Unleashing Mayhem on the Slopes

Today my 5-year-old and 3-year-old both had their first-ever ski lesson. It blows my mind that this is even a thing - a skiing preschooler. A year ago, he was in diapers. I was more than double their ages added together when I first hit the slopes.

I had very low expectations for the outing, but since Tuxedo Ridge in Tuxedo, New York, is only about 45 minutes from our house, my husband and I figured that if everything went to hell we could always just turn around and be home in less than an hour. Why was I worried, you ask? My kids hate the cold. They don't do well with uncomfortable or bulky clothing. They're not particularly athletic. They cry whenever they fall down - sometimes the surprise of falling down is enough to set them off. The younger one occasionally has separation anxiety, so I was concerned about dumping him on some unsuspecting ski instructor. And they can both go from cheerful and excited to grumpy and uncooperative at the drop of a hat. That's why I was worried.

I'd heard lots of good things about Tuxedo Ridge, though. It's supposed to be a tiny mountain, geared toward learning and good for families. That's exactly what we needed. Plus, the weather was great - low 40s, no wind. So I signed each of the kids up for a one-hour lesson and packed up all our snow gear (no easy feat), and we headed to the mountain.

The day turned out to be GLORIOUS. Things weren't looking so good at first; the gear was cumbersome and Leah started getting apprehensive about going off with a ski instructor. We were late for our lesson because it was so difficult to get the kids ready. We rushed out to the meeting spot and I was about to reassure each kid that they would do great and we'd watch them from the bottom, but the two instructors flew over to us on our skis, identified themselves, and whisked the kids onto the lift before I could say goodbye. Matt's instructor, a really tall, athletic girl, literally picked him up, his skis dangling from his little boots, and skied off to the lift, holding him in front of her. I don't even think my husband could've done it so gracefully.

What proceeded was nothing short of a miracle. Both kids proceeded to learn how to ski, and they had fun doing it! They each came down the mountain several times, smiles on their faces the whole way. If falling occurred, they were quickly lifted up, and continued on their way. They barely cared to say hello to me at the bottom of the mountain - they were just excited to get back on the lift. The hour flew by, and then it was time for lunch.

After lunch, they both wanted to go out with the teachers again. I was so excited about their excitement that I didn't bat an eye at spending the extra $140 for two more private lessons. (Did I mention that today's miracle on the slopes came at a hefty price?) We were able to secure the same instructors, and off they went. This time instead of hovering at the base of the mountain, I went into the canteen and read a magazine by the fire. Paul went off snowboarding. The money we were spending was totally worth it.

We ended up staying at the mountain till the lift closed, which is way longer than I expected. We all left tired, but happy. Which is all I could want in a first-time skiing experience. I love Tuxedo Ridge. It really is the perfect place to start your kids with skiing - not crowded or crazy at all. And we couldn't have asked for better instructors. I will say that I also witnessed some not-so-great instruction going on, and the group lessons didn't seem to be particularly helpful. I was standing at the base of the mountain for a long time, so I got to witness the gamut of ski instruction capability. The foot of the bunny slope, by the way, is an extremely dangerous place to be.

So perhaps we just got lucky with our two wonderful instructors. And you basically need to be rich if you want private lessons all the time. If I were rich, I'd be on the mountain every weekend, catching up on some reading while my kids became proficient skiers. But as it is, I'm extremely happy with the experience that we had today, and more importantly, my kids came away with confidence, a sense of accomplishment, and a positive attitude toward skiing.

Plants and Trains

Every year we attend the train show at the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, and every year I'm happy that I have a friend who gets us free tickets from her employer - because this event costs an arm and a leg! It's a beautiful exhibit - but $28 per adult and $16 per kid for an experience that lasts half an hour, tops? (Plus $12 for parking!) I guess those plants aren't watering themselves.

I've also heard that this exhibit should be avoided at all costs on the weekend, as the lines are insane, even with the timed-ticket entry, and you're basically herded down the aisles. I'd be pretty upset if I paid all that money only to be rushed along. For $28, I think I'll take my sweet time, thank you very much!

Anyway, if you can manage to go on a weekday, I'd recommend checking out the train show, as it is a pretty awesome experience. Buildings, bridges and New York City landmarks are constructed from flora of all manner, and train tracks are laid throughout the exhibit for miniature trains to run along.

We had nine kids in our group, ranging from 1 to 5 years old, and everyone had a good time. The older kids loved running from display to display to keep up with the moving trains.

My personal favorites are the cool bridges made from thin, entwined branches. Such delicate twig-work. (That's a real botanical term, yes? Twig-work?)

So in the end I give the exhibit a thumbs up, but the prices and crowds a thumbs down. Such is life in the big city, I suppose.