Purgatory...

you probably thought this post was going to be about something totally different, didn't you? well, i guess it depends on how many pseudo Catholics out there happened upon this blog based solely on the today's title. well, folks, Purgatory isn't just a place for temporary punishment before being allowed into Heaven, but now i get why this quaint little ski resort is called Purgatory. 

after months of planning (and saving! skiing = $$$) we packed up the gear and flew out to Colorado. we were lucky enough to be staying with friends that allowed us to crash at their house for the week, but even with the cost of lodging out of the way, taking the family skiing is a wallet buster! Whoa! taking the family skiing has got to be one of the most expensive vacations you can take. on top of the usual stuff you're paying for (flight, hotel, and food) there's the gear and the rentals. and with 5 of us, that's A LOT of gear!

The Husband and I have been skiing before (it's been 9 years since the dreaded skiing accident), but it had been so long since we actually spent so much time on the slopes that my nerves were shot. i spent the entire morning the first day sick to my stomach and sweating with anticipation for what was about to be quite a pleasant experience. we put the boys in ski school and took off. of course, NoNo was not having any part of ski school and we could hear him crying half way up the mountain. i don't blame him, the boots are painful, it's cold, and falling down is scary. at least he didn't have to ride the lift to the backside of the mountain with the wind blowing so hard that you were afraid you might fall off. yep, i was the one clenching the back of the seat and closing my eyes for the dreaded ride up the mountain. 

after 5 days of hitting the slopes hard, my body was done. let me tell you, no amount of working out can prepare your body for skiing. even after spending the last month "preparing" for the ski trip, i was still completely in pain, exhausted, and beat down. maybe it's just my age, because the kids are already asking when we can go back, and i'm glad ski trips are only once a year! i actually brought the big camera out, so enjoy the pictures...

Trifecta...

it did not even cross my mind that today was Friday the 13th, and you would think as superstitious as i am that this would bother me, but today was a good day. earlier in the week i received an email from P-Donculous' teacher saying he was going to be receiving an award for the 2nd 9 weeks of school. of course he had no clue, but they try and make it a surprise, and i think it keeps the kids from bragging all week in front of the other kids. anyway, this morning we tried our hardest to get everyone ready to be out of the house by 7:45am (almost impossible). i dropped the boys off in car pool line like we normally do, and then i pulled around to the front of the school to park and go inside to position a good seat in the cafetorium. P-Donculous getting an award isn't really a surprise; he's definitely a people pleaser, and most of the awards in kindergarten are all about people pleasing (good manners award for example). but as we sat there for what seemed forever in the overly heated room (i only noticed because i think i forgot deodorant in my rush to get ready this morning), we were quite shocked when his name was called not once, not twice, but 3 times! the first award i was expecting, it was from the Spanish teacher for his achievement in their Spanish class (surprising in itself, because no one in our house speaks a lick of any kind of other language). the second award came from his teacher, it's called the Folsom Friendly* and i think it's given to one student from each class that shows a great attitude towards other classmates and other teachers (but i'm just guessing, i really have no idea what it's for). the third award came as a complete shock. the vice-principal gives an award that she calls the STRIVE award (a really long acronym for being awesome) and only one student in each grade level gets it, so, when she called out for P-Donculous, my jaw dropped and a little tear formed in my eye (okay so maybe it was like 5 tears, but i wiped them away before anyone saw). after hearing all the kids, teachers, and other parents cheering for him as he walked up onto the stage, i knew why he received that award...everyone knows who he is...future politician anyone? i'm so proud of my little P-Donculous...

*this is the second time he's gotten the Folsom Friendly

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

what a whirlwind, but then again isn't every holiday a whirlwind? we opted this year not to do anything at all for Christmas. and by anything, i mean we didn't do anything, no travel, no family, no parties, nothing. it was kind of nice not packing up the truck with a butt load of gifts and driving 24 hours round trip, or getting all dressed up for 5 minutes of an eating frenzy. i think the kids enjoyed themselves, but who wouldn't with a 5 foot high pile of new toys!

we decided to take the kids to see Santa a little differently this year. about 30 miles away there is an actual vintage train that takes the kids on a 30 minute ride with a surprise guest...yep, Santa. i think P-Donculous was the only one truly excited about the whole thing. he was all giggles and grins when he saw the man in the red suit. (i guess i should have uploaded the picture they actually took with Santa, maybe later...)

now, on to the big day...let me just say, do you know how upsetting it is to find out that your camera battery is dead on Christmas eve? and then to remember that your battery charger was in the bag that was stolen when you were on vacation last month? momma was one sad panda with no camera on Christmas. so, the only pictures we have are from my phone (very disappointed). anyway, the kids were very good about not waking us up until 8am! you can see from the picture that we like to position ourselves just perfectly before opening any gifts. once the green light was given, it only took about 10 minutes before the pretty picture was turned into a mountain of boxes, paper, and ribbon. Santa was very good to us this year and we have a lot to be thankful for, other than the ungodly amount of toys he brought. i think my favorite gift was the replacement family photo (don't get me wrong, i really enjoyed the new fancy crock pot and North Face jacket too)...

Merry Christmas Y'all!

hating on the elf...

i normally won't post about silly little things, but for some reason this really bothered me. it seems there is a little backlash towards the Elf on the Shelf. i've been seeing quite a bit of re-posts of a certain person's blog (that i'm not even going to bother re-posting). apparently there are those out there that are offended by the antics of some little elves. how can you be offended that some people just like to put the extra effort in to having fun with their kids during the holidays? as you can tell, i'm on the side of the "over achieving elf on the shelf mommies". our elf, Rex, likes to get into trouble. he may not be mischievous everyday, but he does know how to have a good time. the kids really get a kick out of getting up every morning to see what he's been up to the night before. i feel sorry for the kids whose parents aren't really into it. if they don't enjoy the antics of the elf, then why did the elf come visit their house in the first place?

how can you not find the humor and fun in something so simple? even if your elf rummages through your underwear drawer and replaces your stockings with the family skivvies....get over it people and quit being so crabby, it is the holidays after all...