Within an hour of our house, there are multiple ski areas. When we made our abrupt decision this summer that we were never going back to Texas, one of the first things we did - after finding a church, rental, and enrolling our children in school - is purchase annual ski passes at a ski resort 25 minutes from our house, at a significantly discounted rate.
Significantly as in - the cost of the pass is approximately what we'd typically spend on three days of skiing in New Mexico or Colorado. We also gave Liz and Henry the OK to try out snowboarding, which I'd never agreed to, before. Because ... I've heard it takes days to get the hang of it, I didn't want to waste our precious few days of skiing (on the rare occasion of when we could go) with kids frustratedly flopping around the mountain, unable to ride. Now that they can go several times a week, the pressure is OFF and, they have friends who also snowboard and can teach them.
Remarkably, certain children actually enjoy being on the mountain more than playing video games!
It's true and an answer to my prayers!
Although the ski season opened up a few weeks ago, we got out for the first time, this past Monday, the last week of December. While the girls were at a track and field meet all day, Charlie - William - Henry and I went skiing. I must admit, I did feel a little guilty telling the girls that I'd miss seeing them compete, but they understood that if given the choice of watching them race for two minutes and throw a shot put for 30 seconds, and then hang out for the next six hours .... versus ski all day.
Well....
They can tell us allll about it at dinner.
The following day, on Tuesday, the whole family, minus me who stayed home to work (separate blog post, I've started a wonderful new job!) went skiing. The whole family went night skiing on Wednesday.
And on Thursday, after Charlie and I went in for our COVID boosters ... I took the girls night skiing, again, before the side effects of the booster hit me.
Because that's what a passionate really wants to be an expert, but is a pretty solid intermediate snow-starved skier does - they ski at every possible opportunity. Then I came home, showered, and 12 hours on the dot from the shot, experienced a sensation very much like that feeling when you're standing at the top of a double black diamond mogul run wondering why exactly did I do this to myself?
We didn't ski on Friday or Saturday, because we were completely incapacitated with headaches, body aches, and chills. We didn't make it on Sunday, either, because the lifts shut down at 4, and we weren't ready to leave until 3. Although we're close, we have a four-run minimum rule. If you can't get in at least four runs, save yourself the trip.
We've already been back on the mountain this week, twice, and are planning to go again, tomorrow and for most of the day on Saturday. Meanwhile, William and Carolyn have joined the Alpine Ski Team at their high school, and are up at a different mountain several times a week. Henry will be joining the Snowboard team at his school, so will hopefully have some tricks he can teach his sister. Who, for reasons that have always eluded me, finds joy and insists on running as fast as she can, every chance she gets.
it's mostly awe - and a whole lot of of pride in these kids.
So, it's kind of a dream to work all day and then once the kids come home from school and grab a quick snack - throw on ski pants and a jacket - hop in the car and slap on boots, skis, and hit the slopes.
Pinch me. Is this real??
Pretty much everything about Vermont is a dream come true.
Yay! I can't wait to hear about your new job! Its like waiting for another chapter in an awesome book!
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