Saturday, February 20, 2010

we're home!  we had one of those vacation in a bottle days!  after the week of mellow, quiet and not so healthy vacation days with lots of plans canceled, we decided to get up this morning and go for a day of family skiing! 

we had planned to ski this week with friends...nope, didn't happen.  yesterday, we had hoped to get a little skiing in and get to a chili party. nope.  we mentioned it to the kids last night....we wanted to ski today.  we were looking forward to getting some time with grace and t.j. for a ski day.

we stayed up late again last night watching the olympics. we seem to lose track of time when we're watching others determined to win after years and years of training  we're exhausted working so hard on the couch with our eyes on the gold.  with late nights we seem to wake slowly rather than jump out of bed ready for the day.

this morning, biff and i woke up, thought twice about our get up and go.  we approached t.j. since he had shown the greatest enthusiasm last night.  he was enthused and delighted to get out his snowboard again after so many days at home.  grace was not as delighted.  she had stayed up too late texting friends and reading her favorite author's latest book.  her protest was obvious even though she was groggy.....groggy but clear on her answer,"no!"

please keep in mind that skiing is still a great treat for me....it was a dream to be able to have our kids ski....biff works hard to make this happen.  we didn't even consider her protest.  some days, at 15, i think she might protest a trip to disney world or shopping. mary, mary, quite contrary ring any bells?

biff made some lunches for a quick bite at the mountain.  we were off to a late start but we would be prepared for the mountain and not waste too much time on details, like eating.  we sorted through ski pants, gathered ski jackets, double checked ski socks, gloves and goggles.....biff packed up the car with boards and skis.

all we had to do was get out to the car, sit down and buckle up....that should take a couple of minutes and off we go.  nope.  grace said something to t.j. and t.j. said something back to grace, grace to t.j. and t.j to grace andddd gra-

biff could not take one more minute of morning bickering....he made them both get out of the car.....stand next to each other in a sort of police line up fashion.....and he very clearly told both of our little sweethearts that he did not want either one of them to open their mouths or speak to each other....i to run in to get my cell phone.....we need cells to keep in touch on the mountain.....a new mountain for us.....my cell phone was not anywhere to be seen.  i picked up the house phone and called my cell.

the woman who answered my phone was christine from the nail salon....i had to follow the crumbs like hansel and gretel.....my pretty pink phone was with christine at my nail salon where i had just gone last night....when we realized the chili party was not going to happen for us.

i had  been on my way home from town after having my friend tell me about her breast cancer.....i drove to the nail salon to buy a gift certificate for my friend....it seemed like something that she could maybe enjoy for a few moments to take her mind off things( not likely) and be pampered one day before chemo treatment....who even knows if she'll want that time.....it's the only thing i could think of to do right now...to support her.

i've been seeing ads for walking for the cure and i've been curious about the when and where and who might join me.  now, it's something that i REALLY would like to do. i'm going to find out the details.

we had to stop at the nail salon this morning to pick up my phone...we stopped for gas....we stopped for....dunkin donuts coffee.  that was the one time i required coffee....road trips.  some days i can go with no coffee.  the reason it's required on road trips is because that's my rolling maxwell house moment.  when i'm driving, that's all i can do...sit and drive....and...drink coffee. it's that coveted cupof coffee that allows me to drink a cup, uninterupted!  no dogs, no kids, no phones(that i'll answer).....pretty much nothing can interrupt that hot cup of coffee....and i appreciate every sip.  oh, grace and t.j. had hot chocolates.

we were off.  wow, that was quite the slow start to our morning!  we were comitted to this FUN darn it!  it was time for FUN, do you hear me? the relations in the back seat didn't look convinced.  this was one road trip where we were tickled pink to have our little munchkins with the stinkin' attitudes wear the headphones on their i touches!  we would have peace....and our own conversation. while they listened to their music, biff and i had our kids quiet and that was music to our ears!

we drove up to the berkshires and had great timing although we arrived after lunch.  when we read about the mountain, we thought there was night skiing....so arriving behind schedule wasn't an issue.  biff took care of lift tickets with grace and t.j.  i parked the car.

let the games begin.  life was beginning to look up. we were all set.  although, the lifts closed at four....yes, four o'clock!....we made it. and we were going to have FUN...do you hear me!

$ didn't matter at this moment....our family time did!  biff and i were as determined as those olympic hopefuls.  so, what's the best way to have fun?

separate!  not biff and i!  we're all we've got! we have to stick together....at least ride the lift together.  our kids were up ahead, not speaking to each other....waiting for the lift.  biff and i decided to have a date....any port in a storm!

we share the lift with some a lovely belgian couple.  we laugh about their children and our children.  it's the same all over the world.  teens or siblings, girls or boys.sbands and wives on the same lift...it was a double date!  we had such fun sharing stories and laughing.  ahhh....this was our vacation in a bottle that we had hoped for.

oh, wait!  that was supposed to include the children! oh, all right!  we did catch up with them via cell phones...they were on the lift behind us....they would be up shortly.  it was a miracle!  they were on the same lift!  they seemed to be speaking...to each other.  they got off the list and approached us....i took a picture for fun...to capture the non - kodak moment.  oh, i did but no one was happy about it.

we laughed with them and watched them zip down the mountain ahead of us.  they looked great. there skiing had improved since we last skied with them.  even though they didn't seem to be feelin' the love, they were livin' the love because they had to stick together.  they needed each other, if only to ride the lift!

it's funny to us.  they have been so close from the moment t.j. was born...they were always close....they had a connection...even if the reception was bad....temporarily....or maybe through all of the teen years!

we had a very nice day at a new mountain for our family.  by the end of the day, we were all laughing together.  life was fun again....if only until we got home. biff and i were grateful to get the day, even if a bit shorter than we had planned. we had some fun time together. we met interesting people.  we loved watching our kids.  we loved being with our kids and they loved being with us.....wait, scratch that....when we had time with our kids, it was pleasant....and it was nice to see them happy and proud and having a challenge.

we were done...almost...we had one more run. we went up on the lift.  we were about to go down...biff really wanted one more run before the lift shut down.  he was ready to barrel down and zip over to the lift for one more run.  i would meet up with him...i wanted to take it slower this time.  i saw t.j. boarding down..he had that boarding down....he looked great.  i saw grace with a newfound style and attitude....she looked wonderful.

and i cought up with biff.  he had missed the last lift.  he had started to fall.....i don't remember the rest of the story...because...he explained what happened...as he recounted the story, i could barely stand to listen....he thought he had broken a bone in his hand.  he showed us the bone.....and that's just what we always say..."it's the last run down the mountain......"  that's when stuff happens...and it was my biff this time.  he's a trooper.  he knew it was a break...or a sprain....or.....

we stopped at a bertucci's and all was well in our world.  our family dinner was fun. we laughed and talked together.  we went to a bookstore....to buy a couple of books....that's one of our favorite stops. we all love books and bookstores....although we like to support our local bookstore, we do have fun in those supersized book stores to wander and share and talk and laugh and read and share and be together.

so, we got what we needed today! fun family time....minus the broken/sprained bone....we've been cooped up all week....it's nice to know that the fun is still in us!