Ski Trip

It's so sunny and warm in Sunnyvale right now that it's hard to wrest myself back into ski-snow mode. But we were up in the Sierras skiing and snowing less than a week ago. It seems like an old memory now, but one of my favorites.

We left Thursday afternoon/evening in an attempt to avoid most Bay Area traffic, knowing we'd have to find our rental place in the dark. The idea was that we could then spend Friday getting our bearings, figuring out where the ski resort its ski school were, and, of course, do some snow playing.

Dinner on the way was at the boys' new favorite.


Our place was adorable and comfortable, and the kind landlords left the gas fireplace on and a bottle of wine ready for us when we arrived. We felt right at home. In the morning, we found a fabulous view of the lake from the main window.



The steps to the basement where the kids' bunk beds were had a serious overhang though. Even Gabriel had to duck.


And so, Katrina got to see snow for the first time Friday morning. She loved it.


All 3 played in the snow in the morning, while I organized their ski stuff. It was a good shake-out of their gear, the first time we'd put everything together. For instance, the sportpants I'd gotten the boys as a "base layer" had buttons at the ankles, I discovered -- no good in ski boots. Instead, Gabriel's pajamas (cotton thermals) had to do as their base layers.


After some morning snowplay and a late-breakfast supplement of pancakes and apples, we piled into the car and went to find Sugarbowl. I'm glad we did, because we had some false starts and confusions, but eventually found the children's center. It was closed, so our plan of getting the kids' rental gear today was shot.

We went on to the main lodge, and then I made a snap decision: how about me and the boys try to ski today? Maybe the boys can get a head-start on ski school tomorrow. There was a package that included rental, lift ticket, and a 2-hour general-admission no-reservation lesson, all ages, all levels. Sold.

The kids' lessons, however, was only for 4-and-up. Katrina was outraged and Dave had to hoist her on his shoulder, kicking and SCREAMING, and I mean SCREAMING, back to the car. I wasn't at all sorry to see her go, but I was sorry to hear later about what a miserable afternoon she put Dave through.

We were like the Three Stooges trying to get our rentals, ski gear, and things together. We were almost ready when I realized I'd put the boys' mittens in the ski check. It took an hour and a half, but somehow we trudged our way to the 1pm lesson, clumsy in our boots and the boys struggling to carry their skis. I later learned that the walk from the rentals to the lesson area was by far the longest we'd ever have to make, and I grew to despise it. I was starting to feel grumpy about the huge hassle, and was really bummed when I found that my camera battery needed replacing. If I get anything out of this, it's got to be pictures!

Just as I got the boys settled into their lessons (by age and ability), a panicked thought suddenly struck me: "Oh sh*t: LUNCH!!" They never had lunch.

My first skiing in roughly 20 years was a few meters down to catch my Level 1 lesson on the bunny hill. The instructor took one look at me and said, "You're not Level 1." Turns out some of what little previous skiing I've done stuck with me, but I got a lot out of the lesson and was glad I'd started there. The instructor told me to join a Level 3 lesson the next day.

Meantime, it had gotten dark and had started to snow. Then it started to really snow. I ditched my lesson briefly to go get a balaclava (and the camera battery), and came back to find my skis nearly buried by fresh, light, fluffy snow. I hear this is a good thing, but it sure made moving around difficult.

Visibility had plummeted -- from the lift, I could barely make out the boys' lessons below. (I think this is Gabriel.)


I was a little worried about Julian: his goggles were too big and it seemed his mittens kept falling off. Gabriel being Gabriel, I never worry about him.

When our lesson groups intersected on the lift line (which was often; it's a short hill and the lift takes less than 3 minutes), the boys both seemed like they were having a great time, despite the wind driving snow down their necks, and piles of snow collecting in their hoods.

(the boys are in red, next to each other, on the left)

After their lesson, I figured they'd be way past done, but to my surprise, even Julian insisted on skiing some more. So I took them up the lift, heeding their new expertise: "chase the chair!" They learned a lot in that first lesson, enough to both basically go down the slope, though pushing through the fresh snow was really a challenge.



By now it had snowed long enough that we were in, apparently, the skiier's dream. Deep, fresh snow -- "free refills," as described by my ski instructor. That means by the time you get back to the same place, your tracks have been filled in. That's exactly what was happening. Only it's a lot harder to ski when it's such a slight slope and you have no poles to push you through. Julian practically had to walk down the hill.



Meantime, Gabriel was -- hmm, where was he? Oh, up there! As I was helping Julian, I'd look up and see Gabriel, back up the lift by himself.


When we'd pushed well past sanity, the boys really were done. Both their hands were so cold, Julian couldn't carry his skis and Gabriel had a moment of near-tears. I had to carry my skis and poles and Julian's skis allllll the way back to the rentals, the boots tearing into my shins. Julian then tumbled down the steps, unused to the boots. Their clothes and jackets were soaked through, they were cold, tired, and very very hungry.

