Colorado | Life Elevated Mom

The Broadmoor’s Bliss and an Apology to My Daughter’s Future Husband

June 4, 2013 By Amber

To Hadley’s Future Husband,

I am thrilled you have chosen to join our crazy family and love our daughter as much as we do. She is a happy, funny and spirited girl who loves digging in the dirt but who also enjoys the finer things in life. That’s what I want to talk to you about today.

You see, I’m afraid The Broadmoor may have ruined her forever. She celebrated her ninth birthday at this iconic AAA Five-Diamond luxury resort in Colorado Springs. At this “Grand Dame of the Rockies,” she was pampered, primped and indulged in every way. As she lounged poolside in her cabana sipping a milkshake, I asked her what she thought of everything and she resolutely declared, “Paradise.”

Room Service Perfection

Imagine, if you will, sleeping on the resort’s Platinum Suite Plush non-flip one-sided mattress and waking up to painting-perfect views of Cheyenne Mountain with a glorious spread of food including Belgian waffles delivered to your room with a “happy birthday” message.Then, for her adoring family to shower her with presents fit for a queen.

And that’s a pretty cool candle-lit crown.

The Broadmoor’s Charms

Of course, a leisurely stroll on the immaculate grounds is a must after breakfast.

Charming mama swan and her baby cygnets

As is stopping to pose near the cottages, just as she did five years ago when we stayed at The Broadmoor with Grandma and Grandpa B.

Hadley at The Broadmoor: Then and Now

Memorial Day weekend at The Broadmoor is not lacking in festivities and she took it all in on the North Lawn–from face painting, to the bouncy castle to making cotton candy.

Because when you’re 9, your childhood is that much closer to fading away and it’s important to hang onto it as long as possible.

It’s also important to work off some of those calories so that’s where paddleboating Cheyenne Lake comes in handy.

Oh wait, calories don’t count when you’re 9 so no worries that she overindulged for lunch at the Golden Bee, the resort’s authentic 19th century English Pub.

Going Western

But all of those weren’t even the highlights. That afternoon, she participated in one of her favorite things: horseback riding at the Stables at the Broadmoor. After an adventurous 30-minute drive up Old Stage Road, she bonded with a kitty and her spirited mare Dixie.

Then she was set loose to rediscover Spencer Penrose’s (the Broadmoor’s founder) bootlegging trail through Pike’s Peak National Forest past spying deers and bear-clawed aspens. The owner of the stables bought Hadley some birthday cupcakes that she graciously devoured. But what happened next cannot be matched. The owner called the stable’s resident pig Mildrid. On cue, Mildrid leisurely sauntered up the dirt path and, on demand, sat like a dog. Hadley then fed Mildrid her very own cupcake.

Think you can duplicate that, dear future husband? I’d like to see you try.

PLAY, PLAY, PLAY

But the day wasn’t over yet. That evening, her dear family gathered for a birthday celebration like no other at Play, The Broadmoor’s newest eatery that features six lanes of bowling. gourmet eats and a game room. For the next two hours, Hadley drank (two milkshakes, thankyouverymuch), ate (New Mexico Nachos, BBQ Pork Sliders and the Parmesan white truffle popcorn were especial favorites) and bowled.

Not even her obnoxious brother and father could put a damper on her spirits.

From her dad’s “I’m on fire” to Bode’s competitive drive turning into overdrive “I’m just a little kid and I’M BEATING YOU ALL!”

Of course, no birthday is complete without a gloriously gooey chocolate cake.And what kind of parents would we be if we hadn’t brought our disco ball for a late-night dance party to Taylor Swift in our room before bedtime?

So, pretty much the bar is set unreasonably high for birthday celebrations. I’d facetiously say “you’re welcome” except her father and I still have to survive nine more birthdays after this one. Heaven help us all.

Love,

Your favorite mother-in-law

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Hadley, Humor, travel

Quit Yer Sniveling and Go Play!

April 24, 2013 By Amber

First things first: I am not a lover of late-April snow. Do I wish I was out riding my mountain bike I got tuned up a few weeks ago? Yep. Do I wish it had snowed when it was supposed to in January so I could have skied it? You betcha.

But here’s something I learned growing up in Canada: If you wait for perfect conditions to get outside and play, you’ll spend most of your life waiting.

