Everything But Hot

The minute she saw the videos from last year's Slush Cup there was no stopping her.
She was persistent.
She was more persistent than the persistent widow (obscure bible reference - please ignore).
She asked if she could ski.
I said NO. An adamant "no". The I'm-not-even-entertaining-this-thought "no".

She picked out a crazy outfit, laid it on her bedroom floor and showed me what she would wear if she was allowed to ski in the Boler Slush Cup. I smiled. That's my Karis. No.

One more time she asked.
Sigh. Persistent.
I was pretty sure that the ski hill wouldn't allow little kids to do something as crazy as ski down a hill and land in a huge man made puddle/pond. Right?
Wise mama that I am I said, "Let's call Boler. We'll ask them if you are allowed."

Remember, I was sure that they would laugh at the thought. There's no way they would let her.
Here's what I heard at the other end of the line,
"Sure she can do it. All she needs is a parent to sign the waiver."
Shoot.
One thing I was sure of was that she had one parent who would sign that waiver (ie the other parent!).

So my adamant "no" was changed into a sheepish "yes".
(Please tell me that my wishy-washy-ness on this won't ruin my ability to stand my ground in the future. It won't, will it?)


Crazy outfit clad - she made her way up the ski lift with her dad. Did a few practice runs, watched daddy successfully clear the pond, and she was more determined than ever. She was going to do this thing!

And do it she did!
Her partner in crime (aka Daddy) skied by her side until they neared the pond.
He was her encouragement.
Her side-kick.
Her confidence.
She screamed the ENTIRE way down. And the screams only got louder as she approached the water!


Look at that form - she may be scared but she's doing it with style, finesse and grace. I guess all those ski lessons paid off!

And then the moment came - there's no turning back. It was at this point that Nana started crying. Literally crying tears. Not sure why - but the sight of her little grand-daughter heading for that cold water brought her to tears.

And, she's in. Ker-plunk.
Thank goodness for those balloons!
As a side note - she took a class on the art of Ballooning yesterday at the library. She is now proficient at making dogs, flowers, swords and hats. Which is what prompted her to tape balloons to her helmet. See - it's all part of the big crazy story that we call "Life with Karis."


Soaking wet.
Freezing cold.
And still smiling.
Wrapped in a blanket. Smiling ear-to-ear. Trying to hide the shivers.
She was asked by Mrs. Vandersteen if she was cold. She said YES.
Mrs. Vandersteen asked if she was scared. She said YES.
Mrs. Vandersteen asked what it felt like. She said, "It felt EVERYTHING but HOT!"
Everything BUT hot.
I'm sure that's exactly what she felt ... scared, excited, exhilarated, fun, shocking, cold etc. etc.
She felt everything but hot.

I tell you what, by the end of the day my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
I love my family.
I love my kids.
I love my wild and crazy husband who dares to skim over and jump into a near frozen puddle.
I love the other daughter who stood by my side and said, "We don't know them!" And then walked up to her little sister, gave her a hug and told her how proud she was of her!
I love my daughter who is confident and crazy, who knows herself and loves herself.
I love my son who watched with wide eyes. His day will come.

I pray that I will continually be aware of who my kids are and how they tick. That I will seek out who it is that God created them to be and nurture that in them. That I won't try to fit them into a mold, hold them back or force them to be something they are not.

It was a fabulous day. The kind of day you hit replay on in the memories of your mind.
We felt everything but hot. That's for sure.