I gave Julian my jacket while I called Dave to come get us, not sure my cell phone would get through to him. He'd lost the car keys for a while, and was in a state of panic that he'd dropped them and they were buried in snow, but fortunately they'd gotten buried under my regular jacket -- which I was very glad to see -- on the front seat of the car.


It was snowing hard. I'm not new to snow; I did live in Rochester NY for 6 years, so I know: it was really snowing. Dave was in a rare state of driving agitation about cars all over the road, chain controls on the highway, very very poor visibility and roads that, even if they'd been plowed, were getting "free refills" at an alarming rate. It was beautiful, but sort of scary too. People die getting lost in conditions like this.


That very morning, I'd been congratulating myself on moving our accommodations from a condo right in the resort, to a separate dwelling with some yard space. How hard is it to drive home 5 miles?

Hard.


We made it safely, as I expected with Dave driving. Right away the hungry boys got -- what else when you're wet and cold and hungry: peas! Peas?! Actually, they loved it and ate almost a whole bag, poor things. Almost every stitch of clothing they'd been wearing went into the dryer.


I made hot chocolate too. Katrina is always happy about that (video taken next day).


So much for our lake view!


But it was fascinating to see the snow from the safety of our cozy place.



The next morning was sunny and clear and stunningly beautiful. This is not a vista point, this is just out the living room window.


It took a lot more shoveling to clear the steps, and a lot of time to de-ice the car so the doors could open. Somehow, still, we managed to get the kids' rentals and to ski school in time, about 8:30. Dave was able to join a 10am Level 1 lesson in progress, but the Level 3 lesson had already left for the intermediate slope. (That's Dave in the snowboarder-dude white-and-black rented jacket.)


I hung out on the bunny hill and got a few photos of the boys' lessons. In Gabriel's lesson, one kid needed to hold a pole the instructor used to hold him back...hmm. Gabriel's no expert, but he doesn't need a pole.

Meantime, Julian's class plowed by. (That's Gabriel's instructor in the yellow jacket behind Julian, holding an orange pole with a kid clinging to it, with Gabriel waiting above in the red-and-black jacket.)


Gabriel had to adjust to the smooth snow; his only skiing had been in yesterday's snowy soup that really slowed us all down.

But what an improvement he makes in two days of ski school.

I also snuck a peek at the Sugar Bears, the 3-4 group. Those kids start off in a small enclosure on a very very gentle slope. Katrina was not happy, and I saw her crying and even start to cry for Mommy -- which made me think she'd seen me. So I employed my highly developed protective maternal instincts and left.

Truth is, every sitter and daycare provider and teacher will tell you that parents hanging around is a big hindrance, so I figured I'd make it easier on Katrina's teacher and make myself scarce.

Besides, I had some skiing to do. Fed up with long lift lines on the bunny hill, I braved the next-easiest lift (Jerome), and was richly rewarded with lovely views at the top.

Notice the snowboarder sitting on his butt. Snowboarders spend an inordinate amount of time sitting on their rear ends. Much of the rest of it is spent with their faces planted in the snow. What little remains there is spent buzzing slow, predictable, beginner skiiers on an easy slope.

I took a Level 3 lesson in the afternoon, while Dave took another lesson, Level 2 this time, having graduated from learning to side-step and put his skis on. So many people showed up for my lesson that after they took us up the same lift I'd braved in the morning, they did a quick eval on us at the top. They had us ski down one at a time a short way (about 50 meters) to see how we turned, then split us up into two groups. Naturally, I was in the group that didn't know how to turn.

One guy I'd chatted with on the lift had immediately intimidated me with easy talk of lengths of skis in millimeters. I figured he must know what he's doing, so I was surprised when he took off his skis and started walking down the slope for his eval. Turns out, he was so rusty at skiing, he couldn't even make it down that short way. The instructor told him never ever to walk on a slope, put your skis back on, and we'll help you get down. Nope, he couldn't even do that. He had to wait for another instructor, but all the new instructor could do was call ski patrol. (My lesson was going slowly, with a lot of talking, so we got to watch this whole drama unfold.) After quite some time, we saw ski patrol arrive and try to coach him down. Finally, we saw our "Level 3" classmate going down in a toboggan towed by an irritated ski patrol.

Actually, I was told later, and agree, that the whole incident was the fault of the first instructor. He should have eval'd the whole group on the bunny hill first, as did my instructor the next day, to catch people who vastly overestimate their ability. Heck, I was rusty too -- that's why I started in a Level 1 lesson.

Dave was really tired after his afternoon Level 2 lesson, which also took his group off the bunny hill without any evaluation first. The boys had stayed on the bunny hill the whole day, but both had had a great time, and had been promoted to Level 2. Katrina...well, she resists new things on principle.

