Week Eight

This week could be summed up by one word: cold. The kids had Monday off of school. We had plans to go skiing with about 10 family from church, but when everyone found out that the temperatures were going to get to -20 that morning and the high was going to be 14 degrees, 6 of the families bailed. Since the rate was so cheap ($15/person including a lesson, rental, and lift ticket) we decided to still go. I was a little worried about the weather and even more worried about how it was going to work having Kaiton there, but it all worked out so well. The sun was shining, so it didn't feel too cold. We all had a great time and I feel like I made a little headway with my fear (although I am STILL nervous to do it again). Brooklen said I didn't embarrass him, but he did take me down a few runs that I thought were very scary!

We started out the day by me taking a lesson with Hurley. I was going to send her alone, but an adult had to come. We figured I could use another lesson, so I went with her. She was pretty grumpy, but after a few runs down the bunny hill I felt like she would be okay. The instructor even complimented both of us, which made me feel so much better. Brooklen was super confident on the slopes. He skied the green runs like a champ. At the end of the day, he made Rob take him down part of a black diamond again. He fell several times, but he was still pretty successful. Hurley was crazy on the slopes. She skis straight down and rarely turns or slows down. She is so coordinated and could almost fall completely down and still stand up without letting herself completely fall. Zaya skied between Rob's legs. She loved it and I think next time we will use a harness and maybe even take her down part of the bunny hill.

On Tuesday, I took Brooklen and Hurley to the mall to get their prize for earning 250 piano practice points. A couple of months ago, Rob instituted a rule that if they don't practice, they can't use electronics the next day. They are very, very motivated by this and the result is that they have been practicing 7 days a week and have been getting really good. Brooklen choose two Wii games from Gamestop, Wii Ski and Baseball. Hurley choose rings, earrings, and a bracelet from Claire's. She had a really hard time deciding and we even went back on Wednesday so she could spend another hour looking at jewelry. She is still trying to decide whether she wants to keep the bracelet or not.

On Thursday, the kids had school canceled because of severely cold weather. We spent the day inside. The kids played with friends in the morning and then they spent the rest of the day voluntarily doing work. After getting their piano prizes, Brooklen decided that he wanted a Wii hockey game too and Hurley also wanted a charm bracelet. I told them that they would have to earn the money, so they have been spending every waking hour trying to earn money to buy those things.

On Friday, school was canceled again. The kids played with the Nymans in the morning at our house.  After lunch, they went over to the Nyman's house to watch the movie, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." When the movie was over, I took the kids to the museum at the center for the arts. The museum had a new exhibit about Leonardo Da Vinci's inventions. Brooklen and I thought it was pretty cool; the girls were somewhat interested. The lower two floors of the museum always remain the same, and the kids really like them, especially since we don't go to the museum that often.

Yesterday was "Try Hockey For Free" Day. Brooklen has really been in to hockey lately, so we took him to try hockey. Hurley also got in to the gear and tried. It was pretty chaotic, but the kids had a good time. They got to keep their jerseys and sticks and they were really excited about that. We told Brooklen that he could play next season if he wants. He is going to think about it and decide soon.

After several days with my kids home the last couple of weeks, I feel pretty behind on "housekeeping stuff." But . . . I have really enjoyed having them home and I have just loved how relaxing this winter has been for our family. My kids are so awesome! It is exhausting being a mother of four little ones, but it is so worth it!