Happy New Year!!! 01-01-11 Mammoth Mountain

Last weekend we went to Mammoth for a long weekend of snowboarding. It's an annual trip that we go on after every Christmas, but this year I kind of forgot that it was new year's eve because I've been so busy taking care of an extra bundle. Everything we do is generally all about Max and things like celebrating the clock striking midnight are on the back burner.

Our first day on the mountain was less than stellar. First of all, we did not think to arrange daycare in advance and didn't realize that it would be full months in advance. But there was a last minute cancellation on Fri., and we sent Max to the penguin playground in the small world daycare so Marc and I could enjoy a day on the mountain together.

On my first run, I was going really slow and a guy pommelled directly into me at about a hundred miles an hour. What a way to start the trip! After I got passed the dizziness and the pain, I was a little timid about the rest of the day. Last year was the first year I had not been skiing or snowboarding since I was completely off balance during pregnancy, and it took me a while to reacquaint myself with the snow. By the end of the day I was starting to have fun despite the soreness and intimidation.

When I finally started to find my groove, I got a call from Max's babysitter that he was having a meltdown and had not napped all day. So Marc and I made our way around the mountain to rescue our sad snowman. Once I finally got to him and peeled off all 6 layers of clothes it only took a few minutes to feed him and allow the milk coma to take effect. By the time we laid Max down in his slumber and we got back on the slopes, the day was almost over.

At sunset I recall saying, "Oh well, tomorrow is a new day". And someone said to me, "No, tomorrow is a new year!" And that's when I realized it was new years eve!

That evening I kind of forgot it was new year's eve again and could barely keep my eyes open after about 11pm. Max was wide awake--like he always is when we are traveling and off his regular routine--and of course I was busy taking care of him.

When I reached the point where I couldn't hold my head up any longer I took Max into the bedroom to lie down and breast feed him like I always do when I am ready for him to go to bed for the night. I had no concept of our friends in the next room pouring champagne and toasting to the new year until Marc came to find me and give me a new year's kiss. And then I blissfully slept into the new year!

The next day was AWESOME! I went snowboarding all by myself for four hours while Marc and Max hung out at the condo. I had a few friends on the mountain that day, but it didn't matter. I was in heaven the whole entire time. There were no lines for the lifts and it was the best snow I had experienced since the last time I went to Vail. I didn't even stop for the bathroom--I just went in my pants! Ok, not to that extent, but I didn't even stop for lunch or a coffee break like I normally would. I was happy to eat my smooshed peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the gondola on the way for another encounter with perfection.

That was one of my top favorite days of snowboarding of my whole life. Anyone who knows the feeling of freedom and serenity knows how magical that kind of day is like. You never want it to end and you won't be able to stop talking about it for the rest of the trip. 01-01-11 started off like it's going to be the best year ever!

When I wasn't snowboarding, I was toting my little polar bear around town and explaining to him that this would be at least one of our family trips every year. He loved eating the snow, but he hated how freezing cold his hand would get. I tried to teach him what the problem was but the poor little guy didn't make the correlation between the icy snow and his frosty fingers. I ended up having to bring snowballs inside the house for him to eat so he could stay warmer and continue eating this newly discovered phenomenon.

It was wonderful to have our sweet snow angel in Mammoth. We hope everyone had a happy new year's! This year really is going to be the best!!!

Giggles and Hugs

Baby Max is 10 months old today! Isn't that unbelievable! In 2 months he will have been alive for a whole year. That bewilders me that I will have a one year old baby on my hands in what will probably feel like 10 minutes.

Yesterday I took Max to meet some friends at a place down the street called Giggles and Hugs. Vomit, right. I've driven past this building a million times all decorated in primary colors to get the attention of the kiddos. It's only 2 blocks from my house and I can literally walk there in less than 5 minutes.

But the thing is that I never wanted to go there. No matter how close and convenient it might be, I just thought it looked like a place full of snot-nosed kids that would give me a head-ache. And why would I take a baby to a kids' restaurant? It just didn't make sense to me.

But it has been pouring rain here for a week and we haven't had any outside time. Plus with the holiday season in full effect, I haven't wanted to deal with crowded malls filled with frantic shoppers. So yes, when a friend asked me to meet at Giggles and Hugs yesterday, I promptly said yes and even looked forward to the outing.

What I quickly learned about this restaurant/kids' playground, is that it is perfectly suited for the kids AND the parents. I'm still learning the ins and outs of the baby community, but this establishment like many others definitely had the parents in mind from the get-go. And the prices are reasonable too!

The parents can sit at tables and order delicious entrees while the kids play in a safe, vibrant playground. There weren't very many people there and we had a blast. I could just let max "go" without having to watch his every single move because it was a huge baby-proofed land.

He attacked tonka trucks, held on to the jungle gym, and tipped over little horsies. The size of all the furniture was perfect for him to pull up onto his feet over and over again between falls. This was the equivalent to disneyland for babies and Max had so much fun exploring all of the terrific toys.

The best part of our time was the most exciting "first" for Max. He stood up all by himself for 3 seconds without holding on to anything. He pulled himself up to the standing position and just let go and balanced himself with his arms out wide like an airplane. He was so proud until his short-lived standing spree was over and he fell back down onto his little bootie. I couldn't believe my baby boy stood up for the first time and I was so happy to be right next to him enjoying every second.

We also had fun going to our friend Rachel's 1st birthday party. Max loves his sweet girlfriend and tried to take every toy she held out of her hand. Too bad for Max because Rachel does not part with her toys easily. I think this picture sums it up, and I couldn't resist the opportunity to see Marc with two babies in his arms. Of course it wasn't his idea to hold both babies at the same time. ;)