I told you earlier that our neighbor invited us down to his snowy oasis in the woods for some sledding and snowboarding fun. The boys were ecstatic. I was a little hesitant. Mainly because I know how daring my kids can be, and how dangerous it can be to sled in or near woods.
Unlike the rolling hills of Pennsylvania where I grew up, Indiana is pretty flat. The steep wooded ravines which surround our house would be dangerous to sled down. So sledding has been pretty non-existent.
And the boys have never stepped foot on a snow board.
Enter our nice neighbor (their favorite neighbor, have I said that?), who took them under his wing and gave them all snowboarding lessons today. And helped them steer clear of the trees. (Always a plus!)
“If you are falling on your butt, you are leaning too far back. Lean forward more.”
“If you lean right, you’ll go right. Lean left, go left.”
“That’s it. Maybe not so far forward.”
“That’s it! Awesome, dude! You’re a natural!! Look at him go. I can’t believe he’s still going!”
“Where’d you all learn to balance like that?! Look at you go!”
“Give me a high five! That’s it. How old are you? Five? And you're ready for your turn on a snow board? Cool! Put your one foot there. That’s it. And the other one there. Ready? Here you go! Lean forward just a little.”
“Look at him go! (see the little guy in the middle on a snowboard) He’s a wild man! I’ve never seen anything like it. He’s the best five-year-old snow boarder ever!”
I snapped this picture several hours later. Everyone was pretty tuckered out, covered in snow, and heading home.
It’s a day the boys will remember for the rest of their lives. Not only because they had a ton of fun and fell in love with snow boarding.
But also because an adult besides their parents took the time to play with them, mentor them, and encourage the socks off their feet.
I was so blessed just to hang back and watch. Kids need good role models and tons of encouragement. They had each today (in spades) with a heavy emphasis on the encouragement.
Thanks, Mr. W! We’ll be watching the Olympic coverage of the half pipe (am I saying that right??) tomorrow with new appreciation for those gifted snowboarders!
Check out more picture fun at Wordless Wednesday, and…
7 comments:
That is so great! He's a pretty special guy and I think he's gained some life long admirers.
That last picture is just awesome!
That is so cool my friend. What fun. And how wonderful of your "favorite" neighbor to offer his help and encouragement like that. You are blessed!
Hugs
Kim
That looks like fun! Cute pictures!
Gorgeous property you have there, girlie!!
Looks like a great time to me!--- Because you are warm and toasty while snapping your shots! :)
Looks like a lot of fun, playing in the snow is exhausting!
A very cool friend. Looks like everyone had a great time.
What an awesome experience for you and your boys! I just tried my hand (foot? legs? whatever...) at skiing a few years ago and enjoyed it so much. It's cool that you boys get to start at a younger age!
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