Now that is what I call skiing!!!!
I understand now why my Swiss buddies think our Laurentian skiing is second class. After skiing Stowe I realized..we have been skiing on hills not
mountains.
I can't wait to take our family to the Swiss Alps one day. Stowe was breathtakingly beautiful. Perfect powder. Sunshine. Loved every
minute (thank goodness since at the price we paid for 5 of us each minute
counted!)
Topnotch Resort, Stowe Vermont is our place. Love the outdoor pools and Jacuzzis overlooking the picturesque mountains, the big fuzzy white robes and the free homemade hot cocoa and cookies at 4pm.
We took our kids this time, where usually has been "our" spot. They loved it too- especially the skiing. Don't think we will go back to Stowe ever again without hitting the slopes with our kids. The skiing was incredible and so was the après ski in the pool....
A wonderful Mexican meal out, sleeping in each other’s beds at night, tons of tickling and laughing and hanging out. Watching Birth Stories in the mornings and weird shows late into the night (god boys have weird humor).
Eating eggs and smoothies and yummy jam in our robes in the fancy restaurant in the morning. Enjoying all our crazy conversations. Laughing and loving each other.
Blackberries and cells away. Facebook and computers gone. Our family of Five.
The 80-20 thing as usual. 80 I loved-20 percent frustrated us. They frustrated us. With all the good times came fights, and disagreements and squabbles and hyperness. Rudeness and bad table manners. Disobedience and not listening.
That bothered both of us. A lot. It always does. Is it that our expectations are too high? Our kid’s behavior too bad? I will write about it in another post "Transitions" when I get my head around it a bit more.
Our kids are great at life-bad at transitions. So are we.
We love sharing a room the 5 of us for all those snuggly cozy moments we get-but by the end of three days of stepping over underwear and hearing them battle it over what show to watch and who sits where-we are ready to flush them down the toilet!!!!
But. I can complain about those moments (always because I want to keep it real and my accounts of our lives realistic) but I loved this getaway with our kids.
From Beauty saying "Am I digested enough??" before going into the pool after a meal- to Chase with his gorgeous no gel hair and scruffy looks away from the eyes of his peers and Bear’s little cuddles at night with his sister and his blue eyes turning the loveliest shade of green lately.....in some ways I could not get enough of them.
Dancing out as a family in a line after Mexican-speaking French so no one
understands what we are saying and gliding down the mountains of Stowe-as a unit-all together doing what we do best. Skiing, leisure and being together.
We all love the feel of the mountain, the jumps, the trails, the effortlessness
of skiing as we master it more and more (well the 4 of their mastery anyways!)
The way our legs ache from the spring snow and the long trails.
A sense of pride and accomplishment from Hubby and I that although they may be little whiners and annoying at times (often!) they are beautiful and graceful and talented skiers. They are getting to be with snow the way they have always been with water. It is who they are-it is in their bones.
And we did that. Those hundreds of hours of dedicated lessons and times and badges and weekends. It has all paid off- we committed to a family sport and they all LOVE it. Hallelujah! We did something right! We can't wait to teach our kid’s own kids one day water and snow.
So Stowe was 80 percent amazing. I come back to Trent tonight mostly content, happy and spent with my little munchkins safely tucked into bed. They are so sweet when they are silent.
As for the other 20 percent? I really don't know to be honest. I am trying to
figure out why so often our kids get on our nerves on our vacations and that we come back feeling mostly good but vaguely unsettled too. I am trying to figure out if it is us..or is it them? Is it something we can fix through changing? Certain habits? Lessening expectations? Becoming stricter on some things or more lenient on others?
If we lived in France would life be easier with kids if we did it the French way?
"Onst your energy be attracted to a train wreckage than to a smoothly running system?"
I will keep you posted-so stay tuned!
All I know is that I love this family. Fiercely and that all the moments we have together are memorable. Like me...my kids are complex and intracte-fiesty and full of energy. So as a unit.....we are something else:)
So I loved our getaway all in all. I would do it again..and again. Lucky for me I also love "my other life". I love my work-and my "other crazy gang" I love the break and being disconnected-but I love my crazy days there too and a part of me can't wait to get back. Thank goodness this is a vacation and not my life…I love being with my kids but could never, ever do this all the time. I need my work in the way others need oxygen and sleep.
The other part of me will very happily park my butt on my cottage couch for the remaining 4 days and read "Bringing up Bebe" and a whole pile of glamour magazines. And I will ski a whole bunch more hills.
I am glad I love both my lives and that each has the ability to make me a little flustered and hot and bothered at times. I guess in the end-I bring that out in people and the places I am….and they bring it out in me.
I guess when it comes down to it I would not like it any other way than a bit
wild, unpredictable and chaotic. It is what I love...and what I attract..and how it is.
I will take it. I want it. I covet it and adore it.
So although I might aim for 90-10 on our next family getaway-inside I am secretly thrilled that my three kids have personality. Each unique but each a load of charm and charisma-so much so that it gets the best of us sometimes and exhausts us often.
I like that they have it in them......to not be perfect and far from it-but still to sparkle in their own way all the time sparkling little blasts of
energy. It's these imperfections that keep me wanting more and loving every single ounce of them every single day.
Stowe-you Rock. Hubby..you rock too. Will be glad to steal a few moments alone with you in the next few days. Love sleeping with our babies-but miss our pillow talk. I miss you
I love winter now every bit as much as summer.
I can honestly say that weather is truly not mattering much anymore.
