Skiing, Day Two

Ski Selfies

We were able to have two more lessons on our second day of skiing. We found a ski instructor that we really liked. His name was Steve. He got along with the kids very well, so we booked him for a second lesson after lunch.

While the kids were having their second lesson, Kevin and I went down some of the black diamond hills.

Then we went back to the resort for some time in the pool and hot tub and a nice dinner.

Opening Day at Peek'n Peak Ski Resort

Usually Peek'n Peak begins its ski season on the Friday night before Christmas. That's why we planned our trip the way we did and arrived when we did. However, this year was warmer than usual, and all of the snow that they made in early December to prepare for the season melted before they could open. 

The snow machines were hard at work the entire time we were staying at the resort, and we were finally able to take part in their opening day of skiing, just a few days late.

Staying in the empty ski resort was actually great, so we didn't mind extending our trip a bit.

We joked about how much the empty ski lodge reminded us of the movie "The Shining," and then it came on TV. Of course, we sat in our empty ski resort room and watched it. Just like the time we took the kids to see a movie about the Hoover Dam being destroyed in an earthquake just a few days before we went to tour the Hoover Dam.

Ready to Ski!

 

Ski Selfie

On his first trip down the green slope, Lex face planted into the snow and got a bit of ice burn on his cheeks.

Since it was the very beginning of the ski season, my rental boots were brand new. 

I was the first person to ever wear them.

Bills vs. Panthers at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, New York

25 degrees in the parking lot of an NFL game selfie

There is no bad weather, only the wrong clothes.

Also, we bought another blanket at the ski resort to bring with us.

Family Selfie in the Snow outside the stadium

The group of guys in front of us was from Canada, and they were very friendly.

They offered the kids some beer. 

One of them took of his shirt and wrote all over his chest with red lipstick.

They offered us their tickets to the next game, because the Canadian-American border was preparing to close again because of COVID, and they weren't going to be able to make it back again this season.

Official Game Time Family Photo

The Bills won!

Final Score: 31 -14

Current Status of Connor's NFL Stadium Project:

23 Teams Done!

9 Teams Left to Go!

Which ones? (In no particular order)

1. New England Patriots

2. Green Bay Packers

3. Minnesota Vikings

4. New York Jets

5. New York Giants

6. Miami Dolphins

7. Tennessee Titans

8. Baltimore Ravens

9. New Orleans Saints

Of course, there are some new stadiums that we might want to check out, even though we already visited the teams at their old homes. There is the new SoFi Stadium in California for the Rams and Chargers, and Allegiant Stadium in Nevada for the Los Vegas Raiders.

Pinewood Derby 2020

Today was the Pinewood Derby.  It got off to a late start, due to a snow delay!!

Can you believe it? SNOW in ATLANTA?!

Lex's car did really well during his first four heats.  He made it to the top 16, which meant that he would race in 4 more heats to determine the final four racers.

Lex made it to the final four!

He took home the 3rd Place trophy.

Way to go WHALE!

Way to go LEX!!

In which we go to the park

On Tuesday last week, the entire city shut down because of a threatened snowpocalypse that never happened.  It was 20 degrees outside.  Literally freezing. 

This week on Tuesday, it was sunny and 75 degrees.  Crazy, right? And we would have been crazy to have stayed indoors on such a beautiful day.

So we met some of our favorite homeschool friends at the park.  They played at the skate park, they went for a bike ride. They played football.  We were there for hours.

After we were finally exhausted and sunburned (sorry kids, no one thought to apply sunscreen in the middle of winter), we headed to our favorite sandwich shop for sandwiches and milkshakes.

It was a wonderful day.

Grandpa's Magical Birthday

While we were visiting my parents for Christmas, my Dad had a birthday.  This happens every Christmas, because his birthday is just a few days after Christmas.

This year, we surprised him with a trip to the Magic Kingdom!  Which meant that we had to do the whole cake and ice cream and gifts thing first thing so that we could spend the rest of the day at Disney World.  So yes, we all had cake and ice cream for breakfast.

The first thing we did when we arrived at the Magic Kingdom was to pay a visit to the Mouse himself.

Here is the official Grandpa's Birthday at Magic Kingdom 2018 Family Photo.

None of us had ever been to Disney close to Christmas, and it was really great to finally see the park all decorated for Christmas.  We also got to see the special Christmas parade:

After the parade, we made it a little bit further into the park, and stopped for some hot dogs.

Then, Lex and Connor wanted to ride Space Mountain.
And the Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover.
And the Carousel of Progress.





Then we caught a bit of the Tomorrowland Christmas Show.
Zurg was trying to steal all the jingle bells, but Buzz Lightyear defeated him.



We had to pay a visit to the Haunted Mansion.





Waiting in line for the Haunted Mansion is actually very interesting.

We had dinner at the Pinocchio Village Haus Restaurant, and we could see Cinderlla's castle start to glow purple as the sun went down.  Connor took this photo.

As the sun went down, the little vendor carts full of light up souvenirs came out.  Lex really wanted a bubble wand.

Lex asked me to hold his bubble wand so that he could pose for this picture in Frontierland:



His expression is on point.

We visited the Enchanted Tiki Room, and rode the Pirates of the Caribbean.



Then we headed for Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain and the Country Bear Jamboree.



And then it was time for the special Christmas edition of the fireworks.





After the fireworks, it started to snow on Main Street USA.





Merry Christmas, Mickey!
and
Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

Today Boys Club Went to Tank Town

TANK TOWN!

That's right.  The Boys Club went to Tank Town and they loved it.  LOVED IT.  They got sooo muddy.  And it snowed!  The weather was supposed to be 50 degrees and sunny, but those were all just lies.  Poor Lex was wearing shorts.  SHORTS in the SNOW and MUD at TANK TOWN.

All right.  Now for the photos and videos:

But first, let me take a selfie!

You can add a car to crush with your tank for only $600 extra!

Next time, kids.  Next time.

It was so muddy that the mud sucked Lex's shoes right off his feet.

We got it all sorted out, but then the mud was both on the inside and the outside of his shoes.

According to Lex:

"Tank Town is 10/10 Dabs."

I was NOT expecting them to ride on top of the tanks.

I thought they would be riding INSIDE the tanks. 

But what do I know?

Best Ride Ever!

TANK TOWN is AWESOME.

The boys want to go back again with Dad.  To crush a car.  When the weather isn't so cold and snowy.  I imagine it is always a muddy mess at Tank Town, though.  It took me a while, but I got the car clean, inside and out, the shoes clean, the clothes clean, and the coats clean.  Mess managed.