Mountain Mom and Tots

Motherhood Moments – My Daily Dose of Chaos

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There is a moment in every parent’s day where, despite our best efforts, chaos ensues. It could be during dinner, or perhaps when trying to get out the door. There’s no telling when it will fall, but without fail, every day there is a moment of mayhem that is beyond your control.

Today it was bath time…and the dinner that preceded it. During dinner little g would not stop crying no matter what we tried. She is at the point in her life where she has strong opinions but does not have the words to express them. Instead she communicates with “UGH!” or “WAA!” while thrusting her tiny hands toward her desired prize. During dinner we assumed the constant “WAAAAA!” was for hunger, but no matter what food or drink we gave her, she was not satisfied. Finally, I took her out of her high chair to sit on my lap, assuming that what she wanted was to be held. Even that did not stop her struggle. She wriggled off of my lap and said “BEBE!” while grasping for the baby doll that was on the kitchen counter.

I sighed and got the doll for her, assuming that would bring relief. Instead she toddled back to me and yelled “UGH!” while making grabby hands for me to pick her up. Apparently, sitting on my lap wasn’t enough; she wanted to sit on my lap and eat food off my plate all while holding her brother’s baby doll. (Sidenote: The baby doll was given to Big E when little g was born so he would have his own baby to take care of while I took care of little g. The idea was that he would have less incentive to harm his sister. If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of a boy having a baby doll, get over it. It’s basically a life size action figure.)

While little g was eating my dinner, Big E decided to pour lemon juice all over his. Mountain Dad and I, all patience gone between us, declared that dinner was over and started cleaning up. As part of that effort, I plopped the kids in the tub.

Normally bath time is play time. E and g will splash and play in a jovial way. Today started out no differently. Excited by the water and the toys floating around them, Big E and little g poured water out of plastic cups, made rubber duckies swim and knocked toy frogs into the water. Soon, however, I saw them drinking the bath water and spitting it out. I don’t like the idea of my kids drinking each others germs or soap, nor do I like them spitting water at each other and incidentally all over the bathroom. I declared STRIKE ONE and gave them a warning. They went back to playing, the new game involving slapping tummies and then slapping the water. I would’ve been fine with that, except that more water was splashing out of the tub than staying in, so I declared STRIKE TWO and gave them a warning. Finally Big E decided to lay down in the tub, pushing g to the corner. He proceeded to kick his sister, pushing her head down to the water, while splashing the water out of the tub and all over me. STRIKE THREE! STRIKE THREE! GET OUT OF THE TUB! Little g have drown! He got water everywhere! Instead of getting out like requested he laughed his naughty ‘you can’t catch me’ cackle and refused to get out of the tub. I grabbed his shoulders angrily and dragged him out of the tub, drenching my shirt in the process.

Since I had ended bath time so suddenly he, of course, started crying. His crying made little g cry, which made me want to cry…or scream…or break something. I restrained myself, shed my wet shirt and started drying off my kids in just my bra. Big E, in a traditional four year old mood swing quickly forgot that he was upset so that he could run to his room, and jump on his bed buck naked instead. Little g was still crazy upset, screaming with all her tiny lungs’ capacity, while I tried to wrestle her into a diaper and pajamas. I was still half naked and livid at E’s bad behavior in the tub. While I’m trying to calm g down and get her into some clothes, I see Big E out of the corner of my eye. He jumps off the bed, stops his running and stares at the floor. Too late do I realize that he is staring at the stream of pee that is flowing from him freely, right onto the carpet.

“E!” I screamed. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” We are past the point of potty accidents. He knows very well how to get to the potty in time. Fury rushed through me as I grabbed him roughly for the second time in two minutes.

“I had to go pee,” he said, with a cocky smile on his face.

“TIME OUT, right now! Get back in the bathroom!” I threw him in and closed the door behind. My heart pounded and my jaws clenched. Behind me little g redoubled her screaming efforts, no doubt because my outburst had scared her.

I felt out of control and I hated myself for it. As an adult, I know how to control my environment in order to remain calm and happy. I understand the situations that set my temper flaring and I avoid or control them as needed. AS a parent, however, sometimes I can’t control it. I can’t force my son to not pee on the floor. I can’t force my daughter to stop screaming and be happy. All I can do is the best I can. In that moment I just walked away. I went into the next room, and got myself a dry shirt, abandoning my screaming children to self destruct on their own. When logical thought returned I decided the best thing to do was to get everyone to bed as soon as possible. So what that it was only 6:20 pm?

