Month: January 2013

Island Park, Idaho Day 2 – Snowmobiling and Swimming

Snowmobiling is one of Mountain Dad’s true joys in life.  His Christmas gift a month ago was the Polaris RMK 2013 model, seen here with me riding.

So we had been looking forward to this snowmobiling trip for a while.  Island Park has some amazing snowmobile trails and everyone who comes to stay in the winter comes with that purpose in mind.  I had never seen snowmobiles driving right up to the gas station or congregated in groups greater than thirty, but that’s the norm here in snowmobiling heaven.
Unfortunately Mountain Dad wasn’t able to fully enjoy this Mecca of snowmobile culture.  While unloading the truck he re-injured his sore rib, an injury he received by falling off his snowmobile three weeks before.  On the drive up he was feeling pretty positive about the injury so it was a slap in the face when he hurt himself before the trip really even started.  Well, I guess it was more a punch in the chest.  My doctor sister who was on the trip with us said it was most likely broken and the only real treatment was to let it heal on its own.  Needless to say Mountain Dad was bummed…and in pain.  Great start to the trip!
Since Mountain Dad was out of commission we decided to have a ladies’ ride.  Although snowmobiling is not my first choice for a snow sport, it is extremely fun.  I got to go fast and see beautiful trees and scenery.  Even my niece Cara enjoyed riding along with her mom. It was, truly, a ladies ride and lots of fun.
  
That wasn’t the end of the day, however.  Big E needed to get out of our two bedroom condo, for all of us to have some sanity.  As nice as the accomodations at Island Park Village Resort are, an exuberent three-year-old can’t be contained for long.  We took Big E and his cousins, Tyler and Ryan to the clubhouse for some swimming. Here they are in snow boots, coats and swim trunks. 
I really liked the clubhouse, since it was full of fun activities for kids. A ping pong table, foosball table, movies, arcade games were available for kids plus a sauna and workout room for adults.  There was a WARM pool, which was amazing, two smaller hot tubs and a kiddie pool only two feet deep that was the perfect temperature for a kids hot tub.  Together with my sister Heather we made whirlpools, played Marco Polo and splashed…a lot.

Big E does not know how to swim on his own yet.  Usually we have him in a life jacket at all times, but of course, I forgot to pack that. So instead I was on full time life guard duty.  And let me tell you, that kid would’ve drown fifty times over had Heather or I not been right there the whole time.  He is a wild child who can’t touch the bottom of the pool, yet jumps in with grand gusto at every turn. Whether an adult was in the pool to catch him or not he would jump in to the middle of the pool then flail and kick until someone who could touch the bottom helped him to the side.

His favorite phrase of the day was, “I want to do it myself!” which was usually accompanied by him pushing my arm away from holding him up in the water.  I thought of just letting him figure it out on his own but it caused me too much panic.  At one point he stood on the side of the pool and fell straight backward without even looking behind him.  He is fearless…I don’t know that it’s a good thing.

Day two came to a beautiful end and even though Mountain Dad was injured most of us had a really good time.  

Island Park, Idaho Day 1 – Packing

I believe in many feminist ideals.  We are strong humans with skills to rival many men out there.  I support women’s sports and agree that women should be compensated the same as men for the same job.

With that said, in my personal life, Mountain Dad is still responsible for the traditionally male roles of car maintenance and heavy lifting. I didn’t realize that I took him for granted in those areas until this last weekend when I was expected to do fill his role as well as my own.
This last weekend we went to Island Park, Idaho for a snowmobiling vacation. The way things worked out I was in charge of packing up clothes, food, snow gear, snowshoes and the snowmobiles and driving the truck and trailer through the Salt Lake City airport to pick up Mountain Dad. Friday I spent most of the day doing laundry, finding outfits, matching gloves, and loading everything into the truck.  It is shocking how much stuff we needed, but after meticulous planning I was sure that I had thought of everything.
While taking the seemingly endless trips back and forth to load up the truck life plummeted into chaos. On one return trip I found little g crying and Big E half naked.  Apparently he had peed his pants and when it was suggested that he put clean pants on he refused.  Little g could not believe that I had deserted her and was loudly complaining about it.  My sister-in-law Chelsea was there helping to feed, clothe and comfort them and it was still chaos. Because of the time constraints I did what I often do in these situations – ignore the madness and complete the task at hand.  Luckily Chelsea is a competent feminist woman and got things settled.
I finished loading the truck and turned to the most intimidating part of the day, hooking up the trailer.  Normally I am Mountain Dad’s assistant in this particular task.  He drives the truck in reverse, carefully lining up the hitch with the trailer attachment while I stand there waving my hands at him to tell him which way to go.  The last time I drove the truck with a trailer I ended up jackknifing the thing and paying for body damage so, needless to say, I was a little nervous.
I had asked a neighbor to help, and was grateful I had since I couldn’t even unlock the trailer lock.  It apparently requires a special wiggle or twist of the wrist that I get to impatient to handle.  Once the trailer was unlocked and the tire chalks removed I cautiously drove the truck into place.  My first attempt left the truck and trailer a good three feet apart.  My second attempt blocked the road, much to the concern of oncoming traffic.  My third attempt luckily was successful and my neighbor helped me lock the trailer onto the hitch.
There I was with the truck bed packed, the trailer hooked up and everything ready.  I had planned and prepared and felt a surprising sense of accomplishment for having loaded up everything without my husband.  It was hard and I did it!  I was awesome!  With kids in the car we took off to pick up Mountain Dad at the airport and begin our awesome adventure.  Big E and little g fell asleep fairly quickly and the ride was going swimmingly.  It wasn’t until I picked up Mountain Dad that I realized that I forgot a very important item – night diapers for my three year old.
So much for my feeling of accomplishment. We ended up stopping at Walmart in Blackfoot, Idaho.  Oh well, one extra stop is worth not having an extra week’s worth of laundry and a suitcase that smells of pee.

