We survived Nights.

 

 Happy New Year! You probably thought you have been written off the Christmas card list, but you would be wrong. The real reason is that the end of our year got a little crazy. I simplified things and put the card thing on hold. You may just get a valentine this year. And one more reason to postpone cards: the photo above is our only family photo from this year. Selfie with 'staches. Awesome.

 Scott worked four straight weeks of night shifts, which put a damper on family life. The only good thing about nights was that Scott and Oliver had a big breakfast every morning (after Bruce and Phoebe went to school and before Scott went to bed for the day). They enjoyed their "second breakfast" together.

One morning, I woke up at 6 a.m. to Oliver running across my bedroom floor. He tripped right before he got to my bed, face-planted into the sideboard, and started howling. I turned on the light and there was blood everywhere. The bottom of his nostril had a nasty cut, so I packed the kids into the car for Oliver's First ER visit. Scott just happened to be working in the emergency department, so we got to say hello. Oliver didn't need stitches, which I guess is good but I felt dumb for bringing him in. The kids were happy to see Scott and happy to make it to school on-time and eat breakfast at the school cafeteria, so perhaps it wasn't so bad after all.

All in all, I am sooooooo glad those nasty night shifts are over. I need someone to put my cold feet on at night.

Colorado vacation part III

Phoebe spent her actual birthday on vacation in Colorado. She began her morning by checking out her shadow. She said it was bigger because she was five.

 Then she went for a spin on her scooter, wearing her new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sweatshirt.

 We headed to the zoo and Phoebe got to ride in a fancy birthday chariot, er, wagon.

 The zoo was just the right size and not crowded, so we saw lots of animals and got to get up close and personal with a few.

 Bruce and Phoebe like to take advantage of every cheesy photo opp and there were plenty at this zoo.

 Perhaps someday I'll put together a whole book of the weird places we've had our picture taken.

 I could also put together a whole book on weird places we've slept. Vacation needs to be relaxing too, right?

 This little spider was not in a cage at the zoo, but isn't he cute?

 After a few hours of the zoo, we went to Golden Corral for lunch. I didn't realize just how much Phoebe would love it.

 "I can get whatever I want and I don't even have to eat all of it!" After a taco, noodles, and rolls, she had a few chocolate-dipped marshmallows. Yes, it was that awesome.

 At one point the waitresses gathered around and sang some weird version of the birthday song; Phoebe pretended that she did not hear them. After lunch, we went to the local YMCA for some swimming (for the second time that week) and climbing...

 Bruce picked up climbing quickly and actually enjoyed it despite being a bit risk-averse.

 I took a turn on the wall too. I climbed the easiest route and felt proud of my wimpy self.

 And then Mark climbed up a ridiculous hard route and put us all to shame.

Phoebe was told she was too young to rope up and belay, so she took to the wall as far as Scott could reach her. She wanted to go higher of course.

The funny lunch.

This photo somehow didn't get on the blog last Sunday, but it needs to be posted and remembered forever and ever more. Bruce was inspired by this book to make me a "funny lunch" for Mother's Day. He and Scott made this awesome creation: a mushroom-stuffed tomato-basil snowman with pretzel arms and olive eyes. It was delicious.