Skate Park Party

We were up and out early Saturday morning to meet up with some of Cora's favorite friends at the skate park for a little birthday celebration. The park is open to kids under 13 from 8 to 10 a.m. on the weekends, so we had our friends meet us at 8:30. Above, we have Trent, Wylie, Violets (Big and Little), Vivian, Sophi and Sophia, Cooper, David and Chris. And, of course, Cora herself.

Violet was very happy we brought doughnuts to share. (Thanks, Dad, for coming and serving as official photographer!)

Just hanging around...

Cooper being tricky...

Chris getting some air...

David had fun, too.

Stace borrowed the twins' skateboard. And now he wants a longboard for his birthday.

Hanging with the ladies while watching our kids have fun and be active - priceless! We all agreed we'll have to meet up here again.

Chris and Cooper had fun dropping into the bowl. Cora has accomplished this once, a few weeks ago, but she also landed hard a couple of times and she's been nervous to try again.

Skating around the bowl is tons of fun, though.

You don't even have to have wheels to have fun. The girls were running and jumping up the sides of the bowl, and then sliding down on their pads.

Sliding down the ramps on their pads was fun, too.

Violet made up her own game - running up the sides of the slope we mamas were sitting near, to collect high-fives.

Up and down, back up and down, so much running!

These kids are growing up together! Thanks, Sendy, for the photos.

And thanks to Elaine for sharing a few too, including this one of the gifts. Cora was very excited to receive some lovely presents, including money for more Warriors books.

Back Home

Forget all the Christmas presents - THIS is why we struggled to stay under the luggage weight limit on our flight home!

Our flight back Thursday was smooth and easy, and it was nice having Stace home Friday to help with the unpacking.

With little food on the house, we decided to go out to eat. Stace thought Chinese sounded good, and Cora insisted on getting us all chopsticks to use. She's pretty good at using them, too.

Violet, eh, not so much. She went with the food-stabbing approach.

We went to the skate park Saturday and Sunday mornings for the kids skating time, stopping at Walmart first to get new helmets Saturday.

The girls loved riding their new scooters, and thanked us several times for getting them.

Violet helped Stace take down the Christmas decorations, too.

Even the ones on the roof!

Skate Park Spectaculars

Cora had such a great time at the skate park for Andre's birthday last month, she's been asking about going back. And rather than just have a daddy-daughter date, the whole family made the trip Saturday morning.

From 8 to 10 a.m. on the weekends, the park is open to 12 and unders only, so it's a perfect time for those in Hello Kitty helmets to get their feet - or scooters - wet.

Both girls had an absolute ball, and I think we'll be making more trips to the skate park over the next few years.

They now need better scooters, though. Their foldaway Razors are great for around the neighborhood, but they don't work so well when you're doing tricks.

Stace took the girls back to the skate park Sunday morning, and Cora actually rode down into this bowl from the top. She tried several times unsuccessfully, but kept at it, and eventually landed it. Where she gets her bravery from, I'll never know!

And Violet had such a great time, she said that night that the skate park is her Disneyland. (And, it's free! And doesn't require two hours in the car!)