Weekend Party at BrianHead

Yippee!

Mike's dad, Howard, thought up a spur-of-the-moment trip to meet at BrianHead. He made reservations at a condo and Mike's brothers, Tim and Gary, drove up from So Cal and Las Vegas and met us there. The only ones not there were Mike's older bro, Jimmy and his family, who are in Austria right now. We missed them.

Niether Mike nor I had ever been to BrianHead in the winter (we hit it once while we were in Cedar Breaks in the summer). We were surprised by how much territory the resort covers, scattered around the hills. Our condo was right in the middle. The runs were great for snowboarding: broad and not too steep. (My brother, Casey would call that quitter terrain...but whatever.)

It seems like we've crossed a threshold in our recreational pursuits - our main focus isn't so much time for ourselves on the mountain, as instructing the kids, and watching them progress. To that end: We enrolled Grace and T. in an all-day ski school which we kind of hovered around for part of the day. It was very cute.

Grace handled it very well (aside from almost peeing her pants on her last run down the bunny hill for the day - right after I snapped this picture.)

Tillman called it a day after his first trip up the chair lift - because in his words, "I almost died on the lift!... AND getting off!"

Noble made great progress... he did a few toe-edge turns, but mainly we were impressed with how much he was stoked ALL DAY. He just wanted to go and go - and try new stuff.

Jess was working it with poles and parallel turns (trying anyway). Grandpa and Uncle Gary hung with her most of the day. She'll try to tell you she can beat me down the moutain...but of course, that's a fabrication (if you don't end up in the right spot Jess, you don't win!).

Mike boarded in the morning so he could work with Noble, then put on his telemark skis after lunch and went to do some harder stuff with Tim, and so Noble and I could hang out. Noble is fearless. He wanted me to get some shots with him in the terrain park...and all I wanted was to make smooth turns all day...on my new snowboard...my early birthday present from Mike (I've been riding the same one for 12 years - it was time). Anyway, Noble was happy when Mike and Tim found us again because Mike did some sweet tele-landed jumps in the terrain park with him at the end of the day.

Look how totally embarrased Noble is that I'm hugging him...haha! Me, Noble, Gary, Jessie, and Tim. The end of a great day.

Mike's Mom whipped up the best food for us when we were hungry and tired. It was great to drop into the condo for some lunch and then head out again. AND she watched Sully at the same time. This she did even though she wasn't feeling 100%. Thanks again Jacque! We love you.

The kids had the time of their lives bunked out in the loft together and hot-tubbing/ping pong in the evenings.

Ping Pong and Hot Tubbing!

Sully at his favorite spot in the condo...watching the snow fall.

The hard part about having so much fun is coming back to the real world...we definitely enjoyed our awesome family weekend...so much that the kids wanted us to buy the condo and stay there forever.

Good times.

Another Book Review: Creating a World Without Poverty

I wrote a little about this on GOodreads...so if we're pals there you've seen this already...
I was kind of disappointed with this book, given that I have a been a huge fan of Muhammad Yunus for a long time, ever since I saw a mini-documentary about him on one of the local PBS stations years ago. His micro-credit movement has been incredibly successful in Bangladesh and has changed the way people think about helping the poor throughout the world. I have been pretty excited by his simple, individualistic approach to fixing the hopeless cycle so many of the world's poorest people find themselves in. This book deals with his evolving ideas in solving the problem of poverty...and the rest of the world's problems while he's at it through something he calls "Social Business".

This newest experiment is a business which exists to provide a solution to some social problem (e.g. malnutrition) while also providing employment in poor communities. There is no profit dividend for investors - who are repaid their principle investment, all profits being returned to the business to expand their efforts for good, a self-sustaining cycle. It reminded me a lot of the LDS Church's Perpetual Education Fund. It's not a bad idea. His book recounts the inspiring example of their first attempt at a social business joint venture with Danone (Dannon yogurt).

I was kind of surprised by the scope of his vision - to eliminate all that is harmful in the world - and I found myself questioning a lot of his underlying assumptions (e.g. that eliminating poverty will put an end to all violence and exploitation, that bad things happen among people and nations primarily because of the imbalance between rich and poor, also that there is never a good reason for something like a big car...because if you don't need the space you're wasteful and if you DO need the space then you're irresponsible [for having that many children]). I couldn't help asking questions about poverty & exploitation also resulting from inadequate legal systems, vice, abuse, fanaticism, etc. not necessarily motivated by profit. That is: money isn't always the answer. A lot of his foundational reasoning is classic finite resource economics: population control, etc. But he's also a believer in abundance through ingenuity...it's a kind of "hit it from both sides" approach.

Overall, it's good thinking, they're doing so much good (check out this talk by LDS apostle Russell Ballard).

I think Muhammad Yunus needs to collaborate with Hernando De Soto and the ILD. (Mike's inspiration for his master's in Econ.) in creating the framework and opportunity for the poor to escape the cycle.

Snow Weekend

So the weekend turned out a little different than we planned. We ran into some snags with babysitting so we decided that Mike would just take the older two kids skiing/snowboarding at Solitude, and that I would stay home this time with the three youngest. Mike put Noble in an all-day snowboarding class - since this was only his second time on a board. Noble wasn't too keen on the idea - I think because he gets anxious about new situations, especially the social component. Mike took his telemark skis and also his snowboard. He spent the morning skiing with Jess, and then got on his board after lunch - and did a few runs with Noble at the end of the day. Jess in that wild hat she insisted on wearing...

