An "Eggcellent" Weekend

On Saturday, Emily and I woke up especially early to make the drive to Zoo Boise for their egg hunt event.  Knowing from last year that it was crazy busy, parking was difficult, lines to get in were long... we were there thirty minutes before opening in order to catch a parking spot and stand in line that wasn't so long.  Once in, we had a little time to kill, so she hopped on the carousel first thing.

 It was a little chilly, unfortunately, but she didn't mind waiting for the flag to drop and the chance to gather as many eggs and pieces of candy as possible!

the loot

After the hunt, we took our time looking at the animals, feeding the goats, even feeding meal worms to the sloth bear.  By afternoon it had started to warm up and it turned out to be a great day!

Today we checked decorating Easter eggs of the list.

Notice the new haircut?  I finally talked her into it, which wasn't an easy task.  She didn't want the guy who cuts dad's hair any longer and got her first real salon cut.  The other big news of the weekend?  She finally mastered tying her own shoes!

So, we didn't get away to an island in the Atlantic this spring break (waiting sort of patiently for our turn in June), we did keep busy and Emily thought it was fun just to hang around here.

On Sunday, she had a daddy daughter day that meant a lot of time out at the gun range painting targets, cleaning up things, rolling around in the dirt... but no shooting.  They even built a bird house that day.  Swimming was Monday at the YMCA, where Emily easily passed the swim test and she did the water slide all by herself, once.  She preferred to go with Mom on the slide!

Tuesday we headed to Twin for some shopping and errands, but the highlight of her day was a stop at the bowling alley.  She scored an 87.  

The park was where we ended up on Wednesday.  And the afternoon was spent like so - 

Thursday she opted to stay home even though she was given some opportunities to get out of the house.  She was a scientist this morning, using her kits from Christmas to make fake snow and investigate how oil and water don't mix by making a sort of lava lamp in a test tube.  That occupied her for quite awhile.  

Not quite sure what today will bring yet.  She's happily coloring and half heartedly paying attention to a cartoon on TV.  It turned out to perfectly okay that we didn't rush off on a trip somewhere but opted for the lazy, do whatever we feel like this moment kind of spring break.  It's only a short 82 days until we are off on our vacation.  85 days till the girls will turn 6.  70 days until Emily graduates from Kindergarten.   I'm actually okay with the idea of time just slowing down for a bit.

Commence Our Spring Break Staycation

The past week went by quickly.  We celebrated St. Patrick's Day at the Catholic Church's dinner where Emily had two serving of corned beef and cabbage, and shunned the corn dog and tater tots the kids were getting offered.  She always has had sophisticated taste buds (case in point, skipping the chicken nuggets the shape of Mickey for multiple servings of escargot and crab legs while dining on a cruise ship).  There was a brief rain, which brought a rainbow that appeared as if it ended on the opposite end of the block.

Which led to Emily and I slipping on raincoats and boots and setting about the neighborhood for the "naughty leprechaun" that knocked over all the chairs, hid the kids' buckets, and made a mess of the Emily's kindergarten classroom.  Unfortunately, no leprechaun nor pot of gold was found.

This morning we got an early start to spring break.  We played Monopoly, rode our bikes to the river, practiced drawing zoo animals from a new how to draw book (a newly loved hobby of Emily's), and left for the library... all before 10 o'clock.  We had a lunch date at Big Belly Deli before heading to Ketchum for some ice skating time.  There were tears, however, when we returned her skis and boots since the season is over.  "Goodbye skis, I love you!" she whimpered as she left them behind.

It's the Final Countdown

I think we are almost out of possible ski days.  Emily and I made it to Dollar Mtn today, and there was definitely a lot of mountain poking through the snow.  The older kids were having fun skiing a river that developed down one of the runs, with water higher than the kids boots.  Craters held puddles that were like water hazards on a golf course!

But it really didn't bother Emily at all.  As promised, she finally got to ski with poles for the first time.

Trauma Drama, the Tooth Fairy, and a Ski Race

Last week Emily had one of those things that would only typically happen to a Hughston.  She was in my classroom and was trying to be helpful by sharpening pencils.  She went to empty the shavings into the trash, blew into the cup, and got a bunch of dust in her eye.  I gave her some visine and sent her on her way thinking it would wash out.  A couple hours later, Ms. Barsch brought her to me with a still very irritated eye.  Dad was summoned to take her to the eye doctor, where her eye was dyed and it revealed a piece of graphite stuck.  The doctor pulled it out, and her eye was flushed.  By this time she was really not a happy camper, but a cup of cocoa with extra whip cream was enough to get her back to school... but her eye still hurt and in the middle of a chaotic kindergarten class, Emily fell asleep on the teacher's couch.  After school I took her back to the eye doctor with a swollen red eye.  He didn't want to touch it again unless she was sedated, so we opted for a last minute trip to an opthamologist in Twin Falls, who agreed to stay late that night to see if he could help.  He was able to look at it and determined that he wouldn't mess with it any further and that her lens was scratched, but nothing that wouldn't heal in a couple days.  Phew.  Because I really wasn't up for sedating her!

