Sledding on Scarff

The neighborhood turned out for a little street sledding.  Chase was especially enthused by Suka pulling him down the hill.  We all gathered for brunch afterward... A nice way to end 2012.

von Trapp

 

This morning, we headed to Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe.  We decided to take the trail to the mountainside cabin because it seemed that the place would provide a good stopping point.  We did not really factor in that Dave would be hauling 60+ lbs straight uphill.

 

The cabin, with its hot cocoa and warm soups, was a welcome sight!

All-in-all our trip was over 6 miles and about 1000ft elevation gain.  On the way down, we ran into the boys' pediatrician.  I asked him if it was bad that we figured that the boys had spent 4 hours of the last 48 cramped together in a 3' x 2' box - he didn't seem phased.

Next Ski

Before Dave went to work on Friday, we brought everyone on to the golf course to try out the sled on freshies.  It was pretty great.

Above, all my lovely men....

Below, we met up with Anna and Jack for lunch at Handy's...

This is Max with his eye on the fries.  Within minutes of this photo, he was covered in ketchup and chowing with two hands.

First Ski

We got a great snow fall Thursday into Friday.  Dave and I coerced two boys into the pulk-sled-built-for-one and traversed the 'hood.  We made a quick stop at Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory for a pick-me-up and then went off into the snow.

 

Holiday Week...

On Thursday, Dave had to work a little so the boys and I took the dogs for a walk at Whales' Tails.  It was blustery but beautiful - especially with the roar of the highway in the background.

Home Again!

Our final activity (besides excessive eating) was decorating gingerbread houses.  Luckily, the boys were so tuckered out, we made it back to VT without a single stop.

Christmas!

On Christmas morning, we found some gifts tucked under a tree.  What an excitement!

But, almost equally exciting was wandering about with Naturalist Michael.  We spotted animal tracks: raccoons, weasels, squirrels, and shrew.  The best discovery was that of Santa's sleigh tracks and 9 caribou foot prints.

Solo Hike

The solo hike that I ventured out on during naptime was more than I expected.  I encounter rock caves and narrow traverses.  It was pretty cool but also a bit worrisome at times.

 

The Night Before

The night before Christmas, Grandy, Chase and I spent time listening to members of the Smiley family sing Christmas carols while we decorated ornaments for the tree.

We admired our handiwork and then went to bed and hoped for Santa to find us in New Paltz.

Day Two

The next morning, we set off for a true adventure.  First, we scouted out fairy houses.

 

Next, we released reindeer food (oatmeal and sugar sprinkles) in order to lure Santa's helpers to visit us.

Then, we made it to the top of the tower look-out, which pushed Max a bit too far.

 

Lastly, we thought about our friends back home: our favorite girls twins (H & A) and our newborn, new fraternal faves (S & A).