Ski Bum

I had no idea you could find shoes this adorable but Daddy did it. Lucas got his very first pair of real rock climbing shoes! He was eager to try them out until we told him we were going skiing again!
We headed back to Mad River Ski Resort with Daddy, Kristina, Tommy & Jim. It was an early start and a rough one for Lucas. Mommy took him up the rope tow a few times and he got a glimpse of the real ski lift. Daddy took him up the "magic carpet" but he was just not happy and was ready to stop skiing for the day.

The problem?
#1. Hunger
#2. He wanted to go on a real ski lift

We headed in for an early lunch and our little skier had an instant attitude change. He bounced back and then right into Jim's arms. He hadn't seen Jim in months so it was very exciting.
Lucas had a hot dog the first time we went skiing so now it's tradition and lunch is not complete without one. We almost got in trouble not getting him one the first time around. Watch out Mommy & Daddy and be careful when "setting the bar" for new activities.

After lunch, Lucas and Daddy headed for the real ski lift. Daddy looks a little unsure of the whole idea.
However, they jumped in line and Lucas was very excited.
With a little help from Daddy, they were on their way.
We decided to try the climbing harness and leash idea. It worked pretty good and they both survived the first real run of Lucas' skiing career.
Big smiles were back to stay!

"I want to go again!" is all I heard each time they made it back to the lift.
Kristina, Jim and Tommy went up to help out and check out Lucas' skills. I was happy to have friends to take photos because I could only see so much from the bottom of the lift.

Here's Jim, Lucas & Daddy getting off the lift.
The leash came in handy for sure. Lucas still has no control over where he goes. He'll follow the fall line or naturally turn if he's looking at you. Other than that, he's along for a fun ride.
More practice.
Getting better.
Daddy & Lucas headed towards Jim & Tommy. Everyone was so helpful and made the experience so much fun.
Jim even helped out with a little pole turning here and there.
Big stuff now!
More team work.
Keepin' those skis together...so much for snowplow! :)
Lucas' Ski School: Kristina, James, Daddy, Lucas, Tommy and...
a BIG GIANT PUMPKIN!
What a day! Lucas skied and skied and skied. I thought he would get tired of it but no way. After at least 4 hours of skiing, Lucas cried when we had to go home. A stop for hot chocolate helped but he was not happy about leaving and said, "I want to ski all night time too!"

That's my boy!

I'm the One Who...

Lucas' new saying this week:

"I'm the one who ____________!"

i.e.
"opens the apple juice."
"turns on the lights."
"get's my shoes on."
"pulls the sled to the hill."
"puts shampoo in my hair."
"gets in the shower by myself."
"gets to use the scissors."
"gets out the ketchup."

You name it and he's the one who gets to do it. He wants there to be no mistake that he can do it all by himself and that he thinks he's the one in charge around here.

Love this kid!
More ski photos coming soon...

Names?!

Just what do you name a little boy whose brother is named LUCAS DANGER?????


Oh, the dilemma we have created for ourselves!

I keep having dreams about having a little girl. Maybe that's my brains way of coping with our naming difficulties. Naming a girl seems so easy and we instantly agreed on some name choices.

For a boy? Nothing ironed out just yet...

When's My Brother Coming Out?

Lucas is very interested in his little brother coming out. He asks daily if he is going to come out soon and also wants to know how we know if he's ready or not. I told him that his little brother would tell me when he was ready and we would go see the baby doctor.

Lucas' response, "But Mommy, he can't talk yet. How's he going to tell you?"
My response, "He will start pushing really hard on my belly and I'll know he is ready!"
Now, every day Lucas asks..."Is he pushing really hard and ready yet?"

Too cute!
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Other daily questions...
Lucas: "Why we are having a baby brother?"
Mommy: "So you can be a big brother and learn to share."
Lucas: "But I don't like to share!"
Mommy: "I know, that's why we're having a baby."

Lucas: "How did my brother get in your belly?"
Mommy: "Magic!"

It has been such a treat to see Lucas through this whole process. I'm sure it causes a bunch of confusion on his part, seeing mommy's belly grow and hearing about his new baby brother daily. He has been a trooper for sure. I love this kid so much! He's been so patient with me and all my baby preparations.

It's so weird to imagine life with a newborn after almost three and a half years since we had one. Our family has a pretty good routine these days and Lucas is just so fun to spend time with. It will be shocking when the little one comes home but we are all excited.

I have to admit, a little part of me is knows I will miss my only child relationship with Lucas. We've bonded so much and I cherish the time we've been able to spend together. I guess it's similar to when Lucas was about to come into our lives...our Mike and Janelle only time sure changed but you know what? It was an awesome change, an awesome addition and an awesome experience!

I look back at life before kids and realize what a big piece of our family puzzle was missing. Don't get me wrong, Mike and I had a wonderful time together and do miss the ease of going places and the extra quiet time. However, once a child enters your family, you are forever changed and so happy that your quiet days have changed and you learn to appreciate the quiet nap times and quiet evenings. We are so fortunate and I love being a parent! We will welcome Baby Anderson and I know Lucas will be an awesome big brother.

A Child.

What a true gift from God.

Thank you!

We are excited to meet you Baby Anderson!

Back to Winter in Dayton

We packed away our swim suits, shorts and sunscreen!