After a meager winter, Colorado is in a drought and watering restrictions are in place. Coloradoans have been praying for moisture and the past few weeks we finally got it. We’re still not in the clear yet–snow pack is still below average. But instead of Hail Mary-ing the weather gods, my entire Twitter and Facebook stream have been full of whiners about the cold.

Ever undeterred by inclement weather and suffering from serious cabin fever, I bundled up, headed outside, breathed in the gorgeous crisp air, wandered to my heart’s content and posted some pictures of my explorations and the following message on my social media networks:

“While my fellow Coloradoans were sniveling about the snow, I took a better approach.”

Shoveled sidewalk? I don’t need no stinkin’ sidewalk.

: “A river runs through it.” The snow, that is.

I paused to pose by my kids’ favorite tree……and accidentally snapped this photo in the process.

I LOVE it and have entitled it “heaven.”

Because to live a healthy, active lifestyle, all you need to do is look up, get out, and embrace all four seasons, no matter what the conditions.

Just don’t check back with me in July when I’m whining about the 100-degree temperatures.

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The next couple of months, I’m going to be teaming up with Target and their C9 by Champion Women’s Active Wear line as I detail a few of my many outdoor adventures–a match made in heaven!

Filed Under: Colorado

Let’s NOT Go Fly A Kite

April 16, 2013 By Amber

I have frequently documented my dislike for all-things kites, particularly when it comes to flying the blasted things. Which, I hear, is kind of the point. Though I wouldn’t know because I’ve never gotten one airborne.

And yet every year when the Arvada Kite Festival rolls around I think, “Oh, let’s go see the kites! It’s a perfect spring activity!” Call it early-onset dementia.

We had a 2.5-hour window between Bode’s soccer game and a baptism so we high-tailed it over. We should have kept on driving because we drove around for ages trying to find a parking spot. Hey, Arvada Festivals Commission–let’s maybe rethink holding an event in a neighborhood with zero parking.

Knowing it’s a huge problem, they tried to shuttle people in from the community swimming pool a mile away but hey, Arvada Festivals Commission–when you say the shuttles are going to run every 10 minutes, make sure we don’t wait there for a half-hour before finally deciding to just walk out of sheer frustration. Oh, and it might help if your poor volunteer’s Walkie Talkies work.

We were ticked off by the time we got to the park almost an hour later but our spirits were elevated when we saw all the kites! We collapsed, exhausted, and watched them battle it out with the clouds. When the wind was calm, people lounged on the grass but the moment the wind picked up, it was sheer magic as all the kites fought for air space.

We grabbed some of our favorite treats from Granny’s…

Granny’s

…sat in front of the loudspeaker and when Billie Jean and Footloose came on, darnit if that Bode didn’t start break dancing for the crowd.

We should have left while the gettin’ was good.

The Arvada Kite Festival has grown over years and there was a petting zoo, vendors, food trucks, bouncy castles, hamster balls and much more. Bode wanted to go jump but then we passed the Booth of Doom: they were selling kites for $4.

“Mommy, can we pulllllease buy a kite?” Hadley begged.

Since it was a kite festival, after all, I said “yes,” forgetting that my relationship with those flying temptresses is much better at a distance.

Hadley ripped the packaging open and within moments, a gust of wind swept it away, dive-bombing a guy from a neighboring booth.

After apologizing profusely, we made our way out to the field but Hadley couldn’t get it to fly. We sought the guidance of a spectator who informed us our kite was missing the crossbar on the back. So, I headed back over to the Booth of Death, informed the nice sales guy, he tossed our kite behind him and gave us another one. Swell, right? Mere moments later, Hadley saw the wooden crossbar she had likely dropped from Kite No. 1.

“Oh no, we found it.”
“Don’t worry about it. I already trashed the other kite.” And he tossed it in the garbage.

So we took our new kite out for another try. Almost immediately, a gust of wind swept it up, up, up, up and then down, down, down. It crashed in a marvelous belly flop, completely obliterating the back of the cheap kite. And guess what was busted? The crossbar.

Back to the Booth of Death we trudged. The man bristled when he saw me.

“Sir, do you remember that wooden crossbar we found from the kite you threw away?”
“Yes.”
“May we have that back?”

Without speaking another word, he handed it to me. I didn’t make eye contacted for fear of the daggers.

