Airedales LOVE Geocaching

Geocaching (pronounced "geocashing") is the official global GPS treasure hunt. (http://www.geocaching.com/) You log into the website and you can enter a postal code or address and a list of all hidden caches within 100 km are displayed. You pick your hunt and off you go with your GPS to find the buried or hidden treasure. Caches come in all different shapes and sizes and usually have items in them. IF you take an item, you must leave and item and you always sign the log book. Following your GPS through the woods is only the first step. Actually finding the cache is the second. It isn't as easy as you would think! What I found most surprising was that there are over 6000 caches hidden within 100km of my house!

Today, the Groovy Gang headed out into the Cumberland forest for our first hunt. We had two GPS devices to try and find out which one would work better. Ken had his Lowrance Airmap 100 and I had our Tomtom One. Ken's gps is his nav unit from his airplane and the Tomtom is my street GPS. The Airmap was a bit overkill and more difficult to work but was able to pick up 9 satellites even in the middle of the woods. The Tomtom was much easier to program but likes to take you back to the road! Once I figured out how to zoom in with the Tomtom it worked like a charm.

The cache was buried under at least 6 inches of snow but my GPS indicated I was within 15 meters and the clue said it was in a multi-branch tree so I started digging and couldn't believe it when we actually uncovered it! Do you know how many multi-branch tree's are in a forest??!!!

Here is Sid uncovering the cache. She was very excited to find the treasure but still kept looking for the "X"

We found all kinds of goodies hidden inside. Sid decided she liked the frog so we took the plastic frog and left a little teddy bear dressed in a winter coat.

Even the 'dales LOVE geocaching. The family goes out in the woods and digs around trees, what could be better than that?

1 down, 5000 more to go :-)

A Visit from the Easter Bunny

The night before Easter, Siddy hugged her stuffed bunny and tossed and turned while asking questions about where the Easter Bunny lives and what he likes to eat. Finally sleep came and before we knew it the Bunny had come and gone, morning had arrived and Sid was off with her Easter basket searching for eggs.




Earlier in the week we were at the grocery store and we were looking at all the different types of chocolates. We looked at bunnies, kitties and cute puppies and I asked her which one she hoped the Easter Bunny would bring and she pointed at a box and said "That one!" What was it??? A chocolate goalie... sigh.... a girl after my own heart. So yes, the Easter Bunny brought her a yummy chocolate goalie which Sid discovered during her hunt. Once loaded up on chocolate and jelly beans (her favorite, just like her daddy!) Sid spent the day playing with her Easter goodies. It was -16 today so we didn't play outside.

Poor puppies, our fence is still buried under 5 feet of snow so they are not getting to run like they are used to. This makes all toys fair game in the house. Here is Groovy keeping an eye on Siddy's new Easter chick that actually peeps. If it gets left out it will be g-o-n-e!

We were thrilled that despite all the snow, the Easter bunny still found us and we had a wonderful family day together. Tomorrow the egg crafts will come down, the dyed eggs will become sandwiches and we will intensify our vigil for Spring!

First day of Spring?!

It snowed last night, again, and sadly Sid has a new rain coat, rubber boots and a "brella" she is begging to use. Another morning started with Sid looking out the living room window and asking "Raining Mommy?" which is followed by the dash down the hall to get her boots and brella. "Soon Siddy, the snow will be gone soon." Right?

Happy Spring!

Gymnastics Graduation

This morning was our last Tuesday at "Nastics" as Sidney calls it. She strutted her stuff for our big parents day show and got her second Mini-Moons gymnastics certificate. Whether it be hanging from a rope or walking the balance beams, Sid loved Tuesday mornings with her instructor Flying Phil and the rest of the kids aged 18 months to 3. I like the morning out but I found that Tuesdays seemed to be storm days. Since January 7 only two Tuesdays were storm free. One morning it took us an hour and a half to travel the usual 20 minute route down the 417. We were running on empty and arrived to the class with 10 minutes left. We made the most of the 10 minutes and jumped our stress out on the trampolines!

Next Tuesday we start Frosty Blades which is a learn to skate program for 2 year olds. Sid and I will skate every Tuesday and Thursday morning for half an hour for three weeks. Sidney asks to go skating all the time so she should enjoy it.

Tomorrow is our Easter party at the family center. Hope to post some pics!