Blog a la Cart

Sunday was a ridiculously sunny and clear March day. While the air has been cooler than I’d like this time of year, I will never complain about full sunshine and blue skies. We decided to spend the afternoon skiing given the abundance of snow still in our midst. We braved life on the mountain with a three-year old in the name of glorious spring skiing and a taste of the fun to come next year when Kaki learns to truly ski on her own. She’d never been on skis (heck, Sunny’s first time was in January), but she’s eager to do whatever her big sister is doing, so the Cart family loaded up in the mini van and headed 45 minutes north to a wee little mountain for some family fun.

Kaki was psyched. Note the ski leash strapped like a fanny pack around her waist. That thing was a life-saver.

We warmed up with some runs on the bunny slope. And let me just say that these Magic Carpet lifts are far more civilized and less traumatizing than the rope tows of yore. I mean, just check out that climate controlled tent around this particular lift – no inclement weather or harsh winter wind will disturb one’s ride up the slope. Which is mildly comical to anyone who grew up skiing in New England.

I am admittedly a little sad that my children won’t have horror stories of their novice skiing years with rope tow rides gone awry. Kimmy and I have a pretty fantastic tale of a T-bar ride in the Alps gone horribly wrong. The fall was caused by a rousing albeit distracting rendition of Les Misérables’ seminal “One Day More” being sung at full volume by yours truly. And why, yes, I do still enjoy singing musical theater to pass the time during chairlift rides. I can only hope Sunny and Kaki take up the mantle.

Anyway…

Sunny buzzed up and down the Bunny slope without issue or parental chaperone, while James and I got Courtland used to sliding around on skis, and riding down the mountain either between our legs or with the support of the ski leash. Sunny was eager to ride the chairlift to a more challenging hill, and so off we went…

Kaki threw a fit when Sunny and I headed up the mountain. Girl’s got a serious case of FOMO. So James and I decided that we’d venture up with her as well, given that she was “skiing” with heavy parental monitoring and it’d be more fun to stick together.

I will always remember that first chairlift ride up the mountain with Courtland. She was awe-struck and wide-eyed. “Mama, it’s like we’re FLYING!” She proudly waved and yelled at every passing skier below. After settling in to the ride, she was gazing around, swinging her skis back and forth, when she finally turned to me and whispered, very earnestly, “Mama? Where are we going?”

James and I cannot stop asking one another this very question at every opportunity.

It was priceless. She had no idea why we were soaring in the air, despite her insistence that she HAD TO GO ON THE CHAIRLIFT LIKE SUNNY!, and it was such a classic childhood query of wonder and cluelessness. When we arrived at the top, she immediately declared that she wanted to take her skis off, so that took another 5 minutes of negotiation before we were all ready to head down the mountain.

At the end of the day, James and Sunny went even further up the mountain with some friends who happened to be skiing there as well. I stayed with Courtland as my thighs and ass could not take such a lengthy ride downhill with a three-year old saddled between my legs, and we stuck to the shorter trails we’d been tackling most of the afternoon.

Sunny skied, a la her Doda, with her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth, a sign of their intense concentration. I fear it may fall off from frost-bite if she doesn’t get that habit under control.

She did great, but had a fairly epic fall in the final moments of the last run of the day. It was a big tumble and I saw her land face first. Kaki and I were watching from the lodge, and it took James a solid 20 minutes to comfort her and get her moving again. Apparently when James reached her, post-fall, she informed James that she had broken her head.

Thank heavens for helmets.

But it was nothing a little après-ski hot chocolate couldn’t remedy.

And a video of Kaki’s inaugural ski. I look forward to documenting her learning next year when she actually takes some lessons, but we’re off to a good start! Vermont winter survival 101 in full effect!