New Skates!

We went to Tesco yesterday for some groceries and we found Ice Skates on clearance!  Everyone knows I can't pass up a good deal - especially one that will last for several years!!  The skates we found are adjustable for 3 to 4 sizes.  And, Hayden's are even dual purpose - the blades can come off and be replaced by roller blades!

The rink opens at 10:00, so we got there a little early, but the ice wasn't quite ready yet.  So, we went down and each got a drink at the bakery close by.  Hayden chose Fanta, I got tea, and Owen got his hot chocolate with whipped cream that he missed out on from the field trip.

Hayden's friend Eidyn and his dad, Peter, met us down there too.  It was chilly though - below zero C - and right on the river & cloudy, so pretty humid.

The boys got their skates on and then took off onto the ice.  It is a pretty crowded event - even on a Sunday morning.  It is free if you have your own skates and parking is also free, so it is worth it!  By the end of our fun, Hayden could run across the whole rink out away from the sides and Owen was practicing gliding!

The sun came out just as we were leaving, so we had a nice hot lunch at home of Grilled Cheese sandwiches and soup while we sat in the sunshine.

Pictures Here (the last 10 pics of the album are from today)

Ice Skating School Field Trip

The school took the kids Ice Skating today!

There was a slight snafu when we first got there.  The 5, 6, and 7 year olds all went first and the rink didn't have enough small size skates.  So, we took the 5 year old class around the corner to a Bakery for some hot chocolate.  It was nice and warm inside and they got to eat cookies and have real (not Swiss Miss from a packet) hot chocolate with whipped cream on top!  Then half way through their allotted hour, we took them back out and got skates from the older kids who had been skating first.  It all turned out just fine in the end - they got a treat and got to skate!  

The rink has these little penguins and bears that you can push to help you learn balance - Hayden ended up under it several times.  He actually did really well especially for his first time, by the end he was in the middle without holding on.  He can't wait to go back again!  

Owen's class came next.  They had to wait a couple of minutes for the ice to be cleaned, and then they took their turn.  Owen took lessons for a little bit in Evansville when he was 3 or 4, but I don't think he remembered any of it.  He still had fun though and it was nice for all of the kids to get out.  His class actually got to go on a field trip to the Museum of Natural History the day before - I went too, but forgot to take my camera.

Exciting week for school!

Click Here for Picture Album

Pinewood Derby!

How Exciting - Our First Pinewood Derby!!

The kids all did a great job on their cars.  And, the parents did a great job putting together the track and setting up and making sure everyone had a good time.  There was even a computer program to keep track of heats and winners, and also to ensure that all cars raced in each lane to make sure it was fair.  It was very nice, laid back yet exciting, and lots of fun!

Owen and our neighbour, Alex, won 2 of the top 3 positions and even got trophies!  A big thanks to them too for helping us out with tools since we didn't bring many.  Alex is in Webelos and got 2nd place in his group as well as 2nd place overall.  Owen is in Bears and got 1st place in his group and 3rd place overall.

Even after taking multiple pictures, this one is the best.
They were in a hurry to get to race for fun - no time to pose!

Poor Brian didn't get to go - don't feel too bad for him though, he is in the US spending time with his parents, sister and Deuce.  It is sad that he couldn't be here for this, but I am glad that he is getting to see family and pick up some shopping to bring back!!  He'll have to be here next year though because he's already been signed up to help!

To see pictures of the Pinewood Derby (and some pictures from last weekend) click here.

Here is a video of one of the heats:

Catch Up!

The boys are now back in school and things are starting to return to "normal" around here.  Over break, we took some drives and tried some new things.  The sun came out this week - for a couple hours.  And now Brian's getting ready for his trip back to the US next week.  We've also got company coming in February (YAY)!

After Christmas and Hayden's Birthday, we took a drive to a town called Sap.  It was tiny and near the border of Austria.  It was nice to drive around and see more of Slovakia.

We also got to spend some time with our neighbours.  They had us over for dinner after Christmas - it was Fancy!!!  They cooked a real Salmon - not just the fillet part like I would   :)  And, we had great vegetables with it - potatoes, carrots, parsnips and brussel sprouts.  I actually thought they were all good - I think it is the first time that I have had either parsnips or brussel sprouts.  We even got to partake in a Slovak tradition of Oblatky (crispy wafers) that we sprinkled with honey and garlic.  An unlikely combination for us Americans, but was actually quite good!

Then we also incorporated some English (that's capital "E" for UK English) traditions - crakers (you pull on them and they make a boom and a toy comes out) and Figgy Pudding.  Well OK, it wasn't called that officially, but that's how the song goes - "We won't leave till we get some."  Everyone really liked this - even the kids!  We'll have to watch for it to go on sale again next year at the English Department Store Marks & Spencer.

And of course, we had to bring some American items - we roasted Marshmallows in the living room fire place.  The kids had the most fun with this.  Their youngest daughter was super cute and kept coming back for more and more!  Then we all played some fun Wii games together - Michael Jackson's Experience & Big Brain Academy.

A couple of days later, we went got back together with our neighbours to go to the Transportation Museum. It was very nice - a little cold since it is in a large, old station with not much (or any) heat and a several trains outside.  We'll definitely go back when it's warmer and we also can't wait to take Ken & Curly there!  There were Trains, Motorcycles, Bikes, Cars, Tanks and also some really neat displays of how the whole train system used to work - communication, track switching, etc.   We may have to convince Kala to go back with us for Ken & Curly though, to help translate the signs!  :)

After checking out all of the cool trains, we made our way downtown to a mall.  We had hot chocolates at a cafe and then the kids got to race some really fast slot cars.  Then we all had dinner together at the food court.  We each got to eat what we wanted and still enjoy a meal together.  It was very nice.  We're really glad we lucked out and got to meet the Earls and live by them!

We also took a drive out toward Poland to see the Tatra Mountains (this made us all a bit homesick for our Rocky Mountains).  There were little stands on the road along the way selling Honey and also Eggs and Cheese (goat).  We ate lunch at a "Tex-Mex" restaurant which wasn't so much "Tex-Mex," but we had to try!  We'll have to go back and spend more than one day there.  We're actually planning to go up to the Tatras for a weekend in February with some families from the Boy Scout troop - we're going to Snowshoe, hit the Hot Springs, and go Dog Sledding!

Here is a link to all of the pictures:  FaceBook Pictures
And, I'll try to get back into a better routine of posting again!!