Margie and Dot: 2013

Silly Girls in the backseat on the ride from Calgary to Banff.

I have to start this post by saying it is so WONDERFUL to see things through the eyes of a child who is seeing it for the first time. This was Mary Margo's first ski trip. Her first time out of the country. Her first time to see REAL snow that doesn't melt away in 24 hrs. It was her second airplane adventure but her first time to meet the pilot, Captain Jim. Her fist time to have a passport and go through customs. This list could go on and on.

These are just a few quotes from her on the way to Canada

*Airport Security - If you have ever flown with a child, you know that they ask them simple questions at the check point. On our first trip, I prepped Mary Margo for this and she did great. This time I didn't and it went something like this.

"Hi, is your name Mary?"

Eyes cut in that oh so sassy way. "I'm Mary MARGO"

"Do you know where you are going Mary?"

"Canada!"

Although that was our final destination, that night we were only flying to Texas to meet up with Mandy and Charlie. It wasn't a big deal but there is something about all that security business that puts me a little on edge anyway. Then my child answers all the questions correct to her - but incorrect to the guard. GREAT!

*"Is that our Plane?" on repeat at the airport. She only stopped asking that question to ask "Can I have a coke when the cart comes around?" On her first flight to Texas last summer, the coke was the highlight and, of course, that is what she remembered. Our flight was at 7pm so I promised her she could have one the next day on the LONG flight. She agreed and continued looking out the window of the airport to find our plane.

*"Is that Captain Jim talking?" this question came with every voice over the intercom in the plane. Wednesday we flew from Dallas to Calgary, Canada. This is where she met Captain Jim, our pilot. He was so sweet to her and chatted it up with her before the flight and even gave her a brownie to enjoy during the flight.

*"Can I open the window?" in the plane. My response - "NO you can not!" that was followed by "Why?" I said "for many reasons" she then proceeded to pull out the pamphlet about emergency exits and told me, "the answer is probably in here."

Once in Calgary we went through customs and the agent let Mary Margo stamp her passport. That was fun. Then we got our luggage, car, etc and we were on our way to Banff. It was about an hour drive.

* "Do they work in all this snow?" Driving out of Calgary, she was amazed that everyone actually had to go to work in all the snow! We thought it was hilarious. At 5 years old and from Alabama, she knows you don't work in snow. Not even a snow flurry! : )

Mandy's favorite Mountain
This is what surrounded us on our drive to Banff.
The Canadian Rocky Mountains

*"Look Mommy!" "Look Daddy!" "Look Now" she was completely AMAZED by all the mountains and snow! It was Absolutely gorgeous.

DAY 1
We suited up, put Mary Margo in ski school, and then hit the slope! Mary Margo did great in the half day program with Sasha, her instructor. While she was learning the pizza, Dusty and I took to the Mountain. Mandy and Charlie enjoyed the lodge and watching Mary Margo master the bunny slope. Here she is right after we got all our stuff!

This girl is READY!

Mary Margo and her Ski instructor, Sasha.

We picked her up at lunch time and she couldn't wait to show us what she had learned. She was flying down the hill and doing GREAT!

She loved it!

Mandy and Charlie

Then after lunch, we plotted a course and took our little purple plum up up up to the TOP of the MOUNTAIN!

We had passed a trail earlier that was VERY CLEARLY marked BEGINNERS ONLY! We thought this would be perfect for her.

2.5 hours later, many falls, many frustrations, many many many tears, and pure exhaustion on everyone's part we made it to the bottom.

There were a few scary moments. Like when she would stir up enough courage in that little body to point the skis down the mountain and take off like a bullet. Then fall and roll a few times and scream out in fear and frustration that she was laying in the snow again.

It was rough but we made it down all in one piece. Thank you Lord!

I saw this many times.
Mary Margo lying there and Dusty trying to get her going again.

On a side note, while all this was going on. We saw a LYNX! I did not get a picture of it. 1. because I was in shock and 2. because it is too hard and too cold to get my gloves off and scrounge around for the camera....etc ect. This HUGE bobcat came out of the woods walked ever so gently across the trail and into the woods on the other side. It was so COOL! (and a little scary too)

DAY 2

After our adventures of day one, Mary Margo wanted to put her skis back on and try it again. On one condition, we STAY ON THE BUNNY SLOPE! She was NOT going up the ski lift again. NO WAY NO HOW! And me and Dusty were not going to even try to convince her otherwise. We didn't enjoy that adventure either!

Bunny Slope at Lake Louise

So we spent the morning on the bunny run perfecting her turn, stopping, and control. Dusty was a much better teacher on skis than myself. I let her take off down the hill, just like she had so many times before, and watched from afar as she slamed full force into the bench at the bottom. It looked much worse than it was and thankfully there was a nice lady standing close. I, on the other hand, was up the hill a little ways and could only watch as she bounced. Ouch! Needless to say, we took a break after that and observed. She told me later that she was trying to turn and get in the line to go back up. She just didn't make it.

