Month: March 2013

Get your kid ski lessons!

I wrote my previous post about debating between kids ski lessons and self teaching before I actually skied with Big E. now that I have I take back any doubt I had before. Get your kid ski lessons! His improvement was jaw droppingly amazing. He could stop, turn a little, go fast, go slow, and he only fell three times on the whole run. This is light years beyond where he was. Go Big E! Oh and a big thank you to the makers of Edgy Wedgies! They help a ton.

Tips on Teaching Children to Ski

UPDATED MARCH 12, 2018

To lesson or not to lesson?  It’s a question that any parent comes across when teaching children to ski or to learn anything new.

Sometimes the answer is easy.  For example, if I wanted Big E to learn how to ride a horse I would put him in a lesson, no question, for the very simple reason that I don’t know how to ride horses.  But when it comes to skiing at a 4-year-old level, that is something I think I can do.

Teaching a five year old to ski

Continue reading “Tips on Teaching Children to Ski”

Big E’s Big Skis

Living at Sundance Ski Resort kinda requires you to love skiing.  As a mom I want my kids to love skiing as much as I love snowboarding because I’ve felt so much pure joy on the mountain. Who wouldn’t want to share that kind of joy with their kids?  
Now, I’m not a downhill skier, the last time I tried it was 10 years ago. I do cross country ski a little and snowboard, a lot. You may ask, “Why not start Big E on snowboarding, if that’s what you love?” Well, in my short stint as a snowboard instructor a few years ago, there was a general rule that kids under seven are just too young to snowboard.  The problem is muscle control.  It’s not easy to hold your feet and ankles at the right angle to keep from falling on your face or backside, as an adult. As a young child with minimal muscle strength in the lower leg, it’s just frustrating.
Even with my lack of downhill ski knowledge I wasn’t too worried to introduce the sport to E, I snowboard religiously after all. I’m comfortable on the snow, and even if I’m not a pro skier at least I can get my son comfortable on the snow too.
We borrowed the neighbor’s boots and skis and hiked down to the resort. Kids under 6 ski free at Sundance and everyone has access to Sundance’s free tow rope. E was a little nervous, as he is with all new things and places.  I showed him how to put on his boots, lock into the skis, how to make a snowplow and how to move.  Since I didn’t have my own skis he was a little reluctant to try things out. For his first time, I think he did great. 

After the initial trip down the slope we headed for the tow rope. My expectations were low. He liked WATCHING the tow rope. He got in line for the tow rope, but alas he never actually attempted to ride the tow rope. Part of the problem was that I did not have skis on, and therefore could not have him ride with me.  Most parents tuck their tots between their skis the first time and the both go up together.  Since I didn’t have skis on he would’ve had to hold on himself with me running up behind.

Bribery was useless in getting him to try the tow. I was practicing my motherly patience and didn’t want to make a big deal about it, I want skiing to be a positive experience for both of us after all. But I couldn’t help feeling a little annoyed at him not even being willing to try the tow.  

After sliding around for about an hour, eating a whole pack of bribery starbursts and only falling once we decided to head back home.  I’m glad I wasn’t expecting too much from him.  I just wanted to get him in skis, on the snow, and having fun.  I think those things were all accomplished, even if he didn’t try out the tow rope. Overall it was good, not great, but not bad.

Motherhood Moments: Bad Mom, Good Mom

Last Saturday I left the house for a Mom’s day off.  I was looking forward to a fancy lunch and some time away from my lovely, high energy kids.  Little g is in the stage in her life where the only thing she wants is her mom.  So as I got on my snow boots and coat she noticed, screamed and then brought me her own boots.  I took her back to the couch, to her dad and handed him the boots to put on.  She thought she would be coming with me since she was getting boots on and was content until she saw me walking out the door. Then her cry was loud and persistent.

Her crying seemed to say, “Mom! Wait! Don’t leave without me! Mom! Please! How could you leave me?” She ran toward the door, arms outstretched, begging me to take her along.
In the moment I felt no remorse as I closed the door in her face.  I deserve some time alone, do I not?  She gets so much of my attention, I don’t think it’s a bad thing to take a break for a while.  So I left with no guilt.
I went to lunch and enjoyed Sundance’s Author Series where Cheryl Strayed talked about her book Wild.  About an hour and half into the experience I started thinking about the kids, how they were doing, and what they were doing.  Was g still crying? Two and a half hours passed and the author series ended.

I could’ve raced back home right away.  I felt a kind of unspoken pressure that I should be home with the kids.  That’s what I’m used to, that’s what I do everyday. But before I did my logical side kicked in.  My kids were with Mountain Dad, little g should be asleep for her nap, and if there had been some emergency I would’ve gotten a phone call by now.

I reasoned that whatever damage occurred by my abandonment of little g was already done. Instead of rushing home I strapped on my snowboard and took a run down the mountain. I was at Sundance Resort and I love snowboarding. It couldn’t be helped.
When I finally returned home, three and a half hours later little g was asleep and Big E was watching TV with Mountain Dad.

“How long did little g cry?” I asked.

“Only thirty minutes or so,” said Mountain Dad.  “She would walk over to the door and cry ‘mama’ a few times until I could distract her with a toy or something.”

My heart sank.  Thirty minutes? My previous callousness melted away as I imagined my little cherub sobbing for her mother who she assumed had abandoned her forever. Half an hour of heart wrenching sadness is too much for anyone. I felt awful. I know logically that it’s not a bad thing to leave my children for an afternoon and go do something I love, but I still felt a little selfish.

To atone for being a “bad mom” I asked Big E if he wanted to play outside with me.  If you’re like me, you’d get bored playing construction machines with a four-year-old after about five minutes.  If you’re not like me then you’re either an architect, professional sand castle maker or a liar. So for me to offer to play construction machines in the snow with E, and to commit to it for a whole hour really means something.  I considered it my penance for abandoning my baby. After all I was being a “good mom” for my son.

For the next hour Big E and I set about plowing the walkway using two toy front loaders, an excavator and a dump truck.

This is as far as I got before finally pulling out the shovel.  I could’ve gotten the shovel out sooner and just called it a big bulldozer but I didn’t think about it until later. Besides using the toys was part of my penance.  Playing side by side with Big E was my way of feeling like a “good mom” again since little g was still napping and I couldn’t make it up to her.   

When little g woke up she raced over to me calling, “MA MA!” Her exuberant joy at seeing my face was only match by my joy at seeing hers. I picked her up and snuggled her for a minute.  After about sixty seconds she was ready to move on.  I put her back down, she picked up a toy and suddenly all was forgiven.  What had I been worried about? 
Looking back on it, it sounds a little silly that I felt so bad about leaving little g. It also sounds silly that I tried to clear my walkway with a four inch wide plastic scooper, but I did that too. I don’t think leaving little g made me a bad mom, nor do I think playing with Big E made me a good mom. Over all I am a loving, attentive parent, as evidenced by little g’s reaction at my return.
The judgement put on me was completely my own.  Little g probably doesn’t even remember me leaving and Big E probably doesn’t remember me playing with him. I didn’t need the judgement, but I judged myself anyway. It would be great if in the moments where I feel guilty about my mothering abilities, I could just remember that I try my best.  I really do. Sometimes I can’t help but feel like a good or bad mom, even when I’m neither. I’m just me, trying to be the best mom I can be.