My wife thinks I'm crazy, and for good reason, but I can't seem to get skiing off my mind. I've got skiing on the brain, and with the weather warming up and rain in the forecast, our time in Eden is surely coming to an end. Perhaps that's a good thing, because there are so many things to deal with, who's got time to ski?
Also, not that we live this luxurious life of leisure, but I do feel guilty having fun skiing when my wife is off at work. Sure, I work hard watching and teaching the kids, and there are plenty of projects to do at home, but even still, she doesn't get to go skiing, so I need to tone it down.
Not that I have much choice-Winter is over, Spring is well on it's way, and the warmer weather and longer days are a welcome sight, even if I'm bummed to say goodbye to the snow.
With that in mind, I got a blessing from Gary, my mentor, to use his truck to hit the Dartmouth Skiway for perhaps the last time this season. When I got the message from Gary saying we could go for it, I fed the kids lunch, packed them into the truck, and hit the slopes. It was a beautiful day and we were slated to get warm rain on Friday, so I figured ski season was drawing to a close.
We had fun, the conditions were great and the kids had so much fun. They're such good skiers, it's amazing, and we got several runs in over the course of a couple of hours, and then we headed home. The reason we hit the Skiway is because we love that hill, and it's one of two ski resorts that we can actually afford, the other being Quechee. Skiing is just too darned expensive.
Either way, we did it, and I'm prepared to pack it all in now. Then again, the season could very well go until the end of March, so you never know...
Showing posts with label skiing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label skiing. Show all posts
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Taking a Step Back and the Dentist
In the frenzy to get as much skiing in as possible before the end of the season, it occurred to me that it might be time to take a step back and calm down a little about the whole thing. True, the season is coming to an end, but we've managed to get more skiing in than we could have ever hoped for, and should be happy for that. After all, skiing is not the most economical of pursuits, and again, we've managed to get a lot in.
I'm saying this because I was planning on going to the Skiway yesterday after N's dentist appointment, but realized how rushed it would be, and decided against it. Besides, the Skiway is more expensive than our usual hill, the beloved Quechee Hill. On the subject of expense, I just wanted to clarify that money is an issue, and the only reason we can really afford to ski as much as we do is because we do in fact ski the Quechee Hill, where for the three of us, we can ski for less than $20. That's because one of us is free (this is the last season for this) and tickets are $10 after 2pm. You can't beat that deal, so we've taken full advantage of it.
As much as it pains me to say it, we could very well be done for the year, and that's fine... sort of. I'd still like to go, but there are plenty of more pressing issues at hand, so we'll be thankful for the chances we've had.
On the subject of the dentist, we went to see Dr. Bachner yesterday and all went well. I have to confess, he really has a way with kids, and our kids really love him. He really makes them feel at ease and talks and relates to them in a way that really puts them at ease. This, at least for me, is not an easy thing to do. In fact, I often have a difficult time conversing with kids, I feel like a total dork and don't always know what to say. He's got his gig down, and though I had some reservations at first, I really like the guy, and am glad he's our kids' dentist. Plus, he's really good, I think most people would agree with this, and we trust him with our kids' teeth.
We had a cavity filled, and hopefully that will be the last one for awhile. I'm struck by how many kids we know who have cavities, including our own. We had this completely unwarranted sense of self-satisfaction in deluding ourselves that we weren't going to get cavities, and lo and behold, we had sure as heck had them. It was a real cold dose of reality, not to mention humility. Thankfully, we've found a good dentist and the situation has thus far been dealt with, but we are extremely wary of being too complacent, and every trip to the dentist is an anxious one.
Unlike my childhood, we are diligent about flossing the kids' teeth. We don't brush them anymore, which makes the bedtime routine thankfully simpler, but somehow they're not ready to take on the flossing all on their own. That's okay, as a parent, you do what you've got to do.
I still have issues with the whole fluoride supplement thing, however, but that's a topic for another time. Until then, thanks for reading.
I'm saying this because I was planning on going to the Skiway yesterday after N's dentist appointment, but realized how rushed it would be, and decided against it. Besides, the Skiway is more expensive than our usual hill, the beloved Quechee Hill. On the subject of expense, I just wanted to clarify that money is an issue, and the only reason we can really afford to ski as much as we do is because we do in fact ski the Quechee Hill, where for the three of us, we can ski for less than $20. That's because one of us is free (this is the last season for this) and tickets are $10 after 2pm. You can't beat that deal, so we've taken full advantage of it.
As much as it pains me to say it, we could very well be done for the year, and that's fine... sort of. I'd still like to go, but there are plenty of more pressing issues at hand, so we'll be thankful for the chances we've had.
On the subject of the dentist, we went to see Dr. Bachner yesterday and all went well. I have to confess, he really has a way with kids, and our kids really love him. He really makes them feel at ease and talks and relates to them in a way that really puts them at ease. This, at least for me, is not an easy thing to do. In fact, I often have a difficult time conversing with kids, I feel like a total dork and don't always know what to say. He's got his gig down, and though I had some reservations at first, I really like the guy, and am glad he's our kids' dentist. Plus, he's really good, I think most people would agree with this, and we trust him with our kids' teeth.
We had a cavity filled, and hopefully that will be the last one for awhile. I'm struck by how many kids we know who have cavities, including our own. We had this completely unwarranted sense of self-satisfaction in deluding ourselves that we weren't going to get cavities, and lo and behold, we had sure as heck had them. It was a real cold dose of reality, not to mention humility. Thankfully, we've found a good dentist and the situation has thus far been dealt with, but we are extremely wary of being too complacent, and every trip to the dentist is an anxious one.
Unlike my childhood, we are diligent about flossing the kids' teeth. We don't brush them anymore, which makes the bedtime routine thankfully simpler, but somehow they're not ready to take on the flossing all on their own. That's okay, as a parent, you do what you've got to do.
I still have issues with the whole fluoride supplement thing, however, but that's a topic for another time. Until then, thanks for reading.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Homeschool Considerations and Goals, Writing, and Skiing
We have made a vow to be more diligent about our homeschool obligations. I don't mean in terms of our daily teachings, but more in terms of answering to the state. It behooves us to do as such. We just received our enrollment paperwork for the next school year, and last year we waited until the zero hour and suffered accordingly. The shame of it all was that we had so much time and rested on our laurels. Or should I say, I rested on my laurels.
The fact of the matter is, homeschooling is my job, though I got a little huffy when my wife seemed to hint at this. My apologies to her, and I'm sure she wants to flog me for my behavior at times. Then again, she'd better be careful, I just got my blue belt.
Either way, our short terms goals go something like this-we need to sit down and assess where we've been and what we've covered, then compare that to what we said we'd do (i.e., our curriculum). We can still cover the things that fall short because there is still a lot of time, but again, it goes by quickly, and the better prepared we are, the easier it will be.
Then we need to begin assembling the portfolio, which isn't due until Labor Day, I believe, but like a lot of situations, when you have so much time, you waste all of it. The easier part will be to fill out the enrollment for the next school year. For the record, I admit that I got a little whiny when it became clear that this was going to fall in my lap. My apologies, once again, to my wife, but at least I'm not getting angry... sort of.
Just thinking about it makes my head spin, which is the kiss of death because those are the times when I just shut down and try to ignore it. Can't do that this time.