I could see why the advice to take ski school 2 days in a row was so valuable. We were now in the groove -- even Julian's mittens stayed on today -- and were ready to sink it in the next day.

This is the view on the drive home (Donner Lake). I was moved to tears. I've been on this road before and in this area before many times, on my motorcycle, but never in winter. I can't believe this paradise has been here all along and I've never seen it.


The next morning went much more smoothly (if you don't count our one toilet overflowing during the night and a nail-biter hoping the kids only had liquids to release) (it was fixed quickly while we were gone), and we all got to our morning lessons. Dave took another Level 2 lesson that stayed on the bunny hill, and my Level 3 lesson went to the same intermediate (though among the easiest) hills, and my confidence was growing. I wondered if Gabriel would make it off the bunny hill today.

So I was pretty surprised when I ran into Julian's class on the lift line! His teacher said this was their 2nd time up, and he was doing great. She'd ski backward in an 'S' and coach him as he snowplowed in her track. I was impressed, and a little surprised, at how hard he tried and how ... well, determined he was. I don't use that word often with Julian, but he really was.

That's him on the left, with the yellow helmet. He was having a lot of fun too, giggling and joking around.

Dave and I had lunch -- I hated the lines and crowds in the lodge for the overpriced junk food -- and then tried to ski together for our last afternoon. But with the afternoon lessons in progress, the lift line on the bunny hill was about 20 minutes, when the lift itself was under 3 minutes and the ski down about 30 seconds. I tried to convince Dave to try the intermediate slope with me, but he'd had a good lesson that morning and wanted to practice.

So did I. I had to sink in my new skills before it evaporated from my head. Back up Jerome it was, from where I could explore other routes. Actually, skiing alone had its benefits -- I really enjoyed chatting with people on the lifts, and found that many couples have to ski apart because of split ability.

I ran into Julian's class again, this time on the intermediate part of the slope. He was doing great.



I was pretty annoyed when a snowboarder shooshed right behind him, startling him so that he fell, and then the snowboard stopped inches from Julian's helmet. "What the hell was that?!" I said to Julian's instructor. She said they get a lot of complaints about the snowboarders on this huge, wide beginning slope. What, the dude's so cool he has to buzz a 6-year-old with an instructor in front of him? I also got buzzed a few times during my lesson. I can't stand those guys.

Though it was warming up and the snow was getting heavier and harder to handle, I had to go to the top. Just the lift itself was pretty stunning to me, though I know they can get a lot longer and higher. I was treated to some fabulous views at the top of Mount Lincoln.

(Steph, I'm wearing a pair of size 10 Bogner ski pants that you got at a ski-swap place in Colorado in 1990! They're ancient!)

I'd made sure that there was a "blue square" way down, but had been warned it was steep at the very top. To me, this looks like a vertical precipice.


This part turned out to be too short to be a real problem, but a later slope, that I'd been told was easy, I'd have avoided if I'd had the choice. It looked pretty darn steep to me.

My plan had been to snowplow down anything I didn't think I could actually ski, but quickly learned the fallacy in that idea. Snowplow turning is slooow; you spend so much time pointed down the "fall line" (straight down) that you quickly pick up speed. I was going to have to ski it. I tracked across the slope as perpendicular as I could, then turned as fast as I could at the last minute to traverse to the other side, and switchbacked my way down in one piece.

I've since been told that the way to approach this is to prepare several meters before your turn, so that you can snap right into it. But I made it, I didn't fall and didn't freak myself out too badly. I wish I'd had had time to do it again.

This 3" diameter bruise on the back of my calf (turned black in a day) says it all about my "technique." You're not supposed to have any pressure on the back of your leg!


I was out of time to ski on my own; ski school pickup is at 3:30. And I had a date: I'd promised to take Gabriel down if he made it to the intermediate slope today. And he had, and then some. I'd run into his lesson after lunch, and his teacher had said he could easily handle the intermediate lift where my class had been, that he likes to go fast and likes bumps. She said, "he's a racer, but needs to be reminded to turn." So, we went up.


First priority: video! This is at the top, where it's not as steep as toward the bottom. (This is also exactly where my lame classmate the day before had walked down, on the left.)


I couldn't catch him after I put my camera away, so we went back up one more time, and skiied down together. Sort of. At the top (where I'd taken the video), I could easily keep up with him. But toward the bottom, where it gets steeper, he lost me handily. I concentrated hard on not losing control in the increasingly slushy snow, knowing I was tired and distracted by bursting pride at how courageous my son is -- and just a little annoyed that I hadn't a chance of catching him.

But I met my safety goal, and made it down with no emergencies, even if my 8-year-old -- who had only seen snow once before in his life -- creamed me. Years of motorcycling and the developed judgement that comes with that played a large role in my skiing. It takes a long time to learn to put ego behind safety, as the snowboarders clearly demonstrated.

