Memories

There is nothing as surreal as when memories come flooding back by watching your own child learn what you learned as a child and at the very same place.   It was a true life cycle moment.   Shelby was learning to ski at the very same ski school our Dad took us too many, many years ago.  

We went to St Johann, Kitzbuhl, Austria, and got to ski the same mountain I skied as a child.  Three families from this area went together and we all stayed in an apartment style hotel.  There is no other way to go.  It was snowing big, beautiful flakes when we arrived, and it continued for two days after that.  It was the softest powder I have seen in many, many years.  It's the most snow Shelby had seen and she had a blast playing in snow drifts that were almost taller than her!  

The first evening we all went sledding.  Shelby had the old fashioned European wood sled that we rented from outdoor-rec.  I think it was the fastest.   I went on it once with her and I got a little nervous (as there were a few little ones around).   Not fearless Shelby though.  She wanted to go higher and higher and not share her sled.  She was convinced otherwise on both accounts.  

After about and hour we all went back to the apartments for dinner.  It worked out perfectly, as the parents sat in one room around the table and the kids went to another room (with a door) and ate.   The arrangement was that one family would cook for all the families one night and then rotate to the next.   Since the kids were in a separate room, the adults had some REAL conversation.  We even had time for a short game of Trivial Pursuit...girls against guys, of course.   Let's not go into who was losing before the kids dictated the nights end.

The next day, Jay and another Dad took Shelby and his son for the first trip on skis.  One family took their two kids sledding while myself and the other Mom, with the two smallest kids planned a shopping trip.  Well we didn't get far when on the bus to the local town, I got a phone call from Jay.  In a very desperate voice he informed me that I would have to come get Shelby.   Since I wasn't able to ski that day, as I had Mikey.  Now I will have both kids to shop with while Jay would be able to ski the mountain all day with out me or the kids.   It seems that they took the kids up a regular hill, and Jay, who hadn't been been on skis in a long while,  and now with his daughter hanging on to him, was a little nervous.  I'm sure a whole lot more nervous than Shelby was.  Well in trying to remember how to turn, fell over and Shelby had a nice face plant in the snow.  Needless to say, my fearless little girl, who just the night  before was happily barreling down the mountain, was not getting back on those skis that day.  So with both sets of skis and all the rest of the gear, the two proceeded to walk all the way down the slope.  Neither were happy with the either and I got my phone call about then.   You can say I was a bit miffed.  I know Jay felt bad as he strongly urged Shelby to be on her best behavior or Daddy wasn't going to let her hear the end of it.   In the end, it all turned out well.  Mikey slept all the way through lunch and both Shelby and my friend's little girl were so very good during the entire lunch.  Renee and I had a full course lunch, to include a very tall glass of beer, and dessert.  Mikey woke up to eat as the check came, so I was able to feed him fast and we were on our way.  We didn't get much shopping done, but it was still a very nice day.  WE picked up the guys and headed back to the apartment.  I got a little piece and quiet then as Jay took Shelby to the pool for a short while.    

As we were preparing for the next day, I took some time out to talk to Shelby about getting back up on skis.  I let her know that she would be in an actual ski school where the teachers are trained to teach kids.  They will teach her how to fall, get back up and have fun skiing.  I explained to her that if she ever really wanted to learn how to ski, she had to get back up when she fell down.  If she didn't, she would be scarred of it for a long time.  It seemed to work as she was quite excited about going to a special school just for kids.  All her friends would be in the same class as well.  I had my own lecture from both Jay and my friend.  I was quite apprehensive about putting Mikey in the daycare offered there.  However, they both said that I have no room to pout about not skiing if I didn't do anything about it.  They were right.  So I put on my big girl panties and took Mikey to the local day care along with her daughter.  I'm so glad I did.  When we got there, the Nannies were English, so right of the bat, there wasn't a language barrier.  They were excited to  have both Mikey and Lily and I felt so comfortable with them.  The one that would be taking care of Mikey also had her little girl in there as well.  From 0900 to 4:30, it cost us 60 euros, which we didn't think was bad at all.