To make matters all the more complicated, I have my minor writing gigs that don't pay much but I want to maintain, while I'm also searching for the elusive writing gig that will pay me much, or at least enough to maintain our fabulously opulent lifestyle (for those of you who don't know me, this is a joke) And then there's my blog, or should I say, blogs?
It's all a bit much, so we'll deal with it in the best possible way-by trying to go skiing. Today is Friday, the last Friday that the Quechee Hill will be open, and it's supposed to rain. Bummer, but yet another example of how life is unpredictable, and rather than moan or get angry, just deal with it and make the most of it.
See how well my anger management is working?
If it were possible to put in a humble request to the weather, however, we would not complain if the rain came later rather than earlier, but that's just us.
We have a busy weekend up ahead, and it just might involve... you guessed it, skiing. Looking forward, however, to Saturday in Hanover at the Howe Library (one of my favorite libraries of all time!) and dinner at Boloco, one of my five favorite places to eat in the Upper Valley.
Until then, thanks for reading.
The fact of the matter is, homeschooling is my job, though I got a little huffy when my wife seemed to hint at this. My apologies to her, and I'm sure she wants to flog me for my behavior at times. Then again, she'd better be careful, I just got my blue belt.
Either way, our short terms goals go something like this-we need to sit down and assess where we've been and what we've covered, then compare that to what we said we'd do (i.e., our curriculum). We can still cover the things that fall short because there is still a lot of time, but again, it goes by quickly, and the better prepared we are, the easier it will be.
Then we need to begin assembling the portfolio, which isn't due until Labor Day, I believe, but like a lot of situations, when you have so much time, you waste all of it. The easier part will be to fill out the enrollment for the next school year. For the record, I admit that I got a little whiny when it became clear that this was going to fall in my lap. My apologies, once again, to my wife, but at least I'm not getting angry... sort of.
Just thinking about it makes my head spin, which is the kiss of death because those are the times when I just shut down and try to ignore it. Can't do that this time.
To make matters all the more complicated, I have my minor writing gigs that don't pay much but I want to maintain, while I'm also searching for the elusive writing gig that will pay me much, or at least enough to maintain our fabulously opulent lifestyle (for those of you who don't know me, this is a joke) And then there's my blog, or should I say, blogs?
It's all a bit much, so we'll deal with it in the best possible way-by trying to go skiing. Today is Friday, the last Friday that the Quechee Hill will be open, and it's supposed to rain. Bummer, but yet another example of how life is unpredictable, and rather than moan or get angry, just deal with it and make the most of it.
See how well my anger management is working?
If it were possible to put in a humble request to the weather, however, we would not complain if the rain came later rather than earlier, but that's just us.
We have a busy weekend up ahead, and it just might involve... you guessed it, skiing. Looking forward, however, to Saturday in Hanover at the Howe Library (one of my favorite libraries of all time!) and dinner at Boloco, one of my five favorite places to eat in the Upper Valley.
Until then, thanks for reading.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Finally Skiing the Skiway
We finally made it to the Skiway and had a great day skiing. What an awesome hill, we really enjoyed it, and though we could have skied it all day, we had an appointment after lunch and had to bug out by lunchtime. Nonetheless, we really enjoyed it.
We got the kids new ski helmets and they fit great, so that was another plus, and I don't feel as guilty being a bad parent for outfitting them with helmets that are too big.
On the subject of guilt, I got a bit irked at the kids for spilling soy sauce in the car, and they clearly felt bad and I didn't help by being a grump. More issues with anger management, but I do have a new theory about it and firmly believe, perhaps naively so, that I will defeat this beast, because one spoiler moment can set the tone for the entire day, even if it's been a great day. To quote the Bard, "The evil that men do lives after them, the good oft interred with their bones."
Just for the record, we still had a great day, I'd just like to be more Zen about life, and have a theory how I can do it. But it's all talk until I can actually do it, so I'll keep it to myself and let you know how it goes.
Until then, thanks for reading.
We got the kids new ski helmets and they fit great, so that was another plus, and I don't feel as guilty being a bad parent for outfitting them with helmets that are too big.
On the subject of guilt, I got a bit irked at the kids for spilling soy sauce in the car, and they clearly felt bad and I didn't help by being a grump. More issues with anger management, but I do have a new theory about it and firmly believe, perhaps naively so, that I will defeat this beast, because one spoiler moment can set the tone for the entire day, even if it's been a great day. To quote the Bard, "The evil that men do lives after them, the good oft interred with their bones."
Just for the record, we still had a great day, I'd just like to be more Zen about life, and have a theory how I can do it. But it's all talk until I can actually do it, so I'll keep it to myself and let you know how it goes.
Until then, thanks for reading.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
More on Homeschooling, On a Roll, and Burrito Bowls
Looking back on our year, I think we're in pretty good shape, if only for the fact that we're monitoring ourselves early than last year, where we totally blew it and just squeaked by with the extensive assistance of the state offices. Much thanks for all of them for their patience and help. Hopefully we've learned something. The biggest issue for us is still history and social studies. How the heck do you teach it so it's interesting? Maybe the point is, at this stage in their lives, it just isn't. All things considered, we are doing fine, and will begin the process of reviewing our year and answering the to the state, who for the record have been very helpful and patient with us. Did I already mention that?
Spaced out on homeschool art class yesterday, didn't even know it was going on and thus missed out. Bummer.
That is not to say that we haven't been having fun, however, even though we haven't skied for three whole days, maybe four. As I've probably mentioned for a million times, we skied for six days straight last week, so it's almost as it if it's become our regular routine. With the recent storm, we can't wait to get back out there, but the Quechee Hill is back to it's weekend schedule, so mid-week skiing is a bit of a challenge. Our goal, however, is to give the Dartmouth Hill a try again, and hopefully it will work out. Looking to Wednesday for that, if all things work out.
Last night had the killer pseudo-vegetarian meals, our favorite Boloco inspired burrito bowls. We put a little chicken in the kid's bowls to make it more interesting for them, but I think they could go vegan, because it's all about the beans and the salsa. Maybe not as good as Boloco burritos, but close. The key I've found is the juiciness, from the salsa and the fillings. When it's drippy and wet, somehow it just tastes better. Funny how that works.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Spaced out on homeschool art class yesterday, didn't even know it was going on and thus missed out. Bummer.
That is not to say that we haven't been having fun, however, even though we haven't skied for three whole days, maybe four. As I've probably mentioned for a million times, we skied for six days straight last week, so it's almost as it if it's become our regular routine. With the recent storm, we can't wait to get back out there, but the Quechee Hill is back to it's weekend schedule, so mid-week skiing is a bit of a challenge. Our goal, however, is to give the Dartmouth Hill a try again, and hopefully it will work out. Looking to Wednesday for that, if all things work out.
Last night had the killer pseudo-vegetarian meals, our favorite Boloco inspired burrito bowls. We put a little chicken in the kid's bowls to make it more interesting for them, but I think they could go vegan, because it's all about the beans and the salsa. Maybe not as good as Boloco burritos, but close. The key I've found is the juiciness, from the salsa and the fillings. When it's drippy and wet, somehow it just tastes better. Funny how that works.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Friends and a Break From the Slopes
We haven't seen or heard from CB in days, and hope she's well. We still have her birthday present and may very well make contact today, but you never know. School starts tomorrow. I bailed out on Gary, I feel bad, not that he missed me, but we were stuck in Hanover and we don't have access to a phone, so I couldn't call him. Excuses, excuses. I have to call him to day to apologize.