I wanted so much to have a fun excited catch-up with the boys in the car on the way home, but another major Katrina tantrum put a quick stop to that. I was so frustrated that I couldn't happily gush with the boys about our great ski day, instead listening to a litany of things that Katrina claim loudly she hated ("I HATE green cars....I HATE snow...I HATE sneakers...!"). The boys, as usual, are much better-natured about this than I am.


She had more than her share of pill-y moments on this trip. I gritted my teeth and reminded myself that the toddler years are almost over, but they will not be my fondest memories of child-raising.

I resurrected a very fond childhood memory of mine however: popcorn and hot chocolate!


Katrina wasn't done with snow though, and the time change gave her some extra light. After the hot chocolate, she insisted on putting all her snow stuff back on, climbing up this bank, and "sliding" down.

She did much much better the 2nd day of ski school, but I wasn't about to waste any precious ski time hiking over to the children's center in ski boots, even to get a picture.

I'd sort of thought to do something snow-related Monday morning before we drove home, but didn't want to deal with a bunch of wet gear. Julian had said he wanted to see Lake Tahoe, and since we were in Truckee and had some time, that was a capital idea. So we drove down the west side of Lake Tahoe, catching some stunning views of Emerald Bay.


We had lunch at Camp Richardson, with views of the lake, then made our way down Hwy 50 to home. By Placerville, it was 70 degrees. Katrina had another tantrum when the snow disappeared, she wanted us to put the snow back.

How is it possible that I've never completely connected how much I love the mountains? I knew that as a motorcyclist; I went on many, many rides in the summer and absolutely loved being there. I love the view, the earthy smells, the tall trees, the reddish dirt, the starkness of it all. But now that I've discovered winter, it's a big "ah-hah" and "duh" moment all at once: I absolutely love mountains and especially love the Sierras. I couldn't get enough of the views of hills and sugar pines and snow, though it's not a particular diverse landscape. It's just stunningly beautiful. I really liked Truckee too, what little we saw of it. Makes me wonder: what are we doing in Silicon Valley?


Oh yeah -- I love oceans and warmth and have always been a water-sport person. Employment is a good thing too, and I like all the resources we have here.

But even aside from how much the boys -- and Katrina -- and perhaps even Dave -- enjoyed this trip, I really loved it. And that was with some pretty bad moments: trudging back after the boys' lesson the first day, the overflowing toilet, the terrifying drive back in the snow. Skiing is a big hassle and big expense, but it's more than made up for by the views, the mountains, the physical challenge -- and seeing how much my kids loved it. A night hasn't passed since when I haven't dreamed about snow, being in the mountains, or skiing itself.

Suddenly it seems like a long, long time until next winter. I can't wait to do this again.

March 11-16, 2010

3/19/2010 Report Cards

If you'd told me this a year ago, I'd have laughed and said you're talking about another family. But if you believe report cards (really 3 sheets of paper stapled together), the star student in the Doudna household is Julian.

Overall Julian did better, and, more importantly, showed more improvement than Gabriel. Not just on academic skills, but in things like "listening and speaking strategies." Julian's teacher comments contained no qualifiers, like, "Gabriel is doing better at sitting still and listening." Instead gushed about his strong reading and comprehension. Julian's standards are lower of course, but even allowing for that, he did better.

Next year, class size in both boys' classes will leap 50% from 20 kids in a class to 30. Don't get your glasses, you read that right: THIRTY.

I've been thinking that this will affect Julian far more; not just because he'll be in only 1st grade and that large a group of 5- and 6-year-olds turns from teaching into crowd control, but because Julian really likes to interact with teachers and ask questions. Gabriel will follow whatever track Gabriel is on; it's hard to influence him.

Yet I wonder if my concern is misplaced. Gabriel repeatedly complains that he doesn't like school and that he's bored -- yet his work contains many careless mistakes. Julian, incredibly, is far far more diligent (if slow) about his work.

We've always known Gabriel was a bit of an oddball, with polarized skills and unmatched dedication when he finds something he likes -- but very difficult to motivate in areas he doesn't like. Maybe Gabriel's the one who needs more individual or customized attention, to harness his power, and build his areas of deficiency. Julian, it seems, of the two boys, is the one will take care of business regardless.

With California public schools in such disarray, I'm almost wondering if we shouldn't investigate private school. I can already feel our checkbook cringing at the idea, times 3. But maybe it'd be worth it, if it meant that our strange and remarkable firstborn would flourish.

3/19/2010

3/18/2010 Landscaping progress

Landscaping started on the front yard at the end of February. Perfect timing for an unusual 3 weeks of rain. Still, we see workers here every day, and things are moving along.

Before:


During:









I'm REALLY looking forward not to having to warn the kids to stay off the dirt every time we get out of the car!

