Ups and Downs of Skiing

Let me just say... it takes a whole lotta guts for this girl to go skiing out west... with two boys who have only been to ski school one time - three years ago... especially when I haven't been on skis in 14 years!  I had to REALLY talk myself into it.

 I decided that I couldn't come home from Breckenridge without spending at least one day on the slopes...  

 And I certainly couldn't let my boys miss out on the opportunity...  So we went!

The day started off full of logistical challenges. Up the gondola... down the gondola... in a rental shop... back out... into another... just trying to get skis and get ourselves ready to go skiing was enough to wear me out.... but again, we made it.  

Below, Sam and Charlie are riding up the ski lift for our first adventure down the mountain. 

While I don't have pictures to prove it... please trust me when I say that it started off as a total disaster.  Sam and Charlie both started down the hill by creating multiple 'poofs' of snow as they figured out how to navigate down the mountain on skis....  

Luckily, Sam was pretty quick to figure it out.

Charlie...

Oh my sweet Charlie...

I'm guessing it took Charlie and I about 45 minutes to make it down a pretty small mountain... He fell no less than 15 times, and his skis fell off no less than 10 times.  

Being a complete novice skier myself, it was not easy trekking myself back up the mountain over and over and over again to help him get his equipment back together.  

He was crying.

I was cussing.

It was pretty much a disaster.

Toward the end, I had him take his skis off and just walk down the rest of the hill.

He sat and waited while Sam and I went on another run.

Sigh... it was hard work...  my patience... I failed...

 Sam and I went up the same lift, but came down the other side of the mountain.... and we stumbled upon a practice ski area...  That's it!  Exactly what Charlie needs to get comfortable on his skis...

So, against his wishes, I dragged him back on the ski lift and we started another run down the hill.

 Here, Sam and Charlie hung out and figured out how to make sense of balancing on two sticks while sliding down a mountain.

Sam had a blast, from start to finish... 
At least 30 times, he said "Mom, I love skiing!"   
Makes my heart sing!

I went on a run, and then came back to check on my kiddos...  Sam said, "Mom, I'm going down the hill!  Charlie made it all the way down without falling...bye!"

 So, we left the practice area and finished out the hill.  
He. Was. A. Whole. New. Kid!

 After lunch, we went on a much steeper, longer (but still Green) run...    And he did it again!   He was spectacular...

 And Sam just kept kicking both our butts down the hill.  So fun!

Daddy and Luke came to visit us halfway through the day.

 And that's us!  Three rockstar skiers living it up in Breckenridge, CO.

I feel confident now that my boys have enough of a foundation that they can grow into great little skiers...  As for me, I'm good for another 14 years!