In Your Face Friday the 13th!

On a day that is supposed to bring nothing but bad luck, it just so happened to be one of the best of my life. In your face, Friday the 13th!

Now, I don't write this post to rub it in your face either.  Today was a great day with my kids, that's all.  I'm not saying that my kids are better than yours, but yes, since you asked, they probably are.  I mean seriously, don't we all think that of our offspring?  Would we ever really be tempted to trade our kids with someone elses? I suppose if they were teenagers, that might be tempting, and there are those times that Joshua completely drives me up the wall as he repeatedly pesters his younger siblings.   But today the stars aligned and I had one glorious, indescribably joyous day with my kids. I need to document it so I can look back to this post when my kids cause me to pull out my hair and throw a plate against the wall while yelling, "That's it!! I quit!"

We went skiing. 

That's the short version.

Continue reading, if you prefer the long version.

The day awoke bright blue and cloudless.  We loaded the car with gear, hot chocolate, sandwiches, and my new favorite album, "Ceremonials" by "Florence and the Machine."  Now, if you haven't yet listened to this most amazing album on the planet (my current opinon), pay the $10 and download it from itunes (or email me so I can send you a copy.)  Her music moves me.  It makes me want to run (and I hate running). It makes me want to throw bright blue  buckets of paint agains a giant canvas and  fingerpaint.  It causes me to move my little body in complete inhibition (picture me with my eyes closed and hands in the air, swaying back and forth with my curls swaying to and fro.)  Summed up, it makes me want to release my artistic expression. 

We arrive at Snow Basin, gear up, and quickly run to catch the shuttle.  Walk to the ticket booths, purchase  tickets, and then make the kids sit while I run back to the car to grab my helmet and goggles (forgotten in the hustle and bustle to make it to the shuttle in time.)  Strap on the skis, hop on the lift and meet our cousins Jack and Kenny on top, along with Aunt Shera.  Our day of bliss begins.

What made this day so cosmic?  I'm pretty sure the sunshine helped, as I would lay my head back on the lift and let my face absorb as much vitamin D as possilbe.   Everything just worked out so perfectly.  The weather was perfect, warm and sunny.  The snow was perfect for the kids.  The lines weren't bad, no one peed in their pants, no one dropped their poles off the lift, and no one fell off the lift for that matter either.  Maybe it was the thinned  mountain air, and I was more or less in a drunken stooper most the day from lack of oxygen.  Whatever the reason, it was bliss.

I think it's just hard to find an activity that you can do as a family and everyone is happy.  But this was it.  I was having a great time, and the kids were having a great time.  I loved just sitting on the lift with my kids, putting my arms around them and talking with them, uninterrupted. 

"Hey, Dax and Ella, try to guess what time it is."

Ella, "I think it's 99."

Dax, "It's probably 30 right now."

"You were both close, it's 2:44."

I loved skiing down the hill and watching Ella in front of me, moving her arms up and down like a gogo dancer, as she admired the way her shadow moved in front of her. 

 

I loved watching Josh ski through the trees, desperately searching for any kind of powder, as well as trying to catch "air" off the "sweet jumps."

And let's be honest here, Dax could be doing practically anything, and I would love to watch him do it.

This day was awesome.  Summed up, pretty perfect.  It completely reaffirmed to me why Midway will be the place for us.  Combine Midway with Florence and the Machine, and I will be unstoppable!