Toboggan Ride

I was thrilled for a break in the weather today – this is what winter is supposed to be like – perfect packing snow and warm air. We (hubby, kids, Tucker and I) decided to go tobogganing on a nearby hill. The larger ones were congested with kids, (BIG kids) sweeping down with frightening speed, soaring over huge kid-made snow ramps. I had visions, none of them good, so off we went to another hill. It wasn’t nearly as tall but we had it all to ourselves. The girls used different sleds to test their speed, the faster, the better, of course.

They’re all getting older now. It seems like yesterday they were tots on their first toboggan ride. That first experience was not an easy one, a painful chore for all if I recall. I remember dragging child and sled together up the hill run after run, my legs tired from carrying both, the girls crying because either we went too fast or we crashed or it was just plain cold.

I like the phase they’re in now. They’re directing more, active in their own learning. I feel more like a participant in than an author of their lives. There was so much protecting before, but now it’s all coaching and encouragement. Things aren’t necessarily easier – homework and piano are growing hurdles, but here on the hill, watching them scream with delight, I can’t help but think how much I love this moment. I am soaking it in, their zeal and their smiles, their bantering and play. It’s a lovely warm day and I’m so glad we got out together.