First ski trip of the season!

Thanksgiving in Tahoe is our new family tradition and I absolutely love it! We were a little scared that the ski runs weren't going to be open but Mother Nature cooperated with some cold weather so they were able to make snow. There were only a few runs open but it was perfect. Andrew could ski down all of them and we had a blast. And, there weren't any crowds (which is always nice!). We had a week of fun: skiing, ice skating, eating S'mores at the Ritz and relaxing. My mom and I even had time to get a massage! I tried to convince Brian we should live in Tahoe for the winter but he was being more realistic and said we had to come back home. I'm counting the days until we get to go up again....

First ski day of the season!

Look who is skiing all by himself.

Having fun on the chair lift

Entertaining mommy while we were stopped in the gondola

Happy Turkey Day!  Skiing on Thanksgiving.

Best part of Tahoe...snuggling!

Yes, that is my mom trying to fit into Andrew's fort.

Move Over Mozart

Look who started taking piano lessons!

EMBA Graduation

You can officially call my Master Wing now!!

After 18 months of classes, papers, tests, a sailing trip in San Diego and a visit to New Zealand I am done!

Snow Hunting!

While the dad's went on their annual Pumpkin Hunt adventure, we went up to Tahoe on a Snow Hunt! It is nice to be able to take the boys (and Zoe!) up to the mountains and just have mommy and me time. It will be even nicer when we can go to Tahoe and have just mommy time!!  But until then,we have so much fun running through the forest, playing in snow, having cocktails (mommies, not kids), visiting the fire station and relaxing.

I think the best part of the trip was taking the kids up to the Ritz.  They got to run around on the mountain and there were two older kids who entertained the boys by making snowballs and playing with them.  They also had a Smores roast so we decided to stay and pretend we were guests of the hotel.  As one could expect from the Ritz, they had five different flavors or marshmallows, four different kinds of chocolate and they put the entire thing together for you.  It was a blast and I know where I will be at 4pm each day next time we are in Tahoe.

Grey and Andrew found their first pile of new snow!

Playing on the ski slopes.  They were happy there weren't any skiers.  I was sad that there wasn't more snow!

Let's hope there is more snow than this in two weeks when we are back!

Wait?  Who is watching the kids?!

Andrew looks at me and says "Look at my snowball."  It's a rock dude.  Put it down!

Nothing but 5 star treatment for the kids!  Perhaps getting them used to the service at the Ritz is a bad idea.

No room on the couch, no problem.  Andrew found his own seat.

Field Trip - Kindergarten fun!

The first thing I learned about field trips is that they don't call them field trips anymore! They are now called field "study."  Seriously, you think changing the word from trips to study is going to make it any different.  It's a day away from school no matter what you call it!

Andrew's kindergarten class went to Mrs. Peterson's farm.  For a lot of the kids, this was their first time on a bus and they were so excited!  Only one kid freaked out because he didn't have a seat belt to put on.  We had 10 parent chaperones and 20 kids so we were pretty well evenly numbered.  When I first agreed to go, I was a little nervous about trying to keep track of 5-8 kids but I just had Andrew and Ben.  Easy!

At the farm the kids learned about bees, fed animals and got to pick out a pumpkin.  Mrs. Peterson sure does love her bees.  The kids learned all about how bees make honey, the life cycle of a bee and how bees "get married."   The pumpkin patch was perfect.  She grows only small pumpkins so the kids could pick any one they want and we didn't have any kids arguing over getting a bigger pumpkin.

The highlight of the trip was during breakfast, Andrew was excited for me to meet Isabella.  When I asked him why, he said: "Because she loves me and I love her."  Oh wow!  Little does this girl know that there is no way she is taking my little man from me.  I'm not ready to give him up yet!!

Mrs. Dabbs kindergarten class

The little blonde in Isabella.

Trick-or-Treat 2013

Trick-or-Treat! Halloween get more and more fun every year.  Andrew is a HUGE Star Wars fan right now so he wanted to be Luke Skywalker for Halloween.  I think he makes a handsome little Luke Skywalker!

We had fun trick-or-treating with our neighbors.  I tried to convince the adults that we just needed to do our court and the next court over but we ended up going up the two blocks as well.  Now Andrew knows trick-or-treating is more than just going around the court! 

The best part was that at one house, Andrew got a pumpkin instead of candy.  The house is rented to college students and the girls had a big platter of candy with a pumpkin in the middle.  Andrew said he wanted the pumpkin so they gave it to him.  Leave it to my kid to pass on the candy and go for the vegetable!  :)  Andrew was so protective of his candy when we got home but hasn't asked for it since.  I'm giving it two more days and then it will all disappear. 

Andrew and Natalie

Showing off his pumpkin!

Pumpkin Carving Party

Carving pumpkins is so much more fun when you do it with friends! 

I was so brave letting everyone carve their pumpkins in the dining room!

Zoe, Ripley, Natalie, Grey and Andrew with their pumpkins.