Snow, snow, snow!

So after much excitement we are finally skiing and despite my concerns about being on a group trip, I can see why families chose to go with other families for something like this. The girls are loving having 28 other kids from their school to hang out wit, and for the most part, we parents are loving the independence that gives them. There has been a bit of pushing and shoving, quite literally this afternoon when (apparently) Oliver and Oliver threw snow at Tom, who retaliated by pushing one of them who then threw an ice sheet and subsequently got punched in the face. It’s at these times I’m pleased to have girls! 

 

Izzy has taken to the snow like a pro skier and is absolutely loving it. Today (day 2) she was begging to go out at 9am to practice, shot off to her lessons when they called them at 11 and was rating to go again for the afternoon. Abi is finding it more difficult and consequently is getting very tired. She did her morning lesson and then slumped over lunchtime, leading me to take her back to the room for a siesta. I suspect it won’t be her thing which is typical - it would have been too easy to have found holiday like this that everyone loves! 

 

I’m doing ok, better than I thought I would. Yesterday my ski instructor had me do a couple of movements on the baby slopes and then took me straight up to the main piste, saying I was clearly going to be fast learner. I had a great morning with him, not falling once, and congratulated myself on my progress. Glenn then took me out in the afternoon and within 15 minutes I was shouting at him in frustration as we headed down the nearest red run with me terrified I was going to break something. Terror does not make for good skiing I found out! In fairness the area we are in only has one blue run so red runs are the main choice unless you go higher for the black runs, but even so! Today my ski instructor started me on parallel turns, ie the things Glenn was shouting at to get me to do yesterday, and it took me forever it seemed to get the hang of where my weight should be (“lean into ze valley, not ze mountain Kristi!”). But I finally got it pretty much sorted and I’m even confident that I can stop when I want to also. It fair to say that I’ve fallen over much more today but so be it - I’m learning!

 

The social side of things has been much better than I imagined. There are a number of dads here who have military backgrounds which has helped, as did Glenn getting more than a bit merry with the Headmaster and a couple of others in night one. He staggered into our room trying to be quiet, fell over the bed and woke us all up... nothing like first night excitement - there were a few sorry faces yesterday morning!

 

This afternoon the kids have finished off the day with a group swim. At least we don’t have to go with them - a bit of quiet time before whatever random meal our Faulty Towers hotels serves us tonight. It was never billed as a gourmet holiday which is a good job - the food is edible if almost entirely beige...suits the kids perfectly!