Joey's turn

Daily Schedule

Thursday 24.02.2011: Baking day

09.00 o'clock: Who is it? A big yellow head, with a green cap and is looking in at the door? Yes, Smiley is here!

09.30 o'clock: It's Magic again! For our magical apprentices in the cinema.

10.00 o'clock: Our animals are hungry! Come with us, we feed them.

11:00 o'clock: Salt paste model: Today we knead with salt paste funny things.

12.00 o'clock: Yummie, yummie, yummie in Smiley's-food-corner.

14:30 o'clock: Now we paint our funny salt paste things.

16:00 o'clock: Come in the playing room, we create things with paper.

During the last few runs that I took down the mountain yesterday, I noticed that my legs were more than a little wobbly. Now, I well know myself and my dangerous tendency to push myself a little too hard when I'm skiing, and so I figured it might be best for me to stay away from that tempting mountain all together. 

Dennis and I were feeling a little guilty, too, for leaving Joey behind at the hotel each day, and the little guy had developed an icky cough and runny nose. So while Dennis bundled up the kids, Joey and I took our time over our cocoa and coffee and eased into a day of enjoying the charms of our ridiculous hotel.

Joey and I had a lovely morning together, although at least once an hour his face crumpled as he re-remembered the absence of "Ella-Alex-Daddy!" Happily, we had many distractions 

A steep slide that, if the fencing doesn't
hold, sends you tumbling down the hill
into a parking lot? Why not.

Joey spent a long time organizing the cars.

I really think I'm going to need to
work some plastic animals into my
landscaping in Seattle.

We toddled around the playground for a good long time, and then made our way uphill to the zipline.  Joey loved it, and insisted he do it himself, which, in an embarrassing lapse of judgement, I allowed. I regretted it instantly, because never has my Joey looked smaller than he did as he flew away from my arms, faster than I intended, and went swinging into the air at the other end.  While I don't generally appreciate his grip when he applies it to my hair and face, I was incredibly grateful for it at that moment.  I didn't take a picture--I was too busy calling for him to hold on tight--but he made it back safely.  And, thankfully, he had enjoyed the moment no more than I had.  He was ready to move on.

He looks like he saying "whee," but actually he was yelling
"No picture no!" My reluctant blog star.

Joey sliding down the magic carpet

Down below the zipline is a little sledding hill, prepared by snow machine, and several sledges and tubes.  The hill was really too small to be much fun, even for a two-year-old.  I understand that they give introductory ski lessons on that hill as well, for anyone who is interested, but I'm glad we sent our kids to the mountains instead, in spite of that bumpy start.  They're learning so much.


Anyway, Joey and I quickly lost interest in the little snowy slope, and switched to the alternative: a magic carpet that went half-way down the mountain.  I pulled him up and slid down with him on that hill enough times that my legs were doubly-wobbly. Despite his protestations ("More whee! More whee!"), I decided it was time for a walk down to the river.

Joey grew increasingly ambitious
when it came to his choice of
walking sticks

During the summer, the hotel guests have access to this fast-moving river, and I imagine it must be a lot of fun for them, throwing rocks and building dams.  Sadly, cold as it was, we had to keep our distance, and I couldn't really get a good photograph showing how parts of the river were iced over, with the water bubbling underneath.  Gorgeous. Lunchtime came too quickly.


I was hoping I'd be able to go swimming with Joey after lunch and before his nap, thinking that the water would feel good for sore muscles, but all that fun wore him out to the point that he was insisting on a nap. ("No swim! Sleep!") So poor me, I had to content myself with a book and, when cake time came around, a slice of jelly roll.

Ella protested that she wasn't
helpless at all.  This princess
builds her own castles.

The kids came home at 5:00, partially triumphant.  Ella loved it, but Alex had managed to talk his daddy into letting him skip the afternoon ski session. He was overeager, however, to go swimming before dinner, and Joey was completely happy, now, to dive in as well, since big brother was doing it. Alex made fast friends with the one other English-speaker at the hotel, a little boy named Fred, and the two of them splashed around for an hour while Joey pretended he was participating, too.

Ella, instead went to the playroom with her friends, but came to dinner tear-stained: Lucas, in a teasing mood and unacquainted, as yet, with Ella's quick temper, had called her a helpless princess. The nerve.  She felt utterly betrayed and didn't manage to forgive him until dessert.

And it was a dessert that could mend any wound. Macaroons and little chocolate cakes decorated with gold flakes: it was enough to tempt my picky eaters into eating duck and prosciutto-wrapped melon. The kids carefully peeled off the gold flakes and declared themselves rich.  Alex had found a fake-pearl earring some weeks ago, and he's been carrying his treasure around with him since then, even bringing it on this vacation.  Now he gleefully added gold to his hoard.

Still, despite her new-found wealth, exhausted Ella admitted to Dennis at bath time "I'm feeling kind of fragile, Daddy." Dennis told her he could tell, and said maybe the whole family should have some quiet reading time and an early bedtime. Without missing a beat, Ella promised "Oh, I'm actually not feeling fragile at all any more!"

Reassuring as that was, we all followed Dennis's good advice.