The Snowy Mountains

What better way to start a new blog about our family than with a family holiday.

Today we got back from a weekend at the snow. It was Tom's first time and Ela's 3rd (not counting last years visit to Norway as that was not specifically to ski although Ela did have a go on a tobogan and Tom did ride in a backpack on a very snowy and cold cross country excursion!)

We visited Mount Selwyn again which is just perfect for families and beginners. Ela had been talking up the skiing for months and I was a bit worried that she wouldn't actually enjoy it as much as she expected she would. But I couldn't have been more wrong. She was a bit shakey at first but with the expert guidance of Dad's steady snow plough off they went down the mountain and back up on the chairlift. They were soon tackling a blue run and Tom was doing his nut as they waved to us from the chairlift.

I took Tom on his first tobogan run and although he seemed amused and asked for more, he kept looking up at the chairlift for his dad and sister and shouting 'me' and 'chair' and 'daddy'.

The first day was a lovely sunny winter's day so when the kids went to the Milo club after lunch, Mark and I enjoyed an afternoons ski on the back of the mountain (pigs gulley). We watched as Ela took her first real lesson and led the way back to the kids club for hot drinks (Milo of course) with a perfunctory wave in our direction.

That night though the wind and rain set in and we really enjoyed our log fire - which Tom named 'candle'. We also enjoyed the sauna, well that is until i slipped on the way out and nearly took out my right foot. Then we were subjected to a very smokey evening as Mark tried to master the pizza oven, the chimney and the flue. After about an hour of waiting patiently and having to open all the windows and doors to prevent the fire alarm from going off, we resorted to the electric oven and finished the pizzas off int here. (They were delicious though).

So day two on the slopes was a completely different experience. It was cloudy, windy, cold and foggy with the occasional sleet shower. Tom and I managed just 2 tobogan rides, dodging the patchy snow and grass and then went in for coffee and a play. Ela was still quite keen to go with Dad who taught her how to tuck away her face from the cold as they rode the chairlift higher up. Tom was still pretty annoyed that he couldn't get 'boots' and so we decided to give him a quick taster. We put him in Ela's boots and skiis and Mark whizzed him down the green run and up the chairlift. HE was overjoyed and we couldn't wipe the smile off his face. Then they both enjoyed another afternoon in Milo club and we headed back to a very empty Pigs Gulley for another ski.

No pizzas tonight but a lovely fish marinated in ginger and lime, a sauna and a DVD. And we had a light dump of snow so that when the kids awoke they were thrilled to see a blanket of white welcome them as they ran outside to build snowman and then a fairy kingdom (Ela of course).

The drive home was long and painful as Tom decided to wail for the majority of it except when he was sleeping and when we stopped at the swing park in Goulburn - home of the big Merino - which the kids thought looked more like the big teddy bear!

All in all a great weekend and plans are now afoot for a longer trip next year - maybe 5 days skiing.