December 31, 2009
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Last 2009 update! A few days before Christmas, we had Dana, Dave, and Guy over for games. We played Ticket to Ride (the game they gifted us this year) after the kids went to bed.
Before heading to Tahoe with my sisters, we opened a few more gifts. Calie received a Glowworm that I won at work … and Zachary got a solar system puzzle from my parents. He also received 3 DK First Encyclopedia books. He loved his Animal one, so we bought him the Space, Body, and Science books in the same series.
Then we packed to car and headed off to South Lake Tahoe! The traffic was light and at the top of summit, overlooking the lake, Zachary exclaimed,”The view here is WONDERFUL!” Somehow, that was funny at the time … maybe because of the high altitude.
Day 1 (Dec 24th): We all arrive! My sisters, Eddie, and Sebastian actually made it up before us, despite their 5 hour drive from the Bay Area. Activities for the first day included sledding, snowball fights, games, a gingerbread house making/decorating contest (we let Zachary win), and a delicious lasagna dinner made by Sophie.
Day 2 (Dec 25th): Merry Christmas! Of course, first thing in the morning, the kids opened gifts. Despite asking for Gnip Gnop, Zachary was surprised Santa brought it… he knew he did not explain or draw it very well in his letter. He was also a bit concerned that Calie got some gifts after all the “bad decisions” she made this year. He questioned Santa’s grading system and decided to take matters into his own hand. He now has a running list of “all things my little sister did bad” that he plans to send to Santa in 2010.
My sisters, Eddie, and Sebastian headed to Heavenly for a full day of snowboarding, while James and I stayed in the cabin to play with the kids. Heavenly is really nice, but not very economical for kids/beginners. We figured we’d take Zachary skiing later this year at Soda Springs or Boreal. As for Calie, she absolutely hates the snow and refuses to stand in it. We had to carry her the entire time and after 2 days (and sore arms), we decided someone just needed to stay back in the cabin with her. Very different from Zachary, who was skiing (assisted) before his 2nd birthday!
For Christmas dinner, I made a glazed ham and Alice/Sebastian made fish and “pea mash”, which tastes better than it sounds.
Zachary loved playing pool with Uncle Eddie …
Day 3 (Dec 26th): By the 3rd day, I was downing 3 cups of coffee minimum. Calie is THE worst sleeper. It got to the point where middle of the night, James and I had to change shifts … and the couch was the coveted sleeping location. Even Zachary didn’t want to sleep with Calie after one night.
We took it easy on our third day, since 4 adults were sore and 2 were sleep deprived. We played more games, walked around Heavenly Village, and had lunch at Fire+Ice.
I thought Zachary would enjoy watching food cooked infront of him, but he later told me he preferred just ordering his food and having someone else make/deliver it to the table. Perhaps he was wary of waiting – between him and Calie, they had 3 bowls … and I had Zachary make all 3. I thought it would be fun activity for him, not work!
Day 4 (Dec 27th): Eddie and Sebastian went out for a half day of snowboarding, while James and I took Zachary out to play in the snow on our last day. My sisters babysat Calie back in the cabin. We all gathered for lunch, packed, and started heading back ~2pm. It was great getting together with family, and aside from the sleeping situation, we had a wonderful time! I love it when my kids play with their extended family … hopefully in a few years, there will be more kids.
We got back about 4pm, gave the kids a bath, and then head up to Sam and Melissa’s for a Christmas dinner. The kids made an ornament using string and played games. And we all enjoyed (okay, maybe Zachary didn’t really enjoy) a traditional holiday turkey dinner. Hurrah for good friends (who are also good cooks)!
See you next year – hope 2010 brings you good health and happiness! Happy New Year!
