This Monday, Tevye and I took the boys to Mt. Baldy to experience snow for the first time. Unfortunately, it had been warm enough lately to turn the nice snow into mostly ice. Nevertheless, we had a lot of fun- until our last sled ride. We had climbed pretty high up the slope so that Tevye and Caden could find snow loose enough to make some snowballs. It was time to leave, but it was so slippery that I was trying to figure out a safe way to get back down. Tevye suggested that we all get on our sled and go down that way. My motherly instinct told me that the sled was not a safe way to travel, and I voiced my concerns, but Tevye insisted that it would be alright.
Well, I should have insisted a little more urgently that we find a different way to get down the slope. He told me to get on the back of the sled. "Okay, but how am I supposed to stay on the back of the sled," I questioned. His reply was something like, "Just hold on to Vance." Right. It was a fun trip for about five seconds, and then, we came to a place where we could either go down the gently inclined path to the right or veer off on the death slide to the left. The ice directed us to the left. Tevye started shouting in a panicky tone, "Don't let us go to the left! Don't let us go to the left!"
Well, I should have insisted a little more urgently that we find a different way to get down the slope. He told me to get on the back of the sled. "Okay, but how am I supposed to stay on the back of the sled," I questioned. His reply was something like, "Just hold on to Vance." Right. It was a fun trip for about five seconds, and then, we came to a place where we could either go down the gently inclined path to the right or veer off on the death slide to the left. The ice directed us to the left. Tevye started shouting in a panicky tone, "Don't let us go to the left! Don't let us go to the left!"
"Okay," I replied, "How do I do that?"
I bet you can guess which way we ended up going. When I saw the path ahead, I realized that I could not control any part of this journey and just hoped that we would land with minimal damage. I was bounced off after the first of three mini ski-jump-like bumps. I sounded like Homer Simpson falling into a canyon, "Doh! Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark!" Vance fell off at the second bump and bruised his cheek, and Tevye and Caden made it to the bottom. Needless to say, as the crowd around us stood staring, I felt like a terrible mother. They were probably thinking, "Those idiot parents! How could they put their kids in such a dangerous situation!"
I am very grateful to Heavenly Father for keeping us safe. We had prayed that morning that we would have a fun time and get home safely, and thankfully, that is exactly what happened.
In the car on the way home, Tevye said that he was going to throw himself off the sled in order to push us down the safe path, but then we wouldn't have had anyone to stop the sled. He then looked at me and said jokingly (I think), "You should have sacrificed yourself, Babe."
I bet you can guess which way we ended up going. When I saw the path ahead, I realized that I could not control any part of this journey and just hoped that we would land with minimal damage. I was bounced off after the first of three mini ski-jump-like bumps. I sounded like Homer Simpson falling into a canyon, "Doh! Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark!" Vance fell off at the second bump and bruised his cheek, and Tevye and Caden made it to the bottom. Needless to say, as the crowd around us stood staring, I felt like a terrible mother. They were probably thinking, "Those idiot parents! How could they put their kids in such a dangerous situation!"
I am very grateful to Heavenly Father for keeping us safe. We had prayed that morning that we would have a fun time and get home safely, and thankfully, that is exactly what happened.
In the car on the way home, Tevye said that he was going to throw himself off the sled in order to push us down the safe path, but then we wouldn't have had anyone to stop the sled. He then looked at me and said jokingly (I think), "You should have sacrificed yourself, Babe."
