We gathered at Ocean Prime on Friday for my birthday

Another birthday has come and gone for me – there are too many to count now… Anyway, we celebrated with a lovely dinner downtown at Ocean Prime. The food is truly exceptional and this year we were downstairs where there was a band playing. Anna took an immediate liking to this and popped herself on one of the stools to chat with the band.

Anna is with the band…

The band took requests and Anna requested Piano Man on our behalf. I couldn’t resist to have a dance with my girl.

Dancing with my special girl on my birthday

The green couch has been a constant in our family since before Jude was born. We have all spent literally hundreds of hours on this couch over the past decade or more. But it is old, stained and doesn’t really suit our new house. We tried to move it to the basement but we couldn’t get it down the stairs. So, it is now an outdoor couch, undercover of course.

Anna still loves the green couch even when it is outside

We ordered the new couch right after we moved in and we finally got it delivered this past week.

The kids eating ice cream on the new couch. No stains yet.

Today was something of a milestone in our family. After talking about this on and off for months we finally told Jude and Anna about Santa Claus. We took them out to lunch separately and delivered the news to them. They both took it well, having had their suspicions for some time. So, this marks an end of an era. We said the spirit of Santa Claus is very much real and that they could now become Santas themselves for other people.

Jude holding the winners trophy in the season opener

It has been a busy three weeks. I had our 5th annual LendIt USA conference in New York on March 6-7. It was a huge undertaking, the hardest I have ever worked, but we pulled it off and it was a successful event. I was in NYC for eight days and then 24 hours after I got home Marcy and I went on a trip to Steamboat with just the two of us.

Being away so much means I miss some special moments. One such moment was Jude’s opening soccer weekend. They opened the season with a mini-tournament and his team did really well and won the tournament. It was apparently a thrilling finish, they won the final 5-4.

A picture perfect ski day in Steamboat – just the two of us

Since Marcy and I met we have only ever skied at Keystone, but for one Beaver Creek/Vail weekend before kids. Obviously, having a place in Keystone makes it easier, but this year we wanted to go further afield. So, Marcy’s parents stopped in at our place on the way back from Mexico to stay for a few days and we headed to Steamboat. We skied on Saturday on a picture perfect day – warm and not a cloud in the sky. There hadn’t been fresh snow for a while but it was warm enough to make the snow nice and soft. We had an absolutely fantastic ski day doing trees, bumps and cruisers. Sunday we took it easy, walked around town and had a long lunch at a Mexican place. This involved multiple margaritas and a tequila flight. We ended the day enjoying the hot springs just outside town. It was a wonderful weekend.

Anna enjoying the fountains at Beaver Creek

We have had a great winter when it comes to sickness. Both kids had hardly missed a day of school all year and then it hit us. First Anna, who started to get sick as we were leaving for Steamboat and didn’t return to school until Wednesday. Then, Jude got it right after and was off school all last week. School was off for a day and half starting Thursday lunch time so long ago we planned a ski trip to Beaver Creek. I cashed in the remainder of my Hyatt points and we booked three nights at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek (to pay for this room would have been $1,100/night).

Anna enjoying the snow at Beaver Creek

It is a beautiful hotel set right at the base of the mountain. You literally walk out the door and you are on the slopes. We woke up on Friday and Jude was still feeling lousy. So, I stayed with him and Marcy spent the day on the slopes with Anna. Yesterday, it was my turn. I took both kids out in the morning but Anna decided to take a break after just one run (it was pretty icy early). So, Jude and I spent the morning together. At lunch time, he was tired and Anna was ready to go so I had the afternoon with her.

Jude feeling good enough to ski on Saturday

Every afternoon we would all go the hot tubs. They have five hot tubs as well as a heated pool. It was very therapeutic after a day on the slopes. This morning we packed the car and headed back. I am heading to New York again for work and Jude had to get back for his cotillion classes. It was great to go somewhere other than Keystone and the Park Hyatt is such a beautiful hotel. No more trips planned now until after the school year ends.

A cookie and a Sprite is a perfect apres ski combo