Inside and Inside

Weekends come and go and the snow is still sticking around although the days are getting longer.  Merrick had his'spring' concert.  Ella has volleyball twice a week and she is prepping hard for the big tournament in the Dells.  Sophia is playing indoor soccer in the winter league on Saturdays. We spent a hilarious night at an improve club in town and Grace was picked to head up to stage.  She was an absolute natural and acted out a great, albeit slo-mo, race to pick the most dandelions.  Our sides hurt from laughing and she fed off the laughs of the crowd and amped up her game.

Baskets, Bascom and Beauty

It is the shoulder season and unseasonable high temperatures.  With the snow all gone and temps in the sixties it is too far to drive north to find so but a short drive south to find spring.  We headed to Madtown!  Drove down Friday after work and school and were able to make a weekend out of it.  We took in a cancer research fund raising UW basketball game, in which they won and then spent the rest of the day walking around the State street and Capitol area.  There were plenty of shops, including a rare book store, to be perused and the search continued for the perfect Bucky sweatshirt.  We hiked through plenty of stores including Fjallraven were Grace scored a Swedish flag to wave the rest of the day.  We hoofed it up to the hill to Bascom hall and took in the whole splended spring spectacular that was the weekend.  Uber trips with music that was bumping and iconic pizzas delivered to the hotel to feed the bellies that swimming had emptied rounded out a great day.  The morning came slow, lazy and relaxed just as it should.  We just didn't want the trip to end so a short walk to a neighborhood coffee shop and then a trip to the Madison Winterfest.  The festival was pretty much a bust as we assumed but there was  great octopus sculpted in the snow.  It felt as if we traveled two months into the future to capture a little bit of spring.  Snow in the forecast now but longer days show that winter is coming to an end.

Pizza to Points!!

Friday night was a make you own pizza night followed by a family movie, The thick dough had everyone carbed and ready for a late afternoon Saturday walk in beautiful temperatures and scenery. We headed over to Osprey Point and were able to cross the river on the ice to get to an area we hadn't been in before.  We didn't put on any great mileage as much time was spent climbing trees.  Even I found a defoliated maple to shinny up! Sunday morning was early to rise and head south to Grace's basketball tournament.  I was played at the JFK so between games we were able to hang out in my classroom.  Ron and Jan made the rounds with us through town as we hit two different gyms before the tournament was over.  Grace picked up two more points on Free-throws in the first game but sadly they lost by a single point.  That point turned out to be the decider and prevented them from advancing to the final championship game.  All was not lost as we still found an ice cream shop on the way home!  At home Amy and Merrick hit the valentines crafts hard and created a sweet minecraft valentines day box for Merrick's V-day party.  Just another great weekend.

waterfalls and footballs

The days are getting noticeably longer and we are finding some time in the indoor schedules to sneak outside and promote some vitamin D. Friday night was rainy and we headed to the mall and some other errands including crickets for Mitch.  While Ella and Amy shopped Grace and I headed out in search of a new purse.  We are quick or maybe efficient but either way we were back in about 8 minutes with a new purse for Grace.  It has a big G on it and she checked the cargo capacity "to make sure she has enough room in case she gets diabetes"  She said it so matter o factly and seriously that I could barely contain my smile. Merrick had an early morning piano competition and Sophia an early soccer game before they headed out of town.  Grace left early Saturday morning and didn't return until Sunday off with a friend at a basketball tournament followed by a sleep over.  Ella too headed over to a friends house for a surprise birthday party so Amy and I had a surprise night alone too.  We hit the reforestation camp for some skiing and then a stop at our favorite sushi bar.  Sunday with the girls back home we headed out for a late afternoon hike near the house.  Crossing the frozen stream and down the ancient sedimentary rock ledges we were able to sit behind the frozen waterfall and listen to the persistence of nature at is still slowed within the frozen wall of ice.  We eventually returned home to a meal of rainbow trout sans the heads and a little Superbowl Sunday entertainment.  Ella and I made it to through the regulation time but when it hit overtime it was Ella alone that stayed up to watch her Patriots win the ring.

Winter Wetlands

With a wintery but wet forecast and temps in the low forties we packed up the family truckster and headed north to the cabin.  It was the kind of winter wet that soaked your boots and gloves but didn't really make you cold or even uncomfortable.  More late March than mid-January.  We were fortunate to be invited back and have no major mishaps to report this year.  There was plenty of wonderful conversation around the fire and always plenty of food.  Filling both the mind and belly.  Sophia did have a puker, but it seems her belly can't handle a weekend of sugary foods and no limits.  Fortunately she rebounds quickly.  The kids spent some crazy amount of hours with the monopoly board to dry out after an afternoon in the snow.  We headed into the woods aways to build snowmen, but that quickly turned into a snowball fight.  The snow men did not last long.  The plan was to put a 2 pound tannerite explosive into the largest snow man, but sadly after several rounds it did not explode as planned.  It still gave everyone plenty of shooting opportunities.

Charged for Dinner

Basketball season is in full swing and and Grace's first tournament was plenty exciting.  They dominated their second game and easily won, but the first game went into 3 overtimes before ending in a tie.  That same day Sophia played her first indoor soccer of the season and they too won although they were down by one with under two minutes to play.  They scored a goal from behind the midfield line, which apparently counts as 2 points, to win the game.  Fast paced games for both of them and a great way to spend a Saturday when the weather outside is more sloppy spring than it is snow covered winter.  The weeks are busy but we do our best to have sit down family meals every night.  At least once a week and if we are lucky enough to have the a clear schedule the meals turn into postprandial conversations with a variety of topics.  At one point this week the topic of batteries came up and it became apparent that only Merrick and I had licked batteries, maybe it is testosterone poisoning caused by the Y chromosome but by the end of the meal is was still only Merrick and I that put terminals to tongue.  Ella retorted, "that is why women live longer than men."

And That's a Wrap

The holiday season has come to an end and the kids went out with a bang.  They all had friends sleep over on the new year and I think it was eleven kids in all.  Eleven kids and no incidents to report, is a great way to start the new year!  The Christmas season came and went the Ella and Grace were up early and searching for the pickle.  We had a big breakfast and awaited the other twos arrival.  With the gift wrapping cleaned up we pilled into the truck and headed to TR to gather with the family.  Good cheer was had by all.  The Winter break was heavy on relaxation and recharging, just as it should be.