Griffin and I built a snowman in front of the YMCA today. After putting in rocks for the eyes and nose, Griffin pulled a lollipop from his pocket and stuck it in the center of the snowman's base.

"This can be his penis!"

Berit and I had our first ski day today. She skiied great, picking up where she left off last year after a few runs. We even went over to Eldora's quad up to a steep blue run which Berit was happy to do a couple times. She did great at it, too - making turns all the way down.

Capped it off with a nice cup of hot cocoa with Claire and Meera. Lots of fun. Tired girl.

I took Griffin down to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science this eve. He got to do the archeological dig for dinosaur bones and make dino footprints. We also spent a bit of time in the Grossology exhibit too. Plus, he identified elephant scat as ... elephant scat. Poop.

We swung by Patty and Drew's for a bit afterwards, and he really got down on the drums. Patty and Drew concurred that he was a natural.

Rowan ran straight across the neighbor's yard face first into some tree wires. She looks like she got beat up my poor baby.

And I pulled another tooth out of Berit's head tonight. :)

Berit had her first basketball game ever today. Never the most aggressive player, Berit made me really proud being out there and running back and forth really trying to cover her girl and even taking a shot once when she had the opportunity. Excellent first showing!

Berit just started basketball at the YMCA. The 3rd grade girls teams have the net at 8 1/2 feet, so that's what I put our portable basketball net at in the alley. We shot a bit the other day. She wanted to work on covering. It was a blast.

Rowan's getting into it vicariously too. Last night when Berit was relating how she and Kiki played Pig and Horse (and "Kiki" and "Berit" and "Douglass"), Rowan said, "If you teach me, I'll play with you." Of course, if Berit jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, Rowan would follow her.

Griffin, who has always been wonderfully affectionate, now has a formula: 3 kisses, 1 hug.

As she is getting on the school bus, Berit will still turn to me and say out loud in front of God and everybody, "Bye Daddy - I love you!"

How wonderful is that?

Kids pick up things from you mostly when you're not paying attention. The other day, I made a suggestion to Griffin and he responded, "That's genius, Daddy. You're a genius."

You know what's great about my kids? Everything. Time just passes and everyday I realize a little more how cool they are.

I had a great weekend with Griffin. Big news: He started swimming at Grammy's pool this weekend!! No vest, no floaties - just winging it. Mostly he's treading water, but he can actually move himself horizontally from time to time. What a blast!

The girls had their big play this weekend: Dr. Doolittle. Berit and Rowan were both pirates. Berit's line was, "This is my tree. I found it first!" and Rowan's was, "Aarrrrgh...but no carrots!"

Last night I moved a futon from the attic, where I've been sleeping with Griffin, to his bedroom. It takes up more space than the little tiny kid bed he's never slept in, but at least he and I can sleep in a room that's not unbearably hot at night.

He told me this morning that he wanted to put it back the way it was "last year." I think it's because it interferes with his castles and his little people.

It's been so long.

Griffin: "When I grow up I'll be a Daddy. And when you grow up, Daddy, you will be a boy. And I will hold your hand."

Yesterday, Berit lost the first of her two front teeth and got $3 for it from the tooth fairy.

Rowan is very much into the gymnastics and climbing up and flipping off of me. We started doing this number where I would raise her up onto my shoulders and then she would jump off into the love sack. Today, it went awry however, and Rowan ended up going straight down and hurting herself.

Bad Daddy. No more of that trick.

Griffin has gotten to be very good at communicating and has evolved from his barbarian-boy 2nd year to his sensitive third year. If we get mad at him, or don't give him what he feels he deserves, he'll often burst into tears and sulk off crying, "Daddy's not my friend anymore..."

Today, Rowan hiked all the way to the top of Mt. Sanitas with Pam and I. She's definitely our little hiker! Didn't complain once, kept right on pushing it all the way to the top! We were flabbergasted. Next: Berit.