Some more tangible progress in the West yard: a patio and the beginnings of an arbor. For once, I'm really letting things go -- just do what the design says and don't care. Landscaping is so much easier than interior remodeling. So far.

I was thrilled when Dave said he notices the front yard looks much bigger and more attractive even with the layout in its infancy. He also commented that we will get far more back in home value -- the all-essential curb appeal -- than we're putting into it (which is a lot, but a small percentage of the overall remodel). Wait until the hardscaping and plants are in!

It was like spring here today...I can't wait for our own little park to be in place.

3/18/2010

3/17/2010 T-ball practice

Julian's first T-ball practice today! I think I was looking forward to it more than he was.

First, a chase-the-coach warmup.


Next, practice running around the bases.


Some batting practice.


Sorry kids, when there's a baseballer in the family, there's a lot of waiting around.


"Uniforms" are a T-shirt and hat, but Julian (and Mom) were just as proud.


Julian's team is the Diamondbacks, and he wants to know the name of all their opponents. He had a great time today, and I was very impressed at the dedication and attention the coaches (all Dads) gave. I was actually envious of the team manager, running around with ten laughing kindergartners behind him. That is the stuff of life.

3/17/2010

3/16/2010 Pony pictures

Urgh...back to it today.

Fortunately for me, Dave took a day off work and took care of Gabriel's hockey lesson, allowing me to work later -- wee haw.

Unfortunately, Dave observed that the hockey lesson is really out of control: 29 kids today to one coach today, and of a huge range of age and skill -- that's bad. I think it's worth a complaint. Gabriel had a good time today anyway, and finally got to hit a puck. I asked him if he likes skating or skiing better, and he said excitedly and with no hesitation, "Skiing!" Skiing requires a lot less practice to go fast, though that stopping thing is a bigger problem.

I had to go to work today, even though I could have made a case to stay home. I saw a doctor this morning, who gave me drops for the eye infections, and said as long as my eyes are not actively discharging, I'm OK to go to work.

I notice how having to jump-start my voice creates odd social interactions though. I can't really say "hi," when I pass someone in the hall, I have to be physical to catch someone's attention, and I can't make the subtle little noises one makes in normal conversation. For the most part I can talk OK if I'm already gotten going, but I often found myself explaining an apparent slight when my attempt at a simple "mm-hmm" yielded silence. It's funny that people whisper back to me, even though I'm not whispering, and then they stop whispering when I explain I have no throat pain. There's a psychology master's thesis in there.

Right before we left for Truckee, I was able to pick up Katrina's "pony pictures." They were so funny I couldn't resist. Julian's were funny because of the costumes and poses. Katrina's are hilarious to me because of her reticent expression, except for the one actually on the pony. She clearly was not into the photos!


But how CUTE is that. Irresistable.

This is bad...during my few breaks at work today, you know what I was doing? Looking around at other ski resorts to see what kind of ski schools they have, and if there are more beginner slopes than Sugarbowl had. I'm not ready to say I'm hooked exactly, and I never like anything involving crowds and lines, but...I keep thinking about it. (A real post with photos will happen!)

3/16/2010

3/15/2010 Holy shoes!

We're home!

We left Truckee today at 10:30am, took a scenic route home including a leisurely lunch, and got home around 5pm. I'm not kidding when I say "scenic," because we drove all the way down Lake Tahoe.

More on all that later....I'm dying to write and blog about our trip, but time and illness preclude. I am really not feeling well, and now my eyes are goopy and the bronchial cough is kicking in. I should probably save the whole ski-trip experience for a single comprehensive post, but really, who is this blog for? It's my mind-purge -- you poor hapless readers are just along for the ride!

We manage this family -- barely -- using Google Calendar. All the appointments and obligations and activities just can't be tracked without it. And now, I have a new thing to add to the calendar: every 3 months: CHECK SHOES.

Four months ago, I posted about getting all the kids new shoes, two pairs each. At the time, I was getting the idea that 4 months was about as long as a pair of sneakers would last for the boys. They wear their shoes out much faster than even Katrina outgrows hers. But I didn't take that enough to heart, and I didn't check Julian's sneakers within that timeframe.

I should have. When we arrived in Truckee last weekend, I took a close look at his sneakers and discovered this.

Long, long past usefulness. His jeans also had a hole in the knee (all but one pair of his do now), and then I found several holes in his "gently used" shirt to boot. Julian giggled when I called him a little street urchin.

But the shoes were really beyond the pale. I knew a seam had come undone on the top, but didn't realize they had shredded to this level. And sure enough, it's right on the 4-month mark.

Obviously, checking the condition of basics like shoes should probably happen before a big trip, though I was pretty consumed with checking the non-usual things, like boots, snow pants and goggles. I was really mortified when I realized that his shoes were in this condition, but I picked a good trip to make this mistake on: he didn't need these at all until we drove home today.

