Look Who is 5!!!!!!

This guy!  He is the bright sunshine peaking through a cloudy day.  He sure is spicey-- he can be sweeter than pecan pie, more ornery than a loaded donkey, but brings so much love to our lives.  He is independent, strong, thoughtful, snuggly, competitive, strong, coordinated, daring, smart, and oh, so funny.  I love him more than I ever thought it would be possible.  He keeps me on my toes.... he's always wondering and so playful, but unpredictable and pensive.  However, he always has a hug to give when I need it most.

His birthday was on a Saturday this year.  He had it all planned out!  He'd open presents and celebrate with the family that morning, ski with his best friend Henry by day, and invited his godparents, Tom and Cara to join us for dinner in Waterbury.   He loved getting calls from family and presents!

Sadly, it took over an hour for us to get seated at the Blue Stone in Waterbury, so the poor little birthday boy was tuckered out.  He managed to stay awake for dinner, but barely.

Scotty and Cynthia also joined us for a lovely dinner.  

Sunday was the big day for his birthday party!  He invited 15 friends to the Fun Zone at Smuggler's Notch for lots of bouncing around and playing with friends.

 I made Hazey my "famous" buttermilk chocolate cupcakes.

It was a perfect party for a great kid with wonderful friends!

I love, love, love you Hazey boy!  We had such a great weekend celebrating you.  I can't wait to see the person that you are going to become.  You've amazed me already.

Sunshine and Skis

These two are becoming such fun skiers!  Cally has been doing the Mighty Mights Program at Smuggs every Sunday from 10-2.  This is great because no one has to wake up at the crack of dawn and rush out of the house and it's a relatively short day for her.  Meanwhile, it's been a fun opportunity for me and Hazey to ski together.  He's so much fun to ski with-- he loves to go for it..... and pretty much loves getting air!

 

The kids have both been doing "Friday Foxes" every week.  It's a recreational Bill Koch cross-country ski program.  Hazen is technically a little young to be doing it, but his good buddy Levi's dad picks the two of them up from Poker Hill on Friday's and brings them to the "site ".  Cal takes the bus to MMU (my school) and we all meet up at 3:30 for an hour of skiing.  The first week was painful, I think Hazey fell 150 times in an hour.  But he never complained nor shed a tear, he just kept getting up and going for it.  The next week, he only fell 75 times and it has gotten better every week.   Meanwhile, Cal is learning to skate and move so much more smoothly on the snow. Now we can go out the backdoor and ski in the upper pasture!

Community

We live in such a great community.  One of our favorite traditions in the winter is to hit Cochrans on a Friday night for skiing and dinner.  It's so much fun to see the kids gain their independence and ride the t-bar with their friends.  Plus, John and I get to see our friends, ski with the kids, and eat dinner that we didn't have to cook.

We also get together to watch the Patriots, eat more good food and watch our kids develop relationships with a variety of little people who happen to be our favorite people's children.

Hazey banging on the drums at the First's home

Cally, Thompson and Hazey singing a song that they made up about the Patriot, that goes to the tune of  "This is My Fight Song" 

 One week, during the playoff's we hosted the crew:

We also managed to get over to the Cleary's in Jericho Center for a late Solstice burn.  This is always one of our  favorite events.  The folks that build these "installations" are so talented and then the fire performers are from another world.  It's nothing John nor I could ever build or do, but it's so cool to see.  Plus we run into so many people with whom we don't usually get to spend time.

The ways that our community stays healthy, plays, and supports one another makes me feel very fortunate to have settled here.  John and I have such a fun group of friends who have kids with whom our kids have built wonderful relationships. They all range in age, but hugs are always plentiful and disasters are always made!

January Hope!

We did finally get a little snow to ski as a family on New Years Weekend and made it out for some skiing as a family.

Even more fun, if that we had enough to cross country ski up Smugglers Notch.  I've done this so many times on my own or with the chariot, but to do it with Cally and her good friend Thompson and her mom was a dream come true!

The girls did such a great job.  It wasn't an easy ski up, but it was an even more difficult downhill.  But they did it!  With smiles on their faces, they did it.  

These two have known each other for six and a half years and it's been such a joy to see their friendship grow.  I can't wait to see the other adventures they go on and challenges they surmount.  Girl Power!