We finally hooked up with A&T and their kids at one of our favorite locales, the Howe Library. I love that place. I was thinking A was mad at me because we kind of both dropped the ball on contact, so she was pissed that I hadn't called and expressed her anger by not calling. Such a vicious circle.
It was a nice reunion, however, and the kids had a blast together, like they always do. My understanding is that they were there all day, so it must have been brutal for them, but that's not our business. Now that we've reconnected, it feels much better and I have a feeling that we'll be more in touch.
We're supposed to get socked with snow today, and we've decided to take a couple of days off from skiing because we've been going like crazy for the past week. In fact, we've skied for six days straight, and could have easily made it eight, but at some point it's good to have some down time. So we'll relax and look forward to maybe skiing at the Skiway mid-week or at the very least, at the Quechee Hill on Friday. Hopefully we'll get loads of snow in the meantime.
I'm still scrambling to find helmets that fit properly. The ones they have are too big and look it, and have to confess to being a little self-conscious amongst the crowds, not that they care, nor should I. But, it's a good time to get equipment because the season is winding down and places are unloading gear. So, for the next season, we need to get A bigger skis, maybe 140-50s, some new poles, and helmets that fit. We have about nine months, so hopefully something will come up. I know a bunch of ski sales happen in the fall, so we'll keep our eyes open.
Also, have to keep in mind, propane, firewood, and homeschool administration. Don't want to screw that one up again.
Until then, thanks for reading.
We finally hooked up with A&T and their kids at one of our favorite locales, the Howe Library. I love that place. I was thinking A was mad at me because we kind of both dropped the ball on contact, so she was pissed that I hadn't called and expressed her anger by not calling. Such a vicious circle.
It was a nice reunion, however, and the kids had a blast together, like they always do. My understanding is that they were there all day, so it must have been brutal for them, but that's not our business. Now that we've reconnected, it feels much better and I have a feeling that we'll be more in touch.
We're supposed to get socked with snow today, and we've decided to take a couple of days off from skiing because we've been going like crazy for the past week. In fact, we've skied for six days straight, and could have easily made it eight, but at some point it's good to have some down time. So we'll relax and look forward to maybe skiing at the Skiway mid-week or at the very least, at the Quechee Hill on Friday. Hopefully we'll get loads of snow in the meantime.
I'm still scrambling to find helmets that fit properly. The ones they have are too big and look it, and have to confess to being a little self-conscious amongst the crowds, not that they care, nor should I. But, it's a good time to get equipment because the season is winding down and places are unloading gear. So, for the next season, we need to get A bigger skis, maybe 140-50s, some new poles, and helmets that fit. We have about nine months, so hopefully something will come up. I know a bunch of ski sales happen in the fall, so we'll keep our eyes open.
Also, have to keep in mind, propane, firewood, and homeschool administration. Don't want to screw that one up again.
Until then, thanks for reading.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Time For a Break, Making Pizza, and Writing
Well, if you can believe this, we've managed to ski for six consecutive days, and we've actually reached a point where we need a break. In fact, yesterday we went skiing and after a couple of runs, the kids decided they'd had enough, and we played on the sledding hill, where they practiced their snowboarding. It was a great week, though, and the opportunity of a lifetime in terms of getting lots of practice in. We had a great time.
We never made it to contradance, and that's kind of a bummer, but we were exhausted and it just didn't work out. I feel bad for JD, but it's not as if our presence was missed. I tried to find out if CH and C were going, but didn't find out until later that they were, and by that time, it had pretty much been decided that we were in for the night. When we learned that J, I, and S weren't going to make it, half of our motivation to go had checked out, and we were ambivalent to start with.
Instead, we hung out after skiing and made pizza, which is always a blast. The kids really enjoy cooking, even though it makes an incredible mess and I have to lighten up in a big way. But truth be told, they do a great job, it's pretty impressive when you get down to it, and pizza in particular is fun for them because they get to be imaginative in how the toppings go on. Best of all, mom gets to have a big supper surprise that is truly made by her kids, and do they ever get into it. In fact, A made me cover all the pizza up with foil so mom couldn't see it and they could surprise her. How cute is that?
The recipe we use makes a ton of whole wheat, multi-grain dough. I split the load and freeze half, and the half that we work with gives us one large round, a medium rectangle, and six small pies. The way we work it, I roll out the the two big ones and makes small balls of the rest. The kids roll out the small ones, and they add sauce and cheese and goodies to the all of them. They work very hard and are very focused on what they do, not forgetting, of course, to have fun by making designs and funny faces with the toppings. It's a great family activity with the all-important reward at the end. You can't beat that.
I've set about modifying my blog a bit, not that anyone will notice because it may not be glaringly apparent, but I'll feel better once it's all done, and may even get a nod of approval from R&J. It's a huge task, however, and will take weeks. Got some potential nibbles for writing, and will soon begin our philanthropic work for schools in Africa.
It begs the question, what am I getting myself into?
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
We never made it to contradance, and that's kind of a bummer, but we were exhausted and it just didn't work out. I feel bad for JD, but it's not as if our presence was missed. I tried to find out if CH and C were going, but didn't find out until later that they were, and by that time, it had pretty much been decided that we were in for the night. When we learned that J, I, and S weren't going to make it, half of our motivation to go had checked out, and we were ambivalent to start with.
Instead, we hung out after skiing and made pizza, which is always a blast. The kids really enjoy cooking, even though it makes an incredible mess and I have to lighten up in a big way. But truth be told, they do a great job, it's pretty impressive when you get down to it, and pizza in particular is fun for them because they get to be imaginative in how the toppings go on. Best of all, mom gets to have a big supper surprise that is truly made by her kids, and do they ever get into it. In fact, A made me cover all the pizza up with foil so mom couldn't see it and they could surprise her. How cute is that?
The recipe we use makes a ton of whole wheat, multi-grain dough. I split the load and freeze half, and the half that we work with gives us one large round, a medium rectangle, and six small pies. The way we work it, I roll out the the two big ones and makes small balls of the rest. The kids roll out the small ones, and they add sauce and cheese and goodies to the all of them. They work very hard and are very focused on what they do, not forgetting, of course, to have fun by making designs and funny faces with the toppings. It's a great family activity with the all-important reward at the end. You can't beat that.
I've set about modifying my blog a bit, not that anyone will notice because it may not be glaringly apparent, but I'll feel better once it's all done, and may even get a nod of approval from R&J. It's a huge task, however, and will take weeks. Got some potential nibbles for writing, and will soon begin our philanthropic work for schools in Africa.
It begs the question, what am I getting myself into?
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Out Of It, Timing in LIfe, Skiing Like Crazy, and Contradance
I haven't been blogging as diligently because I've been dealing with assorted issues, and sometimes the blog just has to be put aside. From there, it's a slippery slope and days can pass before I get back in the swing of things. Funny how that works. I'm also working on modifying my blog a bit, but that's a long term gig.
