Easter in March

Today was Easter.  When we saw the date, we were worried the weather might now cooperate, forcing us to have an egg-hunt indoors.  Fortunately, the high was forecast to be 65 and sunny.  The hunt was on!

Yesterday was egg-prep day.  Mommy was smart enough to remember to buy a dozen eggs.  Add that to the eight we had in the refrigerator and you get twenty eggs that needed coloring.  Bode Jackson, master egg-dyer, was up for the task.  Here he is, the master color man in action.

In this next picture, you can see the six eggs at once Bode is coloring.  He's quite adept at multitasking.

Here's a picture towards the end of the process--note the eggs are drying in their carton.

After dying the eggs, Bode was exhausted.  I went out and picked up some BBQ, and we had a pre-Peter Cotton-Tail feast.

Sunday morning, Bode was raring to go--first thing he asked when he woke up was, "Did the Easter Bunny come?"  He found his multiple Easter baskets and immediately wanted to go egg-hunting.  Mommy convinced him we needed to wait for the weather to warm up--still at little chilly at 8 am.  Around 1030, we decided to head out.  Here are the action shots.  Note Harley is quite adept at finding eggs--we had to pry a couple hard-boiled eggs out of her mouth.

Finally, we have a movie.  I can't really tell, but I think Harley has an egg in her mouth as she walks up the stairs.  It was right after we stopped this clip that I had to chase her down and get the egg from her.

Uncle Dave and Charlie are coming down a little later.  Bode said something about another egg-hunt.  Hopefully the bunny will come back and hide them again :-)

Skiing

It's spring break for my work, so we decided to take a couple days off and go to Breckenridge.  We were worried as our mini-vacation drew near, as temperatures on Saturday were only in the high-teens. Plus, we were getting snow (2-3 inches in the Springs), and the cold weather was forecast to stick around.  We were optimistic the forecasters would be in error.

We woke up Sunday morning to clearer skies, but still very cold temperatures.  The drive up was nice...to a point.  Around Fairplay, the skies had darkened, and there were flurries falling.  The road was clear, and we made it over Hoosier pass without any trouble, albeit we were traveling at a moderate pace down the steep switchbacks.  We arrived around 3 pm, checked in, and relaxed, watching some college basketball and getting Bode prepped for his big day on Monday at ski-school.  Initially, we were worried he thought ski-school was the ice-skating rink, but after a quick conversation, we realized he knew he was going skiing on Monday and that he was also excited about it.  Before we left town, we bought Bode a new pair of ski pants.  Rather than go the reserved, grey-black route, we opted for bright yellow--all the more easy to see you, my pretty.  Here's a picture of Bode in the condo, ready to go.

We dropped him off at ski-school around 0830, and were relieved he wanted to stay.  A quick, "See you Mommy, see you Daddy," and he didn't seem to need us anymore.  We headed out to the slopes (in the future, Bode needs to put up a little fuss, as we're quickly realizing we're simply becoming Bode's ride to-and-fro his activities...)

On the slopes, we met up with an old friend (he's 45!), Tim Tobik.  I know Tim from my Florida days, and Ashley knew him before that.  Tim and his family and extended family/friends were in Breckenridge for the whole week to do some skiing.  Here's a picture of Ashley and Tim at the base of the Quicksilver lift.

Note the beautiful blue sky--looks nice and warm, but the reality was temps were around 15.  Thankfully, the wind was nothing but a shallow breath...which sounds mild, but on the lifts, the slightest breeze in 15-degree weather is icily cold.  I took a few more pictures of Tim and Ashley, but I could tell my picture taking was eating into their ski-time, or, in this case, Tim's important phone calls :-)

At some point, we met up with some of Tim's clan--I won't even bother mentioning all the names (code for I don't remember them all).

We skied with them until lunch-time, at which point Ashley and I decided to eat and rest.  The three hours of skiing in great conditions really wiped us out (yes, pathetic).  After lunch, we decided on one more run, and also took time to take a picture of each of us in on the middle of Peak 9.