Now, it's time to embrace winter in Dayton. After receiving more than a "trace" of snow...maybe two inches...we warmed up the sled on a hill one house down from ours!

All ready for launch!

All the way down...
and back up again! Not a bad hill for Dayton. :) Lucas had a blast. He wore himself out hiking and sledding for at least one hour! With cold temps, the snow has been around so this is a daily routine. :)
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THE BIG SKI DAY!
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We didn't tell Lucas about going skiing until we woke him up last Saturday morning. He wanted to stay in bed until we said "we're going skiing" and then he was all smiles. He had to double check that he was going and that he could get skis too. We took two friends, Amy & Kristina, along for the ride to Mad River Ski Resort. It's about one hour Northeast of Dayton and is $5 for military members to ski all day. Yes, $5! Lucas was free but his rentals costs $16. Not bad for a day of skiing!
Lucas was not impressed that he had to wear a silly ticket on his jacket. It's so funny what bothers him, things that we don't even think about. He quickly got over the ticket issue when we found ski gear for him.
So proud of his ski gear! "Mommy, they have just my size!"
All bundled up and ready to go with absolutely no hesitation!
Ready for the first run! A little awkward those big long feet can be, good thing Daddy's was there to help.
My dad is going to love this! If only they had a cute little escalator ride when I was a kid learning how to ski. :) It would have made Grandpa J's first run with his daughter a much better experience. Oh the memories! Thanks Dad, I love you!

Up the hill they go, pretty slick huh?!
All set for the ride.Mommy was so proud!Again, no hesitation! I think Lucas just figured skis were like a sled, point them down the hill and enjoy the ride! We talked about making a triangles...pizza...snow plow...but putting his skis together was much easier. Why would I need to slow down or stop?
So much fun and what a happy boy!
More snowplow discussion.
Who needs to snowplow?!It works better if I just stick them together like this!Okay, so I do need a little help turning and stopping...thanks Daddy!
After 1 1/2 hours straight, Lucas was not interested in taking a lunch break. However, 4 hungry adults were ready and Lucas was out voted. He changed his mind once we got inside. That boy ate one big lunch and a yummy fruit roll-up for dessert...or maybe the dessert was the Hershey Kisses? Either way, he didn't miss out.
After lunch Daddy took Lucas up for round two. We had no idea he would last this long or like it so much. Daddy was finally worn out, then it was rope tow practice with Mommy. Rope tows take a little more time to master and it's hard to overcome the desire to lean back or lean on the wire. Once he figured out he needed to stand up and just hold on for a little help things were smoother.
SHREDDING IT UP ALL BY HIMSELF!!
Way to Go Lucas!!!
What a day! He outlasted all the adults and would have stayed until midnight. He had so much fun but I think his real love was looking at all the snow blowers as he skied down. They caused numerous distractions but gave him motivation for more skiing. Next time, we might have to dress him in cooler clothes so he'll want to quit early...HA! That's what happens when you have good, warm ski gear...you don't get cold and Daddy get's worn out!

Disney's Blizzard Beach

After two full days at Disney, we took a relaxing approach to the end of the trip. It also helped that our package came with "free" tickets to the water park. Unfortunately, we ended up going on the coolest day of the week. We still braved the cooler temps and had a great time.

Lucas loved that he could do things "all by himself" and here he is headed to the top of the slide.
All by himself was great as long as Daddy was in position to catch him at the bottom.
So big!
Phew! Daddy was there just in case.
Big boy slide...all by himself.

Way to go Daddy, you did it all by yourself too!Wow, what's that???
It's airplane art...only at Disney!High Point at Blizzard Beach.
Yes, they even had REAL hot chocolate and boy was it needed after two laps in the Lazy (Shady) River. The yummy mini donuts were a hit too! (so were the sweatshirts!)
Yep, it's confirmed: FLORIDA IS FLAT!
Some more park photos, ski lift and all. After riding the ski lift, we all took the family raft ride down. It was a blast and the only ride I could do. Lucas was a little scared but it didn't deter him from the other slides.
Daddy got his fill of fun slides too. Here he is on the far left racing down the ski slope.
View from the bottom...
and Daddy's the Winner!
Our last night at the hotel and great opportunity to wear our Mickey Ears.
We headed to the airport and had a mellow flight back home. However, 80 degrees in Orlando meant for a real shock to come home to a negative something degree ice storm in Dayton. Daddy was the lucky one to scrape the ice off so we could finally get home. Thanks Daddy - We Love You and had a wonderful time!
Lucas found a week old, half eaten lollipop in his car seat so he was happy. He also knew that camera flash was a bright one. Check out the ice on the back window. Nothing like a nice welcome home ice storm!
What a wonderful trip. Baby Anderson did a great job too and we are all happy he decided to stay snuggled up in my belly for awhile longer. If he's smart, he'll stay where it's warm for as long as possible.
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Back to School: Lucas had to go back to preschool which is no fun and hard to accept after having a month off. The morning of his first day back to school, he tried to get out of it.

"Mommy, I'll just call Mrs. Crum and tell her about Santa and Mickey's Castle. I don't need to go to school to talk to her."

After I disagreed, we had a fun two-minute-three-year-old-I-didn't-get-my-way fit and guess what? He had a great day at school! Surprise, surprise! :)
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Next Post: Ohio sledding and Lucas' first downhill skiing experience!