Jay and I finally had a date.  As soon as we dropped off the kids (he dropped off Shelby at the school) we met up and went straight up the lift.  I was amazed how easily I remembered how to ski.  To my surprise, I didn't fall all morning.  It felt so good to be back on the slopes.  Just think, the last time I was on that particular slope, I was about 10 years old.  That is just amazing to me.  I skied some while I was stationed here before,  so it made it that much easier to pick back up again.  We did a few runs together before we went to check on Shelby.  We were worried that she would see us and want to leave (and we weren't done skiing yet); but she didn't.   She got all excited when she saw us (we were trying to hide, but she found us) and just wanted to show off what she learned already.  She told us that she could ski backwards and when she fell down, she just got back up.  She even yelled that that when she told the instructor "Bathroom", she took her.   I can't begin to tell you how proud Jay and I were of her.   She wanted to stay and ski some more, so off we went with our friends....all the way to the top for lunch.   

The lift ride was pretty long going up (we took three different lifts, to include a gondola), but so worth it for the view.  We got a table right away and four beers right off the bat.  After we ordered them , three out of four of us realized that may not have been the smartest thing since the same three had not really been on skis in quite a awhile.  Oh well, there was food coming.  As we were eating, this Irish group of adults sat down next to us and we just all starting talking.    One Irish guy in particular talked and talked a lot.  When you could understand him, he was pretty darn funny.  However, you had to get past him dropping the "F" bomb literally, every other word.  SO after good food, good beer and very good company, we decided to head off.  Renee and I decided not to finish our beers, but not so for the guys.  We all still had half a beer left when it was time to go, so they decided to down theirs.   That probably would have been fine had the waiter not brought a round of pink Schnapps for all of us.  We were a bit surprised on that aspect of it, but what could we do?  Down it went...and down the hill we went.  the first half was a Red line (intermediate) and I was on my bottom half the time.  Nothing like a hill to humble ones self.  Renee stayed with us and had to talk me out of untangling myself on one fall and some guys had to help me after another when my skis came off.  The funny thing was, Jay did great on that hill, but when we got on the blue line hill (easy) he had a hard time, and I did much better.  Either way, it was fun and we only had time to go down that one time before it was time to get Shelby.  It was just as well as I was tired my then.  

We got to see Shelby finish the end of her school and ski down this very small hill.  She came up to me and said that the instructor said she could go up the big hill all by herself tomorrow.   She was disappointed when I told her that we had to go home the next day.  That meant she could ski some more that day.  So Jay went up the hill again, and Shelby showed off everything she learned that day.  I really couldn't have been more proud of her and was so happy that she had so much fun.  She wants to go again.

By now, it was the end of the day and we needed to pick up the kids.  They said Mikey was such a good and happy baby.  They asked me if Shelby was the same way..I told them I was blessed.   We both survived his first time in day care.  They said he had fun playing and talking to all the other kids.  I'm glad I did it.

That night, Jay and Shelby went to the pool again while I fed Mikey and had some more quiet time.  It was our turn to cook for everyone and Jay helped me out with taking the food over...two out of three stoves worked and the couple across from us had theirs full.    It was another pleasant evening with good company and adult conversation and we hated to see it end.  All in all, we had such a good time and got some good exercise as well.  We were all pretty tired the next day, but since we didn't have anything planned, it was a nice rest day.  Jay did have to work though.  

The other good news is that Jay will be getting pinned Major in March and we are all excited about that.  His Dad will be coming to see it.  Tomorrow, Shelby and I will be going to the Knitting Group in K-town for the first time and I'm really looking forward to that.  Jay will be having some bonding time with Mikey.   Jay and I will actually be having a date next Friday as the community club is going on a brewery tour.  My Grandma, Aunt and cousins should be jumping out of the plane this weekend.  My grandma is funny.  WE laugh at our lives.   I did all the daring, fun stuff when I was young, and now that I have kids to raise, I haven't really done anything since.  She is the opposite.  She had kids to raise at the beginning, but now that her kids have kids with their own kids, she is finally doing all the fun daring stuff that she has been wanting to do.  She has been pretty busy the last ten years,  flying ultra-lights, helicopter rides and jumping out of planes.  Did I mention she is 72?  Well I at least know where my spirit comes from.  Her daughter, my Aunt, and the one that will be skydiving with her is the same.   I'm sure Sandi and I hope to be doing the same when we are 72, and maybe my daughter.

Until the next time..