Kids First Time Skiing

Jeff has been wanting the kids to take ski lessons for years so we finally tried this year. For those of you who don't know, Jeff was a ski instructor for 2 years, so he decided he would teach the kids. For a while we said we wanted someone else to teach them because if you want to stay a happy family you don't teach a loved one how to ski.... We got rentals and went to work. First we started in the backyard as we didn't want to get all the way up the canyons and have them completely hate it. Jeff just taught them as if he was teaching a ski school class and was able keep his patience. The only two rules were, you have to listen and you can't whine. I was very proud of him. The kids did pretty well for the most part. Only a few times did they have a little fit.

We had success in the backyard so we were headed up the mountains. I asked the kids how they liked skiing so far and all was well ecxcept when it came to Ayla. She said no words and put her hand in the air with her thumb up enthusiastically, then slowly turned her hand over. She's hilarious!

Solitude was the first ski resort so we hung out there on the bunny hill. As with anyone learning how to ski there were some frustrating moments.....Here's Lilly..

Fun moments.....Jeff was shooting the kids through his legs down the hill.

Successfull moments.....Here's Ayla still trying!

and then giving up and going to make a snowman...

Gramps sat and watched real live skiing for the first time and said he thought it was really cool.

The first day of skiing was a success. The kids all survived, as did we, and said they wanted to do it again. Except for one small moment where Ayla got mad because it was time to go, knocked her skis over, turned her back and folded her arms and said "I'm leaving my skis on the mountain!" Jeff and I busted up in laughter. Oh the moments of many more that will be had.

We headed back to the car for hot chocolate and to give the kids their first experience of feeling the joy of taking off one's ski boots after a long day.