We have been skiing for about six days straight, and I can't even begin to tell you how far along the kids have come. It's been a blast and we are all definitely hooked. Even I, who has been a reasonably avid snowboarder for the past few years, have re-discovered my love of skiing, and sort of prefer it now. But, in typical fashion, when I see other snowboarders on the hill, they look cool, and wanting to be cool, like most guys, have this urge to snowboard as well. Just might do that if we make it to the hill today.
It was a Quechee reunion yesterday, and we saw bunch of our old friends from the days on the Green. Unfortunately, being the neurotic nut that I am, I was so focused on getting as much skiing in as I could that we didn't spend as much time hanging with friends, not that they wanted to hang out with us. The biggest bummer is missing out a on chance to chat with J, and A and I didn't get to really ski together, but sometimes things just don't work out. Hope to see J, A, and S soon and hope the kids can have a playdate, or at least hang out.
We did, however, have a blast skiing. The kids are getting a bit daring and search out the trails through the trees. There are times when I completely lose track of them, and have to come to terms with the fact that I'm beginning to get in the way. Then again, I guess as a parent, that's the goal. Either way, I prefer to have at least N in my sights at some point, and to be there for him if he falls, but he's perfectly capable of taking care of himself and has in fact recovered from assorted spills and skiied down the hill by himself. I.e., I'm worrying too much, but how can you not?
I still can't get over how much the kids love skiing, and it really boils down to timing. Something just clicked, and suddenly the love it. It's the same with music. I've tried to expose them to all sorts of music and encourage them to have eclectic taste, but most of it just becomes background sounds to the day. Just recently both the kids have shown an increased interest in music, and are forming their favorite bands and songs. It's kind of cool to see, and the precursor, in my opinion, of an interest in playing an instrument. We'll work on that one next. Right now, we're listening to a lot of oldies, and that's a good intro to pop music.
Today is Friday, and tonight is contradance. We haven't been to the past few, and feel like we should make an appearance because not only do we enjoy it, but feel like we should support JD because she works so hard on it. Had a beer with PD last night and he said he wasn't going, which is fine. We did the Skunk Hollow with GS and it was actually a fun evening, even though all I wanted to do was go to sleep after a long day of skiing. No rest for the weary.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
We have been skiing for about six days straight, and I can't even begin to tell you how far along the kids have come. It's been a blast and we are all definitely hooked. Even I, who has been a reasonably avid snowboarder for the past few years, have re-discovered my love of skiing, and sort of prefer it now. But, in typical fashion, when I see other snowboarders on the hill, they look cool, and wanting to be cool, like most guys, have this urge to snowboard as well. Just might do that if we make it to the hill today.
It was a Quechee reunion yesterday, and we saw bunch of our old friends from the days on the Green. Unfortunately, being the neurotic nut that I am, I was so focused on getting as much skiing in as I could that we didn't spend as much time hanging with friends, not that they wanted to hang out with us. The biggest bummer is missing out a on chance to chat with J, and A and I didn't get to really ski together, but sometimes things just don't work out. Hope to see J, A, and S soon and hope the kids can have a playdate, or at least hang out.
We did, however, have a blast skiing. The kids are getting a bit daring and search out the trails through the trees. There are times when I completely lose track of them, and have to come to terms with the fact that I'm beginning to get in the way. Then again, I guess as a parent, that's the goal. Either way, I prefer to have at least N in my sights at some point, and to be there for him if he falls, but he's perfectly capable of taking care of himself and has in fact recovered from assorted spills and skiied down the hill by himself. I.e., I'm worrying too much, but how can you not?
I still can't get over how much the kids love skiing, and it really boils down to timing. Something just clicked, and suddenly the love it. It's the same with music. I've tried to expose them to all sorts of music and encourage them to have eclectic taste, but most of it just becomes background sounds to the day. Just recently both the kids have shown an increased interest in music, and are forming their favorite bands and songs. It's kind of cool to see, and the precursor, in my opinion, of an interest in playing an instrument. We'll work on that one next. Right now, we're listening to a lot of oldies, and that's a good intro to pop music.
Today is Friday, and tonight is contradance. We haven't been to the past few, and feel like we should make an appearance because not only do we enjoy it, but feel like we should support JD because she works so hard on it. Had a beer with PD last night and he said he wasn't going, which is fine. We did the Skunk Hollow with GS and it was actually a fun evening, even though all I wanted to do was go to sleep after a long day of skiing. No rest for the weary.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Weekend and Back to Eating Veggies
We've reached a point where when we fall off the veggie wagon, it bums us out. Even the kids are aware of when we're not eating enough fruit and veggies. Either way, we're back to vegan cooking, and it makes us feel a whole lot better. It's interesting because growing up like most of us do, it's hard to imagine cutting meat out of your diet, it's such a staple of our diets, but it's all about creating habits and setting precedents. The kids eat a lot of vegetables because it's just what we do, and they don't feel like they're missing out because it's just not a regular part of our lives, keeping mind that we are not completely vegan, and feel the kids in particular need some meat in their lives. Not to mention junk food and TV (movies only!) now and then.
I guess in the end we worried about the two of them accepting our new direction, but so far it's been pretty smooth. It just goes to show you that if you put a little time, effort and creativity into eating healthy, it can work out in the end. Mom and Dad have to be in on the effort, as well, and you have to sprinkle in a little unhealthy indulgence now and then, because anything in the extreme takes the fun out of it.
This past weekend we managed to miss out on all the things we wanted to do, mainly the town events like the Winter Fest and the magic show. Bummer, but we were busy. We had out weekly trip to the Howe library to feed our minds, and then we skied up a storm. I won't carry on about how far the kids have come, but even my wife has been able to polish up her skiing and consequently is really enjoying it. We are on the verge of being a skiing family, and boy does it feel good. Unfortunately, XC skiing has fallen by the wayside a bit, but we'll get back into it soon enough, especially with the Tiki Trek weekend coming up.
One thing that really struck me about skiing is the intense, competitive nature of it for so many of the kids. Racing is big up here, and you see these kids in their gear racing and competing, and it all seems a bit much to me. I have to confess to having a bit of skepticism to the whole competitive nature of our world and the need to establish a hierarchy and for there to be winners and losers for there to be meaning in things. I fully accept that people can be competitive by nature, but for me, it often takes the fun out of things. Then again, for a lot of people, it is what gives their lives meaning, and you can't pass judgement on that.
We have a show at the LOH this week, and we're thinking of trying to actually ski a new hill, the Dartmouth Skiway. Never been there, but the kids are hungry for new adventures, so we'll see where this one leads us.
BTW, we hadn't heard from C in days, a week even, and I think A was getting bummed out. Sometimes it seems like feast of famine, we go for days of hanging with her, and then we don't hear from her for long stretches. Maybe it's not a bad thing to take a little step back, and I know she is really busy with school/hockey/skiing and all that good stuff. And the it's not as if A had called her, either. Either way, we finally heard from her and I think it made A really happy. Hopefully they'll have a chance to get together this week. We shall see.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
I guess in the end we worried about the two of them accepting our new direction, but so far it's been pretty smooth. It just goes to show you that if you put a little time, effort and creativity into eating healthy, it can work out in the end. Mom and Dad have to be in on the effort, as well, and you have to sprinkle in a little unhealthy indulgence now and then, because anything in the extreme takes the fun out of it.
