Board or not?

I promised I would make pancakes for breakfast today. Ummm they were yummy. A slight delay of a pan not heating as it should, first pancake in the bin, second on the floor from an overenthusiastic throw, then all on course for a lovely pancakey breakfast, including strawberries, blueberries, bananas and raspberries (oh and maple syrup of course).

Then we all got ready - which actually took ages and ages. Lost gloves, wrong hats, which boots?, do I need this fleece? Shall I wear thermals? Have you got your board? Where is your helmet?............ All this preparation took forever but eventually we were out of the door with a picnic packed (yes we do still have picnics in the snow!). We went to a local ski resort, just 15 minutes away (we are so lucky to have that on our doorstep), bought our ski passes, set Moo up with some ski rentals and away we went. Off up the magic carpet and onto the nursery slopes.

It was cold but not bitterly. They were making some snow and it was supposed to rain in the afternoon. W e started skiing and boarding just after 12 midday. We had four hours of ski-ing and eight hours of boarding.

Everyone did really well. Moo hasn't skied for over ten years and she wasn't sure if she could still do it, so she hired her ski's and said she was a beginner. She was really good and had a great time. She probably went up and down the most out of all us. Possibly easier because she didn't have to keep taking her board off like we did or maybe because she was a 'ski down and right into the queue for the magic carpet' type! She is probably ready for a more challenging slope but I don't think the rest of us are (well maybe Huffle).

Small came down without many problems, occasionally falling on his bottom but he quickly picked himself up and carried on, only having a couple of very small breaks. He was up and down on the magic carpet with just the occasional wave or shout Hello!

Smallest went down first time and fell backwards and bumped his head quite hard (typical as we couldn't find his ski helmet!). It knocked his confidence and Huffle and I spent the next 30 minutes telling him to get back up and try again, telling him how lucky he was to be able to do this and how he was only five and he was expecting too much of himself. If he only went back up and practised, he would get better and better. He did go back up and he got really angry with himself.

Huffle was his normal boarding self. No problems apart from constantly having to pick Smallest up, do up his bindings, undo his bindings, tell him he was good and occasionally go down all by himself!

I was very awkward at first and very lacking in confidence but soon remembered what to do. I board with the wrong foot leading, I lean on the wrong leg, I am rubbish at going down in a straight line but I had a great time.

We stopped for some lunch inside. It was really warm in there but the cheese cobs and bits of Christmas feast were very much needed. After we got some energy back we all went back on the nursery slope.

This time Smallest was brilliant, gained confidence and went down without too many fallings over. Brilliant. He was so happy with himself he insisted on going down and up by himself. We still had to sort his binding out for him but it was a much improved afternoon.

Small had a few more bumps and I think he will have a few bruises tomorrow.

I fell over on the magic carpet and the Travellator had to be stopped. Everyone looked at me. I just waved and shouted SORRY! The young, slight girl had to pick me up. WHOOPS, I think I was a bit heavy for her.

Moo gained in confidence, she really didn't think she would be able to do it. Huffle enjoyed it. He said it was good to see everyone coming down and the bonus was that no-one had any injuries. Moo put in her skiing stuff and we called it a day, four hours after we arrived. It was just starting to get dark and the lights were coming on.

We came home, after a small altercation with the driver next to us who parked far too close (and I told him). Our wet things went in the dryer, we tried Toffee Cadbury's Fingers (which Moo brought - yum) and then the boys played on the new computer, and we watched the photos and videos through the TV. We got dinner started and I played Table Tennis with Moo while Huffle played with the Computer.

Everyone ate dinner, we watched the photos and videos again and the boys watched TV while Moo and I played Table Tennis again. Moo put the boys to bed and Huffle and I played Table Tennis.

We played cards, ate nice things and drank Baileys.

 

 

Please don't use my photos without asking first. Posted with Blogsy