Sad Monday

I am pretty sure that today my eyes reflected a very distinct mix of sadness and disappointment. That is because 1) We have not yet sold our house, and we have no active leads on it, 2) I have way too much to do at work, and not nearly enough time to do it, and 3) When the weather is bad, and creates all kinds of inconveniences, you can only remain positive for so long. Today, for instance, I started my day stressed out because the snow is covering multiple spots of the parking lot, and there is not enough room for all the cars. So after driving around for a little while, I had to park in the tiniest spot, worried I would hit the cars around me, or that they would hit me as they pulled out. So even before I had entered the building, I was already in a bad mood. Not the best way to start the day.

Sunday

Yesterday afternoon my mom, the girls and I headed downtown because I had tickets for the Children's Theatre. But as it turns out, the play was actually Saturday, not Sunday, and it got cancelled anyway because of the weather. Since we were already out of the house Sofia asked if we could go to the Museum Center, so we did. I was actually feeling pretty tired, and I think my mom was feeling the same way, but I figured that after an entire week of school closings, and bad weather, they deserved to get and stay out of the house for a little while.

40

Yesterday morning I ran 7 miles and change, and when I was done running the counter was at exactly 40 miles for this month. It is so rare to land on en even number!

Snowy Saturday

This past Saturday we were pretty much snowed in again. All the Saturday morning activities got cancelled, so we didn't go anywhere during the day.  At least the girls had fun playing outside in the snow for a while. And I sat by the window, keeping an eye on them, and organizing the basket with school papers - which I probably hadn't touched in couple weeks. In there I rediscovered some of the love notes the girls have made for us. I always treasure them, because I know that one day there will be no more of them.

The story of last week

Bad picture

Bella asked me the other day to promise her that I wouldn't take more bad pictures of her when she fell asleep in the car. I told her I couldn't promise her that, because it was just too much fun. And then, on our way back home from the airport, she fell asleep...

Leaving Vail

The drive back to Denver this morning was long and dreadful. We knew it would be snowing, so we left extra early to give ourselves plenty of time. The roads were not the best, so we were moving very slowly and at some point we got hit on the left side. Since all the cars were moving so slow it wasn't a bad accident or anything. But it did cost us extra time, both while exchanging insurance information with the guy that hit us, and while returning the car.

Luckily the girls slept for a good part of the drive. But since it took us a full four hours to arrive at the airport, the three of us were really dying to go to the restroom. It took us so long to stop, that it really was a close call. I couldn't possibly hold it anymore.

Fortunately our flight was delayed. So we had time to check in, go through security, and have something to eat. Then it was just a matter of time for our flight to take off, and bring us back to our snowy and unseasonably freezing cold home.

Today's craft

Vail - Day 5 (Mami-Bella time)

Today Bella and I spent the day together. Since we were not skiing, I decided to check out "Adventure Ridge", which had tubing and couple other activities.

We took the gondola up and waited a little bit for them to open up the tubing area, since we were a bit early and we were in the very first group. By "we" I really mean "she", since tubing scares me and therefore I only bought a ticket for her. It is not that tubing is not safe or anything. I just don't like speed. 

As expected, the little dare devil enjoyed tubing a lot and went on it a full seven times. By then it was time to go meet Lionel for lunch, also at the top of the mountain, where I made a reservation earlier in the day. Since we could get there by taking the gondola, and he could get there skiing, it was a good meeting place. By then it was snowing pretty hard, so I was glad I wasn't skiing today. Having the snow hit your face while you are going down hill is just not the funnest thing.

After lunch Bella and I took the gondola back down, stopped by the hotel to rest for a little while and get Sofia's boots, and headed out again to pick her up at ski school. It sounded like she had a good day as well, and according to her teacher they even went to some short black diamonds, with bumps and all. Not a bad way to close our skiing trip.

Pink unicorn

Every time that the girls ask for something they can't have, I remind them that we can't always have everything we want. As an example, I tell them that I would love to have a pink unicorn but I don't. Well, today Bella and I walked into a store and there it was: A pink unicorn. She was so excited! So we had to buy it and take it home with us.

Kids joke

Why is it that you can't give Elsa a balloon? ... Because she'll let it go!

Vail - Day 5

Today I got up and ran the 6 miles I was supposed to run as part of my half-marathon training. After 3 full days of skiing, being able to complete my run was a pretty good accomplishment - if I may say so myself.

Lionel is going skiing again today, and Sofia is going to ski school, but Bella no longer wants to go. So we are going to go return our rental stuff, and then we'll see what else we do with our day. I want to walk around and enjoy the town, so hopefully the rain - which is part of the weather forecast - will stay away.

Valentines Day Craft

The girls did a craft at the hotel yesterday and today. Today's was a valentine's day one.

Vail - Day 4

Today marked our third day of skiing, and the first day of Sofia using poles. She had been looking forward to using them, but first she had to make it to level 5. Bella had also gone up to level 3+, after starting at 2+ the first day, so today was the first day she would get to go up the mountain.

Lionel, his dad, and I went all over the place once again - at least everywhere where I can go with them. After falling twice the first day, and once yesterday, today I managed to stay on my feet the entire time. But it was a short day. As we were sitting down for lunch we got a call from ski school, because Bella was not feeling well. She said her stomach and back were hurting, which we know is a sign of her being hungry. I guess she didn't like the lunch, so she only had the fruit which didn't fill her up.

Lionel and his dad guided me back to the bottom of the mountain so I could go pick her up. She and I then came straight back to the hotel, and have been resting for a bit while I finally update the blog. I have been so tired every night, that I hadn't found the time to do so.

Vail - Day 3

Yesterday morning we once again went about our routine: Breakfast, skiing, hot tub, and dinner. We actually split for dinner though. Lionel's parents took the girls out for dinner, and Lionel and I had a quiet moment to ourselves. Since all the restaurants were booked for Valentine's day, we instead had date night on Friday the 13th.

Vail - Day 2

Thursday was our first day of skiing, and luckily the morning went down without any issues. We all got up early to go eat the girl's favorite breakfast, while the town appeared to just be waking up. Afterward the girls went to ski school with a smile on their faces while I went skiing with Lionel and his dad ... with a bit of fear in my heart. The first day of skiing is always difficult, and I am pretty sure that I was sweating more from stress than from the exercise. The weather is unseasonably warm this weekend so the snow is not the best, but I managed to hang in there other than the couple times I fell in an icy patch. At least the view was nice.

After skiing we went to the hot tub, which felt heavenly for my tired legs. We then took showers and had dinner at the hotel. While we waited for our food to come we allowed the girls to go play in the arcade that was just outside the restaurant, inside the hotel.

Even though it wasn't all that late by the time we finished dinner, and there was a concert going on in the main plaza, just a few minutes away, everybody was ready to crash again.