Noble... Solitude

Meanwhile...back at the ranch...
My bro Casey called and invited us on a little snow hike with them. So I took the three youngest with snowshoes and met them up Millcreek Canyon. The snow was packed down, but it was still good practice for the kids in their snowshoes...I didn't use mine. We had some fun sliding down some slopes there on the sled we brought. After a while Sully had had enough of the cold and started crying - so we headed back. Tillman was kind of cold and whiny - so, Grace stepped up and actually PULLED Tillman on a sled all the way back down the trail to the car. Then while I loaded T. and Sully, crying, into the car, she (without being asked, mind you) took care of packing all the gear into the back of the car for me. Wow. (That earned her a little extra cash at allowance time...)
We met Mike's Mom and Dad at Cafe Rio for lunch - and Sully downed more chicken quesedilla than the other two kids combined. Thanks Jacque and Howard...we had fun!
I realized that even a veteran parent like myself can be easily overwhelmed by three small children when alone. It made me grateful for the help my older children are to me - and Mike...and our families.

We also cut 10 inches off of Jessie's hair Saturday night -

She'd been growing it out for Locks of Love. She was pretty excited.

Next weekend looks like more fun in the snow...we're planning on a little get away to Brian Head with Mike's parents and brothers. (woohoo!)

Slow Learner

Between when our old computer bit the dust and now, our iTunes libraries/playlists, etc. have been all messed up. I haven't dared to sync the 30G with the computer even though we have lots of new music to add because I'm using it as my reference as I rebuild what we had before. Anyway, as a result my old running playlists have been lost - and that's probably a good thing because I'm a creature of habit. Now I get to create fresh new playlists. Also, in the last few months, the ancient 1st generation shuffle that I've used to run and snowboard with for years died suddenly. This also, turned out to be for the best. Mike got me a new nano for Christmas along with the Nike+ chip to keep track of my miles, etc. Only problem is, I'm slow with technology. The first time I tried it out I was annoyed by it, because I couldn't make it work right, my headphone jack was a really tight fit with it - and so I ended up messing with that the whole time too...it seemed to get in the way of just running. Since then life's been so busy that I haven't even been out running. Today Mike and I got out for a short 2-miler with the dog, and I was successful with the chip. Once I had it working right I really liked it. I should get one for Mike...he was on fire today.

Me...beet red...cooling my heals on the front porch after my maiden voyage with the Nike+

Saturday we're heading up to Snowbird with the kids. First time this season...I'm sad to say. I told Mike that we can't let this season go by without at least going once to make Jessie's 5th grade passport worth it - and he has a couple of passes to use up too. I'd like to make it to Solitude as well - it's our favorite. Life is pretty busy though - and taking 4 kids to the slopes is pricey, so we don't make it as often as we'd like.

Say It Ain't So

Yesterday I succumbed to social pressures and to my own sense of parental responsibility and gave my son a haircut. Not one of those token trims he's had along the way, but a REAL haircut resulting in a shabby version of the classic little boy look.

Here he is at breakfast this morning...we didn't get any photos yesterday in all the commotion.

Yes, it was traumatic for him. He had no idea what all that prickly fuzzy stuff falling in his face was, sticking in the tears running down his pudgy face. I have to hand it to him, he handled it better than either of our other boys at his age. Maybe that's because they had already experienced a few true haircuts by this time. They were more calloused, wiser to the world and more prepared to fight back. Sully, like some isolated animal species never before seen by humans, and with no natural inhibitions, willingly submitted...and then bam! - we had him. Now he's had his rude introduction to the "real world" ...he'll be a little less trusting in the future.

**I miss his mop.**

Days Like These

The best way to begin the day...Mike waking up snuggled with SullyIt's one of those days when you wake up and you're not sure about getting out of bed because it's so overcast outside it seems like bedtime all day. Our nights and days are kind of messed up anyway with Mike working nights for the past year (I still don't know why investment firms have so many traders working at night when the market's only open during the day).

View of the mountains from the kids' school when I picked them up today.

Other stuff we've been doing:

Neighborhood laser tag smack-down (Noble and his buddies).

School productions:
Jessie at the performance of Pirates! (This actually happened while Mike and I were in Mexico...so thanks to Mike's mom for taking pictures.)

The kindergarten world geography/culture presentation. Tillman is the little Indian chief to the right of his teacher.

We start them early around here...Sully doing a little house work.

Grace hanging out...looking sweet.

Random Funny Stuff (and a tangent):

Noble's discovered the Classic Rock/Oldies station on his radio. It's hilarious to listen to the stuff he's rocking out to in the basement. A sampling from today: Keep on Rockin' Me Baby (Steve Miller Band - good one), Free Falling (Tom Petty - I love Tom Petty), Sweet Home Alabama (Lynard Skynard - Mike's a huge fan). He also likes to break into the vast library of cd's we have. His recent fav: Toad the Wet Sprocket, although Oingo Boingo is his all time favorite. Of course, the A-Team theme music is always his first choice on the iPod.

It's funny to watch your kids' musical tastes develop. Jessie's partial to country music - which isn't totally surprising given that she's hanging around the barn all the time. Noble's definitely more of a rocker....just because he loves to jump around. Whatever music they choose to listen to on their own, they've all been involuntarily exposed to a lot of everything since their infancy (we are pretty eclectic that way). They all seem to tolerate a lot of different music. I think that's good.