How to Sweep the Floor in Fifty-three steps

How to Sweep the Floor in Fifty-three Steps
Based on actual events.
  1. Get inspired. At 3:00 pm the electrician fixing the lights at your house asks, “How old are your kids?”  “Big E is nearly four and little g is fifteen months,” you say.  “I could’ve guessed something like that based on the mess under your table.”
  2. Blush profusely at how a complete stranger is judging the cleanliness of your house.
  3. Fire the electrician.
  4. Get broom and dustpan out of closet.
  5. Pick up a pink bib, three plastic balls, half a lego car, an old Christmas ornament, a dirty washcloth, a chip clip, a toy excavator, three plush angry birds, one plush green piggy and four markers.
  6. Traipse throughout the house depositing the above items in their appropriate locations.
  7. Notice Big E watching. He asks, “Mom, can I play garbage man too?” Offer him a cardboard box to use as a garbage dumpster. He runs off with the box, smiling.
  8. Walk back to the table to find little g eating a mystery object. Ask, “What’s in your mouth?” Try to pry open her tiny jaws while she shakes her head no. Finally extract a half eaten pretzel that she could’ve only gotten off the floor.
  9. Throw away slobbery half eaten pretzel. Little g wails.
  10. Pull chairs away from table while little g grabs your leg. Her wail turns to screams as she reaches up with a grabby hand, wanting to be held.
  11. Pick little g up and rest her on your right hip. Using your left hand, awkwardly swipe the broom at the layer of crunched up Crispix, shriveled apple bits and last night’s now dried out rice that has accumulated under the table.
  12. Sigh and look at little g who is still crying. Put down broom and search for a pacifier. Finally find one under her crib and pop it in her mouth.
  13. Attempt to distract little g with her favorite board book, “Hello, Animals.” She takes the bait.
  14. Return to kitchen. Find Big E dumping a collection of two action figures, two dice, a racecar, a firetruck, and the three balls from before on the floor right where you are about to sweep.
  15. In a loud voice say, “NO, Big E, I’m sweeping right here.”
    Big E replies, “But this is the garbage dump!”
    Take a deep breath and in a falsely excited voice say, “Actually the toy box in your room is the garbage dump. It’s like a huge dumpster itself!”
    See Big E’s eyes light up. He says, “OK!”
  16. Help Big E put two action figures, two dice, a racecar, a firetruck and the three balls back in his cardboard box and walk backward toward his room. When he reaches his toy box he lifts the box over his head and dumps the contents out behind his head as if he were a real garbage truck.
  17. Pick up the broom and sweep under one side of the table.
  18. Hear little g say “mamamamamama.” She holds “Hello, Animals” out.
  19. Say, “G, I can’t read right now. I’m sweeping the floor.”
  20. Little g reaches down and picks up a half eaten cracker. Dropping the pacifier out of her mouth she puts the cracker in.
  21. Say, “No, no, no! We don’t eat off the floor.” Extract the half cracker. Realize that perhaps little g is hungry and put her in her high chair for a snack.
  22. Walk into the kitchen to get a snack for little g and notice that Big E is holding a knife and stabbing the cardboard garbage truck box repeatedly.
  23. In a panic ask, “E, where did you get that?”
    “From the counter,” he says. His face is the picture of childhood innocence.
    Explain that we don’t play with sharp knives, and ask him to give you the knife. When he refuses ask, “Do you want a timeout?” He says no and gives you the knife.
  24. Hear little g fuss and realize you still haven’t gotten her a snack. Throw some crackers on her tray.
  25. Pick up the broom again and sweep under the other side of the table.
  26. Search all the chairs for the now missing dustpan. Ask, “Where could that have gone?” Search the kitchen with no luck.
  27. Ask Big E, “Have you seen the dustpan?”
    He says, “Surprise! I disappeared it!” Sigh and ask him to reappear it.
  28. Search for dustpan with Big E. Finally find it in his toy box where it had been deposited during the garbage truck dumping game.
  29. Hear little g crying and see her making grabby hands at the water glass on the table. Get little g her sippy cup.
  30. Little g throws her sippy cup on the ground in a huff, along with the remaining crackers on her tray. See her reach again for the water glass. Give in and help her get a drink out of the water glass.
