Learning to Ski: The Push Me Method

We all went skiing over Christmas break. It was Dane's first time to ski, and the little guy proved he is brave, patient, and persistent.

Tiny skis truly are adorable.

Being the unaccomplished skier that I am, I thought it would be smarter for me to work with the boys at first in my snow boots instead of skis. I insisted for awhile that I only go down with Blake, who knows what to do, but Blake desperately wanted to be with Brent so I finally gave in and took Dane.

We got ready at the top of the hill. I said, "Okay, show me how you snowplow."

Dane replied, "You push me and then I will show you how I 'nowplow."

I said, "No, you need to show me first."

"No," and he smiled sweetly, "you push me first and then I will show you how I 'noplow."

He's three, and his little voice makes my heart smile. We argued for awhile about this, and finally I realized we had better just get going. I should have realized we should make a plan B because he did not know how to snowplow. I didn't push him; we started going slowly together.

For the first few yards all was well and I was smiling and laughing and so proud to see my little guy stick his bottom back and make french fries with those skis and go down the hill. And I was running right along with him. Running faster, and faster and faster... and whoosh! Dane was off zooming down that hill faster than I could run.

"SNOWPLOW! SNOWPLOW!" I yelled, as I chased him.

Brent was stuck riding up the carpet escalator, watching certain destruction befall his baby. "Make him stop!" he yelled across the hill. And I thought a few things right then, mostly related to whattheheckdoyouthinkI'mtryingtodo,Idon'tknowhowtomakehimstoporIwouldalready!

All the other good parents on the hill were staring at Dane, staring at me as I ran after him, protecting their perfect champion-skier children. I noticed this. I also noticed the orange plastic fence at the base of the hill and truthfully was relieved to see something would know how to stop my little guy.

I wish I could have seen Dane's face as he blasted into (and partially under) that fence (which I'd like to add is soft and flexible, a net-like fence). I betcha' he was smiling on the way down because it had to be fun going so fast. I know its kind of awful but I was smiling too as I was chasing him because it really was just so funny. "You push me first and then I will show you how I 'nowplow."

He cried for a minute, realized he wasn't hurt, and then said, "Let's do that again." That's my boy.

This is my dad, Dane and I later in the day after I realized I needed to wear skis, hold on to him at all times, and give up on teaching him to snowplow.

Cheri, Hunter and Mark - I'm so glad they came too.

The real star of the day was Blake, who remembered a lot from ski school last year and did a great job. I have a fabulous video of him but no pictures, and yes, I'm feeling guilty about it.