I love the first time I get to experience something new. The first time I tasted a fig plucked right off the tree or the first time I coaxed a tomato plant out of a seed and ate a tomato out of my very own garden. I loved the first ride on a truly scary roller coaster, my first trip to Paris (am I really looking at the Eiffel Tower in person?!?!), the first time I crossed the finish line of a 5k or a triathlon, and of course, the first time I held my very own baby.
Firsts are so special because they are accompanied by a sense of wonder and maybe even a little fear. Will I like this? Will it taste good? Will I be any good at this? Will I get hurt? And the endorphin rush that accompanies so many of these first experiences can rarely ever be repeated. So over the years, I have learned to a) stop and appreciate the first moment of a new experience and b) lay aside some of my fear and try any new thing that interests me.
This year has been so full of firsts for the girls and I. Homeschool? Really? I never thought I'd be doing this? And I also get the thrill of seeing the girls experience so many firsts. First international trip, first dance class, first public speaking experience, so many firsts!
And one first we all got to share together: skiing.
Most people know, I am a Florida girl by birth and there's not a winter day that goes by that I don't long for a palm tree and my flip-flops. Even though I have lived most of my life in the North East, I never got around to the whole skiing thing. My Floridian parents had no interest and it all just sounded so...COLD!
This year, it was just time. I had never skied. The girls had never skied. And with a whole school year stretching out before us, I knew there would never be a better time. We joined the Snowflake Club, a small group that negotiates inexpensive rentals, lift tickets and lessons for homeschooled kids who are uniquely suited for taking up all those empty weekday mornings on the slopes. You know...when the rest of the world is either at work or in school.
Every Tuesday during January and February, we drove two hours into the Poconos to the Shawnee Mountain Ski Resort. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous at first. I wasn't afraid to ski nor was I concerned about my ability to learn. It was more about all those stories you hear about people breaking a leg on the slopes. Who would do the laundry, cook, clean, carpool, etc...if I were in a caste? I really don't want to find out.
The girls and I suited up in all our gear and met our instructor for our first lesson. We learned how to make "pizza": angling your skis so you can control your speed, and how to make "french fries": holding your skis parallel so you can go faster. (Fast food terminology for pre teens: perfect!) The girls picked this up all in no time flat and after an hour we were off to another first...The ski lift!
My girls loved the ski lift. And then at the top of the mountain, I reminded them of our lesson. Remember to angle your skis, and lean forward a bit, and bend your knees, relax your arms, blah, blah, blah. You know what happened next, right? They both blitzed down the hill at top speed leaving dear old mom behind and at the bottom exclaimed, "that was AWESOME!"
Ah, who cares if they learn anything. At least we had fun. Hmmmm...that might be the theme for this whole year ; )
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