Ski-ing

It was definitely time for a flop weekend & boy what a wonderful one we had!

We went to Sugar Bush in VT for the weekend & stayed with our cousins....3 adults, 6 kids , 4 dogs & the neighbours daughter too. Unfortunately she was not a nanny at only 5 years old!

We arrived in the dark to a large rustic old house & in the morning we went straight to the mountain.

Approaching the resort, I looked up at what appeared to be a cross between Kilimanjaro & Mount Everest & my heart sank. What the hell was I thinking!!! Of course, as I had been so busy putting the world to rights, I had done zilch research on the ski resort.

Let me explain, we can ski & that is about it, none of the fancy parallel or turns stuff,never mind going onto a mountain that may require survival skills!

We were way out of our league!

Not only was it monstrous but all of the "slim beautiful people in the world" dressed in designer gear were all happily marching towards the lifts.

I said to Sir L.."oh my god what were we thinking...do you think that this lot will know our gear is from Walmart?"

His response "No as they have never been in one!"

Anyway after I had gotten over my "Walmart" & "I am the only person on the mountain wearing my daughters old stripey bobble hat" I had a great time.

One advantage of having a strong northern English accent is that for some reason the Americans love it so they can look past my "special bobble hat" & think that it is quaint!

Well the 4 year old can now ski. He looks like a helmet with attached little legs as he bombs down the mountain hardly turning, screaming "Wheeeeee!"

The 9 & 11 year old just loved it & abandoned their parents at every available opportunity.

We did have a few tantrums "en piste" which are special as you cannot just pick them up & throw them in the car, or bribe with a treat..oh yes they definitely have the upper hand on the slopes.

As I was trying to reason with the 4 year old that he needed to get up off the snow & ski down the mountain a lovely ski patrol man came to my rescue...bless you Milo! He picked him up, put his ski's back together all without falling over...very impressive...again bless you Milo! Then he skied down the mountain & had my brat follow him. Of course he did exactly as he was told the horror!

I love Milo!

The best was when I tried to get off the lift with my little one for the first time. I asked the ski lift people to slow the lift down as we got to the top as he weighs a ton with the ski's & helmet on. Unfortunately the message did not get relayed & I am waiting to see if I am famous & appear on America's funniest video's!

What a fiasco. I tried to "put him off the lift & onto the snow" whilst balancing my poles & myself...disaster!

I dropped the poor child who screamed blue murder. I got my poles caught on the chair lift & I was dangling off whilst the darn thing kept on moving....I though the end was nigh! I realised much to my dismay I would have to let go. I did & fell onto a pile of ice & cracked my head...ouch it hurt!

After what seemed like 10 minutes of humiliation the lift person came to our rescue! Followed by a tantrum "I'm not ski-ing with you as you dropped me"....worst mother of the year award 2008 here we come!

The second time I had it down to a tee......just as well or the child services would have taken him at the end of the run!

Was it all worth it...oh yes.