weekending ...

The kids were released from school at noon on Thursday thanks to teacher conferences, no school on Friday, and yet ironically, are IN school today (President's Day) thanks to a snow-day makeup day (we have to make up anything beyond 4 snow days) ... I'm actually really bummed to have them in school today, I was really counting on this day as a 'rest day' for all of us to just decompress - we've had another exhausting busy-but-wonderful long weekend that I'll do my best to put into list form, Pam-style ...

Thursday

bake all morning for our weekend away

noon pickup

quick lunch

off to the dentist

no cavities!

Mom has a special nighttime date in the city with little ladybug ...

The musical Mary Poppins is traveling around the country and made a stop at Boston's Opera House.  It was absolutely phenomenal - magical is a better word - literally magical, too, as Burt walked right up the stage walls and across the ceiling at one point - not to mention Mary Poppins' dramatic exit - floating right over the audience and out the backside of the theater!  But I have to tell you a crazy side story - about 15 minutes into the show, right in the middle of a musical number, all of the house lights came on.  The fire alarm was going off.  The entire Opera House (audience, actors, orchestra, stage hands, everyone) had to be evacuate into the streets of Boston.  For 50 minutes.  While the Boston FD came to sweep the building and reset the alarm.

No fire, thank goodness, but it was a painful delay for my little bug, who can hardly make it past 9 pm ... the show didn't end until 11 pm, she was like a zombie!  At least she has a fun and unusual story to retell ...

Friday

morning teacher conferences

the little ladybugs are doing well :-)

homemade quirky turkeys for lunch!

make Jess's caramel icing for the bundt cake I'd baked

YUM, the icing is to die for!

eat leftover icing from pot with a spoon

pack the skis into the car - we're headed for the mountains!

meet hosting friends in New Hampshire for the long drive north

but wait, what's up with the temperature?

Saturday

mild temps were short-lived - woke up to 22 degrees in Northwestern Maine - back to reality!

uh-oh - the refreeze has caused icy ski conditions

and only the lower half of the mountain is open due to 60-70 mph winds at the top - yikes!

tough it out with a c-c-cold ski day

turns out a LOT of fun is had by all

mom learns that both ladybugs now ski better than she can

 afternoon hot tub for the kids and dads

margaritas for four

fajita dinner for eight

bundt cake is hit!

Sunday

oh dear, now it's down to 9 degrees - but at least the winds have died down

mom opts for spending the morning at the gift shop instead

Manbug heads out with our slopeside hosts and both kids bundled tight

Manbug learns little ladybug can ski fast

lunch with our friends

hugs, goodbyes, and thank you's

3 last runs

pack up car

time for the 4-hour ride home

boooooo ...

"but mom, why do we have to go back home, isn't it a holiday tomorrow?"

tears, sulking, frowns

Hey, if it ended in tears, it had to have been a wonderful weekend right?!