For an hour, being outdoors in Minnesota was fun. I took the kids sledding while Ali stayed behind. Ali isn’t the most safety conscious mother out there, but she is certainly a lot quicker to say be careful than I am. So when the kids went from halfway up the hill, to three quarters, and eventually to the very top where they learned to take a running start, all I could think was, “Please don’t get hurt and make me explain this to your mother.”
They didn’t always hit the jump head on, but somehow the two of them never once wiped out or smashed a chin upon landing.
I was just having fun shooting pictures, switching out lenses, trying different settings, whatever. By the end I was answering their questions with, “Just one more time and we can go.”
Ouest made Katy a wedding present a while back, and she was absolutely beaming when it was finally time for the unwrapping. She was so proud of her gift and so excited for Katy to open it. I don’t think I’ve seen her smile that big, ever. It’s really sweet to see just how much she loves her aunt. I was reading a book this afternoon when Katy walked in the room—mid-sentence, and Ouest was gone.
12 Comments on “Snow Jumping”
Great pictures and such a proud daughter. Your blog is wonderful.
Thank you, Peter.
Aren’t kids great. If you and I went down that hill on a sled, we’d wind up in the emergency room.
Mark and Cindy
Heh . . . Careful, Pat, in case the authorities in Minnesota are as zealous as the ones in Maryland:
http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/free-range-parents-found-responsible-child-neglect-allowing/story?id=29363859
TJ
How did such a seismic shift in what constitutes parental neglect occur in such a short period of time? In just two generations (or is it one?) kids went from having the run of the neighborhood to not being allowed outdoors without supervision. Did television do this to Americans? Is that where the fear of the boogeyman came from? I blame Law and Order—only half-jokingly.
absolutely insane. when i was in 2nd grade i walked MILES (in teh snow uphill…:)) to school completely alone and during the summer my mom would kick all 6 of us out of the house, put me in charge, and say, “don’t come home until it is dark.” on occasions. a little torture of the younger siblings but hey, we all grew up and no-one died. i’m not looking to repeat my childhood (shivers) but hell, this is insane. so glad we raised our 4 outside the USA.
Wonderful photos – as always!!! That smile was pretty big! You can totally see the love.
Oh man, those photos of the kids sledding mid-air are amazing. It brings back so many childhood memories (speaking of, my parents would totally be in jail right now if modern day ridiculousness applied to rural Montana 20 years ago). As always, great photos – you guys inspire us to create little critters of our own. 🙂 And that smile of Ouest’s is pretty dang priceless….
Katie and Mark
Oh my, that photo of the kids carrying their sleds back up the hill together is splendid!
thanks Mike
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These photos are so much fun! Love it!
Such awesome pics..!! Love it.