In New England regular "school kids" are now on "Winter Break." While we normally go right on homeschooling through many of the "school breaks," holidays off and snow days (shhh...my kids don't know about "snow days"), at Winter Break we put the school work aside. This is the time for a mid-winter vacation, to head south for some reprieve from the cold, and for many families time to enjoy the best conditions for the multitude of winter sports in our region of the country.
For us this means vacation time too... but I won't be heading south or working on my tan lines oceanside;
we'll be spending our time here, on the mountains, not a bad place to "vacation," right?
we'll be spending our time here, on the mountains, not a bad place to "vacation," right?
Winter break for Ski Team kids means training; Training everyday for the next 2 weeks (with only the President's day holiday & Wednesdays off). It's a time for the kids to really refine their technique and take their racing skills to a new level. For me, well I guess you could call it vacation, but since I have to wake exceedingly early each day, pack lunches, load the gear and haul the gang to the mountain each day, there isn't really much rest involved in this vacation for me. We end up leaving most days by 7 a.m. and not getting home until around 4 p.m., only to dry the boots and gloves, prep the gear for the next day, make something edible to refuel and then turn around and do it all over again the next day. I really do enjoy the time I get to spend skiing and the kids ( and I) enjoy the break from school, but since my dh only has Wednesdays & weekends off, the daily tasks still are mine to complete, but I'm just not actually home enough to complete them. I do end up feeling a bit far behind on laundry, cleaning and all that "household" stuff by the end of the break. On our Wednesday day off we'll hopefully squeeze in a little time on the pond. We're so lucky to have it just a short 3 minute walk down the road, but we haven't managed to squeeze it in yet this winter and we really need to. Nikki loves skating and has requested the 2 Wednesdays off be dedicated to just that.
Nikki & I on the pond on a very cold, but sunny day - looking really puffy in so many layers.
Look how "little" Nikki was just last year - can't wait to get new skating photos this year.
Look how "little" Nikki was just last year - can't wait to get new skating photos this year.
This said, I won't be in this space too much for the next 2 weeks, I may check in briefly from time to time, but if it seems I've dropped off the face of the Earth until first week in March, please know that I'm just off "vacationing," well sort of....
*Coming up in March*
Sugaring Season
Indoor Seed Starting for our Garden
Ravelympics Project - (hopefully complete)
Ski Racing update
and more...
*Coming up in March*
Sugaring Season
Indoor Seed Starting for our Garden
Ravelympics Project - (hopefully complete)
Ski Racing update
and more...
That sounds like a wonderful winter break to me. Wouldn't the ski places be busier for you guys though since all the other kids are out of school with nothing to do? I have thought that that would be one benefit to homeschooling is you can take breaks whenever you want and go to places on off times to avoid the traffic. My neighbor invited us to Monkey Joe's on a Monday when the kids have off school. I was tempted to decline because I know every other parent in town will be doing the same thing, and it will be an absolute zoo. Oh, well...
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how different Nikki looks in that picture compared to now. She really has grown in just that one year. It's hard to see your kids growing right before your eyes, but when you compare pictures, then you can definitely see it. I also notice that Annie's pants are floods by the end of the school year which is confirmation that she's either growing or our dryer REALLY shrinks things a lot.