The Young and the Restless

Replay

I've stopped having the Walmart dreams. This is monumental. It means my inner psyche and outer psyche (totally a real thing) have united in agreement that it's time to stop making a mental list of everything I miss at home and start focusing on the list of everything I love and will miss about this place. High on that list is being geographically nestled in between the beach and the mountains. I don't think there are many places where you can hit the snowboard and the surfboard in the same day. Given there's a certain level of crazy involved to make you want to do both. But my point is you could. We were sad that last winter we didn't make it to the mountain because all our extra cash was spent up buying life necessities such as pee stained mattresses and kitchen tables covered in cat hair. We decided to make up for it this time around, so here's our snow day take II. The drive up there is odd. A part of me feels bad for this little resort that could (of course this coming from a girl who feels bad for Siri if the kids start teasing her. Artificial intelligence have feelings too). I've just never driven through dirt roads and prairie land to reach a ski resort, it seems sort of sad.

The sleds were all rented out, but it was fine because we came prepared with all the fixings for a right proper snowman. We were pretty proud of our little guy. The ratio of snowmen to children pictures would make you think I gave birth to it. I will admit that I did have the maternal instinct to cradle it under my protective wing when other kids were sledding near.

Look at the way he so delicately holds his little stick hand. He named him Ryder.

Taking selfies with a snowman. As one does.

Ryder's bucket list also involved a snow ball fight. 

Yeah, this happened. I guess I was asking for it. If only his aim in the toilet were as good as his aim with a snowball.

Maddox took a break from boarding to build a bwuddo snowman. He tried so hard to make the head look like Olaf. Do you wanna build a snowmaaaaan...your welcome, now you can think of me 20 minutes from now when you still have that song stuck in your head.

While we were waiting for a sled Maddox wanted to hike up the mountain and slide down on his pants. Hiking in the snow in high altitude is not for the faint of heart. I sorta threw Ryder under the bus (figuratively of course) as I yelled to Maddox that he couldn't climb any higher. And then my left lung collapsed. But they had so much fun shooting down the mountain, and I got to count it as my cardio workout for the day. Or week, if we're being honest.

We perched ourselves precariously on the top of a rocky hill overlooking the ski run so that we could watch Jason and the kids come down. My fear of them causing a rockslide as they ignored my rule about not throwing rocks was outweighed only by my fear of missing a photo op of them coming down the mountain. So there we sat and waited. And took selfies. Maddox was there too, but he kept covering up my hair that was blowing ever so perfectly in the wind so I took the liberty of dismissing him from the frame. Guys, I can finally wear a beanie without looking like a boy. It was called for.

We spotted them coming down and Maddox was so impressed with how fast Jason was. All this time he had been pigeonholing his capabilities to the skills he saw on the bunny slope.

I took a few runs with the kids too (Kylie is on the right). After falling off the "lift" not once, but twice, we finally made it up. Kylie was embarrassed when a boy came up to her and told her she was good and he thought she was hot. Sometimes I question if she is really my daughter because I was always so boy crazy (I think I still have the note the neighbor boy attached to an arrow and shot into our yard. It was a marriage proposal. I didn't want to jump to any conclusions, but I will say that daisies were my bouquet of choice), but she was totally disgusted by it. That's one of the million things I like about her.

I also took a few turns with Maddox on the bunny slope and I was all like jazz hands the entire way down. He is doing awesome and absolutely loves it. Snowboarding can now be added to his official resume. Along with making fish hooks out of bobby pins.

The sky was so gloomy and overcast when we left and unfortunately the clouds were waiting for us when we got back. But it didn't dampen the mood too much. A car littered with beanies and gloves, the blast of heat thawing out cold little toes, sleeping kids worn out after a long day, pizza hut on speed dial, a setting sun and the promise of a hot shower and slippers waiting at home. Yeah, imma be right here. The one with a goofy smile on my face thinking life is pretty good these days.