Ski Lessons

I taught my kids to ski this weekend.  I'm not an amazing skier.  In fact, my entire history consists of one terrifying trip from the top of a mountain pleading-Dear Jesus, please let me live-and last year, two lessons from a friend. 

Aidan was a little frustrated after two (!) trips down the bunny hill that he wasn't picking it up faster. And then Chloe was a bit frustrated that it wasn't clicking quicker for her. Cue inspirational speech and a break for poppyseed rolls. This is the part where I told them that they were going to be amazing, but nobody starts something new and is the very best from the beginning.  But that they would be amazing because they would not give up and would learn to believe in themselves.  I think it's so good to try new things and be stretched out of our comfort zones. Persevering past the "too hard" point to the place where you start to get it, and to believe in yourself is empowering.

 

After lunch, Chloe and Aidan wanted to ride the lift together, by themselves.  At that point, Chloe was still wanting to hold onto me past the first steeper slope as her security blanket.  Best choice of the day was to let her go with her brother. Aidan took off in a snow plowing fury and I watched from the bottom as Chloe fell.  I wondered what she would do, and I saw the spark clear as day that she decided she'd be darned if she let her brother beat her. In a moment she hoisted herself up, and was tearing off after him.  And from that moment on they were an inseparable team.  They came down beaming at their newfound skills.  But bigger than that, my littlest bird gained something special as she learned to fly, and this momma learned that sometimes a little push from the nest might be the most loving security blanket of all.