This past weekend we managed to miss out on all the things we wanted to do, mainly the town events like the Winter Fest and the magic show. Bummer, but we were busy. We had out weekly trip to the Howe library to feed our minds, and then we skied up a storm. I won't carry on about how far the kids have come, but even my wife has been able to polish up her skiing and consequently is really enjoying it. We are on the verge of being a skiing family, and boy does it feel good. Unfortunately, XC skiing has fallen by the wayside a bit, but we'll get back into it soon enough, especially with the Tiki Trek weekend coming up.
One thing that really struck me about skiing is the intense, competitive nature of it for so many of the kids. Racing is big up here, and you see these kids in their gear racing and competing, and it all seems a bit much to me. I have to confess to having a bit of skepticism to the whole competitive nature of our world and the need to establish a hierarchy and for there to be winners and losers for there to be meaning in things. I fully accept that people can be competitive by nature, but for me, it often takes the fun out of things. Then again, for a lot of people, it is what gives their lives meaning, and you can't pass judgement on that.
We have a show at the LOH this week, and we're thinking of trying to actually ski a new hill, the Dartmouth Skiway. Never been there, but the kids are hungry for new adventures, so we'll see where this one leads us.
BTW, we hadn't heard from C in days, a week even, and I think A was getting bummed out. Sometimes it seems like feast of famine, we go for days of hanging with her, and then we don't hear from her for long stretches. Maybe it's not a bad thing to take a little step back, and I know she is really busy with school/hockey/skiing and all that good stuff. And the it's not as if A had called her, either. Either way, we finally heard from her and I think it made A really happy. Hopefully they'll have a chance to get together this week. We shall see.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Skiing Up A Storm and Falling Off the Vegan Wagon... Again
Man did we have a great day of skiing yesterday. The kids had been waiting all week for this day, and when it finally arrived, we took full advantage of it. The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm (30 degrees), and literally nobody there. It was almost strange, and J pointed out that some people just have to find something to complain about. Point taken.
The Quechee Hill is such a great place to ski for us, great learning hill, convenient and extremely well maintained. And a lot of our friends work/ski there. We got to the hill late morning and literally skied til they closed. We had a few spills, which are a bummer, but for the most part, it was a great day. We were amongst maybe five or six people skiing, and until the afternoon, when the people showed up en mass, the hill was all ours.
On the subject of milestones, the kids skied their first black diamond run, though at Quechee you have to take that with a grain of salt. Either way, they went for it, and they skied it like pros. Our days on the rope tow and T-bar may be numbered, though I still think the T-bar run is fun. Ironic how the easier hills to ski are the hardest to get up. Also, N did the T-bar all by himself, though he didn't enjoy it, and I think I'll have to ride up with him, if we in fact continue on it.
Since we were there all day, we naturally had to break for lunch and opted for the food at the lodge, which meant that we were in no way going to eat vegan, though S, who works there, is a vegan and had somehow scored a veggie burger. Our lunch consisted of bacon cheeseburgers, chicken strips, and fries. Talk about junk food. I'd made vegan lentil stew for dinner to counteract the garbage we ate for lunch, though I have to confess, it was tasty. It made us all a little sick.
By the time we got back out on the snow, our friends were beginning to show up. The kids were getting tired, but they powered on, and we managed to get a ton of skiing in, though A took quite a spill. She bounced back up and kept going. And N, in his quest to keep up, was simply incredible in his skiing.
All in all, I was so proud of them for making such huge strides. They set their minds to something, took a couple of spills, but persevered. Now they love skiing, they can't get a enough, and I'm more than happy to help them along.
I tried snowboarding with them but found that it wasn't so practical, so I think I'll stick with skiing, it just makes life simpler.
We're hoping to make it to Winter Fest but I have to go to the market and we have our day in Hanover, so it's conceivable that not only will we not make it there, but we more than likely won't get any skiing done. Bummer. But there's always tomorrow.
Until then, thanks for reading.
The Quechee Hill is such a great place to ski for us, great learning hill, convenient and extremely well maintained. And a lot of our friends work/ski there. We got to the hill late morning and literally skied til they closed. We had a few spills, which are a bummer, but for the most part, it was a great day. We were amongst maybe five or six people skiing, and until the afternoon, when the people showed up en mass, the hill was all ours.
On the subject of milestones, the kids skied their first black diamond run, though at Quechee you have to take that with a grain of salt. Either way, they went for it, and they skied it like pros. Our days on the rope tow and T-bar may be numbered, though I still think the T-bar run is fun. Ironic how the easier hills to ski are the hardest to get up. Also, N did the T-bar all by himself, though he didn't enjoy it, and I think I'll have to ride up with him, if we in fact continue on it.
Since we were there all day, we naturally had to break for lunch and opted for the food at the lodge, which meant that we were in no way going to eat vegan, though S, who works there, is a vegan and had somehow scored a veggie burger. Our lunch consisted of bacon cheeseburgers, chicken strips, and fries. Talk about junk food. I'd made vegan lentil stew for dinner to counteract the garbage we ate for lunch, though I have to confess, it was tasty. It made us all a little sick.
By the time we got back out on the snow, our friends were beginning to show up. The kids were getting tired, but they powered on, and we managed to get a ton of skiing in, though A took quite a spill. She bounced back up and kept going. And N, in his quest to keep up, was simply incredible in his skiing.
All in all, I was so proud of them for making such huge strides. They set their minds to something, took a couple of spills, but persevered. Now they love skiing, they can't get a enough, and I'm more than happy to help them along.
I tried snowboarding with them but found that it wasn't so practical, so I think I'll stick with skiing, it just makes life simpler.
We're hoping to make it to Winter Fest but I have to go to the market and we have our day in Hanover, so it's conceivable that not only will we not make it there, but we more than likely won't get any skiing done. Bummer. But there's always tomorrow.
Until then, thanks for reading.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Finding Our Skis
Somehow last weekend we, or I guess I should say I, managed to lose my kid's skis. We don't unload the truck right away, so it wasn't apparent that her skis were missing until the next day. We spent a few moments staring at each other wondering, "What the heck did you do with her skis?"
Being the neurotic nut case that I am, I immediately put my pants on and told the kids to get dressed, thinking that we didn't have a moment to lose and we had to rush over to the ski hill and search for those skis. Eventually reason set in and cooler heads prevailed, and I concluded that nothing was going to change during the course of the day, so we headed over later in the day.
When we got to the ski hill, I combed the parking lot and the base of the hill, trying to retrace my steps and remember what I had done with those skis. Skis are not like sunglasses, they're rather big and not something that you can easily misplace, though I'd managed to somehow do exactly that.
The problem was that the hill was deserted, and there was nobody there to help. I finally walked across the grounds to the lodge, thinking there was a lost and found. Surprisingly, there were a bunch of guys hanging out, having lunch. I recognized them as the grounds crew, and they were extremely helpful. We checked out the lost and found, then the supply closet, but no skis. They told me I might have to wait until Friday when the hill opened and I could ask the ski patrol, but that was five days away, and the wait would have killed me.
Finally one of the guys mentioned that the ski patrol might have found them and just left them in their warming hut, which was locked but he had a key. He offered to unlock the room and let me have a look, and I jumped at the chance.
