Birthdays?

Isabelle loves to open presents. No, we are talking LOVES to open presents. She has figured out that birthdays equal presents. It also didn't help that her birthday was drawn out over the period of two weeks. She sings Happy birthday nearly everyday. At first I was like...its not your birthday. But now, I kinda have to laugh because I figure...she's two. Why not celebrate the day of her birth everyday. Celebrate that we are alive and healthy and learning something new everyday. So why not Happy Birthday. Maybe she has the right idea, what if everyday was a birthday party.

WE WON!

Congrats to the Girls Ski team for an excellent (and exciting) victory over many yuppie southern maine ski teams.

STATE CHAMPS BABY!!!!

(picture soon to come)

Champions

Busy week. Sorry to all for the lack of post. But here is a bit to catch you up

Jim left Wednesday Morning for his annual winter camping trip. Chuck, Jared, Bob and Jim headed to Gulf Hagas. I came to the realization that my dear husband needs at least 5 hours to properly pack everything. Through out the day on Tuesday we were in and out of the house. So at about 7pm, Jim decides he had better start. Well the phone rang…then rang again. And 10pm rolled around. Still not finished of course. I headed to bed. I am useless after 10 anyway. At 1am I woke up. Jim had still not come to bed. So I headed down stairs. Now picture if you will… We have a large plate glass window that looks over our porch. I glance out the window and I am startled because someone is on the porch. I look again. It is Jim standing in the middle of the porch. Winter gear on, belt for his tow sled is on and he is clipping and re-clipping the blasted sled to his belt. AT 1:00 IN THE MORNING. The man has a 12 mile ski tomorrow and he playing with his toys on the front porch! I will never understand.

So anyway, in the mean time.
My ski team won MVC’s (moutain valley championships) last Friday. We won across the board. Alpine and Nordic combined. It was great and made us look forward to States.

Today was the GS portion of states which the girls won! (Despite Sunday river not knowing how to run a proper race, miserable cold and wind)

Slalom is tomorrow and its another day of being up before the sun, so I will be rockin the same socks and jocks till then. Not that we coaches are superstitions, but why chance it…..

Winning is fun

Till then…happy trails.


Isabelle digs her new jacket for next winter.

Happy Birthday To Me.

A perfect day to have the "changing of my age" celebration. I was up before the sun and on my way to Rumford for a race. It was a gorgeous day. Sunny and warm. My girls won in honor of my birthday. Not just won, but smoked the competition. We are talking 1st, 2nd and 3rd were all my racers! Thats awesome. Ate some good food, shared some laughs and got to open some presents. And to top it all off. Its snowing again. What a great day to be me.

Dear Mr. Plow Truck Driver

Thank you for your service. Your ability to make sure that our roads are free of snow and ice is outstanding. Your skill in making sure that the 8 foot plow that precariously hangs off to the side of your truck and doesn't render my mailbox to splinters is remarkable. Also your attention to detail in making certain that you plow by my house at least once an hour has got to be above and beyond the call of the town of Strong plower duty. But please, next time you drive by try not to look so happy as you fill in the end of my driveway once again with all the goodness that fourth day of snow brings. You see, as you drive by and I am out shoveling again, with my two year old, terrible thoughts and words come to mind that a lady should never think or say. I have to withhold the feeling of flipping you "the bird" and throwing snowballs at your windshield, because I am a good person and a mother. I have a desire to go to your home and shovel a mound of snow at the end of your driveway 3 or 4 times a day but I lack the energy to do that because I am shoveling out my own mound. So please skip the cordial wave and nod when you see me. Its nothing personal, I know its your job. Im just tired of shoveling.
Thanks again,
Leah

Welcome to the arctic circle

This is third day of snow this week, with more on the way promised for Saturday (A great birthday present for someone who loves snow!) I do really love snow and the winter time but there is a limit how often I want to shovel my driveway. 4 times in one week has got to be past the limit. This onslaught of snow is putting a damper on EVERYTHING. Every race and practice this week has been canceled or postponed. Which causes more chaos because there is nothing like getting everything ready to go so that I can be on the road this morning at 6, to drop off my two year old (waking a two year old at six is just cruel anyway) organizing times ect, ect, ect only to find out while in the shower this morning that the race (MVC's!!!!) has been CANCELED!!! DUE TO SNOW?!?!?! what the heck! So I get to spend another day at home shoveling the driveway again.

However, There is reason to rejoice.
I can post blogs from home now! Many of you may not know this but I don't have REAL internet at home. I "hack" wireless internet from the elementary school across the road. They know us, we work in the school district and they don't mind. But the internet has a filter that we have lovingly named the "Net Nanny." Which means I can not visit any sites that you can shop on, personal pages, forums, anything that might be leud or explicit. Which pretty much leaves me with checking my email, news and weather a few knitting sites and church sites. So anyway, back to rejoicing. They have changed the net nanny. There are still many sites I cant get into, but many that I can! I can shop!!!! I can update blogs!!!! Read everyone else's blogs!!! SHOP MORE!!!! when you live in a small town and hate walmart, shopping online is where its at. I am excited.

My little Picasso. We got out the paints that Isabelle got for her birthday. She's a little harsh on paint brushes but had a blast and took her painting very seriously

Beautiful Day

Yesterday was so gorgeous, we went to Mt. Blue state park to do a little skiing. Skiing with a sled in tow is not so easy while doing hills, so this was moving our skills up a notch. At first it was a bit crazy. I would try and stay ahead of the sled by skiing faster down the hill. This is nearly impossible. She is small, low to the ground and practically ran me over every time. The other difficulty was usually at the bottom of a hill there was a corner. So this small sled was whip down a hill and then just before she would fly off the trail I would have skied fast enough to pull the 6 foot rope taunt with a jolt and save her from mishap. Finally when Jim was faced with a hill he had a different idea. He cinched up the sled so that the rear of his skis were under her sled and away they would speed. Isabelle didn't seem to mind. She relaxed in her sled through the two hour expedition. Once while she was going down a hill with Jim she turned back at me and said "Bye-Bye Momma! Weeeeeeee!" I think she has the need for speed.....


FREEDOM COMES AT A COST!
My ski boots bring new meaning to "blisters on my blisters man" My ski boots have always been uncomfortable and I keep hoping that either a) My feet with toughen up or b) the boots will magically soften up. Neither of which has happened yet. And I am too cheap (or poor) to buy new ones. So here is my redneck solution....DUCT TAPE! Check it out. Tape some moleskin to the ol' achilles and heel and ta-da! Back to my freedom. It isnt perfect yet, but it lasted much longer than anything I have tried thus far.



Bet you didn't think you would be looking at a picture of my heel on my website....hahaha




Happy Trails!

Guess who is Two!

January 31st!

She loves Care Bears, drawing and making tents.
We love to tickle, laugh and rub noses.
We are all learning something new everyday.
My baby has turned two!


No problem blowing candles out! (Yes that is a Care Bear cake)


Birthday Care Bears!


Two birthday roses from Dad (she picked out the colors herself!)


CAKE!!!

Happy Birthday Isabelle