Ashley and I headed back to the room and relaxed.  We could have napped for the rest of the day, but ski-school ends at 3:30.  We headed over early, hoping to catch Bode in action.  We were not disappointed.  I must preface the following with a recap of Bode's first time in ski-school two years ago.  He never really let go of an instructor's hand and, in their words, "enjoyed the indoor part of ski-school."  Therefore, when we saw him on his skies, we were tickled pink.  He was easy to pick out in those yellow pants!

We saw him go up and down the "ski-lift" a couple times.  He still can't stop on command, but his instructor said he was doing his wedge and did great.  Here's a movie of a future 2030 gold-medalist in action.

We finished the day with a great meal at Breckenridge Brewery with the Tobik entourage.  We walked, which was a mistake, because on the way home, Bode wanted to be carried.  He's not light.  We stopped and took this picture of Bode and Mommy.

We had a lovely stay in Breckenridge.  We return to work tomorrow (yuck).  Fortunately, spring has arrived, with temps forecast to be in the 50's and 60's.  I'm anxious to run in something other than a hat and gloves.  Pleasant week to all, and Happy Peter Cotton-Tail Day.

Our Sea Otter

Today was a great day at the pool.  Bode has been trying so hard to earn his last sticker and graduate from being a Sea Monkey to a Sea Otter.  Here are some pictures and movies documenting this momentous achievement.  First, here's a shot of Bode getting pumped up for the lesson.

He was with Brian today--he hadn't had Brian as an instructor in awhile.  This turned out to be a good thing, as Brian was able to find some ways to help Bode accomplish the ever elusive bubble-down and float back up starfish.  This is when he goes underwater, kicks back up to the surface and floats on his back in the starfish position.  For awhile, Bode could not master the starfish, and he had difficulty finding his buoyancy.  The last couple lessons, Bode mastered this and was able to float on his own.  The bubble-down was causing problems, because Bode wouldn't keep his head back and he wouldn't kick properly.  Here is an example of Bode doing a poor bubble-down.

Brian decided to put the shark vest on Bode.  This gives him some added buoyancy.  He also wanted Bode to jump in from the side rather than do a bubble-down from inside the pool.  This might seem harder, but Brian explained jumping in from the side sometimes helps the "panic" response i.e. when they hit the water, the kids are startled and will instinctively kick.  Sounds plausible to me.  Here is a picture of Bode with the vest--note the fin on the back.

Here was his first attempt, which wasn't a very good one.  You can hear us on tape and also Brian telling Bode his hands were out of the water.  It's very hard for the kids to float without their hands.

Brian made Bode do quite a few of these.  This one is a great example of a good job.

After mastering the technique, Bode had to remove the vest and do the same thing.  This is a video of two tries--he does pretty good on these.

After getting a good feel for the technique, Bode then did some bubble-downs starting in the pool.  Obviously Ashley and I were very excited.

After all the hard work, it was time for some play.

We had a blizzard in Colorado today.  Well, the forecast was for a blizzard, but we hardly had any accumulation.  Lots of blowing snow, and it was very cold.  Fortunately, the forecast for the week is for highs in the 60s, so I am ready for some great running weather.  Pleasant week to all.

Birthday Dog

We had another birthday in the house today, this one of the four-legged variety.  Harley-dog is now two years old.  We expect she's just about full-grown.  Here's a shot of the big girl, me, and Bode-man.

She's a pretty good dog, although this past weekend, I gave her a bone.  Usually, she keeps them out in the yard, but every now and then, she tries to sneak one inside.  Yesterday, I caught her on the sofa "burying" the bone next to the cushion.  Lovely.

Mommy bought Candyland for Bode, and it has quickly become his favorite game.  We seem to play every night, which is fine--some good ol' family fun :-)

Bode has a swim-lesson tomorrow.  Here's hoping he graduates from being a sea-monkey and joins the ranks of the otters :-)  Pleasant week to all.

