Finally, Skiing!

 All I have heard from these kids since we got off the plane is "I want to ski."  The entire first week we were here, the sun didn't come out at all.  The highest temperature we've seen in weeks is about 39 degrees Fahrenheit.  And there is no staying inside and hiding from the cold, we are out in it every day, walking to / from the shops and the school bus stop.  So I wasn't particularly keen on spending several hours out in the elements on the weekend by choice.  But, the children were not to be deterred, and morale is fragile all around, so it's necessary to work some fun things in when we can.  And while the cold feels everlasting to these Texans, it isn't, and ski season will be over before we know it. 

Oslo is one of the only cities in the entire world where you can find ski slopes right next to a big city.  In about 45 minutes, you can go from downtown to a ski lift.  So. Cool.  Things like that make me think I could live here forever.  

I wasn't in the mood to deal with the hassle of skiing and more cold weather, but I'm so glad we did.  It was the mood booster we all needed.  The first hour was predictably rocky, as we rode the train thirty minutes (sooo faaaarrr) and then spent the next full hour sorting out memberships, rentals, lessons, lockers, and changing ski boot sizes 6-8 times per child, all while reminding the eager and anxious children to please be patient... please.  J.R. and Penny have skied twice on previous ski vacations.  Clara was too young both times, so she was brand new to snow sports, and opted to start with snowboarding over skiing.  Snowboarding class was full, leaving us with a private lesson as the only option.  I tagged along and watcher her eat snow for an hour, while Kerry took the other two to the bunny slopes to warm up before they jumped right into an intermediate group lesson.

The ski area near us is not very big, but that's ok!  There are two restaurants on site and menus are very limited.  Well, food in Norway is a bit limited all around, but that's a subject for another post.  But they do have hot chocolate and coffee on tap at all times so everyone is happy.    

The snow and ice are nature's best playground and have been irresistible for the kids.  They just cannot stay off of it if it's around.  This is a very helpful distraction while waiting at bus stops or even just walking from point A to point B.  

This bus stop was particularly interesting - the scenery and rocks are so perfect they don't even look real!

Water break after a couple of hours on the slopes...

And now using their water cups to play in the snow

When you spill your hot chocolate but it still loves you anyway <3

We went both Saturday and Sunday, because the lessons we had the big kids in was a two day course.  By Sunday evening, we were all wiped out.  For day 2, Clara convinced me to try snowboarding with her, and the sun came out - yay!!  And then by Monday morning, I felt like I had been hit by a bus.  Snowboarding 101 isn't easy y'all.    

A weekend of fun in the snow was exactly what this crew needed!