| Hello from snowy Squaw Valley where all, or | | | | climate like ours in Northern California, where it's |
| seemingly all, of the kids in California are spending | | | | never really hot nor really cold. It's hard to imagine |
| their vacation. If your ski week is coming up, a few | | | | what three below is like, say nothing to 95 above. |
| refresher suggestions may be in order. If you only ski | | | | 2. Pack some mustard. Unless you have good |
| once a year, or just rarely do a vacation rental, it's | | | | confirmation with the owners or the management as |
| easy to forget the little stuff. | | | | to what is stocked at the house, add to your bag of |
| 1. Plan to pack. If you only ski (or travel to the beach | | | | groceries the basics you'll need for a week. It's hard |
| for that matter), once a year, this is one case where | | | | to part with six bucks for a bottle of salad dressing |
| making a list of the necessities makes sense to use | | | | when plenty of oil and vinegar is back at home. |
| to pack each year. How many miles from town does | | | | 3. Rent skis and boots if necessary in your |
| it become impossible to turn back and start again. In | | | | hometown if you're driving to ski. There's nothing |
| this year's example, I'd estimate it was about 25 | | | | worse for kids and more fatiguing for adults than to |
| miles out that my husband realized that his ski boots | | | | start a ski day with a one hour trip for ski fitting. |
| were still at home. We remembered almost all of the | | | | Rent at home, save money, and use your time on |
| stuff for the children's skiwear only to remember | | | | the slopes. |
| that we forgot the parents' stuff. This is very | | | | 4. Plan for babysitting or for lots of in-home down |
| important if you want to be out there as an example | | | | time if you're traveling with small children. Ski schools |
| to the kids to enjoy the snow and the skiing. The ski | | | | start at age three in most places as kids younger |
| boots weren't left in the basement, or even on the | | | | than that do not have the physical coordination |
| floor of the garage, they never even made it to the | | | | required to properly teach them to ski. Even if it |
| pile we accumulated to cover all the potential | | | | starts earlier, your kid may not be ready. Be fully |
| exigencies of a snowy holiday. | | | | prepared to not ski, or trade off days with your |
| Also, remember the stuff you need to move from | | | | spouse. Either way, you may regret spending a lot of |
| the ski condo/house to the ski slopes. Snow boots | | | | money to ski so little. Just keep it in mind when |
| to walk through the snow and the slush, use of | | | | planning the ski vacation and set expectations. Also |
| plastic sleds to carry all of the little ones' equipments | | | | look for other recreational activities, like dog sledding, |
| (as surely, you will be the valet for all of the | | | | sleigh rides, a kids' bungee jumping area, interior rock |
| multitude of equipments for you and your kids) I | | | | climbing gyms, or an area to build snowmen. Plan and |
| actually saw a mom who had a small shopping basket | | | | figure out all the possible ways to enjoy the trip, |
| on wheels where she carried all of her three children's | | | | away in the snow rather than focus on that fact |
| ski equipment. | | | | that it's a 'ski' week. Focus on the family down time |
| Even if there is only one child, it is often too much | | | | and just enjoy the break. My little two-year old son |
| weight and too many pieces to carry for a dad or | | | | and I had several hours of rambling around the village |
| mom who is in good shape and can carry many | | | | where he was the mayor of the village and an |
| pounds. And, prepare for temperature variation. It's | | | | ambassador to all of the many dogs. |
| even easier to forget things when you live in a | | | | |