New Year's Eve has never been my favorite "holiday". I usually have a hard time staying up until midnight, and I get about as excited over a new year as I do over a new day - it's what I expected to happen when I went to bed at night. Luckily Ahren feels the same way, and while we both like to do "something" for the event, we don't feel as though it has to include dressing up and hitting the town. Even more lucky is that my parents usually invite us to spend New Years with them at the condo in Vermont, which is what we did this year. Ahren and I were particularly excited about this trip to Vermont because we both thought that the kids were old enough to strap on a pair of skis and get their feet wet in the sport of skiing. My dad taught me how to ski on the bunny hill at Sugarbush when I was nine years old. It was not love at first run for me, but over the years I grew to love it, all the while jealous of the little 5 year old daredevils that zipped down the black diamonds without a fear in the world. I always wished I had started a little younger. So, in preparation for our trip I bought the kids some wool socks, performance fleece tops, and some good, quality mittens.
On Thursday morning we woke up with a plan to hit the road around lunch time. Ahren's purposeful lollygagging (he was waiting for his newly ordered ski jacket to arrive via UPS) delayed us long enough that we didn't actually leave until about 3:30. While it would get us up there later than planned, it did allow for perfect timing for a dinner and shopping break a Lui Lui's in Lebanon. After dinner we did some shopping at LL Bean and Rugged Bear and got a few great deals. The kids got to work off some steam running around LL Bean while I shopped. Zachary was amazed by the kayaks hanging from the ceiling and really wanted me to get one for him. I said to him at one point, "Zachary, I can't get you one of the kayaks, honey." and he replied, "Why Mama, not tall enough?" After a long break in Lebanon, we all hopped back into the car to make the second half of the trip up to the condo. The kids were very excited to get into the condo and check it out. Although Lexi had been there before, she told me that she didn't remember it. Because it was so late when we got there, Ahren and I immediately went to work heating the place up, unloading the car, making beds, and getting the kids ready to sleep in them. They each got their own bunkbed, but Mommy would not allow either of them to sleep on the top bunk. I'm pretty sure both of them were fine with that. While I brushed Zach's teeth in the bathroom I said, "Zachy, are you excited to sleep at Gigi and Poppy's condo?" "Yea!" he said, while poking his head out the door and pointing toward the bunk room, "my room?" he asked with an adorable little grin on his face. It was Zach's first time sleeping in an actual bed without a rail, so it took us a few minutest to get him settled, but it wasn't long before both kids were happily snoozing in their beds. Not long after, Gigi and Poppy arrived, and we sat around in the living room chatting for a short while before we all went off to bed.
In the morning it was about 40 degrees and sunny. A perfect day for skiing, which was what we all planned to do. After breakfast I suggested we get dressed to go skiing, which was when Lexi announced, "I am NOT skiing." Hmm...ok. Lukcily, Gigi was happy to forgo a day of skiing to play with Lexi at the mountain, drinking hot chocolate and watching the skiers instead. So, the rest of us got ready, and finally got out the door at 11am. (As a side note - when I was a kid, there was no hanging around the condo in your jammies. We were up and out practically before the sun came out!) When we got to the mountain it took a long time to get through the rental area to get some skis for Zachy and Ahren. Luckily I was able to borrow my mom's wicked awesome skis (and now I know what I want for my next birthday). By the time we got Zachary geared up he was just about ready for a nap. The rental folks told us they wouldn't charge us for the rental if we came in within the hour, which we were sure we would do. 
We couldn't get Zach to crack a smile until his first taste of going down the mountain (or, the very small decline right outside the lodge door) between Poppy's legs. Suddenly that boy had an ear to ear grin, and it was off the the magic carpet for us! After a few minutes Lexi and Gigi came out to watch us.
Zach was having such a blast that it only took about two or three runs before Lexi decided that she was ready to try skiing too. So, off Gigi, Poppy, Ahren and Lexi went, back into the lodge to rent another pair of skis, while Zach and I continued to take runs down the practice slope.
When Lexi finally came out, she also got to take her inaugural run with her Poppy. When they came down I said, "Well? Did you love it?" To which she replied, "I want to go again!" Yes!! I knew our kids would love skiing!! Ultimately, we spent the rest of the day on the practice slope with the kids. They had a blast, and we got the best workout of our lives. I can assure that that skiing with kids between your legs is FAR more difficult than it looks.
Around 3:30 we called it quits, and while we were all changing into our regular boots, I looked down as Zachary literally fell asleep on the bench - sitting up. So back to the condo we went where Lexi spent the rest of the night asking us when she would be able to ski again. :)
That evening was New Year's Eve and one of the huge advantages of my parent's condo is that there is a picture window with a perfect view of the mountain in their living room. From the comfort of the condo we got to watch the very long torch light parade down the mountain followed by a fantastic display of fireworks. Around 8:30 we all shared a champagne (and sparkling cider) toast, and off the kiddies went to bed, and the adults fell asleep on the couch.
The next morning, New Year's Day, started off so warm, rainy and snow-less, that we decided it wasn't worth the money to head back to the mountain that day. So, while Poppy took a morning run, the rest of us decided to take a hike up the mountain instead. It was a beautiful walk, and Lexi really enjoyed ice luging on the patches of ice remaining on the mountain, and throwing snow balls with Gigi and Zachary.
After we all dried off and got cleaned up, we decided to take a drive to see what we could find. Not much was open because of the holiday, and we ultimately found ourselves in Stowe where we got to see our friends Annie and Perri who had stayed there the night before. We shopped in the country stores for a short while before returning to the condo for dinner and story time.
Ahren really enjoyed story time, all snuggled on the couch with a good book and a good beer.
In the morning it was time to pack up and head back to reality - school, daycare and work. But before we hit the road, we all went out again for a little journey into the fresh air. Dad and I went for a beautiful, although extremely hilly (hello, mountains!) and muddy (is it spring already??) run. It was just what I needed to recharge my batteries and prepare me to get back into our hectic schedule. Lexi and Zach enjoyed the fresh air by dancing around on the deck...in the 45 degree temperatures, on January 2nd.
We had a wonderful, fun and relaxing time ringing in the New Year at the condo. On our way home Ahren and I took the route that brings us over a mountain. The views were spectacular, and it was wonderful riding along in the car feeling happy, and having not a care in the world. I can think of no better way to start off 2011.For links to the web album that shows all of the pictures and the very cute videos click here for mine and here for my mom's. In my album, the pictures that look all drab and green are the result of Ahren playing with the settings on my new camera and shooting "raw". He claims they can be edited to look really nice - I say if you shoot raw, then you do the editing. I don't have time. :) So, sorry about the green pictures.
