In Italy

We made it safely to Rome. Staying right across from the Spanish Steps....I feel a little like Audrey Hepburn ;-)
Here's a good one. Our apartment has a bidet. Norah walks into the bathroom and says in a very satisfied way "Hey look, there's a sink that's just the right size for me!"

Tooth Fairy

By the way, the tooth fairy almost got busted last night/this morning. I had no idea the difficulty involved in the tooth fairy's job. The tooth started out under Lolo's pillow. I searched and searched but couldn't find it. Even got the flashlight out. No go. Gave up and just left money under her pillow. Turns out, the tooth was in her hand and then mixed up in the comforter. Found it when I was cleaning up round 1 of the tummy flu (lucky break). Lolo said to me this morning, "I know when the tooth fairy came. It was when I was getting sick in the bathroom. I had to leave it in the comforter. When I came back the tooth was gone and money was under my pillow."
Amazing. Sick as a dog, but still has the diligent mind to keep track of her tooth.

Sweating it

Norah's really sweating Santa's visit. When asked if she had been good enough all year to get a present from Santa, she grinned impishly and hesitantly replied "Probably?" She did note as she was climbing into bed that she had been very very good today and didn't end up on the naughty step once. When I asked her about her time on the naughty step yesterday, she just grinned.
In other news, Lolo battled the stomach flu today. Started in the wee hours of the morning and lasted throughout the day...about 6pm, she decided her tummy could handle some food and afterwards perked up for the evening. And, for the record, she's pretty confident that she's been good throughout the year.
Lastly, instead of cookies (which we didn't have time to bake due to tummy troubles), we left oranges and water for Santa. I told the girls that Santa would probably be relieved to get a healthy snack every once in a while, after all the cookies that the other kids leave for him.

Tooth #5

We were hoping for the Italian tooth fairy, but tooth #5 couldn't wait. Looks like the Minnesota tooth fairy will pay us a visit tonight.

Waiting on a storm

After a bout with the "tummy bug" that has been going around our neighborhood, the girls and I have been outside to get some fresh air. The girls built their very first igloo....all by themselves. A very nice igloo, if I do say so. True Minnesota girls. We're so proud.

Now, we're just waiting on this Christmas storm that is supposed to hit us....predictions of over 2 feet of snow. Woo hoo. Exciting.

We're (hopefully) heading to Rome on Saturday (clearly, this is weather dependant). Will try to post from there.

Santa

I think kids at school have been having discussions about Santa. Lolo came home talking about how she knew the elves couldn't possibly make ALL the toys in the world for kids...people had to help the elves. But Santa is still real. Right, mom?

Gearing up for Christmas

Christmas is sneaking up fast. Instead of shopping tonight, I'm blogging. That's how bad it's gotten. I feel like I'm so far in the hole that it's hopeless.

However, we did finally manage to get our gingerbread houses built this week. (Norah ate more candy than she managed to put on the house...and her house has gotten progressively more bare as the days go by...I caught our little mouse climbing up on the table and nibbling this afternoon).

Perhaps the greatest miracle of all...the girls and I went to the tree lot by ourselves after church today and somehow managed to wrestle a tree home for the very first time without Jim (who has been on call since we came home from Montana and will be on call until the day after christmas). All I can say is praise the Lord that Jim snuck home for lunch today and helped me get the tree in the stand. Whew.

Creekside hot tub

Look at my crazy kids. Running back and forth from the hot tub to make snow balls in their swim suits and bare feet....and, oh, the temperature? Um, single digits excluding wind chill. Mark this under Jim's-genes-at-work.

Also check out the steam rising from Lolo's body in this picture below.

Man, what a great time!

Back from Montana

I'm still having a hard time believing we could sneak in a weekend trip to Montana. Turns out, it's only a 13 hour drive to Red Lodge from St Paul. The girls did great. Sometimes their ability to travel and adaptability to new situations stuns me.

We drove all night Thursday. Pulled into the condo's garage around 5 am. Slept for a few hours, ate breakfast, went skiing, came back and enjoyed the creekside hot tub. Same thing the next day.

The skiing was unbelieveable...especially considering that it's so early in the season. Empty trails. Good coverage. The four of us skied down a long run all by ourselves...with no one in sight. Unbelieveable. This place is tops on our list.

Yesterday morning, as we're packing up, Lolo tries to talk me & Jim into buying the ski condo in Red Lodge. Some kids ask for toys or candy. Our kids ask for ski condos. I'm sensing a problem down the road.

A wild hair

Jim checked nearby snow conditions on monday. Got a wild hair and decided to take a quick road trip. We're leaving tomorrow afternoon....picking up Lolo from school and then heading straight out. Back on sunday. Supposed to be packing right now. Procrastinating instead.
Will let you know how snow conditions are at Red Lodge.....supposed to be the best early skiing they have had in years.

Mountain Boarding

A video not really related to the girls....it's Sam mountain boarding down the hill over the weekend.

Norah & Jim rocking out

Thanksgiving photos

Milestone

We've hit another milestone here. A big one.
Yesterday, Jim and I are in the kitchen. Norah gets an orange, walks over to the sink, matter of factly undoes the child lock under the sink, pulls out the trash can, and starts to deposit her peel into the trash. Needless to say, we're done with child locks.