I have been dreaming for years of going snow skiing with Elliot. Since moving to New Jersey nearly 4 years ago, we’ve been very close to several ski “mountains”. In fact, last year at this time we thought we were going to be buying a house at the top of one of them. I imagined us spending every weekend of the kids’ childhoods on the slopes. Alas, the house purchase fell through – but my dream of skiing has lived on. Skiing with Elliot this year was one of my New Year’s Resolutions.
And I’m thrilled to say that today we actually did it!!
The weather couldn’t have been better - sunny and glorious!
We started the day with lessons. It’s been 14 years since I last skied, so I figured I needed to start back with the beginners. I soon discovered, to my delight, that skiing is much like riding a bike – I picked it right back up. What a confidence-booster to hear the instructor declare, “Perfect!” each time I had my turn. It definitely beat my last skiing experience, which was one of the most humiliating experiences of my life – skiing down icy, near-vertical slopes (it seemed to me) in Austria with a group of Germans who’d been skiing since birth. Not fun!! Being a “good skier”, it seems, is all relative!
Meanwhile, Elliot was having his first lesson ever.
The lessons were for kids 5+, so at just 2 week post-5, he was the youngest of the group.
It took him a while, but by the end he was starting to get the hang of it.
After all that practicing, we had a well-needed snack break.
Then we were on our own on the bunny slopes. I watched other parents teaching their kids and decided to copy one father and daughter. I had Elliot stand in front of me with his skis between mine. I held my poles horizontally so Elliot could hold onto them for balance. Then we went down the hill together. It worked really well.
After a while, he was wiped out and ready to be done. Kudos to Rob, who made 3 separate trips out and spent a daddy day with Sophie to make this all happen!! He picked up Elliot, who abruptly fell asleep in the car, and left me alone to ski to my heart’s content.
How many times have I driven past a ski slope and wished I could be gliding down the mountain, wind in my hair, feeling so free? How much fun did I have today? TONS & TONS!!
Elliot spent this evening playing “ski practice” and said he wants to go again tomorrow. I think that means he had fun too!
3 comments :
I am so excited for you!!! Glad it was an awesome experience for the two of you, and that you got to ski alone as well. Way to go Rob! The "skiing is like riding a bike", is how I felt after I signed up for lessons and then learned I really didn't need to be in the beginner class, even though it had been 12 years. Fun fun. Hope you get many more opportunities in this winter.
Wow! Fun, fun!! We'll have to have a ski vacation together sometime.
That looks like such fun, I've always wanted to try it. Yay Rob! Good Man!
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