Finally here, on the slopes...kind of

After a sleepless night (I slept with Ol who kept waking up insisting it was morning) and another three well-behaved hours in the car, we reached Nemacolin just before 11. The kids immediately went bananas about the snow and the fact that their room has a TV in it. A quick lunch and then we got them into boots and skis for their first lesson.Y'all, Candid Camera could not have written a funnier episode. The boots don't fit, oh my god mine aren't red, the wind is blowing too hard. T and I are so glad we are not the ones attempting to teach them to ski. We're watching from the lodge and I don't have great long-distance vision but I think the bunny bar lift bonked Jack in the head, knocking him down and his skis off. He is trying so hard but cannot stay up. Oliver is doing fine I believe. This is just priceless, y'all. Priceless! I am totally punchy but this is fun.

On our way with a few false starts

After a very lovely Christmas during which we did not start to pack, everyone got to sleep happily and well. The boys insisted on sleeping in their new Batman sleeping bags on their floors which was very cute, and both slept well.This morning, however, was not an auspicious start to our trip. Oliver was on fire in a terribly annoying way and has been licking his lips so often and seriously that he has a clown-like chap pattern ringing his mouth. At one point, frazzled and sweaty for whatever reason, I ended up sitting in front of my empty suitcase crying and irritated. Jack then attempted to comfort me by being a perfect helper child in every way which was kind but also made me feel badly. T became an uber-packer which never happens and was great although no, I don't know where your boot wax is. We got Percy to the dog-sitter, gave Nutmeg a ton of extra love and felt sad about leaving him (though friends are checking in on him until family friends arrive tomorrow to stay in our house while we're away and will love N to pieces) and packed up essentials like 2 pounds of our favorite bacon, cookie dough and cutters, wine and a muffin tin and ingredients and finally got in the car. Not twenty feet away, I noticed that the liquid laundry detergent we'd put in a plastic bag was nonetheless leaking into one of our food bags. Back home. More kisses for Nutmeg. Back on the road. Oliver is now playing Fish Farts, some ridiculous video game in which you tap on swimming fish and they then fart (different farts each!) and Jack is reading. The nastiest mix of rain and hail is showering the highway but at least we're on our way!

Today is bordering on "one of those days"

It is a gorgeous day here, albeit extremely windy. One of those that makes me glad we aren't getting on an airplane. Instead, I've been cooking for tonight, playing with the pets (have I mentioned how flipping adorable Nutmeg is?) and trying to enjoy the many things both boys feel they MUST.TELL.US.NOW. I took J to Tae Kwon Do, and after a quick come to jesus, he did his very best. It's fun to watch the kids don their sparring gear and start kicking each other. They're all so little and cute but the gear is totally enormous; it's like powder puff kick-boxing. In any case, Oliver has taken whining to a new level, and I've had just enough random difficulty doing stupid stuff (ex: trying to post a new recipe and having the whole thing just disappear; grr) that I'm starting to feel extremely peevish. It is Day 1 of winter vacation, and I swear y'all, Ol's new whinetastic affect makes me want to run for the hills already. Mother of god. And seriously, how can they both talk SO much? It boggles the mind. Literally.

What is good is the menu for our fête tonight! Rosemary-rubbed salmon, aged goat cheese and leek confit tart, gumbo, roasted veggies, cheese straws, delicious cheese plate, pepper jelly, salad with pears and pom, chocolate-almond-rum cake, goat cheese-crème fraîche cheesecake with balsamic sour cherry sauce, champagne punch, wine....

Oh, and the recipe for last night's fantastic shrimp cassoulet is now posted. Just as good, if not better, today!