  31. Try to take the glass away before it smashes on the ground. Little g screams and dumps the rest of water on herself.
  32. Take away glass by force. Remove soaking wet baby from highchair and take her to her room to change clothes.
  33. Remove wet shirt and pants and only then realize that she has a poopy diaper.
  34. Change poopy diaper. Put dry clothes on little g.
  35. Hear Big E calling, “Mom? MOM!” from the other room, volume increasing with every repetition.
  36. Yell, “I’m in here!” so he doesn’t panic. Big E comes into little g’s room carrying “Hello, Animals.”
  37. Read “Hello, Animals” to Big E and little g.
  38. Try to go back to sweeping after “Hello, Animals” is finished but stay after both Big E and little g vociferously protest. Read the book four more times.
  39. Notice Big E grabbing his crotch and announce that it’s time for a potty break. Accompany him to the bathroom so he can do his business.
  40. Pick up broom and dustpan and return to table area. Resweep the first section since little g’s snack is now on the floor.
  41. Hear Big E pull a stool over to the kitchen counter. Wonder what he is doing while you sweep the first pile of floor scraps onto the dustpan.
  42. Walk with dustpan to garbage can. See Big E on kitchen floor stabbing his cardboard box with the knife. Have the following conversation:
    “What are you doing?”
    “I’m chugga, chugga, chugging with this jackhammer.”
    “E, that is not a jackhammer it’s the knife that I SPECIFICALLY asked you not to play with. It’s not safe. You are not being very obedient.” Try to take knife.
    “No, I WANT IT!” he yells.
    “TIME OUT” you yell.
  43. Remove knife from Big E’s hand, luckily without drawing blood. Carry Big E kicking and screaming and place him on the time out chair.
  44. Set timer for Big E’s time out while trying to ignore his screaming. See that Big E has climbed off the time out chair. Have the following conversation:
    “You’re in time out. Get back on the chair!”
    “NO. I DON’T WANT A TIME OUT!”
    “You have to have a time out. Do you want it here on the chair or do you want to go in the bathroom?”
    “NOOOOO!” Big E runs around the kitchen island as you chase him to get back into the time out chair. You catch him and carry his writhing body into the bathroom.
  45. Once again, you set the timer for Big E’s time out. He continues screaming from the bathroom and then comes out and defiantly flops over the time out chair. Have the following conversation:
    “Your time out’s not over. Go back in the bathroom.”
    “NO! I want the chair!”
    “You chose the bathroom when I had to chase you earlier. Get back in the bathroom. NOW!”
  46. Move the time out chair into the bathroom with Big E still on it. Reset the timer for a third time. Stand holding the bathroom door knob while Big E pulls violently on the other side until the timer rings.
  47. Pick up little g who has joined her brother in crying and is once again begging to be held.
  48. Go into Big E’s room. Attempt to calm yourself and your crying children down through distraction. Build a block tower and knock it down with construction machine toys.
  49. Big E and little g see what you’re doing. You let them knock down the next three towers, then show them how to make their own. When they are both engrossed in their play sneak out.
  50. Pick up broom and dustpan. Sweep remaining pile onto dustpan and bring to garbage can.
  51. Smile with satisfaction as you dump the dustpan and close the lid. Notice the time: 4:25 pm. Lose smile as Big E says, “Mom, I’m hungry. Can I have a snack?” realizing that the floor will once again need sweeping.
  52. An hour and a half, a snack and a dinner come and go. After dinner husband comments, “Wow, our floor is really dirty.”
  53. Resist the urge to punch him in the face.
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Cross Country Skiing with Kids

Last week I decided to take the tots cross country skiing. And I learned something. Cross country skiing with kids is tough. Thanks to the help of the Sundance Nordic Center staff I was able to get some of these photos to share with you.  Here are some thoughts from the day.

Lowered Expectations

First, for some reason I was not expecting Big E to have such a hard time. I don’t know what I was thinking, but it’s no surprise that an almost 4-year-old with no previous experience spent a lot of time on the snow and less time on the skis.

Continue reading “Cross Country Skiing with Kids”