Sure enough, there they were, sitting in the corner, our little skis. I was so stoked, not so much for the financial aspect of it all, but more so for the symbolic nature of our kid's skis. That would have bummed me out, and probably woudn't have made her very happy, either.
The one thing that stuck in my mind was that we didn't give up. There were ample opportunities to do just that, because early on, it wasn't looking too good. We live in Vermont, and people are decent and don't, for the most part, do things like steal skis they find lying around. Sure, we lost a sled when we lived in the Red Barn, but I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it wasn't taken by a local but rather someone from out of town, eating at Simon Pearce (how ironic is that?). Anyway, I figured that if we did in fact leave the skis at the hill, nobody was going to take them home, and that's how it ended.
Just a nice moment I wanted to share. Good vibes to be had.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Being the neurotic nut case that I am, I immediately put my pants on and told the kids to get dressed, thinking that we didn't have a moment to lose and we had to rush over to the ski hill and search for those skis. Eventually reason set in and cooler heads prevailed, and I concluded that nothing was going to change during the course of the day, so we headed over later in the day.
When we got to the ski hill, I combed the parking lot and the base of the hill, trying to retrace my steps and remember what I had done with those skis. Skis are not like sunglasses, they're rather big and not something that you can easily misplace, though I'd managed to somehow do exactly that.
The problem was that the hill was deserted, and there was nobody there to help. I finally walked across the grounds to the lodge, thinking there was a lost and found. Surprisingly, there were a bunch of guys hanging out, having lunch. I recognized them as the grounds crew, and they were extremely helpful. We checked out the lost and found, then the supply closet, but no skis. They told me I might have to wait until Friday when the hill opened and I could ask the ski patrol, but that was five days away, and the wait would have killed me.
Finally one of the guys mentioned that the ski patrol might have found them and just left them in their warming hut, which was locked but he had a key. He offered to unlock the room and let me have a look, and I jumped at the chance.
Sure enough, there they were, sitting in the corner, our little skis. I was so stoked, not so much for the financial aspect of it all, but more so for the symbolic nature of our kid's skis. That would have bummed me out, and probably woudn't have made her very happy, either.
The one thing that stuck in my mind was that we didn't give up. There were ample opportunities to do just that, because early on, it wasn't looking too good. We live in Vermont, and people are decent and don't, for the most part, do things like steal skis they find lying around. Sure, we lost a sled when we lived in the Red Barn, but I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it wasn't taken by a local but rather someone from out of town, eating at Simon Pearce (how ironic is that?). Anyway, I figured that if we did in fact leave the skis at the hill, nobody was going to take them home, and that's how it ended.
Just a nice moment I wanted to share. Good vibes to be had.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Monday, February 2, 2009
But Wait, There's More
Had another great day skiing and hit some milestones, as well. On Saturday we did our usual trip to Occom Pond, and I hate to admit this, but it lost a little of it's luster. I don't know why, but it just wasn't as fun, and the crowds were amazing. Must have just been a day to be out at the pond, but it was a little manic. It's hard to skate sometimes when there are so many people playing hockey, they seem to take over the ice. We were planning on going to Molly's with out three year old gift certificate, but the place was a zoo, so we went to our favorite place, Boloco, and weren't disappointed, as usual.
We were going to meet up with R&J at the pond, but they never showed up. Oh well, these things happen. We did see them at the Quechee Hill, however, and it was great to see them, though R was holed up in the lodge with Im. They're like us, doing the tag-team parenting thing, though they have the added burden of a baby. We also saw A's horse-riding teacher, who is an instructor, and our old neighbors. It's interesting her because she's (our old neighbor) always effusive about getting together, but I find it at times to be lip service, because in the end, she seems to have no interest in getting together, and it's somewhat redolent of "what have you done for me lately." I.e., she doesn't need us, so why bother. I base this assessment on the fact that, since we moved out and are no longer available to help out , she has completely blown us off, even after I'd made an effort to KIT with her. So I'll take it all with a grain of salt.
But wait, there's more. The biggest events were our kids' skiing. A is on fire, and close to being an independent skier, no longer needing mom or dad. She can ski down the chair lift like Bode Miller, and I think she's ready to try other trails. What really blew us away is that N just decided to try it, as well. And he nailed it, doing it a couple of times. I think our time on the rope tow is done.
Just goes to show you, you shouldn't rush kids. They'll do things on their own time, you just have to be patient. Besides, why is there such a need to make kids do things by a certain time? All these milestones that experts indicate to us all seem so contrived and arbitrary, but they serve all important purpose of making parents worry and feel guilt that they aren't doing their jobs. Most importantly, however, is that they make us spend our money on lessons, consultants, experts, and equipment/gear to get our kids up to speed. It's shameless, when you think about it, and though it's difficult, if not impossible, to completely remove yourself from it, I think it simply works to drive parents crazy and put a lot of unneccessary pressure on the kids to perform.
Kids will grow and develop and catch with up with their peers by themselves left to their own devices, it's just that we, the parents, feel an obligation to intervene.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
We were going to meet up with R&J at the pond, but they never showed up. Oh well, these things happen. We did see them at the Quechee Hill, however, and it was great to see them, though R was holed up in the lodge with Im. They're like us, doing the tag-team parenting thing, though they have the added burden of a baby. We also saw A's horse-riding teacher, who is an instructor, and our old neighbors. It's interesting her because she's (our old neighbor) always effusive about getting together, but I find it at times to be lip service, because in the end, she seems to have no interest in getting together, and it's somewhat redolent of "what have you done for me lately." I.e., she doesn't need us, so why bother. I base this assessment on the fact that, since we moved out and are no longer available to help out , she has completely blown us off, even after I'd made an effort to KIT with her. So I'll take it all with a grain of salt.
But wait, there's more. The biggest events were our kids' skiing. A is on fire, and close to being an independent skier, no longer needing mom or dad. She can ski down the chair lift like Bode Miller, and I think she's ready to try other trails. What really blew us away is that N just decided to try it, as well. And he nailed it, doing it a couple of times. I think our time on the rope tow is done.
Just goes to show you, you shouldn't rush kids. They'll do things on their own time, you just have to be patient. Besides, why is there such a need to make kids do things by a certain time? All these milestones that experts indicate to us all seem so contrived and arbitrary, but they serve all important purpose of making parents worry and feel guilt that they aren't doing their jobs. Most importantly, however, is that they make us spend our money on lessons, consultants, experts, and equipment/gear to get our kids up to speed. It's shameless, when you think about it, and though it's difficult, if not impossible, to completely remove yourself from it, I think it simply works to drive parents crazy and put a lot of unneccessary pressure on the kids to perform.
Kids will grow and develop and catch with up with their peers by themselves left to their own devices, it's just that we, the parents, feel an obligation to intervene.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
To Push or Not To Push
We've been skiing up a storm lately, but sense that N has hit a bit of a rut. He loves skiing down the rope tow and has mastered holding onto that darn tow rope, but the hill is short, and not unlike skating around a constant loop, he just jets up and down. He's good at it, and it's easy, but I think he'd benefit from a little more challenge, like perhaps the T-bar? He can do it, I know he can, but he doesn't want to. He's probably a little scared, understandably. We have to keep in mind he's only five, and the hill is daunting, and he's hyper-self conscious of making himself look anything less than a super-stud (is ego genetic, or what?), but the question is, do we push him a little or just maintain the status quo.
