Swim & Ski

Chris had a little time off from work, so we had to decide if we were going to spend the time cleaning the house or going on a trip. We decided to go to a ski resort at Massanutten where I tried skiing for the very first time -- more on that later in the post.
I loved this place, they had an amazing water park where the kids played for hours. We had to climb up what seemed like 500 steps before you got to the top of the water slide, but the kids thought it was worth it so they could hear me scream all the way down.

They had snow tubing, which was so fast and fun, but left your bottom a little sore. After Selena's first time down, she said she didn't want to go anymore. But she went up with me after I told her if she didn't go, I couldn't go either. Then she was addicted. She and Sophia loved it.

They had activities for kids all day long. They made tie-dye shirts, etched glass, made jewelry, painted snowmen, and made fleece hats. We attended a family-friendly comedian night and ate tons of appetizers. One night we left the kids at a science class and attended our first murder mystery dinner theater. It was a little corny, but we met some fun people and had a yummy dinner that included crab legs, chicken Alfredo, chocolate cake and cheesecake. Yes, we all gained weight this week.

The main attraction was the skiing though. Chris was already a pro and didn't need lessons. The rest of us however, had never stepped on skis in our lives, so we all took a class. The girls were in a Slope Sliders class with great instructors that taught them most of the day and served them hot chocolate and lunch. By the end of their first day of lessons, they were going down the hills like little pros. Sophia was fearless. After her lessons were over, she would go up the ski lift by herself, come flying down the hill, and go back up again.

Alec and I took a class together. After our first lesson, he graduated to the hill. He and another boy started skiing together. He even went on a more advanced hill with his friend and was off the rest of the day.

Selena and Chris went up and down the hill together. Selena loved flying down and as she explained to me, would come to a stop by making a pizza slice with her skis.

Now, I'll write about my skiing experience. I've been in a couple fender-benders in my life and remember how sore my muscles ached afterwards, well, that's how my body felt after falling down so many times. I had three instructors, all very patient. As one was leading me down the hill, a young boy was going too fast and crashed into us, which didn't help my confidence. After my instructor chastised the boy, we continued down. At times, I felt like I knew what I was doing. But whenever I picked up speed, I'd freak out and end up on the ground. That was basically my experience. After my first day, I swore I'd never get on skis again. But thankfully my second day was better. I had a different instructor that made a huge difference.

The kids loved the condo we stayed in, mainly because it had more tv's than we have in our home. They were in heaven as they sat on their beds changing the channels, watching shows late into the night.

It was a very fun vacation where we were able to swim and ski on the same day. Even though I'm very sore, I didn't break any bones. And the best part is that I have an excuse to get a massage later this week.