Keeping Up With Miles: Ski Bums!

We decided to designate the month of March as learn to ski month at our house. We have been waiting patiently for nice warm days with lots of sunshine for the kids to learn. We managed to get 4 great days in during March. Unfortunately, now that the kids are getting the hang of it and enjoying it, the snow is melting and the resort here has closed. Oh well, now we have something to look forward to for next winter!
Their first day was such a beautiful day and there were only 10 kids total in the children's learning program that day. Miles and Leah ended up in a class with one other little boy. The beginner slope was wide open with lots of room to learn. Here they are with their class.

They ask parents not to hover over the lesson so the kids can focus on learning and their instructor. I did my best to stay away for the morning, but I had to sneak over and get a few pics of them. I stayed far enough away that they couldn't see me, but managed to catch a few glimpses of them getting started on their skis. Their first run.

Leah

Miles

By the time they went in for lunch I figured it was safe to check in with them and see how they were doing. Miles told me, "It just keeps getting funner and funner, Mom!"

By the afternoon, Miles was really starting to catch on and was doing great. I could tell Leah's little legs were getting tired though, and she actually started to fall more and more as the day went on. When I picked them up for the day Miles wanted to know if he could go skiing again tomorrow. I think that is a pretty good sign.

A week later we decided it was time to head back up to the slopes for day 2. This time it was spring break for a lot of our state so the lessons were a lot more crowded. I skied in the morning so I only caught a few glimpses of them, but in the afternoon I went down and joined the crowd of parents watching their kids at the bottom of the slope.

Miles was really doing great by the end of his second day. Leah seemed to be getting lost in the crowd of her lesson that day. I think there were 8 kids in her class that day, and they were all really little like her. She didn't seem to be making much progress, but she was having fun so that is all that matters. Miles was so proud of himself when he was able to aim himself through this little tunnel.

We decided to go back up for Family Friday a few days later. Clay and I were excited to ski with the kids for the first time. We started out on the bigger magic carpet. This run was about 3 times as long as the one they had been doing for their lessons. Miles was doing really well with Clay and was having a great time skiing with his dad. I hung out with Leah and realized she really didn't have any grasp on the wedge yet and couldn't stop herself on her own. I ditched my board for the afternoon and ended up running down the mountain with her for the next few hours working with her to help her learn to stop. Finally she figured it out about a half hour before the lift closed. She was so proud of herself. I managed to get one run in with her on my board before they shut down the magic carpet and she was so excited.

Clay and Miles riding the magic carpet

"I figured out how to make a pizza with my skis, Mom!"

While Leah and I were working on the pizza wedge, Miles and Clay headed up the big lift for the first time. I caught Miles towards the end of his run. I was going up the magic carpet while he was coming down the run so it isn't the best video, but I think you can tell he had a good time! It is hard to hear what he is saying but he tells me, "I went down the big hill." and, "Dad told me to do pizza and zig zag and it slowed me down."

The next week we ventured up to Utah to visit Grandma and Grandpa B for our spring break. I decided to take the kids up to Snowbird for the afternoon to give them a little change of scenery. We talked Grandpa B into joining us for the afternoon. Leah was so excited to ride a ski lift for the first time. I think Grandpa was surprised and impressed with how well they were both doing.

Miles and I riding the lift together.

Leah and Grandpa getting off the lift.

Miles was really cruising down the hill a few times.

Grandpa B and the kids. Getting them all to stop and wait for me to take a photo was a challenge.

We sent this picture to Clay while we were taking a little break. We wanted to see what he would say since the tram is only for advanced skiers and snowboarders. He texted me back, "Are you kidding me?" I responded, "They are doing great!" and a few seconds later, "But not that great."