Hadley and Bode kept trying and failing. Hadley kept yelling at me I wasn’t tossing it upwards the right way, I was complaining right back to her that she wasn’t letting out the line quick enough and Bode kept getting tangled up in it all.

Our unflyable kite

You know all those nice images of how peaceful and soul-filling kite-flying is? LIES, ALL LIES.

As we were about ready to wrap things up, our line got ensnared with someone else’s and I. Was. Done. As the nice man tried to untangle it, I said, “Just cut ours off.” He protested, obviously not seeing the veins that were bulging out of my head or that we were going to be late for the baptism and still had to combat the transportation nightmares back to our car. “No, seriously,” I told him. “We need to leave so just cut our line.” He reluctantly did so and we were free!

As we dejectedly trudged back to the car, I taught the children a new word: “boycott.” And that, my friends, is exactly what we’re going to do the next time the Arvada Kite Festival rolls around.

Unless I have early-onset dementia again.

Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Hadley, Humor

Colorado’s Return to Winter

April 13, 2013 By Amber

I’m all for snow days (obviously) but last week’s return to winter was NOT welcome for two reasons.

1) I have been on the steering committee to plan a Teacher Appreciation Night where our church’s seniors recognize their favorite all-time teacher. It is a lovely, well-received event that pulls in members of the school board, local media, principals, parents and teachers. It has taken hours to pull together–between contacting all the teachers, working with the seniors, catering, awards, etc. It was scheduled for the same night as the snow storm.

2) I’m not a procrastinator but had decided to put off a deadline until that day because I figured “where else am I going to go?”

The night before the storm hit, we got The Call from the school district canceling school before even one snowflake flew. Then, came the next call from the head of our steering committee who told me we were postponing our event, canceling the catering and just doing an awards ceremony. Hours and hours of coordinating down the tubes in a matter of minutes.

I wasn’t so annoyed with the snow, but rather people’s reaction to it. This spring storm made national headlines and for what? Eight inches of snow that didn’t even stick to the roads and sidewalks?

I was in a tiff all morning about school being canceled (remember that deadline?) When my friend Lisa called to see if we’d like to get together with some friends, I was all-in. Lisa suggested we sled on a nearby hill, with which I was unfamiliar. Hadley and Bode were among the first to go down and after a few runs from the other kids, the grass was popping out. I moved them over a few feet, sent them down, joked, “watch out for the ditch!”

But do you know what happened? Underneath that nice blanket of snow was, indeed a ditch. Bode got the worst of the jolt and you’d better believe he let me have it. “I was only kidding! Like I knew there was a ditch there!” I defended myself. Add that one to my Mother of the Year awards.

I was still annoyed about school being canceled but after a chilly day at play….

The Boys

The Girls

The Moms

And then heading back to Lisa’s afterward for some hot chocolate and treats.

I decided I really didn’t care.

Filed Under: Colorado

Copper Mountain: Mother-daughter bonding at its best

March 20, 2013 By Amber

Mom: “Can you please unpack your lunchbox?”

Daughter: “Why should I do it? You’re the one who packed my lunch for me.”

Mom: “I did it to be nice. It’s your responsibility to make it and then unload it.”

Daughter: “Well, if you made it, you should be the one to clean it.”

Thus is a sampling of a conversation I had with H a few days before our trip to Copper Mountain. Mother-daughter relationships are complicated during the best of times but we’ve entered a new phase: The pre-teen years.

But parents everywhere, have faith because I have found a cure for tween moodiness: Take your child on a ski getaway with just the two of you and you’ll swear they’re a different person by the end. One you really, really like.

The scheduling was perfect. The Sunday evening before President’s Day, we drove to Copper Mountain in a separate car than my husband and son. We skied together as a family on Monday and early Tuesday morning, the boys left for work and school. My daughter did not have school until Thursday so we would spend Tuesday and Wednesday (my birthday) together in the mountains.

Here’s the catch: I got really sick. But even that couldn’t hold me back from the healing balm of a ski vacation with my firstborn. So behold: Your guide to having the ultimate getaway with your son or daughter.

1) Leisurely wake up in your condo. While you’re fighting off your flu (or just need extra time), lounge by the fireplace, build a fort and eat breakfast in it.

2) Ski together that morning. With over 150 trails across 2,465 acres, we fell in love with Copper Mountain’s varied terrain. My daughter enjoyed the runs off Timberline Express, a veritable intermediate-level Mecca.

