Whistler with Kids Part 2

Good Morning!!

The first morning after a travel day is rough, especially if you don't get a good nights rest.  My brain was over thinking the events of the following day which kept me from having the best sleep.  Paisley had ski school the following morning at 8:45 and I was fairly nervous.  This was his first day on skis, with an instructor he/we've never met, with kids he's never met, and we're in another county.  I can't tell you how many times I questioned if this was a good idea.  Luckily, Paisley was extremely excited and we had talked through the details as much as we possibly could.  The next morning, Paisley hopped out of bed and wanted to get his snow pants on immediately.

Fueling Up

We fixed breakfast from the convenience of our kitchenette and had everyone bundled in snow clothes and out the door on time.  We found the Whistler Kids area and signed in.  Paisley got to meet one of the instructors and went over a check list of allergies, lunch options (Paisley picked cheese pizza) and pick-up instructions.  The entire process was so smooth and efficient and the lady checking us in was so pleasant and friendly.  I took a picture of Paisley and the instructor because if you're leaving your kid with someone you're not familiar with, it can't hurt to have a picture of said person.  Paisley had a huge smile on his face as I kissed him bye and told him to have fun.

The beginning of  life on skis *gulp*

The ski school was a 10 minute walk from our hotel and Scott was able to catch the gondola there.  With it being just us girls, we headed back to the hotel, popping in a couple shops along the way.  We also attended craft time at the library located next to our hotel.

Hanging Out with Dad

We made sandwiches at the hotel and watched the clock.  I didn't want to be a minute late picking up Paisley.  Scott texted mid-day and asked if we wanted to meet at the base of the mountain for lunch.  Since we had already ate, we ordered coffee and hot cocoa.  I'll let you guess who ordered what. Lila enjoyed being an only child for the afternoon.  Scott said the snow was great and the views from the top of the mountain were beautiful.  I was a little jealous that I wasn't getting to ski on this trip, but spending the time with Lila Bean was better than a couple days of skiing.

The Girls in Olympic Park

At 3:15 we were at the Whistler Kids pick-up area, my child claim ticket in hand, watching for our boy.  Since I hadn't gotten a text from the ski school saying he fell off the mountain or got caught in an avalanche, I was banking on everything being good.  I saw the instructor with a handful of kids in the pick-up area.  I scanned the faces and Paisley wasn't in that group.  I felt a bit nervous, if this guy didn't have my kid, who did?  It's amazing all the scenarios that can run through the mind of a mom when the person she expects to have her son doesn't have her son.  I imagined texting Scott and telling him he needed to come to me immediately.  I imagined calling the US Embassy and seeing if they could seal the border until we found Paisley.  The instructor was close enough at this point, and I imagine he saw a look of concern in my eyes as he said, "Your son is with another group having hot cocoa.  They should be here any minute."  And with that simple update, my heart resumed to a normal beat.

My little ski bum

Minutes later my little guy hopped off the gondola.  The smile on his face was enough to fill my body with relief.  Relief that he survived, he was happy, and he's back in my supervision.  Best feeling ever.

His instructor, Andrea, said he had spent almost the entire time on the slopes and that he should sleep good that night.  He was able to master the turns, getting skis on/off, and maintaining his balance while skiing.  His biggest area of struggle was stopping.  She was pleased with his first time performance and he immediately asked if he could ski the following day.  We headed to a restaurant to warm up and wait for everyone else to get done skiing.

Future Ski Bunny

I loved hearing Paisley talk about his experience and the kids he skied with.  That apprehensive boy I used to know was nowhere to be seen.  I was so proud of this kid and the entire experience was better than I hoped for.  Scott and the rest of the crew joined us for dinner.  We stayed there talking an hanging out until the kids grew tired and it was time to walk back to our hotel.

Family Vacation 2017

After getting cleaned up and into jammies, the kids quickly fell asleep.  A mixture of mountain air and skiing had taken their toll.  Our first vacation of 2017 was off to a fantastic start!

To Be Continued...