Taking instruction from Daddy and making snakes in the snow

After lunch we took the gondola to the top. Now, you can ride the gondola up and ride it back down. Which was the plan for Mandy, Charlie and Mary Margo. Dusty and I would ski down. It took some hard coaxing to get little miss in the gondola. She DID NOT want any part of going up the mountain.

View from the gondola

At the top

Standing on the frozen Lake Louise

Charlie, Mandy, Peggy Ann, and Dusty

She was exhausted by dinner every night. On the last night I didn't even order her a meal because she was passed out in my lap before the appetizer made it to the table.

DAY 3 - SUNSHINE VILLAGE

On our last day we visited Sunshine Village. It is a ski resort so high in the mountains you take a 17 minute gondola ride 72,000 ft up into the mountains - haha : ) not really but we had someone tell us that - it's more like 7,200. The gondola takes you to the base of the ski lifts.

Mary Margo was ready to ski again. We took a different approach this time. Dusty scouted out a few trails before we took her to the top. He found a good flat open trail that he thought she could do. Once again it took much convincing to get her on the lift. She sat and watched it for a while before agreeing to a rematch of Mary Margo vs. the mountain. SHE DID AMAZING! And only tripped off the lift one time at the top. That is better than I can say for myself.

Mandy and Mary Mago on the gondola

Mary Margo thinking about the strawberry express

At the top!
WIDE OPEN BEAUTIFUL POWDER!

SLOW AND STEADY down the first Hill

LOVING IT!!!

Mary Margo and Dusty did this run about 100 times. Every time we saw them come down she would get right back in line and up the lift they would go. SHE OWNED IT! And we couldn't have been happier!

On our way back down after a long victorious day of skiing!

O CANADA!

FLIGHT HOME
We had a great flight from Calgary to Dallas. Long but easy. Mary Margo didn't sleep at all...on any of the flights and at midnight that night she walked herself to the car....chitter chatting all the way. I told Dusty that it beat the alternative... her dead asleep and us having to carry her to the car. She finally passed out once we got on 85.

We did have one small set back on the FULL flight from Dallas to Atlanta - an EXPLOSIVE nose bleed! Before take off, while everyone was shoving in the last of their carry-on bags in the overhead compartments, I looked over and Mary Margo was crying and holding her nose with a hand full of blood. I flagged down the flight attendant and we got it under control the funniest part about all this is that I had traded seats with an older lady so that me and MM could sit next to each other. She was across the isle from me and watching all the drama unfold. Then as soon as I got the nose bleed cleaned up a mother with a 14 month old came to claim the seat on the other side of the lady. She quickly volunteered to trade seats again with the the father of the baby. His seat was several rows back from our very active row. The look on her face was priceless. It clearly said "I do not want to sit between a baby and a 5 year old with a nose bleed!" I found humor in it!

One more thing happened that I did not find humorous... TURBULENCE. We went through a strong line of storms. We hit a very large bump! The kind that takes your stomach and you fling your arms out to protect the person next to you. Yeah, I did that. I grabbed Mary Margo's arm and squeezed it. I think I scared her. But she thought it was so FUN! She was laughing and giggling about being "dizzy" (what she calls it when your stomach drops) It was just one more example of seeing the world through a child's eyes. She had no clue how scary turbulence could be. And that is a good thing.

Mary Margo went on her first date Saturday night. She got a new dress full of sparkle, a new headband with a little pink sparkle and a fresh coat of nail polish with more sparkle. She woke up Saturday morning with the biggest smile on her face and she was just plain GIDDY. When I asked her why she was so happy she said

"IT'S DADDY DAUGHTER DANCE DAY!!!"

Here is little miss priss waiting on her Date.

Aren't they cute?

This night is huge in Auburn. Tickets go on sale in December and it sales out every year. We decided this year would be the year we take the plunge and join the masses. Honestly, the first time I mentioned it to Mary Margo she said "No I don't want to do that" (dusty had a similar response) I think I scared her with the word "dance" She thought she was going to have to wear a pink tutu, learn a routine, and perform in the recital. It took a while to convince her. She warmed up after the dress came and a few pep talks from me and Francie. The excitement and anticipation grew and grew and by the Sunday before the count down had begun. 5 days, 4days, 3days, 2days, 1day......she was more than excited by Saturday morning. And Saturday night when it was all over, Daddy brought home a VERY tired little dancer. The first thing she told me was what Francie's Dress looked like and she showed me how to do the chicken dance. Even Daddy admitted it was a fun night. : )

In her own words

She shared in front of her class this morning for journal time and this is her story. I LOVE LOVE LOVE reading her journal and I was ecstatic when Mrs. Jackson, her teacher, emailed me for pictures of the night. Mrs. Jackson also asked Mary Margo to copy her writings outside her journal so she could bring it home today and we could keep it! Mrs. Jackson Rocks!!

Translation:

Daddy Daughter Dance

I went to the daddy daughter dance. I danced with my daddy and my friends. I wore a sparkling dress. My finger nails were pink. I came back when it was past my bed time.

And here is sweet little sister who insisted on having her picture made just like big sister.