3) Go shopping that afternoon. Center, East and West Villages offer all kinds of restaurants, shopping and activities. Buy yourselves hats from Kelly’s Closet to commemorate the occasion and justify the expense as an early birthday present. Attempt to buy mini doughnuts from Sugar Lips Mini Donuts but upon realizing they’re closed, succor your sweet tooth with cake pops at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Tip: S’more kits are available for $5.95 per kit and firepits around Copper Mountain are plentiful.

4) Rent skates for $10 from McCoy’s Mountain Market and skate to your heart’s content on West Lake in the heart of the Village at Copper (open from 10 a.m.-10 p.m.) Point out the hockey-playing Canadian dude making slapshots in the net and give your little half-breed (half-American/Canadian) something to shoot for. Literally.

5) Get a rush on the Alpine Rush Zip Line. For just $10, this zip line soars across West Lake daily from 1-5 p.m. Despite being petrified the day before, my daughter begged to do it again twice. Go to the middle of West Lake as she flies overhead, take a picture and entitle your shot, Conquering Fear. Tear up a little that your girl is growing up.

6) Race over to nearby Pizza Carlo for Kids in the Kitchen. Served every Monday-Thursday at 4 p.m., your kid will go crazy over this interactive dining experience as they make their own chef hat, don an apron (that they get to keep), get a tour of the kitchen, learn how to toss a large 18” Kids Chef’s Pizza and prepare it with all their favorite fixins. Devour that, along with garlic cheese bread, family-style salad and soda. When you think you can’t eat another bite, bring on the dessert pizza where your child will go crazy decorating it with cookies, M&Ms, sprinkles, chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Roll out of there, raving that you won’t eat ever again. Until your birthday breakfast the next morning at Belgian Bean Waffles & Coffee.7) Go back to your condo and hit the hot tubs. Soak your weary bones as you download your favorite moments of the day while watching the steam rise in the frosty air and marveling at those crazy grooming machines prepping Copper Mountain for the next day.

8) Bedtime. Relish as your daughter raves about how she’ll never forget your amazing mother-daughter day. Next time, vow to hit the Tubing Hill in East Village and the 9,000-square foot Woodward at Copper, a year-round snowboard, ski, digital media and skate program that features indoor artificial snow jumps, large foam pits, fly-bed Supertramps, terrain parks, a Superpipe and go-pro rentals.

Because the sometimes-moody tween/teen years last a long time. And I’m convinced mother-daughter trips are the best cure.

Thanks to Copper Mountain for hosting!

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Health, outdoors, skiing, travel

Busted: My Denver Staycation Secret

March 19, 2013 By Amber

My life has three phases: Busy, Really Busy and Crazy Busy. I’m somewhere between the last two as I try to get caught up from a week in Canada and prepare for the kids to be out of school for Spring Break.

When 9News contacted me about doing a daily series this week about Denver staycation ideas, I said 1) Thanks 2) No thanks and 3) Gave them another option. I fed them some suggestions of area activities and that I’d be happy to present them at the beginning of the week and they could dispatch the reporters the following days. Win-win. They get the content, I keep my sanity.

So, I raced into 9News yesterday, 5 minutes later than the allotted time due to traffic but with a few minutes to spare before I went on-air. Prior to going live, a producer or reporter usually comes to prep me regarding what we’re talking about but there was none of that. Seemed everyone else was Crazy Busy, too.

A staffer came out to where I was sitting. “They’re ready for you,” and led me into the studio. The anchors were live and I was to slip in silently while they read their stories, hook up my microphone and then, BAM, the camera turned to me without any prep work whatsoever. If it had been my first time, I likely would have passed out but since I seem to thrive in the fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants lifestyle these days, I was able to pull it off. It also helps that Kyle and Gary are pros who made it really easy. (I have a list of my Denver staycation ideas here).

Following my segment, I posted a picture on Facebook of me at 9News with the caption, “Wrapped up a 9News segment on Spring Break staycation ideas in Denver with anchors Kyle & Gary. P.S. Don’t tell them I’m going to Park City.”

My friend Kristy left a comment regarding a funny experience involving a trip we had taken that I had forgotten about. My first job out of college was as the illustrious ski reporter for SkiUtah on all the radio stations.