Though he did sort of need them. It'd have been nice not to have sock contact with the snow here. This is the last picture of him in those shoes. (I did mention "scenic" route, right? Emerald Bay on Lake Tahoe....wow.)

(and he's wearing a size 4 hand-me-down jacket that the outer zipper is broken on...) (and he needs a haircut...) (poor kid!)

When we got home, I told Julian to throw his shoes in the garbage -- a huge treat for little boys. And then I pulled out a brand-new pair from the closet. At least I did something right.

...almost. I haven't checked Gabriel's.

3/15/2010

3/14/2010 Homebound tomorrow

What a day, what a trip!

I think the memory of logistical nightmares will fade, while the memory of the fun and excitement and challenge will remain. Car doors iced shut, clogged toilet this morning, unfamiliar gear (half our stuff had to have tags cut off) and unfamiliar routines (we bag-checked our mittens for instance), Katrina's intense and massive tantrums. I also lost my voice again and am in for weeks of an obnoxious cough. But I don't think we'll remember all that, beyond a chuckle here or there.

Today the kids did their second day of ski school, and all the advice we got about doing it two days in a row completely paid off. Katrina was reticent and timid the first day, and apparently much more cooperative and happy about "skeeting" today. I also took another "Level 3" lesson today, which really helped solidify what I'd learned yesterday.

I was floored when I ran into Julian's class in the lift line during my lesson -- we're on our way to an intermediate slope, what's he doing here?! It was his second run there, and I saw them there in the afternoon again too. Julian was still at the level at which his instructor skiied careful turns backward, facing him and instructing him the whole way, but he was doing far, far better than I'd expected. This included a steepish section that I never got comfortable with either -- how did he do that? Good for him!


So if Julian was doing so well on intermediate slopes, where was Gabriel? I finally ran into his class toward the end of the day, and his teacher looked at me and said, "he's a racer." Confident, competent, competitive, willing to try anything, and he wants to go fast. She added that he really likes jumps too. I asked if she thought I could take him down an intermediate slope (the point being that I'm still very shaky on those myself), and she scoffed and said, "oh yeah, he's fine." He'd been promoted to Level 3, and she added he was ready for poles. Just needs to remember to turn instead of barreling straight down the hill.

So after ski school, while Dave got Katrina and Julian (who'd gone down the same runs but needed a lot more help, which I'm not up to), I took Gabriel to the same intermediate slope I'd seen Julian on, and that my lessons had all been on. Sure enough, no fear, no hesitation, no problem. His technique is very rough; he looks like a kid who's just learned, but after taking some brief video and putting my camera away and getting my gloves back on, I couldn't catch him.

We did a second run in which I stayed with him, at first, but when it got steeper, I did a lot more turning to maintain control, and he didn't slow down at all. I had no prayer of keeping up with him. Partly, I'm slow deliberately -- I made sure never to lose control, and much like motorcycling, I noticed that my "technique" felt better when I wasn't trying to go fast. And I probably wasn't going any slower than when I was trying to go fast. But, no sense having an accident on that last run of the day trying to keep up with an 8-year-old.

Dave did a lot better than his one experience 15 years ago. He did two lessons yesterday, which was too much. His first lesson was a Level 1 lesson, and that was fine. The second lesson was a Level 2 lesson, but a hard Level 2 lesson that started out right away on an intermediate slope, and that wore him out. Today he took another Level 2 lesson, but stayed on the beginner slope and that worked much better for him. We had talked about skiing together somehow, but the beginner slope's lift line was far too long, and I had some exploring to do with my new Level 3 skills.

Actually, I dared myself to go up to the top of the mountain (the Mt Lincoln lift for those familiar with Sugarbowl), feeling confident that in the worst case, I could snowplow my way down the steepest sections. That turned out not to be true. By late afternoon, the snow was much icier and I wasn't used to that; and snowplow turning is too slow -- you spend too much time pointed straight downhill and it's too easy to lose control. Besides, I hadn't been snowplow turning since my first Level 1 lesson on Friday; I'm not exactly parallel but I'm past "pizza-frenchfries-pizza-frenchfries." I dug deep for all my courage and concentration to make it through the steepest sections -- technique was a distant third -- but didn't fall and manage to stay mostly in control the whole way. It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't satisying -- I was discouraged at how much bad "survival skiing" I was doing, but I never could have lived with myself if I hadn't even tried.

I was hoping I could do more skiing with someone, but Dave and I are too divergent in our skills, and it will only be a matter of another lesson or two before Gabriel completely blows me away. So much for this family skiing thing! But if not for family, I don't think we would even have tried it. I talked to many, many expert skiier parents who are having the time of their lives teaching their kids and skiing with them instead -- and their kids are quickly catching up. This is really the payoff for me with having kids; this is so much fun to do with them. Well, share with them anyway. If Gabriel's progress this weekend is any indication, I won't be doing it with them for long.

