Rich and Fredda's visit,Thanksgiving 2009

Fredda made this super warm Beret for Alice.


Rich and Alice.
Fredda and Alice had many sweet high pitched conversations.
Hiking...
Alice looks like she is ready to go home.
View of Lucky Peak reservoir.

Hiking on Thanksgiving day in the foothills.

Still hiking on Thanksgiving, no actually jogging and breastfeeding in the foothills on Thanksgiving. Fredda is talking to Meir on the cell and telling him it was all our idea. Good thing he was not on speaker phone.

Another hike up to some interesting rock formations near Lucky Peak Reservoir.

Alice's and Zibby's New Duds

I made Alice a new swaddle wrap that is a little more exciting than her last one which she is growing out of. Alice also has a new fleece hat that makes her look like a roman gladiator.

My new sassy lime green tiger striped diaper bag is better for going out on the town than the one I was using previously which was too big. I made it with one of the antique buttons I bought at a bead show in NYC years ago. Love it.

Alice at 4 1/2 months

Alice often has to wear several layers of clothing to keep warm in the house. It was nice to see her lounging in her diaper on this warm winter day.

We talked our friend Stephanie Long into skiing with us up at Bogus. She is the glamorous curvaceous brunette with the peach jacket. I am the dorky one standing next to her. Poor Steph!!! After working for 19 days straight in her residency she accepted the offer to try nordic skiing with us on Sunday. Steph did laps while Gabe and I tried to make do without a ski sled and no snow suit for Alice. Swaddling Alice was no big deal but trying to ski with her in the Ergo Carrier was not working. Luckily we farted around long enough that Steph taught herself how to ski and the rented sled had returned so we could use it. Steph was practicing with grace after very little instruction from two novices. Gabe suggested the Lower loop which has a lot of ups and downs and is pretty long. I was so excited to get going that it did not occur to me that this route might bring us back in the cold and dark. Again poor Steph she was wearing pants that were not waterproof and thin gloves recommended by Gabe and I because it was so warm at the start. Did I mention this was her second day off after working 19 days in a row. The scenery was spectacular but Steph fell a couple of times which is actually pretty good considering she had never done this before. She had cold and wet hands and I have a feeling if her hands were not carrying her skis and poles up the hills she would have knocked me out. I felt really bad and kept apologizing which was probably even more annoying. Finally we decided to climb the steep hill up to the lodge and forgo the switchback on skis. We arrived as it was getting dark and the lodge was about to close. Oh yeah, Alice cried most of the way home. But for some reason I still had fun. I don't think Stephanie did though.

Stephanie Long

Alice's New Mumu

The mumu (long and large aloha print dress) is a little big for Alice right now, but will be perfect for our visit to Hawaii in the spring, when she visits all of her aunties. I have collected bits and pieces of vintage fabric over the years and I have been itching for an excuse to use them. Making this dress in a couple of hours and having no interruptions from start to finish felt really satisfying. Gabe played with Alice for a couple of hours last Saturday morning and I raced through this project like I was being chased by a dinosaur with very large teeth. I am not totally convinced that this is the dress pattern I will want to use for future dresses due to the open sides and the ties, so I will keep looking for a cute easy dress pattern.

Last weekend up at Bogus Basin

Gabe and I went to a skate skiing clinic up at Bogus Basin. Gabe pulled Alice in the polk and I tried to keep up with them. It was so warm and sunny a lot of people were skiing without gloves.
Gabe and I usually bring a picnic lunch and eat in the lodge (picture below). I wish I could eat dairy or soy because they had a great catering company called "Kanak Attack" serving yummy salads and hawaiian food. Imagine eating Kalua pig and sweet potato after a long day of playing in the snow how surreal.

Mom and Dad's New Years visit