Sledding and Skating

For those of us who are federal employees, Monday, 18 Feb was a holiday.  Thus, we had a three-day weekend.  Saturday, we didn't do a whole lot.  Ashley and I did some yoga in the morning (no full moons this time), and then the three of us went swimming.  Bode is getting very comfortable in the water, and has almost graduated from being a sea monkey to an otter.  He has to do a dive-down, which is basically going underwater and touching the bottom, and then surface and float in a starfish position for five seconds.  We'll see if he gets there this week, although I think it might take him a couple more lessons.

Sunday, we headed up to the mountains.  Dave and Kathy (Ashley's brother and sister-in-law) have family who own a 3-bedroom condo in Breckenridge.  They invited us up for Sunday and Monday.  We arrived for lunch, and then decided to so some sledding.  Bode had never been, and we wondered if he would like it.  Turns out, he loved it.  Here are some pictures.  First up, the clan trudging through the snow to get to the sledding hill.  Note it was a beautiful day.

Next is a shot of Ashley, Bode, and Teddy at the base of the "mountain."

Bode and I went on the first run together.  I thought he'd be a little scared, based on the incredible speeds we achieved.  Surprisingly, he really liked it.

After a number of runs, Bode wanted to go on his own.  Here is a movie.  We were prepared for a yard sale, but he made it down on his own in one piece.  Note at the start of the video, Bode is sitting down in a group near the middle of the picture.  Once he starts going, I was able to track him down the mountain.

Finally, here is a picture of Mommy and Bode finishing up a run in the tube.  Lots of fun!

Sunday night was rather tame.  We went to dinner, and afterwards, Cars was on TV, so we watched that.  Monday morning, Mommy was nice enough to make us some pancakes.  Here is a shot of the boys anxiously awaiting their food.  Bode really enjoys hanging out with his cousins, although there are an inordinate number of burp and fart jokes...

Monday, we went ice skating.  Bode hadn't been ice-skating since we tried it when he was three years old.  That time did not go well.  We were hopeful for a better result.  Initially, Bode was very timid on his skates.

However, once Teddy and Charlie showed up, he really started to zoom around, albeit with the assist from the walker.

As always, we had a wonderful time with the Denver Rankins.  Charlie turned four today, and Kathy made a delicious birthday cake, which Bode thoroughly enjoyed.  We got home in the mid-afternoon, did some chores, and are now all ready for bed.  Evidently the lack of oxygen takes its toll on all of us.  Pleasant week to all.

Another February Weekend

Twas another ordinary weekend in Colorado Springs.  The weather has been teasing us with snow--we get a few flakes, and then the sun comes out.  I think the mountains are getting some, but not enough to relieve the drought conditions.  Saturday, Bode had another swim lesson.  No pictures this time--we think the camera has been making him nervous (not really).  We should have taken movies, because he did great this time.  He floated as a starfish for five seconds, and would then flip over on his face and swim to the wall.  He even "sat-dove" in the water from the side.  He's not quite in the "Sea Otter" category, but we think he'll be there in a couple weeks.  We've decided to have him take two lessons a week, so the additional exposure should be good for him.

I woke up this morning, and realized Harley was in a tizzy.  I looked outside and saw this:

You can probably see Harley (the black shape near the right-middle).  She was running back and forth along the fence line.  If you look above her and to her left, you might be able to make out five or six deer.  I took a zoomed shot, but the focus was not good...

There was also this lone female, sitting down by herself.  She's just about in the exact center of the photograph.

It is neat having all these deer around.  Of course, where there is food, there are predators.  We have never seen any mountain lions, and I don't think there have been any in our neighborhood in years.  Still, it'd be quite a shock to run into big cat while getting the newspaper early in the morning.

We took Bode bowling this afternoon.  We brought the camera, but sadly, we left it in the car.  Little man did great--was running up to the lane with the ball and throwing in down the alley.  He got two spares (although the bumpers get an assist).  Now, we're just hanging out.  For lunch, we went to Firehouse Subs.  Bode got this cool fireman's hat.