I was surprised by just how much I loved radio. As a broadcast journalism major at BYU, our training focused on a bit of radio and mostly TV, but all our reporting was serious, hard-news stories. But as the Craaaazy Canuck ski reporter, I could be zany and fun and developed some fabulous relationships with the on-air DJs who included Tom Barberi, the longest running radio personality in Utah history, and KSL legends, Grant & Amanda.

My job was obviously to tout Utah skiing, something I loved doing as I skied 13 of their 14 resorts that 1997-1998 season. I had also started freelancing as the travel editor for Sports Guide Magazine so when I was invited to cover Jackson Hole, I kept it on the down-low. I invited two of my former mission companions–Kristy and Susan–and we had a F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S spring break in Wyoming.

Well, my ski reporter replacement slipped that I was in Utah skiing and land almighty, the media got a kick that “Miss SkiUtah was skiing in Wyoming. I even got called out in Rolly & Wells, the Salt Lake Tribune’s gossip column.

A write-up in your city’s famous gossip column for your first job out of college?

My life has been on the decline ever since.

Filed Under: 9News, Colorado, Humor, Utah

The article that has everything

March 4, 2013 By Amber

A Canuck love story. Awesome, affordable Colorado destinations to explore. A call for wussy Denverites to repent. It’s the Denver Post article that has everything!

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I was born and raised in Canada where winter sports are a way of life. My earliest memories are freezing on subzero chairlifts and flooding our garden to make an ice-skating rink. My parents even met when they were on the same curling team.

If that isn’t a Canuck love story, I don’t know what is.

When I married an American, we

Click to Read On.

Filed Under: Colorado, skiing

So long, farewell to Ambruary

March 1, 2013 By Amber

We interrupt Copper Mountain coverage to declare that Ambruary is officially over. And though that week between Valentine’s Day, our 10-year anniversary and my birthday was glorious, the rest of February was pretty rough. I’m hopeful March will be kinder with no illnesses and with two trips to see family–what could be better?

Jamie and I are still dragging from this silly plague (he has had it officially one month). I started to feel better on Wednesday so finally got out to enjoy the glorious snow we received last weekend. It didn’t last long and I was back in bed the next day with a sore throat.

But darn it, that glorious hour traipsing through the snow, marveling at the hearty waterfowl and dodging a coyote at Van Bibber Park was just what the doctor ordered.

Not really, but he should have.

Filed Under: Colorado

Skiing, zipling and extreme sportin’ at Copper Mountain

February 27, 2013 By Amber

I’ve decided winter is exhausting. Not only do we usually come down with The Plague (Jamie is on week four) but we have a short few months to cram in as much outdoor fun as we can. With Denver’s dismal snow year, it has been that much more mandatory for us to head to the hills.

And yes, I said mandatory. As in HAS TO HAPPEN.

Copper Mountain was our latest destination to host us. A favorite among the locals because it’s an easy 75-mile drive west of Denver up the I-70 corridor, it remained a glaring omission in my must-ski list (though we had a stellar time there in Oct. 2011).

Hadley had a five-day weekend and Bode had three days off so we drove up after church on Sunday, skied as a family on President’s Day and then the boys drove home early Tuesday morning for work and school. That left two glorious days for Haddie and me to play, and one of them was my birthday.

X-Treme Sports

Upon arrival, we did a tour of Woodward at Copper. I’ll admit this 19,400-square-foot year-round ski and snowboard camp half-amazes, half-terrifies me. Nicknamed “The Barn,” Woodward is an all-steps progression program to help ages 8 and older learn aerial tricks and skills in a safe environment that you can translate on the mountain. See those ramps? My kids thought they were the coolest things ever.And I guess they are if you’re inclined to catch more than 1 inch of air on the slopes (which I am not).

The Barn offers drop-in day sessions, summer camps, SuperTramps and will undergo a big makeover this spring and improvements will include a new progressive foam pit designed for development of beginner park skills. The street area will double in size allowing for full access by BMX, mountain bike, skateboards and park skis and snowboards.

As a nervous parent, I was impressed with the capable staff’s emphasis on safety. Helmets are mandatory on the ramps and to even jump into the foam pit, my kids had to fill out some waivers and receive instruction.And Bode is counting down until he’s 8 so he, too play.