It's mid-March and ski season is nearing a close, but I'm sure this is something we'll do again.

3/14/2010

3/12/2010 Winter Wonderland

Typing from Truckee....we're up here getting ready for our first big ski day tomorrow!

Somehow today the boys and I did a little "calibration" ski, with them doing a regular 2-hour lesson that comes with a rental/ski-lift package. I'm glad we did, it helped us sort out problems with gear and know how to be prepared for a whole day tomorrow. I also did a lesson, same lift/hill as the boys, and got to ski with them a little afterward. They're both doing great, though Julian needs a lot more supervision. I'd wait for him and help him down, with Gabriel long since having made his way down, then look up and discover Gabriel on the chair lift on his way back up again!

Katrina couldn't ski today (the lessons we did start at age 4), and she was SERIOUSLY P.O'd about having to leave the ski area after the boys and I were settled. Dave dealt with a massive tantrum until she fell asleep, and then lots of fussing and complaining the rest of the afternoon. She saw her first snow today though, and there's no going back. She is extremely adament about skating and skiing and all sports cold. We may turn into a winter-sport family yet, though in my heart I'll always be a water-sport person. Still, despite the incredible hassle and logistics of rentals and lessons today (the boys can't quite handle their skis), the actual skiing part was fun for me too. I'm glad I got re-acquainted with the basic Level 1 lesson I did today, I'll be ready for more tomorrow.

I'm told conditions don't get better than this for skiing itself -- it snowed on us all afternoon, making visibility very very poor and the drive back to our cabin harrowing. Fortunately, having ridden motorcycles with Dave and knowing how he is about driving and safety, I had complete confidence that we wouldn't go careening off our steep windy snowy road down a cliff or into a lake, and, we didn't.

Tomorrow is what they're calling a "powder day" -- we're going to get spoiled!

3/12/2010

3/10/2010 Ready -- or not!

Usually I pre-prepare for a few days before a big trip, mostly to get the little annoying things out of the way. That leaves the big stuff, clothes and food, to focus on right before leaving. This time, I have almost everything to get ready for tomorrow, and a meeting with the landscaper tomorrow morning too. 'Cause, you know, when you're leaving at 3pm on a (for us) major trip, you have all kinds of time in the morning!

So what did I do tonight? Shopped. Worked. Did I pack, run around the house collecting stuff, make lists of things not to forget? Nope. I work better under pressure. Tomorrow will be the real test of that.

We're bringing a laptop, our cabin has Internet (so it says), so we might be in communicado. I might even post pictures...if I remember to bring my camera's cardreader.

3/10/2010

3/9/2010 Most Improved

It seems crazy, zooming out of work at 4:30 on the dot, calling the CDC on the way to ask them to get the boys ready, pick up the boys, zoom to the skating rink, get Gabriel dressed and ready, leave the boys there, zoom some more to get Katrina, the usual negotiations and cajoling to get her going, zooming back to the ice rink where most of the good parking is now gone, and then freeze while the class runs a full 15 minutes over its half-hour alloted time.

Such is the life of a hockey mom.

Maybe I should have been a soccer mom. I always swore I would never be a soccer mom, but little did I know about the hardships of a hockey mom.

Soccer moms are a lot warmer. Soccer moms also have a much more pleasant place to hang out and wait during practice, where their other children can play and not freeze while waiting. Soccer moms can chat with other moms instead of shouting over the awful acoustics at a noisy ice rink with the one or two dads who stay to watch. Soccer moms also don't risk getting whacked in the head constantly by hockey sticks with tens of kids wobbling around on skates waving said sticks in the staging area, and soccer moms don't need trunk-sized wheeled duffels and extra car-top carriers to get all the gear around. Soccer goalies especially are darned near naked compared to a hockey goalie.

And then there's the lipstick problem.

This is making me look forward to being a baseball mom, as baseball on the whole seems far more convenient and played in a far more agreeable setting.

Except for one thing. Hockey is just so darned fun.

Our skating practice last Saturday really paid off - Gabriel certainly earned himself a "most improved" award today. He wasn't blown away by the whole class this time -- not that that bothered him last week -- and he held his own in most of the exercises. He was skating well enough overall that he really got something out of the lesson, instead of scrambling to keep up the whole time. So far, most of the lesson is hockey skating, no stickhandling or puck yet, but they are getting used to skating with a stick in their hands. That counts.

Gabriel was confident and almost aggressive today about getting to the head of the line as best he could. Last week he was last for everything; this week he shoved ahead as much as he could.

(Hard to see him in this photo, but he's just under and to the left of the two kids whose black helmets are together, at the left edge of the purple pillar, about 6th from left starting from the coach.)


Hard to see him in this flood of kids, but it's a drastic difference from last week, as he's mid-pack. It's hard to pick him out, but it gives you an idea of what he's in (a kid trips right in front of him, he skates around -- look for the little kid in the blue jacket and jeans).


