Skis and Snowboards

I felt the need to report back that the kids first ski/snowboard weekend was a great success. The boys took snowboarding lessons at Wildcat in the morning. We got to the mountain early and fitted them with all the equipment. One thing that struck me was the amount of skiers wearing helmets, including a large majority of the adults. At least the general public showed some sign of intelligence. That doesn't happen to often, so I do feel compelled to note it and relish it a bit.
Coco picked up the board pretty quickly and could get down the small incline first. But he could only go straight. He had a hard time turning. Caz didn't take to it quite as quickly, but I will give him a lot of credit. He didn't give up and kept at it. By the end of the lesson, he was ready to go up the lift and try a novice trail. After lunch Demi took Caz up the lift. I stayed on the incline to work with Coco. He tried one run down off the lift with Demi but it didn't go to well. So we switched him over to skis. He seemed to do much better with those.
But this day was one of those days that parents face a large challenge. The decision to cut some apron strings and let your child grow up, is not an easy one. I could feel the enormity of my decision as it was looming and as I decided upon my course of action. Caz came down the trail after his first run. He seemed to be doing OK and wanted to go back up the lift. Demi and Coco were no where in sight. So I asked Caz to be patient a bit. We waited together. I asked him about his run and how far back Mom and Coco were. He said Coco was falling a bit and not too far behind. I waited a bit longer but I really felt that Caz was ready to go up the lift. So I sent him. I told him that Mom would be right behind him. When Demi got down, Caz was passing just over head on the lift. She was not happy. Apparently Caz had been a bit out of control and had trouble stopping during the run. He "almost when out of bounds and over a cliff". I am sure it was scary and the fact that I made a monumental decision on my own probably factored into it. I sent her right back up the lift, not too far behind Caz. I took Coco to get his skis and work with him a bit. It turned out that Caz was fine. He was up lift and down the mountain on this own the rest of the day. Our time spent hiking in the past had paid off. He was able to follow all the trail markers correctly. I definitely felt good about my decision and gave myself a much deserved pat on the back.