Guess Who's 4?

Well this post is a bit delayed. Blame the fact that I captured the birthday party on an actual camera, and not my cell phone. (The process of uploading pics from a camera is a cumbersome 2 minute task that has apparently been too much to ask myself to do.)
Anyhoo...January 17th we celebrated the P-man's 4th birthday (aka the 4 year anniversary of me surviving my near-death experience. I was soo ready to go toward the light...) And, due to the unfortunate circumstance of losing a dear family friend, Oompa and Gigi were here to help us celebrate. Otherwise it would have been a rather underwhelming party of two. Also, the cake decorating experience would have been an up-til-4am adventure had I not had Gigi's assistance.We had a minion-themed party, as Preston is a huge fan of Despicable Me 2, or as he calls it, "Spickle-me-2."
As you can see, Preston clearly inherited my photogenic tendencies:

The closest thing to smile we could get.

THE MASTERPIECE.

He'll either surf or ski...

It finally happened today. The temperature was above negative 10 for the first time all month, so I dragged Preston to the ski slopes. After a somewhat shaky start, he totally got into it! Which was good, because I was gonna be pissed if we didn't get our money's worth.

Here's video footage of Preston's first day skiing, ever. This could be worth a lot of money someday. But probably not. But at least he gives me the, "Hey mom, I'm skiing!" wave.

Here's a candid I shot while I was hiding out and trying to promote some independence. I think it's actually his first run ever:


Like a pro! I think he's ready for some Black Diamonds next time.
Post-skiing glow:

World's Awesomest Playground

Preston and I were fortunate enough to enjoy a lovely 2-week vacation down south with the rest of the Eckrich clan over the holidays. There were many highlights of the vacation, but visiting this Charlotte gem was one of the best (and most photographed!)

There are definite benefits to living in a booming city that is home to multiple pro-sports franchises. This is one of them...

I give you the NFL Charlotte Panthers-sponsored playground and mini-training camp:

Preston vs Aunt Sarah: Who will be victorious?

It's a race to the finish!

The toddler wins! (And all is well in the world). Note the timer at the finish line of this 40-yard dash, it's the real deal! And it's shaped like a football.

You can see he has the form of a gifted athlete, like the many Eckrich's before him.

Once again, demonstrating his genetic gifts of speed and agility.

The spinning, balance-wheel-of-terror! And lots of big smiles.

 

And finally: Mommy Sara's first attempt at using the slow-mo mode on an iphone 6: 

Driveway Sledding

Making the best of our weather....