Anne Abroad--The Sequel: Getting in the Groove

Skip was feeling much better yesterday and decided to hit the mountain despite the windy, snowy conditions. I got Maddie ready for her lesson and in the walk from the skistalle room where you put on all your gear to the bunny slope ski lift, I nearly turned back because the weather was so harsh. I dropped Maddie off for her lesson, wondering what kind of mother leaves her child out in weather like this. But then I saw all these itty-bitty kids all bundled up and heading down the hill and I figured...when in Rome. She was wrapped up from head to toe. Even her nose was covered.

Skip met me there because at the top of the mountain the wind was even more fierce and visibility was so low it was difficult to see the other skiiers and snowboarders until you were almost on top of them. We went inside to have some coffee and then showed up to Maddie's lesson before it was over to make sure that she was okay. I half expected to find her crying in the little lift operators cabin waiting for us to get her. But she was flying down the mountain. Weaving in and out of cones and even doing some jumps. She and her instructor were the only ones on the hill. I am thrilled. Being able to ski is a nice skill to have (one of those "lifetime sports") and learning at 7 is so much easier than trying to learn at 27 or 37!

Today Skip is up on the mountain for a couple of hours and then he and Maddie are going to ski together. She still doesn't want to go on any of the big lifts, so they are going to stay on the small slope. Next time we go skiing, we'll put her in lessons again and have the instructor take her up a big lift. She is much more brave when Mom and Dad aren't around.

We got to swim and play games in the late afternoon and evening.

It is still snowing today, but the wind is not nearly as fierce. The low visibility is interfering with my picture taking. Am hoping tomorrow to get some good mountain shots in.

Tonight, there is a clown magician coming to entertain the kids at the hotel. We have one more day and are thinking about turning in Maddie's ski equipment and heading into Salzburg tomorrow. We'll see what the weather brings.