Where's the Easy Button?

Living in Fairbanks, the land of snow and sun (because seriously, more sun than Seattle) I feel like I should be able to "do" something athletic in the winter. I have downhill skied since I was little...10 maybe? That is about it when it comes to winter sports that I can do. It's a little harder with a 10 month old to drop everything and just go skiing.

Other winter sports ideas? Ice Skating?

Never have I been able to stand up and actually skate (roller blade or ice skates.) I blame it on how tall I am and my center of gravity being at my knees....or it could be that Grace is my middle name and I can't walk and chew gum at the same time. Since I'm "so good" at roller blades, I figure I am even better at ice skating.

I did go skating  "once" as an adult. I took my middle school students, and they somehow talked me out onto the ice. Poor guys spent our entire 2 hours, trying to teach me how to skate. I taught a program for students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders and I wish that every person who ever wrote them off as "bad" could have seen them that day (everyday actually, they were awesome.) SO patient, and so kind, keeping their teacher on her feet and spending their one field trip helping me. I still miss those kids.

ANYWAY. Long story short, Ice skating didn't work out.

Now that I've crossed that off my list,  next up is cross country skiing. I get the concept since you have to skate ski when downhill skiing to get across the flat parts at the bottom or runs. I'm good at that, how hard can cross country skiing be? HARD. I have officially gone twice as an adult and both times I hated it. HATED IT.

I really want to be able to do SOMETHING though...

I decided that I DO own cross country skis....I figured that today would be a good day to go give it try again. Why not? My husband and I packed everything we needed, packed the Bug and Bug supplies, and headed out. We drove down the hill into the valley behind our house. We go there, unloaded our skis, got bundled up and got the Bug's snowsuit and carrier ready for him (my husband was taking him, NOT me.)

We were ready to go! I was going to go cross country skiing and had high hopes of liking it. We went to grab the Bug....who had thrown up all over himself. Poor guy. He had puked earlier in the day but he was shoveling food and it went down the wrong pipe. We assumed it was a coincidence and that he couldn't be sick. He JUST got over being sick. Well...he doesn't feel well.

So, no skiing. We packed back up and took him home. I got to figure out how to take apart his car seat to wash it, and Bug's daddy gave him a bath. While being sick slowed him down, it didn't stop him...

A short while later we were getting dinner ready, and the Bug crawled over to his dad's guitar...his dad's 12 string that I bought him as a present years ago. Bug LOVES the guitar. Well, loved. He knocked it over and snapped the neck on it. Poof. Dead. I don't really think that Fairbanks has a ton of guitar repair stores. I'm sad. Really sad.

So today I learned that maybe I'm only meant to drink hot chocolate in the winter, don't let your kid lick the handle of the cart at Fred Meyers (okay...I didn't "let him" he was too quick for me, but that is what I blame for puking) and if your kid pukes, just stay home!