Gabriel had a few trips and falls today too, but it seemed everyone was falling around him.



(They even practiced crossovers today, and for this Gabriel was actually prepared, as I've taught him basic crossovers and he's comfortable with the concept, though his execution is in its infancy.)

Another exercise: skate in a circle, pushing off with your outside foot. What a fun lesson, I wish I could do it too! Watching this now, it almost shocks me to see how well he's skating compared to just last week.


The only part he was way behind the group again was for the backward skating, something I haven't been able to teach him (no expert myself, but it's very easy to move backward on skates). He knew how to go a few feet, but this time he had to cross the whole rink. He did great the second time he went across.


I think he really enjoyed this lesson, and was pretty tired afterward too. Good! For me, the zooming around and being cold while waiting and having to deal with Katrina's fury over leaving the rink (again), the hassle -- entirely worth it. The feeling of beaming pride at watching my tenacious little son growing and learning by leaps and bounds in front of my eyes is an unmatchable reward.

And lucky me, I get to do it again soon for Julian. I only hope I like watching baseball as much.

3/9/2010

3/8/2010 Behind again

And so, another Monday evening...homework done, children bathed and in bed, bare-bones laundry covered, lunches made and fridged, dinner consumed and cleaned up, floors swept, garbage taken out...now it's 9:15 and I've had it. I'm sure there are at least three or four emails that highly deserve an answer, but my head is too full and too fuzzy for it to pop up. It's nothing short of miraculous that I ordered 6 new pairs of jeans for Julian last night -- who all of a sudden has only one single pair of jeans without holes in the knees.

Apologies groupwide to all who deserve thanks or response...I hate always saying "I'm swamped!" 'cause everyone always says that. It's just my head that's swamped.

3/8/2010

3/7/2010 March mittens

Silly me, trying to find things like mittens in March. The summer swimwear stuff is almost on clearance already! Well, leaving everything to the last minute, including the actual ski trip itself, is just like us. I knew I should have done this months ago, but of course that didn't happen. Maybe if I'd thought about the availability problem...ah well.

We went to REI today, which actually did have some stuff, but no kids' mittens or ski goggles. Julian also had a playdate; Gabriel and Dave did some soldering in the garage while Katrina played on her bicycle, and I went running. It's shocking how much effort and planning and decisions went into this apparently innocuous afternoon. Once again, we still didn't all get to the phone to call my mother, which I'm mortified about. Somehow, some way, tomorrow.

And now, some updates on yesterday.

I had to get the first-skate photo, despite the challenging circumstances. It was PACKED, and Dave was really shaky too, and embracing new challenges without complaint is not high on Katrina's list of qualities.


It took Dave a few laps around the rink to regain whatever comfort he had from the 13-week class we took together about 3 years ago, and able to confidently maneuver enough to hold Katrina's hand. That wasn't enough for Katrina though -- she had to have both of us on each side of her, and brothers don't count (they both gamely tried). I was really hoping to get some video of her first skating experience, but she got pretty mad every time I broke away.


She also kept insisting on sitting down. I give her a pass, it was her first time on the ice, and the instability and slipperiness is a pretty big shock.

Fortunately, the boys are completely independent, except for lacing skates. Gear 'em up and send 'em off.

Julian had a great time, despite hockey skates (new to him) that we discovered later rubbed raw a nasty 1" square patch on his left ankle. Here he showed me his "trick" of turning around...sort of.

His pants were wring-out-able soaked later.

Gabriel, meantime, is gobbling up the ice and getting more and more confident and brave every time on the ice. He needs it, because his next hockey lesson is Tuesday!


It occurs to me watching these that he's establishing a lifetime of ability on the ice. He may never be a great skater, but even just a few years of learning at his age will always stick with him to some extent.

Now if only his ability to stop would catch up with his increasing ability to take off.

The boys together, though I didn't think Julian was skating as comfortably as he usually does. Now that I've seen the awful burn on his ankle, I know why, though he never complained. At the time, anyway. Tonight he was trying to make a case for why he should skip school tomorrow.


A parent taking video of her screaming tantruming toddler wreaking havoc and blocking narrow walkways at a crowded ice rink invites dirty looks and shame, but I had to get a few seconds of it anyway.


I wish my memory of Katrina's first ice-skating, and our first family skating outing, didn't include her outrage, tantrums, demands and insistence on sitting down on the ice and hundreds of times bending down to pick her up, but overall it's good. She really loved it. Still, I'm looking forward to when she can skate on her own so I can "play" with her the way I do with these two little characters.


We'll borrow the remaining missing gear, or buy it when in Truckee. It'd be ironic if our family got as hooked on skiing as we apparently are on skating -- winter sports in a summer climate.

3/7/2010