There are several arguments in favor or giving him a little nudge. First off, and I know this from firsthand experience, a lot of times you never try something, for whatever reason, and wish that you had. You sit back and watch the world go by, stewing inside that you wish you were out there doing rather than watching on the sidelines. As he gets older, he'll experience this with meeting girls.
Also, sometimes kids don't know what they want, and the only way to know is to try. If after trying they decide against it, then at least they tried, but they'll never know until they take that first step.
And finally, from a purely selfish POV, it would make it more interesting for mom and dad if he moved it up to the next level because then we could all ski together. Riding the rope tow can get to be a chore. It takes literally two seconds to get to the bottom, though it's the perfect place to learn. I just think N has gotten past it and is maybe getting a little bore.
The reality is, I think his life (at least his skiing life) would be more enriched if he took a bit of chance and put himself out there. That's what life is all about, after all, and though it's safe and comfortable hiding out in your routines, he won't grow that way, and in the long run it could come back to hinder him.
So I'm thinking we'll give the T-bar a go once again. Slowly, of course.
Thanks for reading.
There are several arguments in favor or giving him a little nudge. First off, and I know this from firsthand experience, a lot of times you never try something, for whatever reason, and wish that you had. You sit back and watch the world go by, stewing inside that you wish you were out there doing rather than watching on the sidelines. As he gets older, he'll experience this with meeting girls.
Also, sometimes kids don't know what they want, and the only way to know is to try. If after trying they decide against it, then at least they tried, but they'll never know until they take that first step.
And finally, from a purely selfish POV, it would make it more interesting for mom and dad if he moved it up to the next level because then we could all ski together. Riding the rope tow can get to be a chore. It takes literally two seconds to get to the bottom, though it's the perfect place to learn. I just think N has gotten past it and is maybe getting a little bore.
The reality is, I think his life (at least his skiing life) would be more enriched if he took a bit of chance and put himself out there. That's what life is all about, after all, and though it's safe and comfortable hiding out in your routines, he won't grow that way, and in the long run it could come back to hinder him.
So I'm thinking we'll give the T-bar a go once again. Slowly, of course.
Thanks for reading.
Great Day on the Quechee Ski Hill
I know I was feeling guilty and all about cajoling my wife into meeting us for skiing, but it worked out so well and everyone had a great day. Sometimes you have to be the (sort of) weenie to make things work, because at first glance, not everything seems so appealing.
My original plan was for us to ski in the AM and then let her head off to work for the day, but she had the more sensible plan of going in early and the meeting us in the afternoon. Of course, given so much time, we couldn't get our act together to get out on time, though we were productive during the day doing homeschooling stuff and getting the work done early. Just for the record, the kids are doing great, though at some point this month I need to figure out what we've accomplished on our curriculum to report to the state.
Anyway, we headed out to the hill and got there just as the crowd was building. By Friday afternoon, the Quechee Hill becomes a zoo, but I found, at least yesterday, that as crowded as it got, it was manageable. AND, it's nice to see friends and neighbors.
We got it together and by the time we'd done a couple of runs, my wife had shown up and we got to ski as a family, which is the goal in the end. She finally got up on the T-bar and I think because it's so much easier to use and the hill is a bit more challenging, she enjoyed it that much more. When you ski the rope tow all day, it just gets boring, and skiing becomes a chore. I think this is what our kids might be going through, but he refuses to try the T-bar. So far...
Anyway, it was cool because the kids got to show off to Mom their skiing prowess, and they and Ruth got to ski together on the T-bar. Also, since my wife was there, I got to don my snowboard and show off a little, as well. Shameless, I know, but such is the fragility of the male ego.
Best of all, our daughter finally got to ride the chairlift, something she's been itching to do and we've been encouraging her to try. She breezed through it, and skied down the hill like a pro. At Quechee, which in my opinion is the best hill I've ever skied for learning, if you can master the T-bar, you can most definitely do the chair, and she was no exception. She wanted me there and I skied with her down, but in the end, I was just there to observe and she arrived at the bottom elated.
As a parent, you can't put a price on those moments.
Now all we've got to do is get our son on the T-bar, and things will move to the next level, but more on that later.
Saw a ton of people at the hill, and that was great for us and the kids. A got to see the girl that I think is a really good fit for her, Is. She's such a sharp kid, and they are so nice together, but we don't see them much. It just so happens that we're good friends with her parents, J&R yet don't get together much. It's a shame, really. Either way, we made plans to see eachother, which means we'll never cross paths, but it was nice seeing them. Saw the old Quechee crowd, LC , the SK, and GS and T. There were several school groups so the hill was packed, and coupled with the intense city folks, made for quite the interesting day, but a good one, nonetheless.
And best of all, A rode the chair.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
My original plan was for us to ski in the AM and then let her head off to work for the day, but she had the more sensible plan of going in early and the meeting us in the afternoon. Of course, given so much time, we couldn't get our act together to get out on time, though we were productive during the day doing homeschooling stuff and getting the work done early. Just for the record, the kids are doing great, though at some point this month I need to figure out what we've accomplished on our curriculum to report to the state.
Anyway, we headed out to the hill and got there just as the crowd was building. By Friday afternoon, the Quechee Hill becomes a zoo, but I found, at least yesterday, that as crowded as it got, it was manageable. AND, it's nice to see friends and neighbors.
We got it together and by the time we'd done a couple of runs, my wife had shown up and we got to ski as a family, which is the goal in the end. She finally got up on the T-bar and I think because it's so much easier to use and the hill is a bit more challenging, she enjoyed it that much more. When you ski the rope tow all day, it just gets boring, and skiing becomes a chore. I think this is what our kids might be going through, but he refuses to try the T-bar. So far...
Anyway, it was cool because the kids got to show off to Mom their skiing prowess, and they and Ruth got to ski together on the T-bar. Also, since my wife was there, I got to don my snowboard and show off a little, as well. Shameless, I know, but such is the fragility of the male ego.
Best of all, our daughter finally got to ride the chairlift, something she's been itching to do and we've been encouraging her to try. She breezed through it, and skied down the hill like a pro. At Quechee, which in my opinion is the best hill I've ever skied for learning, if you can master the T-bar, you can most definitely do the chair, and she was no exception. She wanted me there and I skied with her down, but in the end, I was just there to observe and she arrived at the bottom elated.
As a parent, you can't put a price on those moments.
Now all we've got to do is get our son on the T-bar, and things will move to the next level, but more on that later.
Saw a ton of people at the hill, and that was great for us and the kids. A got to see the girl that I think is a really good fit for her, Is. She's such a sharp kid, and they are so nice together, but we don't see them much. It just so happens that we're good friends with her parents, J&R yet don't get together much. It's a shame, really. Either way, we made plans to see eachother, which means we'll never cross paths, but it was nice seeing them. Saw the old Quechee crowd, LC , the SK, and GS and T. There were several school groups so the hill was packed, and coupled with the intense city folks, made for quite the interesting day, but a good one, nonetheless.
And best of all, A rode the chair.
