Lake Tahoe 2010

The Angel and The Traitor

(Skier and Snowboarder)

Justin mastering "The Shred"

"Loserville Lisa" - Is it really so hard to let me know that I look like this? Anyone???

My baby's first ski goes on!

This Colorado Girl is a Happy Girl today!!!

The future Picabo Street!

Look at the form and the confidence as she takes the cones...

Bloody Marys with Nana and Papa

Papa digging us out of the blizzard armed with nothing more than a kitchen broom and a pair of pink boots. You gotta give it to the man - he got it done!

We were treated to a week of skiing in Lake Tahoe this year. We drove up from San Diego on Christmas Day and the Dolbys enjoyed three great days on the mountain! The first day went to pot very quickly for me after trying to get the kids settled with their gear, enrolled in their classes, and then fighting through the crowds to get my own lift ticket and skis rented. I threw in the towel when I realized I was going to have to pay for a full day lift ticket and spend about an hour and a half on the mountain. Bummer...but time for Bloody Marys!

The one day I spent on skis was fantastic! The snow was beautiful, the crowds were under control, and I felt like I had the mountain all to myself. I spent my first few runs warming up and I immediately missed my boots that I forgot to pack. My feet would not connect with the skis at all but I (heroically) got past that. I picked one run and I spent the rest of my day skiing it over and over again because I've always wanted to do that. It was long, it had lots of bumps, and I loved every single minute of it! I usually don't do this, but since I was on my own, I used my headphones and set my I-Pod to "shuffle" which was an incredible experience. I've always had a dumb habit of saying "Schwoomp" to myself (I learned it when I was a teenager and it's from that stupid movie where the bank robbers parachute out of planes) when I hit a hard bump but I found the music to be much more enjoyable.

Thankfully, I ended the day on a high note given what was in store for me...

We enjoyed dinner while the blizzard hit, we got stuck in the village, and we endured an hour long bus ride and a particularly scary ride over the pass in order to make it back to our condo where we lost power somewhere in the night. By the time we were up the next morning, it was time to face a gorgeous day on the slopes with even more fresh snow! It would have been perfect, except I had promised my son I would snowboard with him that day. Oh the things a mother will do for her child...

We got our boards, we got our helmets, and we climbed in the Gondola. When we reached the top Justin gave me a crash course lesson on how snowboard before he asked me in all seriousness, "You're not going to die up here, are you?" Punk. I know how to do the stupid sport I just don't like it...

We made it down the first part of the run. I was feeling very shaky with that dumb board strapped to my feet and my pride on the line. The "steep" part thankfully brought us to the flat section of the (bunny) hill. I managed to stay on my feet and drag myself gracelessly past Justin. Wouldn't you know it, instead of feeling pride for my accomplishment, he got mad!?!? He said, "Mom!!! How are you going so fast?" He never said a word, but it clearly became his goal to beat me down the run the next time. This, of course, made me decide that I wanted nothing more than to beat him and remind him who is boss!

The next few runs were fine and I felt confident in my skills because I had to slow down a little so that I could stay just enough in front of him to make a statement yet not make him mad. We got on the Gondola again (skipping lunch because we are both stubborn) and we got back to the top of the run. Justin says to me, "Mom - You're goin' DOWN!" and he takes off down the run...hell bent for leather. I obviously retaliated by trying to go past him, but I couldn't catch up! This made me even more irritated and I pushed the limit of my bunny hill skills to realize my top speed of about 3 miles per hour. I got to a hill where I knew I could build some speed and I went all out! I crashed. Admission: I initially wore the stupid helmet to serve as a lesson to him that safety always comes first, knowing full well that I would never need the thing, but I saw stars on that crash and I suspect I would have been hating life had it not been on my head!

I looked up to make sure he didn't see it...and there he was...staring at me with panic and concern. My sweet traitor of a child was honestly worried about me! He yelled over, "Mom!?! Are you OK?" I laughed and said, "Of course I am!" He checked again and to my embarrassment we were the talk of the bunny slope for a full minute. When he finally believed I was all right, he said, "Cool - I'll see you at the bottom and I'll turn left instead of right this time." I had to race hard to get down at the same time he did but, wouldn't you know it, he beat me!

We called a silent truce, went to get hot chocolate, and we enjoyed the success of our day with a hard earned pizza. I was all smiles until he toasted me and said, "Here's to you Mom for even making it down the hill after that totally gnarly wipeout!" Punk. It's ON!!!

Thankfully...

...my sweet baby girl was much better behaved this trip. She took ski lessons and she loved them! She was skiing under hoops, mastering the magic carpet, braving the Gondola, hanging out with friends, keeping her skis together and her hands on her knees, and she simply looked like a pro! Tears were in my eyes when I saw her confidently rolling around on her skis. At least I have one honest child in this family who will stay true to the one sport that matters in this world! Yes, I look at her through "Mama's Eyes," but honestly, she was awesome!!!