Frumpy Middle-Aged Mom: Kids sliding downhill fast today

My friend Scott just came by and picked up my kids to take them up to Snow Valley resort this morning, since their school is closed today.

Cheetah Boy likes to snowboard and actually stayed vertical for entire minutes at a time during his previous three lessons.

I still find it amazing that he wants to strap what is essentially a large tongue depressor onto his feet and try to slide down an icy mountain on it, without even a pair of poles to try to break his fall.

Curly Girl, however is demonstrating her own brand of courage, by actually learning the old-fashioned sport of skiing.

As you may know, kids today do not learn how to ski. They snowboard instead, because all juveniles travel in packs and are legally prevented from doing anything that's not exactly what their friends are doing.

For some reason, though, Curly Girl rebelliously wants to ski, like the old codgers up on the slopes, which means that she stays upright most of the time on her short learner skis. It also means that she is likely to be the only kid in the group "learn to ski" class, so I essentially get a private lesson for the price of a group. I like that part.

Of course my friend Scott is the courageous one, hauling four kids ages 7 to 12 up the mountain by himself for the day, his kids plus my two.

We'll see if his hair has turned white by the time he gets home, and I don't mean with snow.

I've actually never been to Snow Valley, so we'll see if the resort can survive the onslaught of our families. If you hear that it was closed unexpectedly today, let me know.

A couple of years ago, I really struggled with the decision to introduce them to this sport, which is darned expensive if you live in Southern California, especially if you're only heading up there once or twice a year.

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, i.e. when I was at the University of Utah, all my college roommates were on the university ski team. (Snowboarding was only a gleam in its father's eye back then.) Skiing was cheap for them, because they would get a free season pass for helping groom the slopes at one of the many resorts near Salt Lake City.

And, of course, they didn't need to rent any gear or take lessons.

Usually, due to my limited funds, my kids only get a lesson at Sundance ski resort once a year when we visit my brother who lives nearby in Utah.