The tooth fairy made it's second appearance on Saturday night.  Once again, Emily refused to have it pulled and it was dangling there, with the new tooth already grown in.  I was sure it would fall out on the mountain that day when she was skiing and there would be a lost tooth melt down.  But, the tooth survived a ski day and finally plopped out late that night.

On Sunday, Emily decided she wanted to participate in a fun Kindercup ski race.

Kennedy and Emily before the race.

Costumes were encouraged, so Emily raced in her poodle skirt.  Although she didn't place, she had a good time, completed the race and made all the gates.  We were at the mountain at 8:30 and left at 4.  It was a long day of skiing, with her spuds class in the afternoon and a few runs with mom!

Yesterday was the start of the third, and last, session of spuds for Emily.  Same group of girls, but a new instructor that named them the Screaming Gooses because, well, they do give out a constant amount of giggling and squealing!  The first part of the day was hitting full dollar, or the top, but then the last part was spent at the terrain park.  The sun was shining, it was a beautiful day!  Today was more of the same type of skiing, but with a chilly wind!

Emily's cake she made.  Look delicious?
It's actually a sponge covered in clay from her project box.

Since the weather has been warmer, we have been out on the bikes for a few rides and taking the dog on more walks around the neighborhood.  We've also been playing a lot of Monopoly Junior lately.   And this -

it's called Snap Circuit and Emily loves building the circuits to make lights and sirens go.  Most of them she can now build herself, but it doesn't mean that she wants to do it alone!

Valentine's

 Valentine's Day was successful this year!  Anything would be better than last year, where Aaron was in the hospital and Grandma who was staying with Emily had to pick her up from preschool early for being sick!

Breakfast was cinnamon roles and presents - more leap reader from Grandma and Grandpa.  The world map was one of her favorite's from Christmas, so she was happy to now have the US map, the solar system, and one about the human body.  From us, it was a baking theme- easy bake oven refills, serrated knives made for kids, and a Princess cookbook.  Cooking and baking has been one of her favorite activities.  And lucky for her, the Kiwi craft crate that came this month was a cooking hat and apron to decorate, so that was our project yesterday morning.

It was a nice day in the 50s, so Emily went for a bike ride before we went to the two birthday parties lined up for the day.  First off was a swimming party, then a 40th surprise party for a dear friend where the kids took off on bikes, scooters, and ended up sledding down a grass hill.  It was an early bedtime for Emily last night!  

And then there was this cute card that came home from kinder with her.  

Happy Valentine's Day!

Looking for a Second Job

Emily's new hobby isn't the cheapest around, so don't be surprised if you see me working as a lift operator next season to afford her fun!  She just finished her second session (12th lesson in all) today, and begged to be in the third session which starts in two weeks.  And even after two and a half hours of serious skiing with an instructor, she still wants to do runs with me when she's done.  

Yesterday when it was 50 degrees and raining, I gave her the option of missing the lesson.  No way.  In fact, the instructor took advantage of the low turn out that day to practice the black diamond run on Dollar.  

And then there's the new outfit she's sporting above that just adds to the cost of skiing.  You see, I sent her into the ski shop with her Dad to drop of her skis so they could be tuned, and out she came with a new set of ski coat and pants!  We keep telling Emily that she's hard to spot in the sea of pinks all the girls are wearing... not anymore!  This outfit is bright (with still the right amount of pink)!

Here's her comment from the skin report card today - 

Making the Grade

Emily and I got an A!

Influenza A that is.  What great luck, I know.   Late Sunday night she started running a fever.  By Monday morning, my throat hurt and we both had a cough.  By 11:30 that morning we were at the clinic with a prescription for three for Tamiflu and directions to stay home for 5 days.  Lucky for Aaron, he was out of town all weekend, and came home to a 10 day prescription to prevent him from getting it.  Emily and I are on a twice a day routine, and for the record, Emily will tell you it tastes stupid yucky.

We are on day 2 and cabin fever is setting in.  Neither one of us feels truly awful, a little tired, slightly achy, a cough.  We've done a lot of play-doh, coloring, and puzzle books... and that was all before 8 AM.  We took the dogs for a walk around the block, and it's a bummer to be stuck when it's so nice outside.

And we have three days left to go.

And we had such a great weekend before this all started.  Friday night was Family Skate Night for all three elementary schools, so Emily had a great time ice skating with two friends from class amongst a whole lot of other children (hmmmm, did we pick up the virus there?)  Saturday was the start of the second session of ski lessons.  Her instructor from last time thought she needed to be bumped up a skill group.  She had such a great time skiing both Saturday and Sunday.  I even joined her for a couple runs Sunday after lessons (maybe we got the virus there?).  And Saturday evening, Emily went to her first ever birthday pool party (at the hotel pool, maybe that's where the evil virus was lurking?).  We definitely kept busy while Aaron was away.  Now we are having a hard time finding anything to do!

Emily and I had our first ever ski day today.  It was the end of the first session of ski school, and we had a great time making some runs after her lesson.  But there's no break before the second session, round 2 starts next weekend.

And this video clip is of her riding Stuart Little last Thursday.  As you can tell, Stuart is a stubborn little pony who usually does what he wants!