Raine's First Day

Because I ended up going for an extra time this season, I decided to take Raine. I was pretty sure I could handle a new skier, as well as Briton.

Well, I quickly learned *that* was a mistake!!! I took Raine to the bunny hill and we did a quick lesson. The same as I did with Briton. The bunny hill wasn't challenging enough to get a handle on learning to ski there. As the instructors say, most parents end up taking their kids up the mountain to the easy slopes to teach them there. I did this with Briton, and I figured I would do the same with Raine.

Big mistake.

Not because of Raine, but because I had two little ones. I am *so* glad I waited on bringing three beginners to the hill! If I could afford a nanny to watch them on the bunny hill for the day that would be fine, but Briton was too little to leave by himself, so he got taken up the hill really quickly. In doing so, he learned fast. When I took the two kids up the hill I saw how difficult it would be.

We did manage to get on and off the lift with the liftee slowing it down for me. My error in bringing two up the hill showed its face when we headed for an easy hill. I am always with Briton and this time, he miunderstood and went down, while I went across a hill. He figured I was taking Hill A, and I was heading to Hill B. He was only about 20 feet from me, but it panicked him, so he began to cry. Thankfully, right away a ski patrol lady showed up (timing!) and helped him back up to the hill where I was at, and we proceeded on together.

The bigger boys skied ahead of us and Raine, Briton and I carried on. I have since learned about girls' bodies. The instructor told me this - that they are built differently to boys' bodies, in the muscular way, so they handle learning to ski differently. Now, don't shoot me for saying this, I am simply saying what I was told, and judging from watching Raine float on the snow, rather than dig down as the boys all did right away, I think there might be something to it. I had to really teach her how to press into the snow because her skies controlled her and dragged where she didn't want to go. She was also ever so gangly on skies. *grin* Now this really surprised me because she had shown herself to be very gifted in hula, soccer, good at running and strong at gymnastics.

There was one moment on the hill where I knew I wouldn't be bringing two up the hill again, unless two could ski independently. I had Raine right beside me and we were creeping along, and Briton had skied about 30 feet in front of me. All of a sudden, Raine fell, and she was struggling to get up, and then I heard this odd sound, and heard Briton screaming. Not once, but multiple screams. Not like him at all! I have my head swinging back and forth, telling Raine to, Get up! We have to go get Briton. He's in danger! I then was swinging it to the other side looking toward where Briton was a moment ago, but now is no longer. I realize my big mistake in bringing two up the hill.

Finally, I told Raine to crawl forward along the trail, and I would ski to Briton, get him, and come back. I dashed off and as I heard his screaming, I am thinking he must have skied off a cliff or have met an animal or something scary! I was panicking.

Then I came around the corner and saw him.

He was sitting in the middle of the ski road nearly at the intersection of a downhill part. There was forest on two sides of him. He was sitting there crying and screaming.

I was furious. WHAT was he doing screaming blue murder when apparently nothing was wrong? I do not have screeching bratty children, but by now I was worn totally out, and had no patience for a child screaming for apparently no reason other than the fact that I was too far behind him.

I called him to me and stood there with Raine in my eyeshot on right and Briton in eyesight on my left. I couldn't get both of them, so I stood there and called them to both come to me as fast as they could. I know they were both okay, but now, we just needed to get off the mountain and let Raine continue her day on the bunny hill. So much for my ambitious thoughts!

Heading Towards Me From the Right

And From My Left

When Briton arrived at me I asked him what on earth was going on. He was still crying. He said, "Me hear noise. NEEOOOWW, NEEOOOWW" He had this terrified look on his face.

I asked him what he meant. He told me while he was waiting for me (quietly!) he had heard this horrible noise. He showed me again the sound and it freaked me out. I had my suspicions. He said he had then begun screaming to me, "Mummy come now. Me scared!" I gave him hugs and reassured him.

We then headed down the hill together with Briton having the explicit instructions to not go more than five feet in front of me. Raine did *fabulous* on the bigger hill, where she had room to go to the left or right without going off the side of the path. She had learned to get up and down without problem, put her skies back on when they fell off, slow down, and snowplow.


She was so happy to hear when I told her that I could see her pushing down and her making powder trails in her snow plow. I could see that she was getting it. It won't take her long to be up the hill again!

To give you an idea of how we did: the hill should take 10 minutes to get down; Briton took about 1 hour; Raine took 1 hour 15 minutes.

We finished the one run, and I decided it was better for her to enjoy herself on the bunny hill. We stopped and had lunch, and then I took her over to the bunny hill, and talked to the ski instructor, and asked him if I could leave her there to practice. He was great and said he would keep an eye on her, and give her some tips.

After a run (we only did two without her), and while we were skiing I would look down from the chair lift and check on her on the bunny hill, and I could see her getting her turns and snowplow down and managing to stay *up* on her skies.

I think Raine was actually happier to stay there. When I asked her at lunch time on a score of 1-10, how was skiing. She, very thoughtful child that she is, pondered a minute and then said: 5. I like skiing but it is hard. She thanked me numerous times for taking her up, and I know that in about one or two more sessions she will be ready for the chairlift again.

Next year, I bring Savannah, and trust me, I will have those two on the bunny hill for longer than I have the other kids! There is no way I can take two beginners and one small boy up the hill by myself! But we will have fun. They will learn to ski and in a matter of weeks we will all be up the hill together!
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