Skiing!

When it's almost 60 degrees in February, what do we do in the mountains?  

Teach our 3- and 4-year-olds how to ski, of course!

 Arriving at Appalachian Ski Mountain in Blowing Rock, just 31 miles from our house.
(Notice there is no snow left except what is on the slopes.)

(Amazingly enough, MB & Remi had never been here before.  We had skied at Beech Mtn and Sugar Mtn, which are both a little farther away in Banner Elk, but only a few times. Why didn't I ski more often before I had kids?)

 All dressed and ready to go.  (Look how cute and small those skis are!)

 The snow was a little slushy because of the warm weather, but there was plenty of it and it was perfect for learning to ski.

Finn getting her first lesson from MB.  The kids in the back were in SkiWee camp, but ours were too young for that:  they had to be at least 6 years old.

 How quickly and easily both Finn and Crusoe took to it surprised both of us.  They did get frustrated a few times, naturally, but they did not fall down nearly as much as I expected them to.  Finn fell more often, but she also took more risks.

 Crusoe learning how to slow himself down by "making a pizza slice" with his skis.

 Riding the 'magic carpet' to the top of the bunny slope.

 Finn loves it.

 When the biggest complaint is "my snowsuit is too hot!", then it's a pretty successful day, in my opinion.

 Taking a hydration break.

Finn wanted to be independent quickly, and she navigated getting on and off the magic carpet by herself.

 Finn made a new ski friend, 5-year-old Sylvia.

 She got really comfortable in a short amount of time.

 It was warm enough to ski in short sleeves.

 'Come on! What are you all waiting for?'

 We helped the kids ski down the bigger slopes by keeping them between our skis.

They both are excited to go again soon.  Only one more month of ski season left.
Here's a link to the live cam at App Ski Mtn.