Copper Mountain

We’ve traveled to a number of mountain resorts around the country and what my family loved most about 2,465-acre Copper Mountain is that it was so easy. Easy to get to and the 140 trails across three mountains are easy to navigate. In fact, Hadley marveled about how wonderfully contained the base village is. “We don’t even have to get in the car!” she raved. “We can walk to skiing, dinner, tubing, zipling, skating and dinner.”

I didn’t correct her when she said dinner twice. It is, after all, very important.

On President’s Day, the kids went to ski school while Jamie and I hit the slopes. It is one of the few Colorado ski schools that has incorporated the FLAIK global positioning system, which tracks the kids’ on-mountain location, skier stats, and runs skied. Their instructors simply attached the GPS device around their leg and at the end of the day, we went online to see all their logistics. Turned out, they skied a lot harder than Jamie and me but we didn’t tell them that, of course.

Good thing there’s no tracking devices for parents who opt for an extra-long, leisurely lunch by the fire at Copper Station.

At first, I was disgruntled The Schoolhouse is located in the West Village, a shuttle stop away from the Center Village. But after dropping off the kids, Jamie and I rode Union Creek, followed by Timberline Express and that is where we found the best snow conditions that day.By day’s end, we were happy and tired. This was our first major outing since getting sick, which took quite a toll. In fact, sweet Bode fell asleep on the two-minute shuttle ride back to our condo.

How to Get an Alpine Rush

We vacillated on our plans. We had hoped to try out the new Alpine Rush Zip Line in the Center Village and then head over to the East Village for the Tubing Hill but remember the exhaustion thing? We opted to swing by the zip line since it was close to our condo, go back, chill out and then see if the kids were up for tubing.

The latter didn’t happen but the former did…in a big way.

Poor Bode practically sleepwalked through Center Village and I honestly wasn’t expecting him to even try. But the second he spotted the zip line soaring over skating rink at West Lake, there was no holding him back. (Note: You must be at least 50 pounds and each ride only costs $10),

Jamie got outfitted in his harness and went first, racing across the sky. Hadley freaked out, “That’s too fast,” she wailed. A couple of summers ago, the zip line at Vail’s Adventure Race traumatized her and she’s been gun shy (terrified) ever since.

“I’ll go!” Bode boldly volunteered and he was off.The more you weigh, the faster you soar so Bode was considerably slower than Jamie.

“Maybe that wasn’t so bad,” Hadley faltered.

“You’ll go as slow as Bode. Let’s give it a try,” I encouraged her. The staffer soothed her fears and before she knew it, she was flying.In fact, the next day she begged to do it two more times. I’m not sure if she’s cured but her fears were definitely calmed.

Now, I just need to follow her example and tackle the ramps at The Barn the next time we’re at Copper Mountain.

Stay tuned next time for our memorable mom-daughter adventures the next two days!

Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Family, Family travel, Hadley, Humor, Jamie, outdoors, skiing

How to spend the perfect Denver snow day: In pictures

February 24, 2013 By Amber

It’s no secret I’ve been disgruntled over Denver’s shameful lack of snow. It doesn’t help that my Utah friends have been slammed and have been posting about it on Facebook all winter. But we finally got our fill in Denver today.

I’ve been bedridden with the silly plague since my birthday on Wednesday. Saturday, I developed some kind of funky ear infection that led to vertigo so bad that I could barely walk. This led to a certain unsupervised person becoming a wee bit mischievous by writing “No boys allowed” on her brother’s window, and then TPing my bedroom.Though Fat Kitty looks pretty guilty, too.

By Sunday, I wasn’t 100 percent better but ready to be DONE with the house. And then Said Storm blew in, church was canceled and we had a glorious snow day. And so we played games, watched movies and baked, starting with popovers.Followed by sweet ‘n spicy shredded pork sandwiches we roasted for seven hours along with steak fries.

Late in the day, the snow finally stopped blowing so we bundled up and went out to play. I found Jamie and the kiddos shoveling our neighbor’s driveway.Every year during our big snow storms, it is our tradition to build a snow fort.I also highly recommend jumping off the swings. Think: soft landing. Snow angels aren’t too bad, either.
Fat Kitty thinks we’re pretty crazy during the best of times. Just think of the looks he was giving us when we went to help another neighbor shovel and the kids played in the snow with their enthusiastic dog. A couple of hours later, I dragged the reluctant kids back inside for white chocolate hot cocoa and Haddie’s homemade peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. It was pretty much the perfect snow day.