Stowe

We were lucky to escape most of last week's ice storm with our power intact. We were hosts to some powerless refugees on Friday night. Becky and the girls came over for a slumber party while Yaka toughed it out to make sure the dog was OK in the cold house. On Friday night, Jacqui and Anna watched "Return of the Jedi" from their sleeping bags and then in the morning all three girls watched "Beauty and the Beast" while Becky made chocolate chip pancakes. Yum! She had coffee made before we came downstairs, too. I wondered how we could prevent her from ever leaving.

On Sunday morning the whole clan headed north to Stowe for a couple of days of vacation. When we made our plans for the annual trip I called my sister and practically begged her to come. I said, "Beck, we're exhausted! You guys are so fun, I need your vitality to survive!" So, Beck, Yaka, and the girls came and lived up to their billing. They were so fun! They swam in the outdoor heated pool, went sledding, played games with Jill, and got us all on ice skates. I would recommend that anyone who wants to make sure their vacation is fun invite my sister and her family to come along.

The skating was hilarious. We went to a rink and got Jill outfitted in a helmet and trainer blades that fit over her snow boots. I spent most of my time with my arms locked under Jill's armpits pushing her along between my skates. Whenever I stopped, Jill would sit on the ice, pout, and say, "I need to skate. I need to skate like Jacqui!" When she did venture out on her own, though, Jill took her falls like a champ. By the end of the outing Jill was fried. She sat on the ice and cried, "Mummy, you need to carry me!" I put her on my hip and skated her to solid ground. There should be a Mommy Merit Badge for that!

Bryan and I were able to escape on a couple of child-free outings. We went to a movie, got a latte at our favorite coffee house (which now has gluten free baked goods--bonus!), and went out to dinner on the first night there. Peter had a really rough time falling asleep that first night. My mom urged us, over his screams, to leave for dinner saying, "He'll be OK. You two go to dinner. You need a break!" She's awesome. As we walked from our suite, a battle weary Bryan shook his head and said, "I can still hear Peter's screaming in my head!" I took his arm and said, "Wait. That's not in your head." We stopped on the snowy sidewalk and listened as Peter's cries rang loud and clear through the night and the entire town. We joked about asking at reception, "Have you had any complaints about the Pinnacle Suite? Why? Oh, no reason!"

Here are some more shots of skating and hanging out.

I love this one. Anna giving Jill some company.