It was so many things, busy, hard work, crazy, stressful, super awesome, exhilarating, amazing, peaceful, rewarding, I could go on giving you adjectives all day! But that would mean I was living in an alternate universe with no other responsibilities and all the time in the world to blog. Which lets be honest, does not happen very often anymore!
So I could go on about how hard it was, to take 5 children on a skiing holiday, oh believe me I could. Or I could just show you our photos so you can see for yourself.
But that is a bit boring too.
So it was really hard to take 5 children on a skiing holiday! But oh so rewarding! When you see your 6, 9 and 11 year olds zip past you on the slopes, without a second thought to their own self preservation or those around them... it is such a feeling of pride (but mostly terror).
The older 3 took to skiing like ducks to water. When this skiing idea was hatched, I had my reservations they would all like it, or even most. This was one instance I don't mind being wrong. Not that I am ever wrong any other time, but.. just saying.
If you will just let me exhaust you for a second... picture this if you will.
2 adults, 4 children, 1 baby. All need to be fed, dressed in warm clothes, have all of their snow gear packed, including, boots, skis, helmets, jackets, gloves, googles, sunglasses, neck warmers, identity tags (in case they got lost... hey I have 5 children, I need to be prepared for anything!). The baby needs a bag of 'stuff' packed, there needs to be a bag of spare clothes, a bag of food in the car for starving children that cannot wait 30mins. All of that done and in the car between 7.30 and 8am.
Well I am ready for a nap by now, and luckily so is the baby (who has had me up from 5am). He sleeps the entire 30minute car ride up the mountain. I do not.
At the top, once parked, it is then round #2. Each child needs to get into their ski boots, jacket, helmet, neck warmer, goggles/sunnies, gloves. This, as it is round #2 after all, has its difficulty increased with wind and/or snow, and/or ice slapping you in the face. Oh plus it is about zero degrees.
I won't even go into the logistics of getting everyone up the chairlift carrying their ski's. Seriously. Omg. Thank goodness they quickly learnt how to ski on and off. (well, 3 of them).
There was a sense of calm in the moments immediately after getting them all booked into Ski School. 4 of them sorted for a few hours. Breathe!
We then had to get our own gear sorted, and then take turns looking after baby so we could each have some time on the slopes.
No one said it would be easy. No really... no one said this! I wonder why!
Might I add, we also travelled across on the Spirit of Tasmania. There was not a whole lot of sleep had, by some of use anyway! Baby was still getting over being sick, and occasionally coughing ended in vomiting, so naturally this occurred on the boat. I mean.. of course it did! We, as a family of 7, need two cabins, so lucky me was in the one with the 3 littlest. I was up half the night anyway, so I was on hand to stop the 4 year old from rolling out of bed, on several occasions. The trip back was not much better, with one raging fever and a rough patch of sea midway through the night. It's not easy to maintain balance and composure whilst trying to dampen a towel for a feverish child in amongst the swaying back and forth of the boat.
During the 2 weeks we also had 4 trips to ER's/Doctors. No broken limbs though!
Enough of my whinging. We survived, the kids had an absolute ball and we had a fantastic, albeit challenging, holiday. We are going back next year!
Super Speed! Super crash! But oh so cute...
So many more photos to come...
