a busy Saturday

A few weeks ago...actually, our very first Saturday back in Bulgaria...so that was March 27, 3 weeks ago... we thought we'd pack our day full of all sorts of fun stuff. Z has been taking paragliding lessons, and I'm going to, so up we went on one of his training hills to let me have a taste of it.

Here he is launching himself. He never made it off the hill. Got dragged backwards each time! It was too windy, poor guy...

Then we switched... he strapped on the baby...

...and I strapped on the harness/awesome-seat-that-feels-like-a-turtle-shell-and-makes-your-rear-look-really-huge. This pic is courtesy of Bran, our budding photographer.

So is this one. Really captures the essence of Nuala. It was so funny looking at the pics he took while Z was helping me hook in and giving me pointers. Loads of pictures of Nuala. Most of them involving a stuck-out tongue, or her sticking her rear up in the air at him. That's our girl!

Very, very windy. I was "kiting," which is just strapping in so you're turned around facing the chute and kinda flying it like a kite, to get the feel of it and work on learning to control it with all the risers, which are the ropes. I got majorly dragged, too. I was finding dirt up my nose an entire day afterwards. When I would blow it, that is...I wasn't digging for it, or anything. Anyway, it was lotsa fun! (The "lesson," not finding dirt.) I can't wait to actually get airborne!

Cutest little future-paraglider ever! He's trying to help fold it up. He and Nuala both really want to fly.

Another Bran shot. Maeve looks so much younger, and it was only 3 weeks ago! Which is a lot, when you're only 10 weeks old, I guess...

And skiing... Actually, we took the tykes skiing that morning, and then went to the hill. Shoulda put the skiing ones on top, but I didn't.

They looked so cute in their little outfits!

Nuala fell down quite a bit. This is after a particularly fun face-plant.

Aaaand, Nuala falling down. Caught in the act.

This is when she collapsed exhaustedly on the ground. Because it's soooo tiring to have Daddy carry you like a sack of potatoes up the hill, position you juuust right, and then nudge you down. Poor child.

After they skiied (Bran was actually really good, nice and balanced. Nuala's gettin' there!), we sledded down a little hill right nearby, too. They enjoyed that even more. My favorite part was when Z pointed out a nice big rock to me, and said, "You can sit on that rock and watch!" So off I went, only to discover that the rock was a lot taller than it looked and all the snow around it was really just waiting for someone (me) to walk on it so it could collapse. Pretty sure I heard it snickering as it started to crumble beneath me. I looked so awesome: tiny baby wrapped on my front, floundering in a snow pit up to my hips, trying to flail my way out and stop Bran from cluelessly following me right into the gigantic hole. Z did not come and help me, just for the record.

Getting undressed afterwards. I love their little bibs! Sadly, this was the ONLY time we took them skiing this season. We (Z especially) was so excited to start them skiing, and eventually snowboarding, that he bought all their stuff at the end of last season in anticipation of this one. But then we ended up being in TX for pretty much the entire winter. It didn't snow enough for the resorts to open before we left, and they (at least this one, the one right behind our house) closed a few days after this little outing. Oh well. At least all their ski stuff was on sale, and it should fit them next season. Except for the boots. They're already squeezing Bran's toes. Slow down the growing already!