3 Sisters 7 Days

This is probably the best picture out of my/our entire stay in CA.  Maz has been to the beach before, but not like this past trip.  We actually spent a good amount of time at the La Jolla shores (my favorite place) and snorkeled.  Neither of us had ever done that before, but we had a good time.  I think the trickiest part is learning how to get in and out of the water with fins. Well, at least Maz was able to keep his fins on…

I guess this year – or should I say, season – I am trying new winter sports.  I have been snowboarding for over 10 years and that, until now, has been the extent of my winter sporting. This season, I  tried snowshoeing, and last week was my first “go” at cross country skiing.

Okay, the last time I put skis on my feet, I think I was about twelve years old and hated every minute of it.  I lasted the day, and the whole time, I couldn’t understand the “fun” in the sport. All I wanted to do was strap my feet into a snowboard…six years later I finally got the snowboard.

Anyway, back to cross country skiing.  It was harder than I expected, but it wasn’t too difficult.  It was another version of snowshoeing and hiking with some hills. I did fall a lot, and I did do a lot of snow plowing, which worked some of the time; when the poles or the skis didn’t stop me, I just went for the ground.

I kept trying to use the same motion as running…move arms and legs in unison and BAM I should be good.  Nope, there is much more to it.  First of all, my feet were on skis the width of an Oreo and I had to use poles while coordinating my feet/skis.  Second, going up hill was ridiculous. I ended up making a “V”  and virtually walking up the hills hoping to not slide back down.  As soon as I got off the hills, and the up/down rotation, I was good to go. I actually enjoyed skiing on the flat surface and taking in the scenery that Breckenridge has to offer.  The best part of the day was that I kept moving enough that I didn’t get cold

So, yes this sport is something I would probably do again, and it’s a great cross training sport…I was tight the next day, that’s for sure. Tomorrow: Snowboarding at Monarch.

Remember when fear was enough to keep children ON the pool’s stairs and OUT of the deep end? No more. Thanks to “floaties” and cute, Speedo life vests designed for pooling, Olivia – a.k.a. the “Invisible Girl” – thinks she can swim…even when she’s not wearing her life vest.

Take Wednesday, for example.

I had finally, successfully lured all four of my children out of our community pool with the promise of take-out pizza for dinner when I saw one of their boogie boards bump up against the edge of the pool’s deep end. They must have been really hungry because when I asked the “big kids” to go retrieve the board, they started arguing about who most deserved to be bothered with the task.

Meanwhile, the Invisible Girl slipped away. I caught sight of her, squatting at the edge of the pool and teetering on her tippy toes, just as she leaned her life vestless little body out over the water and snagged the board’s cord. I didn’t have time to complete my command, “Step away from the pool and GET BACK HERE!” before she was speed walking (at least she noticed my glare and, I’m sure, was anticipating my usual, “WALK!”) back to our little poolside group.

Invisible explained that it was okay: “I just grabbed the cord and pulled the boogie board out; and, anyway I can swim!” I explained to Invisible – as calmly as I could – that although I was very thankful for her assistance, she is not to go near the water without my permission and her life vest, without which she cannot swim.

On our walk home, Invisible slipped her hand into mine, looked up and asked, “Mommy, so next time it’s okay if I put my life vest on and THEN go get the boogie board?” What could I say? I wonder if it’s even possible for her to “get” my need to SEE her, to KNOW where she is?