Goings On

Monday afternoon, Landon and I decided to go on Levi's field trip on Tuesday. His grade went skiing at Appalachian Ski Mountain. I called my mom around lunch time and she graciously agreed to keep the other three kids, and get them to school on Tuesday morning. (thanks Mom, Dad, and David) Tuesday morning we had to be at the school at 4:45am. Good stuff. Anyone who knows the hubs well, knows he is a self proclaimed non-morning person. While we waited in the school parking lot, he was griping about how un-natural it was to be awake. Even the folks in What-a-burger were surprised to see him. We snuck over there during the orientation for the students. They did all their paperwork in the gym, and handed out lift tickets. That made it SO much easier once we arrived at the slopes. At 5:30 we were on our way. I kept hoping we would pass a Starbucks, but no such luck. About an hour and a half in, Landon gave up the wheel and conked out. Thirty minutes from the slopes we hit snow, and it snowed the rest of the day. Upon arrival we were put to work. Steering the kids toward bib rentals or the lockers. (those were also paid for in advance, I think all the kids had one) All they had to do was get boots and skis and start their lessons. Then it was Landon and I skiing ON OUR OWN......without kids. GLORIOUS! I felt like we were on a date or something. We encountered the boys a few times, but Levi had instructed us not to speak or ski with him. So you know we had to hug him every time we saw him. :) We did follow him down the slope once, he wasn't feeling it. It is amazing how many times one can go up and down without four kids, and by 2:30 we were pooped. While I was changing, a few girls told me that Levi was hurt and they had been calling me over the intercom. I ran to find a teacher. She told us that it wasn't our Levi but a different one. He had a concussion and told the teacher he was "our" Levi. Then Levi came running in asking them why they were calling him. (insert huge sigh of relief) The other child is okay, he was very lucky. Apparently he skied straight into a tree. He went to the hospital and there was no internal bleeding or broken bones. Our ride home was uneventful. The most exciting thing was, we discovered a Dunkin Doughnuts and I FINALLY got my coffee for the day. WooHoo! Can't wait until Wyatt goes!

Winterplace 2010

Upon arrival to Princeton, West Virginia Sunday night, the temperature was 6 degrees. I would have taken a picture of that, but my brain cells don't function as clearly in cold weather. All I could think of was, get inside Cracker Barrel as quickly as possible without slipping on an ice patch and falling down.
We made two runs before coming back inside, to purchase these masks. I don't think my neck and chin have EVER been that cold before. The ski lifts had signs on them warning of frostbite. Add goggles and you have what everyone looked like outside.
How cute is this? My little "Silence of the Lambs" skiing buddy.

Packing

6 toboggans

10 pairs of ski gloves

6 coats

6 snow pants

6 sets of long underwear

Extra socks

Crocs

Blankets

Snacks

Lunch

8 DS games

4 iPods synced

Carmex

Camera

P.J.'s

Toothbrushes

Toothpaste

I feel like I am forgetting something.

Winterplace, 80 percent chance of snow and 16 degrees, here we come.

Are We Lost

Can you see the GPS with NOTHING on the screen?  That is what happens when you drive on a newly completed road.  Since NC is known for our awesome roads, this could happen quite often.  The funny thing was after about twenty minutes, the hubs looks at me and says, "I hope we are still going the right way".   The GPS was in a tizzy.  It kept telling us to turn right at the next road.  Finally, in a last desperation attempt, it said "at the next available spot do a u-turn and go the other way".   

