Christmas at The Princess

Date: December 1st

Monday night we headed over to

Christmas at The Princess
at the Scottsdale Princess Resort!

We found this holiday event last year and loved it.

So we were very excited to take Papa Nolie with us this year!
(yes yes it's the event where you have to take out a mortgage just to go ice skating! but hey it's once a year!)

Loving the huge animated Christmas Tree at the front of the resort

We headed right to the ice rink!

The kids were beyond pumped to skate!

They had their skates tightened and were on the ice in a flash!

By the time I had Laiklyn situated with Ryan,

(since he sliced half his toe off earlier that day he volunteered as the baby watcher)

put my skates on and stepped onto the ice

the kids had already made several laps.

As I was taking my first few steps onto the ice

I saw Papa Nolie and the kids at the other end of the rink.

In a split second I then saw Papa Nolie get tangled up with Taylee

and BOOM he was flat on his back with his head smacking the ice.

My heart stopped!!

I raced over there to make sure he was ok.

He hit so hard that I was afraid we had seriously hurt him!

Yes anyone else and I probably would have fought back a giggle

(I know, I know I'm evil and laugh at spills)

but this time I seriously wanted to cry!

My dad is very athletic and active and keeps up with everything we do

that it never dawns on me that maybe we should take it easy on him sometimes.

Apparently he met his match with a combination of 

slippery ice and wiggly grandchildren.

I helped him back up while he assured me he was fine

and more embarrassed than anything else.

(as he used to be a very good ice skater)

Yet at that same time he reached back to feel the back of his head

and his hand came back with blood on it.

I panicked and called in the staff to check him out

(against his choice!!)

all while beating myself up that we almost killed Papa Nolie!!

So now at this point I'm almost crying, Taylee IS crying thinking she caused this, 

Dad's mortified that the workers with their inspection gloves are prodding and poking at his head,

Ryan's still in the bleachers with Laiklyn cluelessly taking pictures of the crime scene,

while Anden...actually I'm not quite sure where he was! Probably

capitalizing on the fact that 3 less skaters were on the ice.

In other words it was quite the scene!

Dad convinced all of us that he truly was ok and just wanted us to all back off.

I begged him to sit and rest his busted noggin a bit.

But the stubborn determined man headed back onto the ice alone.

Nothing like jumping back into the saddle.

So we all followed suit

while trying to pretend that we didn't just crack Papa Nolie's head open!!

Luckily Dad quickly was back to his skating and joking ways!

He had me in stitches laughing so hard about the whole thing.

Oh wait...maybe he should have been in stitches.

Literally.

After a few laps I caught up with Taylee

and told her she could go skate with Papa Nolie again

she looked up at me with sincere concern and says

"But Mommy I don't want to break him!"

Ahhh she melts me!

I assured her it takes more than a cracked head to keep him down.

The rest of the skating was injury free

and all were smiles.

Ryan and Laiklyn cheered us on from the stands!

Taylee's not dramatic at all

She just permanently skates as if she's performing in the Olympics.

Um don't we all? lol

 



The crazy skating family!

Eventually we left the bloody ice behind

(and no I'm not pretending to be British)

and ventured through the rest of the resort.

We rode the Princess Carousel

Dad opted out of the spinning.

Wise choice.

His brain already took a whirl.

Then we rode the Princess Express

to view the Lagoon Lights!

Hot Cocoa for the ride!

Back to the animated tree

where Taylee almost fell into the water this time.

What a super fun action packed night!

Sometimes you even get more action than you bargained for! :)

And then we waited inside the warm lobby
while the boys went and got the car!