Skiing

Both Brian and I learned to ski young. The exact age is unknown, but it was young enough that neither of us remember the first runs we took. I knew I wanted LT to learn young too, but somehow learning to ski before 4 seemed silly and challenging. How would he walk in the boots? Carry his own skis? His little muscles were still developing. I, for no real reason, decided 4 was a perfect age. I intentionally schedule his school schedule so that he had some time off to ski during the week, knowing that Kindergarten brought a whole new schedule to our lives and we would never be this flexible again. I think, for us, we chose the right age.

We discussed whether or not we should teach him ourselves. Lessons are expensive and not flexible. Yet, despite the fact that Brian and I can both ski well, neither of us have a clue as to how to teach a child to ski. After a few family attempts, I decided to sign LT up for 4 consecutive lessons at Copper. I intentionally did not tell LT we had signed him up (I was worried he would refuse to go). We have been driving up Tuesday night, staying with Baba and then heading to Copper for lessons Wed mornings. Last week was our first week. I waited until our drive up and casually mentioned to LT that he would start ski school the next day. I waited anxiously for a reply. After a minute he said, "oh great, I think I will really like it. I will be fine mom!" Ah, what a relief. We went to Copper Wed morning on a bright, sunny warm day (no snow for mom to enjoy, but for LT it was perfect conditions). LT had no trouble putting on his boots, carrying his skis or walking from the lodge out to the magic carpet on the first day. Best of all, he loved it and wanted to go back again this week.

On our drive home, after a long nap, he did mention that "it was a little long mommy, I was tired." Our intention in teaching him to ski is to enjoy it and have fun. I told him I would be happy to come back halfway through this week and check on him. Today was a different story weather wise. It was windy, below zero and snowing. I was sure he would want to leave with me halfway through, but I was wrong. He didn't want to stop. He didn't want help. He wanted to keep practicing and showing me all the things he had learned. Even I had to go in and warm up a few times, but he insisted on staying outside.
His teacher is really great. A young guy with a lot of enthusiasm. They use hula hoops at first to get the kids to learn to snowplow. The first run I watched LT, he used the hula hoop. Never again, and he never fell or got his skis crossed.
By the end his teacher was even pushing him gently on his back to get him to go faster, and still no trouble. He loved it even more.

Here are a few videos from today. He's come a long way with just a few days on the slopes.

Better late than never

 

In what is now a holiday tradition, every year I take the prior year's blog content, turn it into a book using an online service, and give it as a Christmas gift to the grandparents. This year Kari's mom asked, "now is Alder's birthday party in here?"

Oh right, Adler's birthday party... um, somehow that one just slipped though the cracks. Poor kid. 

So, many months late, here are some photos of Alder's two year old birthday party. We did it at the little place the boys sometimes take gymnastics classes.  I thought it was a great party and, as far as I can tell from these photos, it looks like everyone had a pretty good time. 

Behind-the-Scenes

I linked to our holiday card post on some social media sites with what I thought was kind of funny, "whether you celebrate Retail Christmas or something less mainstream like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, etc., we wish you the very best this season http://landon-t-c.blogspot.com/2011/12/happy-holidays.html"

I amuse myself sometimes. 

All the photos in the card were taken in my friend's, and reluctant co-worker's, garage studio.  Those and a few others are here. He took the ones of our whole family and let me shoot lots of the boys - the boys weren't entirely cooperative as seen below running around the set. Above is LT relaxing on a single chair with his three kids watching TV after the photo session. The rest of the photos are just outtake shots of the boys together that I thought were cute.

Happy New Year!

[reposting with the link fixed - sorry!]

Normally I write about the boys here but this is a little something about what I do when I'm away from the family. I don't travel a huge amount for work but I do find myself on the road occasionally. I like to travel with my camera and I find taking pictures a nice after hours diversion from work. Yesterday I put together a set of photos from my trips this year that included San Fran, NYC, Vancouver and Chicago - please take a look!

      

Monday morning

Papa is easily one of Adler's favorite people in the world. I had today off from work so I tried to make up a little ground on Papa by taking Adler to do what they often do together on Mondays.  We went to Tenn Street where I got some coffee and Adler picked out a cinnamon roll. We read some Marley books over our late breakfast and then went and played at the park up the street. It was one of the nicest mornings I've had in a long time. It's hard not to be just a little bit jealous of Papa.