Christmas bits and bobs

Hello you lovelies. I'm writing this on Christmas Eve, high up in the Rocky Mountains. If you care to read past blogs about our annual skiing trips, (just search Copper Mountain) you'll know they are usually fraught with catastrophe and that is no exaggeration. From children needing oxygen treatments, concussion scares and broken wrists, to fathers throwing out $500 kids' braces (left on the coffee table) and mothers being bedridden with acute bronchitis for almost two weeks, there is almost nothing we haven't dealt with. Given that it's just Day Two, I'm holding my breath and crossing every finger and toe.

I went out skiing yesterday which was a bit mad since it was my first day up at this altitude, and yes, as I should have foreseen, I couldn't really breathe. Always a good idea to wait until half a flight os stairs doesn't feel live the west face of Mount Everest.

The Little Guy (now 12 and not so little) seems to have grown half a shoe size since we rented his skis and boots three weeks ago. He is rather prone to drama so when he was complaining about his toes being squashed, we simply tightened up his boots in the hope that it would stop his feet from moving around. When he showed me his big toes this morning however, I knew we couldn't force him to wear the boots any more, so off to the local rental place we went. We rented the original boots in Chicago since it's so much cheaper than renting at ski resorts, but that seems to have become a classic Penny Wise, Pound Foolish scenario as we now have to fork out for a different pair of boots. Oh and to get back to my original point - he is now measuring a half size bigger on the exact same measuring equipment. Pah.

In other news, we have managed to get the whole family together, albeit for only two and a half days. Working Girl (her new name) got a generous amount of time off and was able to join us from DC - a 12 hour journey by the time flight delays and journey up the mountain in a blizzard were factored in. College Boy, who is working part time in Chicago, could only get December 22,-25 off, which means he has to leave us and head back to Chicago on Christmas day evening. Oh well, that's what happens when they grow up.

Anyway, to you and yours, have a wonderful festive season from me and mine,
xxxx