How Did He Do It?

When I was small my dad used to take me and my older brother skiing. We had so much fun over the years.   My summers were filled with excitement as I saved my allowance for winter skiing money.

Eventually my California cousins would plan a trip each winter and we would ski at Solitude.  

My Mom always stayed home and we had such great adventures with Dad.

I didn't have formal lessons until I was in junior high, but we managed just fine.

It was fun.

And oh boy! My dad must have had patience.

So when I received an email from Wounded Warrior Project for a family ski day at Park City Mountain Resort, I jumped at the chance to share the winter mountain experience with my boys. 

 Little did I know how stressful it would be...

I enjoyed a private lesson in the morning, and the kids picked up some basics from a separate instructor.

Many thanks to the people at the National Ability Center in Park City who donated their talents and shared  their time and skills with us on the mountain. The view was beautiful and the air was crisp.

I met up with the kid around lunch time. 

After eating our sandwiches in the car we headed back to the slopes and let the real fun begin.

Cough, cough, ahem.

Do you realize how hard it is to keep track of two speed racers on the mountain mixed in with lots of people?  Talk about anxiety!  One fell near the top of the run, the other raced to the bottom.  I was somewhere in between wondering if I should hike up or ski down.

It's a nightmare, and absolute nightmare!

By the end they were tired and grumpy and complaining that I wasn't in the right spot to take a video.

"Seriously guys, we are supposed to be having fun here."

As I left the mountain I was grateful for the ski instructor who somehow managed them in the morning, and I vowed never to go skiing by myself with two little boys.

Which is why I ask.

How did he do it?

How did he do it by himself?

Maybe because we went with friends...

Maybe he is just that good....

I don't know.

How did he have the patience to teach us, keep track of us, and keep us warm, happy, and fed at the same time?

Mind boggling.  

I was ready to string my kids up by their toenails by the end of the day.

When they woke up this morning the first thing they said was, "Can we go skiing again today?"

(Grumble, Grumble)

Seriously?