Another week of work ahead.  Only two years, three months, eighteen days until I am eligible to retire. With my luck, just as I can retire, the government will be insolvent, so no pension :-(  Pleasant week to all.

The Mighty Falcons

Today was a busy day.  Ashley and I woke up early and did an Asylum workout.  Asylum is one of Shaun T's video workouts--he is the guy that you see doing Insanity on those infomercials.  Asylum is different that Insanity--not as much cardio, but very tough.  For some reason, I was motivated as soon as I woke up and wanted to work out.  I think it has something to do with my ninth place age-group finish in a recent race, so I'm hoping to improve on that performance.  And I also think it's because I've had Bonnie Tyler's Holding on for a Hero song running through my head ever since I heard it on the radio the other day.

After our workout, we grabbed Bode and headed for his third swim lesson.  Bode was really excited for his lesson, but today wasn't his best day, at least in his eyes.  He started off with a review of what he knew--leg kicks, blowing bubbles, etc.

After the beginning, things got difficult.  The first two lessons were rather simple, but today, they were wanting him to step (swim) out of his comfort zone.  This included floating on his back without any support from the instructor.  The position is called the Starfish because his legs and arms are spread out and his head is back.

Bode is not very buoyant, or at least he has not figured out how to be.  Thus, when the teacher would let go of his head, he would sink.  He got some water up his nose a few times, and got a little scared.  However, he did try to do the Starfish three more times on his own, and for that, we are proud of him.  He then successfully kicked himself to the wall...(and yes, that is Mommy's butt).

After some hard swimming, they finished with some entertainment and fun.

On the car ride home, Bode said, "I didn't do the Starfish very well." (Actually he said, "very good," but we are grammatically correct on this blog).  We told him the standard, practice-makes-perfect encouragement (parental B.S.), so we'll see how he responds.

After swimming, we rushed home, showered up, and then headed out to lunch.  Bode loves Souper Salad, which is a salad and soup buffet that also has pizza, mac-n-cheese, and ice cream for dessert.  Bode was very concerned when we arrived, because the last time we went there, the ice cream machine was broken--talk about disappointment!  Fortunately, the machine was in working order and after we dined, we all enjoyed some ice cream.  We then headed up to the Air Force Academy for the Falcon's basketball game against San Diego St, who were ranked #22 heading into the game.  This was Bode's first college basketball game, and he was excited.

And before I go on, yes, it was a beautiful day--high in the 50's!  Bode was even more excited when we got inside and he saw there was popcorn.

Air Force Academy basketball is not, at least historically, competitive.  They had a couple strong years in 2003 and 2004, but recently, they have stunk.  They were picked to finish last in the Mountain West prior to the start of the season.  Surprisingly, USAFA is doing well, amassing a 13-6 record and riding a 4-game winning streak.  More folks than usual turned out for the game--maybe close to 6,000--so the place was rocking.  Here is a game photo (should I sell it to SI?)

Bode paid attention...for a little while.  After the first-half, he was ready to go.  Fortunately Ashley's phone has Angry Birds and Bad Piggies, so he was content.

The game was extremely exciting.  USAFA was up five at the half, went down three at the start of the second half, and then it was back and forth.  I was determined to get a movie of USAFA doing something good, but every time I filmed, they would screw up.  Finally, I was able to capture the following footage.  And the voice you hear saying, "They're gonna score" is me, trying to will the team to some points.

This three-pointer put them up by nine with about five minutes to go.  Unfortunately, SDSU whittled away at the lead, and with fifteen seconds left, USAFA was up by 1.  We drew a foul, and our guy made both free-throws.  Then, SDSU had the ball for one last chance, but they missed a three-pointer, got the rebound, tried another three, missed again, and then the buzzer sounded.  The crowd went wild, and many cadets stormed the court.  We remained in our seats and applauded conservatively :-)

We didn't do much the rest of the day.  I walked Harley, did some tax work, while Ashley did some real work.  Bode relaxed--he played real hard today.  Super Bowl tomorrow...we may watch...or not :-)