Until the next time, thanks for reading.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Skiing and Feeling A Little Guilty
We are going skiing today, and we hope to address a little complication that we ran into last week. The kids have made leaps and bounds in their skiing, and are pretty much independent and don't need their old dad around to get in the way. In fact, I'm toying with the idea of snowboarding while they ski since they don't really need me there. Whatever be the case, last week A moved a step closer to independence by skiing the T-bar, all by her lonesome. I helper her out at first, but at some point she was skiing the hill without me while I alternated between skiing with her and skiing with N on the rope tow.
Well, at some point she felt ready for the chairlift. I told her that if she could ski the T-bar, she could do the chair, and of course I would go with her. The problem was, our son dug in his heels and said he didn't want her to go on the chair and that he wanted to go home. I think he was feeling a little jealous, though I sure he could do it, as well, it would just take some time.
We ended up NOT taking the chair, which is a shame because I think the experience would be a great one. AND, it's one step closer to independence.
So our solution to it was bringing mom along, which ain't easy because she works all week and is not so keen on Alpine skiing, though she loves the Nordic kind. Last weekend we couldn't manage it because of scheduling issues, but this week I managed to convince her to join us on Friday, which is a good day to ski at Quechee because it's much less crowded and there are fewer city folks visiting.
The only problem is, mom is busy, and in order to make it, she's going to really have to tweak her schedule. I feel really guilty and wanted to re-work this so she doesn't have to go to all the trouble, but she's willing, and I shouldn't read too much into it. Besides, the kids would be thrilled to pieces for her to watch them ski. AND, I think mom would have more fun if she tried the T-bar. Riding the bunny hill gets old quickly for adults.
If mom is there to keep N company, then I can take A up on the chair. Sounds good in theory, but we'll see how it goes. Wish us luck.
And thanks for reading.
Well, at some point she felt ready for the chairlift. I told her that if she could ski the T-bar, she could do the chair, and of course I would go with her. The problem was, our son dug in his heels and said he didn't want her to go on the chair and that he wanted to go home. I think he was feeling a little jealous, though I sure he could do it, as well, it would just take some time.
We ended up NOT taking the chair, which is a shame because I think the experience would be a great one. AND, it's one step closer to independence.
So our solution to it was bringing mom along, which ain't easy because she works all week and is not so keen on Alpine skiing, though she loves the Nordic kind. Last weekend we couldn't manage it because of scheduling issues, but this week I managed to convince her to join us on Friday, which is a good day to ski at Quechee because it's much less crowded and there are fewer city folks visiting.
The only problem is, mom is busy, and in order to make it, she's going to really have to tweak her schedule. I feel really guilty and wanted to re-work this so she doesn't have to go to all the trouble, but she's willing, and I shouldn't read too much into it. Besides, the kids would be thrilled to pieces for her to watch them ski. AND, I think mom would have more fun if she tried the T-bar. Riding the bunny hill gets old quickly for adults.
If mom is there to keep N company, then I can take A up on the chair. Sounds good in theory, but we'll see how it goes. Wish us luck.
And thanks for reading.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Just Dealing With It
I may or may not have mentioned this, but I'm sick, which makes not just parenting tougher, but getting out and doing things, especially in the cold. I will, however, say this-even when I feel awful, there are things that need to be dealt with outside, like shoveling snow or getting wood, and even in my sorry state, I usually feel much better when I'm outside in the fresh air. Somehow that speaks volumes to me.
Since we heat with wood, there is a constant need to fill the wood box. There's no way around that, but there are also activities for the kids, they can't stay inside all the time.
Speaking of which, we went ice skating yesterday and saw her school buddies. I have to confess, I'm glad she jives with such a diverse group of kids, and gets to experience the goods and bads. The guys seems to accept her on the ice, though yesterday they were playing rough in the snow and she didn't get to play with them. I stood back and watched, not interfering, like a good parent, though it did tug at my heart a little.
N, on the other hand, has shown a serious proficiency at hockey. He's a natural. The first time using a hockey stick and he was great. Good skating ability, he turns on a dime, and he's cute as heck to watch.
Not that I want to encourage it, but maybe he's a hockey player at heart.
The kids have not stopped talking about skiing, and we're planning on hitting the slopes tomorrow. Until then, thanks for reading.
Since we heat with wood, there is a constant need to fill the wood box. There's no way around that, but there are also activities for the kids, they can't stay inside all the time.
Speaking of which, we went ice skating yesterday and saw her school buddies. I have to confess, I'm glad she jives with such a diverse group of kids, and gets to experience the goods and bads. The guys seems to accept her on the ice, though yesterday they were playing rough in the snow and she didn't get to play with them. I stood back and watched, not interfering, like a good parent, though it did tug at my heart a little.
N, on the other hand, has shown a serious proficiency at hockey. He's a natural. The first time using a hockey stick and he was great. Good skating ability, he turns on a dime, and he's cute as heck to watch.
Not that I want to encourage it, but maybe he's a hockey player at heart.
The kids have not stopped talking about skiing, and we're planning on hitting the slopes tomorrow. Until then, thanks for reading.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Serendipity Shines Us in Quechee
We had quite the exciting morning on last week, and it only got better from there. On Sunday I was getting ready to go snowboarding and the kids chimed in and said they wanted to join me. So my initial plan to hit the slopes were changed, for the better of course. I'd always wanted them to take up skiing, besides the fact that I love it, I just think it's cool for kids at this age to take it up. It's a unique experience to have it so commonplace and accessible, and an opportunity you just can't pass up.
So we went to the Quechee Hill, and though I was skeptical and thinking it was going to be a long day, they shined like stars. Not only did they have a blast, but they made huge strides in their skiing and can now ski independently. They don't need their old dad, anymore. A was acing the rope tow, and wanted to try the T-bar. N, meanwhile, is now able to ride the rope all by himself, he doesn't need any help, and he just bolts down the hill. It's too cute, he's so excited.
I took A up the T-bar and skied down with her a few times, but by the end of the day, she didn't need me to go up or down. She can do it all by herself, and it's a first step to riding the chair lift, but more on that later.
It was a great day, and they didn't want to stop. We were there for over three hours, and even then I had to drag them away because I thought my wife would be mad that we'd taken so long, but she wasn't. Not only that, but she had lunch waiting for us, bonus. What a great day, I was so happy that my kids have come around to skiing, but we'll take it one day at a time.
Until then, thanks for reading.
So we went to the Quechee Hill, and though I was skeptical and thinking it was going to be a long day, they shined like stars. Not only did they have a blast, but they made huge strides in their skiing and can now ski independently. They don't need their old dad, anymore. A was acing the rope tow, and wanted to try the T-bar. N, meanwhile, is now able to ride the rope all by himself, he doesn't need any help, and he just bolts down the hill. It's too cute, he's so excited.
I took A up the T-bar and skied down with her a few times, but by the end of the day, she didn't need me to go up or down. She can do it all by herself, and it's a first step to riding the chair lift, but more on that later.
It was a great day, and they didn't want to stop. We were there for over three hours, and even then I had to drag them away because I thought my wife would be mad that we'd taken so long, but she wasn't. Not only that, but she had lunch waiting for us, bonus. What a great day, I was so happy that my kids have come around to skiing, but we'll take it one day at a time.
Until then, thanks for reading.
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