Sugar

Last Thursday evening, we packed up the kids and drove to Boone to spend the night.  (that is in the NC mountains for those of you who don't know)  I think the boys would be happy if all we did was spend the night in a hotel, then get up and go home.  (above is my lodge bag of dry socks and gloves, which I took for nothing because it was 58 degrees and we were burning up)
The highlight of the night was swimming in the pool and going to the lobby for free snacks.  I highly recommend the Hampton Inn in Boone.  They have food, juice, and water bottles out all day, instead of just during breakfast.  And then there is the pool, lol.
We got to Sugar Mountain by 8:30 the next morning to get our tickets.  By the time we got our equipment, the place was packed.  Seems everyone had the same idea, because we saw several other families from Mount.  (it was a teacher work-day)
Sugar has no lines set up for you to walk through to get boots, skis, and poles like Winterplace does, so it was chaotic.  Did I mention it was crowded?  The line was out the door and around the building.  
I was in charge of myself, S and Wyatt.  Landon had G and Levi.  If you ski you know what that means.  I had to carry one of my boots, one of my shoes, my skis, my poles, one of S's boots, one of S's shoes, one of Wyatt's boots, and one of Wyatt's shoes.  S carried his skis, and Wyatt carried his skis.  (you put one boot on there and they adjust skis with the other boot).  By the time we got to the locker room I was exhausted, and W and S were complaining.  Did I mention that I also was carrying their toboggans and gloves?  By the afternoon I was skiing with no toboggan, no gloves, and no coat.  It was THAT hot.  Oh, and it was crowded.  Lift lines were 10-20 minutes long and the boys weren't loving standing in line, so we only skied for a few hours and then loaded up for home.  Thank goodness we had a group rate from my mom, or it would have been one expensive nightmare.  I told my mom the place was slammed when we got home that night.  She didn't know what that meant, lol.  Slammed was an understatement!

Growing Pains

The Rock

Blowing Rock

The Three Musketeers

Say Cheese

Snow Plow

Appalachian or Bust

Whew, we are back at home after our week-end get-away.  Saturday morning we picked up L from his slumber party at school, and we were on our way by 6:30.  The drive was pretty uneventful, except for all of the fog.  Which got thicker and darker, the closer to the mountains that we got. Then, all of a sudden, we were above it and the kids got to see what they had been missing.  They were exclaiming over the high trees and cliffs and valleys.  It was fun to see it through their eyes.  The ride seemed shorter than I had remembered.  We were there by 9.  It wasn't crowded and we parked practically in front of the steps to the lodge.  By the time we were dressed, with skis, boots, poles, and lift tickets, the husband and I were exhausted.  I can't imagine doing all of that with the buddies without some more adult help.  The kids picked up skiing quickly, as kids usually do.  I was scared because I haven't been in 14 years, and didn't want to get hurt.  There was nothing to worry about, because it truly IS like riding a bike.  You never forget.  We started out together, but ended up splitting up.  L and the husband, and W and me.  By lunch time, the boys weren't even falling down at all.  After lunch the crowds got thicker, but it was still not too bad of a wait for the lifts.  By the end the boys went skiing without us, and the husband and I went on the BIG, HUGE  slope.  From the top all you can see is a drop-off and the parking lot.  I was terrified of having to come down the slope in one of those sleds (don't laugh).  But it was all good.  No one fell, and I had to THANK the husband for talking me into going up there with him.  The only time I fell all day, was when we both stopped to help W at the same time, and I rammed right into the husband and BOUNCED off of him onto my tailbone and then my head.  Thank goodness snow is soft.  

We left the slopes with calves burning, and sore feet, that is the adults.  The boys were fine, lol.  We stopped by The Blowing Rock and Mystery Hill on the way to the hotel.  After we checked in, we traveled on to the Mast General Store and the Dan'l Boone Inn for supper.  Good stuff.  The husband and I were pretty wiped out, but the boys weren't tired at all.  They played in the game-room for about an hour, and then we all crashed.

When are my calves going to stop burning?  I feel like they are permanently flexed.  If you see me out and about, I will be the one hobbling around like an old lady.  Don't laugh...it hurts.  ;)

Planning a Trip

You don't fully appreciate your mother until you are one.  We have decided to take the big boys skiing over the week-end.  The little boys are staying with my parents.  Sounds simple, right?  Well, since I was sick earlier in the week, there are many loads of laundry that need to be washed.  L has a slumber party at school tonight, so we will have to pick him up early in the morning on the way.  There are suitcases that need to be packed while big boys are at school, because this trip is a surprise.  The kitchen hasn't been mopped, and the coat and boot area look like a bomb went off.  The washing machine isn't completing the final high-spin.  The husband is on his way to the coast, riding with a buddy in his rig, to pick-up his "new" tractor.  Today I am on my own with all of this.  Shesh, to be a kid again and just get woken up and told to get dressed and get in the car because we are going on a trip.  Ahhhh, the good ol' days.

Okay, enough whining.  I need to go make a list.