Fun in March

Two weekends ago, we finally got out of town for a weekend! We haven’t traveled since Benjamin was born, and I was starting to get a little stir-crazy, though I didn’t realize it. As we drove through Golden toward Highway 285, my shoulders started to relax. We take 285 to my favorite places: Ouray and Lake City for ice climbing, Salida for camping and mountain biking. We left work early on Friday, knowing that it would take some extra time to pick up the kids, get on the road, and then drive (with potty and dinner stops) all the way to Lake City. We were planning to ice climb with our friends the Bronskis.

It took even longer to get there than usual because we were driving through an intermittent snowstorm. It was particularly bad up on Monarch Pass; Dave was driving through a whiteout, using the snowbank on one side as a guide. We didn’t get to Lake City until almost 11:00 p.m. The Bronskis had already arrived. We got Phoebe and Benjamin settled and went to bed ourselves a few moments later.

On Saturday morning, Dave got up first and started cooking a delicious camping-style breakfast of eggs and bacon. We were staying in the same cabin we’d rented last year; it has lovely, well-apportioned rooms and a nice kitchen. It’s also only several blocks from the ice. The Bronskis were almost finished with breakfast when we got up. We decided to take turns climbing; Pete and Kelli would go out before lunch, and Dave and I would follow in the afternoon. We had a fun morning with the kids while Pete and Kelli rigged a rope and climbed.

Dave and I left after lunch; it was pretty luxurious to walk right up to the ice and climb without even setting rope. I had a good first climb, but I tried a harder line on my second climb and got a little frustrated. There’s not much muscle memory for an activity you do only once a year! I eventually switched back to the easier route and made it to the top. We pulled the rope, cleaned the ice screws, and headed back; the kids had finished napping. Pete wanted to go back to the ice for some bouldering, so Dave accompanied him while Kelli and I bundled everyone up for some fun in the snow.

We made some dinner, played for a while, and then put the kids to bed. The adults watched Salt before bed—I was already asleep less than halfway into the movie.

On Sunday morning Dave wasn’t feeling too good, so I cooked breakfast. We bundled up the kids again—it was a warmer day, so we took them with us down to the ice. We set up a fun, long route, and we each climbed once. Then we went back to the cabin to pack up the cars and head home. The trip home was quite a bit shorter, but it was still basically bedtime when we arrived back in Lafayette. What a nice weekend!

Random cute photos:

March 12

March 14

For those who wondered about Benjamin’s belly button, it’s no longer an umbilical hernia. The muscles closed up on their own, so his intestines are where they belong and it looks like a normal belly button.

March 16

Phoebe is finally coming around to having Benjamin in our family. She volunteered to hold him without being prompted.

The next weekend included my birthday, which was very nice. We went to church and then to Whole Foods for lunch and a bit of dinner shopping. It was a beautiful day, so Phoebe and I went to the playground on her tricycle.

I did the grocery shopping for the week and made myself a chocolate cake with chocolate icing—my favorite! I talked to lots of relatives on the phone. Dave made me steak and garlic mashed potatoes for dinner. I got some great presents, in particular new sheets for the bed (long desired!); a rice cooker, which I’ve used thrice already; some clothes; a few checks; and a French horn!

March 20

March 22

March 23

The intervening week went by too quickly, and it was soon Phoebe’s birthday weekend. She and I spent a couple of hours at the library and grocery store on Saturday. (Benjamin cried the whole time and nearly drove Dave insane.) I baked chocolate chip banana muffins and a lemon cake to eat the next day. On Sunday, Phoebe’s third birthday, we went to church and then to the swimming pool.

Phoebe loves to swim, and Benjamin is adorable (and always slightly shocked) in his little swimsuit. We watched a bit of basketball during lunch (grilled cheese and tomato soup), and then Phoebe took a nap. She woke up BADLY, sobbing so hard she couldn’t catch her breath. Because it was her birthday we let her watch an episode of Thomas the Train. I made the frosting for her cake and goulash—her choice—for dinner. We ate dinner (including Benjamin’s first bites of sweet potato) and opened lots and lots of presents. Dave and I ate a piece of cake, but Phoebe didn’t eat a bite of hers. Too excited about presents! She was getting overwhelmed, so we saved her presents from Mommy and Daddy and Grandpa and Grandma Gribble for Monday. After bedtime I baked ice cream cone cupcakes using the Bronski’s recipe for strawberry cupcakes.

It’s hard to believe our Phoebe is three! She has a kind heart and a big personality—and vocabulary. It’s been an utter joy to get to know and love her.