Ski Lesson #2 {Sunday Snapshot}

We headed up to White Pass this morning for B's second ski lesson.  A decided after watching B last weekend that she would like to take lessons, too.  So B took lesson number 2 and A took lesson number 1.  We got to the pass and A and B hopped out of the truck and went over to the ticket stand to get their lift tickets for the day.  J and I took Cara into the lodge to find a place to sit.  I wasn't really planning to spend any time outside, so I didn't dress for the snow and neither did Cara.  Once we found a table, J left quickly to go help the kids go back to the truck, get their ski clothes, boots, skis, etc.   And Cara freaked out.  Like "panic attack" freaked out.  She couldn't catch her breath, she was crying, she was in my lap with her legs wrapped around my waist and fingers knotted in my hair.  She kept saying, "Where's Daddy, where's Daddy!"  I repeated to her over and over that if she would calm down and stop crying I would tell her, but that she couldn't even hear me over the panting and crying and I just held her close.  Then the guy at the table behind us left his 5-year-old little boy at the table and went to go throw his trash away.  And Cara freaked out even more.  "Mom!  That guy just left his little boy!  He just left him there!"  So I tried to explain that he was just throwing away their trash and the dad would be right back.  Thankfully he returned quickly.  That helped Cara settle down enough for me to tell her that her dad would be right back, what he was doing, and that we could text daddy and ask him when he was coming back.

J came back and then Cara was fine.  She was hungry.  She wanted chocolate milk and yogurt.  I've never seen her act like that.  I guess it's true what they say, attachment in adoption is one step forward, two steps back.  Normally we tell her exactly what's going to happen before we do anything.  We didn't think to do that today in a new situation and we got to see how traumatic it was for her.  We will try not to make that mistake again.

After Cara ate, she wanted to go outside to watch her brother.  While she was watching him, a man asked her if she would like to try snowboarding.  The man had brought his 4-year-old son snowboarding and he was getting a little tired.  So he volunteered to take Cara up the "magic carpet" and down the hill a couple of times.  I didn't think she would do it considering the episode she just had in the lodge, but she wanted to give it a try.  She didn't have snow pants and had to borrow her uncle's gloves, but she gave it a go.

Her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth is her concentration look.

 She loved it!

 She was so excited!

 Now she wants to go snowboarding. ;)  Thank you, kind stranger, for making Cara's day!

 B's teacher was better this week than the one he had last week.  That's him behind B.  I could definitely see an improvement by the end of lesson #2.  I hope B gets him as a teacher again.

 Awesome job, B!

 I couldn't get any front shots of A in her lesson.  There were tons of people all around.  It was difficult to get the shots that I did get.  Here she is, listening to her teacher.  A's teacher was really good this week, too.

 A got to ride the pommel up the hill on her first lesson.

A's teacher said she could skip lesson 2 and go straight to lesson 3.  B's a bit green over that! ;)  We will be back up at the pass next weekend for more lessons.  I'm thinking of leaving Cara with Grandma and Grandpa this time and spending the hour in the bar at the lodge!

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