Skiing for the first time!

Theo learned how to ski!

Skiing at Crystal Mountain Resort

We had heard that the mountains had 11 feet of snow last weekend so we decided to head down the Crystal Mountain ski resort near Mount Rainer and check it out. First, we had to find some gear for the little man, which I managed to get thanks to a neighborhood Facebook group called "Buy Nothing Green Lake". People lent us their gear and it was perfect since it doesn't make sense to invest in snow suit and boots when you live somewhere that rarely gets any snow. Then we frantically arranged for a sitter for Marit as our first sitter had to cancel. I also invited one of my co-fellows, Tara Jones, to join us and we headed south. There was a dense fog in the city but as we neared Mount Rainier the clouds disappeared and there was nothing but blue sky and sunshine. There was a dusting of snow on the highway near the entrance but once we turned into the resort, the snow banks started to grow. We arrived around 10:30 and by the time we got our stuff on and hopped the shuttle to the lodge it was after 11am. Theo was pretty excited about throwing snowballs and climbing in the snow than he was into skiing so Seth and Uncle Dan took the snowboards and headed up the gondola to the top of the mountain while Tara and I stayed back to hang out with the little man. We shared a pitcher and Theo had some lunch and his hot cocoa and then we tried to get him to rent skis but he refused! He laid out on the floor of the rental office and despite my best efforts, as well as two of the staff, he wouldn't move and refused to ski (despite talking about going skiing for the past week and then suddenly deciding that he wanted to try snowboard but they didn't have a snowboard his size). Anyway, we decided to just go outside and play in the snow and we saw other little kids his age skiing and riding up the "Magic Carpet", an escalator for skiers so he wanted to try. We got to walk on and take it up the hill and then Theo ran down and said, "My want to ski!"

After that, he gladly went inside and we rented some adorable baby skis for $20 (1/2 day price since it was after noon). He was a size 16.5cm boot and had little Level I skis. It took a little coordination for him to figure out how to "snap" the boot into the ski but after that he did great! He figured out how to stand and walk with the skiis. We tried to teach him "Spaghetti" and "Pizza", the two essential ski positions. He went up the "Magic Carpet" about a dozen times, fell only a few times, and within 20 minutes he said, "My all done skiing now." And after that I was so glad I didn't spend $99 on lessons (and thankful that kids ski free with a paid adult)! We'll try the tow rope and chair lift next time. The most important part is that he had fun and after he got his boots back on, he spent the next two hours running up the hill nearby and either rolling or sliding down while the boys watched him and Tara and I got to enjoy a few runs. At the end of the day, Seth and I caught one of the last gondola rides to the top and got to do one last run together (for the first time in two years).

The last run of the day - beautiful mountain views!

Besides being out of shape, we had a great time! We even saw a small moose on our way home. It was a wonderful day!

Waiting in line to get on the Magic Carpet

Magic Carpet baby!

Ready, set...

Go!

Faster

Holding on for support

A little off balance

All fall down!

Uh oh!

A great day for skiing!

At the top with Mount Rainier in the background

Katie and Tara at the top

Ready to go!

OMG this is beautiful

Taking a break and enjoying the view

Marit's 12 month development
She's now 31.5 inches tall (97th percentile) and 23 lbs. 10 oz. (75-90th percentile) for weight. She is hitting all her milestones and now has five teeth! She learned how to climb down the stairs but prefers going up when given the chance. She still makes us nervous standing at the top of the stairs but usually she knows to shut the gate that we often forget to close. She has started doing a few signs, like putting her hands together to say "more" and waving her hands in the air to say "all done". However, she finds pointing and shouting in a high pitch voice to be far more effective. She started in Miss Janet's daycare with Theo last week. We look forward to having the two siblings spend their days together rather than be apart. There are only nine kids ages 1-5 years and she has a pre-school curriculum that she tailors for each kid. She transitioned very easily with only a few minutes of crying at drop off and then was happily distracted by some toys and forgot we even left. I think it helps that her big brother is there, too.
She eats well and has started to try to use a fork and spoon but sometimes using your hand is just faster. She sleeps well and only moans and groans a bit in her sleep but we usually just let her "cry it out" (and it's usually not more than 5 minutes and she's sound asleep). She follows Theo into the bathroom and loves taking baths with him (I wonder when he won't want to take baths with her...) We continue to do parent-tot swim lessons every Saturday and she loves the water - a little fish like her brother. She has very good balance and is walking 99% of the time with only a few falls. She climbs up on Theo's high chair every opportunity she gets. She also loves his "time out" chair and can pull herself up on the couch and coffee table as well. Luckily, we baby proofed our house when we moved in since Theo was about her age. I can't believe how fast this year flew by and now we are in 2016 (and I am constantly converting all my "5s" to "6s" when I sign orders at work).

Big girl in her pigtails and PB&J sandwich

MMM so yummy!

Theo's 3.5 year development
Theo has become a "three-nager", like a teenager but he's only three. He pulls the covers over his head in the morning because he says it's too early to get up and he's too tired. His first response is usually "No" and then he'll regret he said no and try to sweet talk his way to get whatever it was. He's starting to learn the consequences of his actions as Seth was going to take him scooting today since it was beautiful and sunny but he said, "No". Then Marit and Seth left and he watched them leave from his second floor bedroom window and started crying. He decided that he did want to go with but it was too late. He's a good big brother and watches out for his sister. I think he's excited to have Marit at pre-school/daycare. They like to play wrestle and he usually lets go if she starts crying. He generally shares his trains and cars with her (except the trains he really likes, like Diesel 10, Gordon, Henry, Connor and Caitlin). He can get himself dressed in the morning (with some encouragement) and is fully potty trained (except we still have to help him wipe). He brushes his teeth on his own and gets his dishes and silverware out and brings his dishes to the sink after his meal. Now, if only he could do his own laundry...

Overall, life is good in the Benziger house. Hope you had a happy holiday and hope to see you in 2016! Thanks for reading!