Snowy Holiday

This week we've been blessed by snow during the holiday!

Here on Kodiak there has been great cross country skiing for some time now, and today we finally took the kids down the road to Ft. Abercrombie. (Last year the snow was so crummy, that I believe we only took them once in our slush filled driveway. And the year before Stuey was 2, Nora was 3, so it was very slow going.) Nora really enjoyed herself today. She had a smile on her face and went some distance (and down a little hill) on the skis.

Stuey went a good distance and then turned back-- Stuey went without his poles, as did I which worked well - less to think about. Since my cross country ski lesson in Anchorage, I"ve been doing lots of pole-less skiing, which has really helped with balance and weight shifting. As I ski, I have the instructors words running through my head..."kick, kick....weight off back leg.....arms against sides....". Instructor Lili is right there with me every step of the way!! :)

WIth the holidays, the kids have been excited...and asking questions about Santa, etc. Yesterday Nora asked, "So who gives Santa gifts?" And I explained that families leave him cookies and milk as a gift. She replied, "Mom, he must get fat from eating cookies all day!". She and Stuey really think about all the different aspects of Santa's life--how does he know where to start? Or where to go? I know that these years will pass fast and I'm enjoying the "belief in santa" aspect of the holiday. This evening Nora wrote Santa a letter (rather-she dictated it to me and I wrote it), then proceeded to pour a glass of eggnog for Santa, and leave a pile of Baby carrots for the reindeer. It made me happy to see that she was taking the reindeers appetite into consideration as well!

Zoya