous high of seven.

My First Terrain Park

On Saturday Eliana and I went skiing at Bridger Bowl.  The jumps she normally likes to hit weren't in very good shape, so I suggested we go to the terrain park.

I didn't bother to suggest to her that she should be fearful on her first trip there.  Instead I taught her basic terrain park etiquette, e.g. don't stand under a jump, get up quickly if you miss the landing, etc.

She had a blast.  She's got an impressively good sense of how fast she should hit jumps to stay within her comfort zone.

Unfortunately, she's getting harder to impress as she gets older.  My sorry attempts to huck moderate air no longer leave her exclaiming "That was awesome!" and I've nearly reached the limits of my comfort zone.

Wiggle wiggle wiggle...

That's what Ellie's been trying to do with her teeth for months now. Her kindergarten friends are starting to lose their teeth, and I think she wants to fit in.

Last night she again was telling me all about her loose teeth. 4 of them. Usually I just roll my eyes and think she's making it up. Last night I asked her to let me feel her wiggly teeth.

Whoa! I was wrong... she DOES have loose teeth! 3 of them right now, and one that is very loose!

I feel a gap-tooth-grin post coming in the near future!! Exciting times!

Block City

This is a video of Eliana reciting "Block City" by Robert Louis Stevenson as she practiced for last month's recitation. I particularly like the little booty wiggle as she says, "Robert Louis Stevenson." She is certainly animated! But I was impressed with how much she had memorized!!



Here's the whole class presenting at recitation!

Who needs a dog when you can have a robot?

Just tonight we were talking with some friends about our Roomba, the robot vacuum. Really, Roomba is sort of like a pet. As if to prove itself pet-worthy, Roomba went an did this later tonight...

From Bloggy

Way to unroll the toilet paper, Roomba. You should be proud of yourself. **pats roomba's head, moves it to the hall, closes the bathroom door, and goes on her merry way.**

American Tradition

Child: (Whiny voice) But I don't want to watch football.
Mother: Neither do I, but it's what we call Super Bowl Sunday and that's what we do.
Child: (Whiny voice) But how do we change the channel from football?
Mother: We don't.  It's a great American tradition.