Tuckerman's Here We Come!

Okay.. maybe not, but Caden did have his first ski lesson! He doesn't look happy in this first picture, possibly because they told him he had to carry his own skis.. but he had a BLAST! Caden LOVES winter! Everything about it, sledding, skiing, skating, snowballs, snowmen, even shovelling!

Interestingly since I put that he could "walk on skis" on the registration form when asked his skill level they put him in a group that had skied before.. other than bombing down the front hill with me to catch him last Saturday Caden had never skied, but I guess that was enough because they kept him in that group and he did great! Proof right there that you can throw kids into things easily at a young age. I actually am glad that it worked out that way because while the kids who had never skied before were learning how to put on their skis Caden was learning to snowplow!

The lessons are at a small hill called McIntyre Ski Area. It is about the equivalent of Atlantic Forest Ski Area in Amesbury (which is closed now) where I learned how to ski. His preschool sets up the time and with all the kids, even though they aren't necessarily in the same group, get a group discount on the lessons rate. So, I took a half day this Thursday and for the next 4 Thursdays so Caden can learn to ski with his preschool friends.. and it looks like I'll be doing this for the next 4-5 years!

It is really cute how they have the lessons structured. They had about 16 groups of 4 to 5 kids getting lessons at one time. Each group gets a different color balloon (when they run out of colors they have balloons with pictures or words on them) which gets tied to the back of their helmet. This not only assists the instructors on telling which kid is in their group, but also help you to find your own kid! Caden was the white group.


They have a "No Spectators Past This Point" sign, so I had to use my zoom to its max capacity to get the pictures because I was over 100 yards away.. and looking directly into the sun.. I actually used my camera as binoculars part of the time!

Caden and Miss Michelle his ski instructor

They have to coolest thing called a "Magic Carpet", it's basically like a moving sidewalk up the hill! Where was this when I was learning? I had to master the pommell lift that was tough in my memory anyway!

I actually missed the first time Caden went down the hill... for some reason in my head I didn't think they were actually ever going to ski down.. maybe they were just touring the hill? haha! But he did.. when I did catch him he was nearing the bottom flying towards the woods! since we hadn't quite learned how to snowplow yet in our front yard because the snow was just too hard to move in.. even though I was a Mommy Groomer and rolled down the hill to pack it down for him. The things parents do for their children! (secretly though it was really fun!!). I digress.. much like when sledding Caden has excellent instinct on when to dump.. here he bailed out before careening into the woods!

Here he goes.. "french frying" it down the hill...

On just his 3rd time down the hill he had gotten the hang of "the pizza" portion of skiing.. the infamous snowplow.

Check out the carnage surrounding Caden!!

At first they would take the kids off the Magic Carpet midway up.. then much to my surprise they went all the way up to the top (it is only the learning hill so it isn't that high.. or steep)

At the end of the lessons they played a giant game of tag.. which also looked to me like a giant game of tackle the ski instructors.. Caden is the white balloon in the center. He joined right in even though his instructor was no fool and wasn't involved in the pile up!

1 hour later Caden tromps back to the lodge...

And we can't get through the day without a goofball picture!

The best part of this whole thing? While Caden is in his lesson I can ski for free for the hour as long as I am willing to help kids in lessons with the chair lift. Sweet! The downside is that last weekend when I went to show Caden how to put on skis my binding on one of my skis shattered.. I guess the plastic was too old seeing as I did get them in.. middle school? yikes! I brought them to a ski shop to get new bindings and they asked if I had taken my skis down from hanging above the mantel! Geez way to make me feel old! Just because they are straight skis which happen to be early 90's teal doesn't mean they aren't cool! okay maybe it does.. so anyway.. I took one for the team (woe is me!!) and bought a new pair of skis and bindings!! Yippeee!! So they were off the clearance rack from a season or two ago.. but they are parabolic, women's skis and all mine!! I can't wait to try them out next week! I hope I remember how to ski! I haven't been since before Caden was born! If I don't, I'll let you sign my cast!