tis the season

So, I wish we could have saved some of that cold weather we had, because now it is too warm. It's like April, in December. But I guess fair is fair, last year we had the big snow dump around this time, and this year it is the East Coast that is getting the dump. Still, having to ski in rain is not all that great.
Ethan and Rileigh have totally embraced the Christmas present concept. For the last few years, we had to coax them into opening the presents. Now, the presents occupy every waking thought. And as 5yr olds tend to be, toys are what are supposed to be under the wrapping. Everything else is excrement. We are not helping them with the concept of patience and anticipation. We opened the gifts this weekend. Our thinking is that we are heading to the West Side for the official day, and Grandpa is going in for surgery on Tues, so we will knock out the Idaho presents this weekend, with another opening session next weekend. I suppose we can try to justify it however we want, it is the power of the parent.
Ethan has been to two ski lessons so far. I drop him off (as Grandpa sits in the lodge and watches) and I head over to the cross country trails. They have been individual lessons thus far. Each day has been less than stellar conditions. The first day: rock hard week old snow, with half frozen precipitation falling from the sky. And yesterday, near rain falling. Despite these demoralizing conditions, he sounded excited and enthusiastic when filling me in on how it went. -Good news for me, it seems we will have one who appreciates snow. He has made it known that I cannot go do my skiing. I can only guess that I am supposed to ski with him. I am not sure when that will happen, as I need to get in as much cross country as I can, and sit skiing is not the same as stand up. For example, I don't think I can sit with him yet on a double chair.
Riles has been going to gymnastics the last two Saturdays when Ethan, Grandpa, and I, have been going to Mt. Spokane. She suggested this would be a more pleasurable use of her time, and we have been happy to oblige. Soon, we will have to all just head to the slopes, just to see how it all pans out.
Keelie will be joining us in all our activities sooner than we think. She seems eager to join us now, despite the fact she is still learning motor skills, and such. As soon as I start thinking about how little she is, I realize how much she has grown.
So, we are hoping that Grandpa's surgery is a slight blip on the radar (when we look back on this), we hope for more winter like weather, to get more skiing in, and we watch impatiently as our house gradually gets built.

There are two new flags displayed in the Village. One is for Gonzaga, and one is for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. It may be due to basketball season, though I don't know why the flag displaying needs to be seasonal.
It is biterly cold. Has been for the past week or so, with varying degrees of biterness. We are supposed to get snow soon, though no one wants to pin down a day. All we need is moisture, and we will have snow. I'm sitting on pins and needles.