You Don’t Have to Go Back to the Top—Duh!
My memories of sledding never touched upon terror. When Emma and Owen were 4 and 2, I talked the aforementioned neighbor, Traudi, into taking them sliding with me. I knew a perfect place (because I had driven by it so many times, not because I had ever been there), so we bundled them up so that they could barely stand without wobbling, and off we went to this small slope in the next town. Carefully positioning the sleds at the top, we tried to get each one in without losing the sled down the hill. I quickly realized that if I wasn’t very careful, I could easily send Emma plummeting down alone. It took some tricky maneuvering, but eventually we were both in a sled with a child in front, and down the hill we went. My heart was in my throat; I didn’t realize how fast these plastic sleds went on the icy surface, or how steep it was, or how scared I could be. Breaking a limb at my age would not be pretty, and if anything happened to the children……
The kids were shouting with glee when we came to a stop on the uphill slant at the bottom. Traudi seemed to be fine, while I was shaking in my boots. I turned to Emma and asked, “Was that enough? Do you want to go back to the car now?” She looked at me as if I’d gone crazy, and said, “No, I want to go again and again!” I noticed that Traudi and Owen were already headed back up, so I told Emma to get in the sled and started trudging, head down, nerves frayed. I never looked up again until I was back at the top….and saw that our companions were already disembarking at the bottom. Hmmm. How did she do that so fast? Down we went for a second exhilarating (yeh, right!) run, and passed Owen and Traudi on their ascent. I can’t remember if it took me 2,3 or maybe even 4 times to realize that they were not going all the way back to the top. When I caught up with Traudi, finally, she confessed to being a bit unnerved on the first jaunt as well, but she figured out very quickly that there was no need to go all the way back to the top….that you could have a more gentle, less scary slide by simply going only part way back up the slope. The kids were oblivious, and my quaking calmed. How come it took me so long to catch on? I am happy to report that it was a watershed moment for me. Since then the idea that not everything has to be done at mach ten speed, that modification and adaptation are very good strategies, my adventures with my grandchildren are much less harrowing. Sometimes.
Today we head up to our timeshare in the White Mountains which we have owned and used every Feb. vacation since 1988. The children call it our “mountain house”, and they just love it there. In the pictures you can see the four older ones, Noah, Molly, Emma and Owen, all learning to ski, showing off their independence mid-lesson, bundled up to the hilt. Ryan tried on Grampa’s helmet in anticipation, and this year he and his twin brother, Ian, are four, so they will have their first lesson as well. We go for rides on the sled, swim in the pool, build snowmen (an activity grandparents can do better than almost anyone), splash in the Jacuzzi in the condo, and play endless games. We have “mountain house food” (such as hot chocolate, après skiing nachos, popcorn, and Twix bars), things that we normally do not keep in the house. The kids love the whirlpool tub, the Murphy beds, and the fact that we are all there together under one roof. This year Ari and Megan’s folks are bringing them for the first time, and their anticipation is palpable.
Mostly I am not a big fan of the cold outdoors, but when I do venture out I usually have a good time. I take my camera everywhere, cataloguing their progress, recording their snow creations and progress on skis, capturing them making angels in the snow, or playing King of the Mountain. Then I disappear inside, leaving the heartier adults to shiver in the frosty New England outdoors. Grampa is a very good skier and instructor, and he takes over on the mountain once they’ve had initial instructions. It is not a good idea to be the first line of fire when teaching them how to just maneuver. This will also hold true for driving lessons, golf, etc. Let someone else get them started if possible.
Tip #14: There are many ways to adapt play, both in the snow and other mediums…..remember that our bones are brittle and will not mend as easily if we break them!
My memories of sledding never touched upon terror. When Emma and Owen were 4 and 2, I talked the aforementioned neighbor, Traudi, into taking them sliding with me. I knew a perfect place (because I had driven by it so many times, not because I had ever been there), so we bundled them up so that they could barely stand without wobbling, and off we went to this small slope in the next town. Carefully positioning the sleds at the top, we tried to get each one in without losing the sled down the hill. I quickly realized that if I wasn’t very careful, I could easily send Emma plummeting down alone. It took some tricky maneuvering, but eventually we were both in a sled with a child in front, and down the hill we went. My heart was in my throat; I didn’t realize how fast these plastic sleds went on the icy surface, or how steep it was, or how scared I could be. Breaking a limb at my age would not be pretty, and if anything happened to the children……
The kids were shouting with glee when we came to a stop on the uphill slant at the bottom. Traudi seemed to be fine, while I was shaking in my boots. I turned to Emma and asked, “Was that enough? Do you want to go back to the car now?” She looked at me as if I’d gone crazy, and said, “No, I want to go again and again!” I noticed that Traudi and Owen were already headed back up, so I told Emma to get in the sled and started trudging, head down, nerves frayed. I never looked up again until I was back at the top….and saw that our companions were already disembarking at the bottom. Hmmm. How did she do that so fast? Down we went for a second exhilarating (yeh, right!) run, and passed Owen and Traudi on their ascent. I can’t remember if it took me 2,3 or maybe even 4 times to realize that they were not going all the way back to the top. When I caught up with Traudi, finally, she confessed to being a bit unnerved on the first jaunt as well, but she figured out very quickly that there was no need to go all the way back to the top….that you could have a more gentle, less scary slide by simply going only part way back up the slope. The kids were oblivious, and my quaking calmed. How come it took me so long to catch on? I am happy to report that it was a watershed moment for me. Since then the idea that not everything has to be done at mach ten speed, that modification and adaptation are very good strategies, my adventures with my grandchildren are much less harrowing. Sometimes.
Today we head up to our timeshare in the White Mountains which we have owned and used every Feb. vacation since 1988. The children call it our “mountain house”, and they just love it there. In the pictures you can see the four older ones, Noah, Molly, Emma and Owen, all learning to ski, showing off their independence mid-lesson, bundled up to the hilt. Ryan tried on Grampa’s helmet in anticipation, and this year he and his twin brother, Ian, are four, so they will have their first lesson as well. We go for rides on the sled, swim in the pool, build snowmen (an activity grandparents can do better than almost anyone), splash in the Jacuzzi in the condo, and play endless games. We have “mountain house food” (such as hot chocolate, après skiing nachos, popcorn, and Twix bars), things that we normally do not keep in the house. The kids love the whirlpool tub, the Murphy beds, and the fact that we are all there together under one roof. This year Ari and Megan’s folks are bringing them for the first time, and their anticipation is palpable.
Mostly I am not a big fan of the cold outdoors, but when I do venture out I usually have a good time. I take my camera everywhere, cataloguing their progress, recording their snow creations and progress on skis, capturing them making angels in the snow, or playing King of the Mountain. Then I disappear inside, leaving the heartier adults to shiver in the frosty New England outdoors. Grampa is a very good skier and instructor, and he takes over on the mountain once they’ve had initial instructions. It is not a good idea to be the first line of fire when teaching them how to just maneuver. This will also hold true for driving lessons, golf, etc. Let someone else get them started if possible.
Tip #14: There are many ways to adapt play, both in the snow and other mediums…..remember that our bones are brittle and will not mend as easily if we break them!
1 comment:
Karen, I have really enjoyed your blog and am getting a lot of great websites and resources from your suggestions! Thanks to you, I'll be shopping for awesome children's clothing for pennies and will be buying the best children's literature to share with my granddaughters! Keep the great information and tips coming! Laney
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