I went back to g and calmed her down as best I could. I gave her the baby doll and a pacifier, then wrestled her into a diaper and pajamas. By then E was saying, “Mom, I’m cold! I need my towel!” and I realized that in my haste I put him back in the bathroom buck naked and he was too short to get a towel down from the shelf. I took some deep breaths and opened the bathroom door.

“E, that was very naughty. You know you don’t pee on the carpet! Why didn’t you pee in the potty?”

“I just felt the pee coming,” he said and shrugged. He picked up his towel and started whipping it around the room.

“What do you say to me?” I asked. He wasn’t getting off that easy.

“Sorry, Mom,” he replied. I told him he had to get into pajamas without any complaints and he lost his soccer ball and two bedtime stories as well. After he was dressed he helped me clean up the carpet and by then we had both calmed down considerably.

Now, the house is quiet. Both g and E are asleep. The clock ticks and the fridge hums, but other than that it’s silent. A calmness washes over me as my frustration and impatience silently dissipates. I can feel the night eraser doing its work. The kids are tucked in; the house is dark and quiet.

I begin to see my mothering mistakes lessen in their magnitude. Hope, that perhaps I can be a little better tomorrow, seeps into my mind. I am left with the essential me, and I find myself thinking of little g’s laugh and Big E’s active mind.

Every day has its struggle, but after the fight, wrongs I’ve done are swallowed up by the night.

Big Springs Snowshoe

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Big Springs trail is a popular snowshoeing and cross country skiing trail. I can understand why, it’s easy to access, short, and beautiful. Plus there’s a goal that you’re hiking to – a mountain spring. That always helps motivate me. The 3 mile round trip hike did require some cardiovascular stamina so I opted to leave my young kids at home. I don’t think I could’ve made it with little g on my back and snowshoes on my feet. Instead, Mountain Dad and I went with some friends on our first true snowshoe hike of the year.

GETTING THERE:

Big Springs Trailhead is near the top of South Fork Canyon Road. You get there by driving east on Highway 189 (Provo Canyon Road) to Vivian Park, about 8 miles. From there turn right onto South Fork Canyon Road. You’ll drive about 2.5 miles passing Vivian Park, several homes and ranches, and South Fork Park on the way. Turn right at Big Springs Park and head to the back parking lot. The hike begins on the north part of the parking lot.

ON THE TRAIL:
The four of us strapped on our snowshoes and started out. The trail crossed the first of many wooden foot bridges and headed uphill. We climbed gradually, enjoying the gurgling water and warmth of the sun. The trail followed the stream most of the way, which provided extra beauty to the snow covered scene. We soon realized that the trail was so packed down that we probably didn’t need the snowshoes.

About a mile along the trail we hit a steep section that ended in a beautiful pine tree forest. I was in heaven. My favorite terrain in the world includes mountain slopes, pine trees and running water. The cool air in my lungs and the beautiful scenery instantly put a smile on my face. There are few things more satisfying in life than moving my body while enjoying nature. I don’t know why I get such a rush with that combination but somehow the exercise mixed with the outdoors brings me all sorts of happiness. The forest continued a short way until we reached our goal – the Big Spring that the trail was named for. Here we are standing at the headwaters.

After a short break at the springs we headed back down the trail. The sun stayed warm and the scenery beautiful. All in all it was the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Sundance Nordic Center Ski and Snowshoe

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This week the weather was amazing. The sun shone so much it felt like spring, so naturally I wanted to get out of the house and do something. When I suggested we go snowshoeing, at first Big E was not interested. He wanted to go play with his cousins. Unfortunately for him, an avalanche closed the road down the canyon so we did what I wanted to do – snowshoeing!

Phase one of our adventure was a picnic at the Sundance Nordic Center. My kids love picnics so we often include them in our days, even if it’s just eating on a blanket on the floor of the car repair shop. Food is just more fun if it comes from a picnic bag. The bonus about starting out this way is that it allows us all to have the best possible experience. I was not about to take my kids out on an adventure without them having full bellies and empty bladders. It makes all of our lives easier.

After we ate, little g had her first meltdown of the day. I didn’t know if it was too bright, too cold or too tired but she started crying and I couldn’t figure out why. It wasn’t until we walked back to the truck that I sniffed the problem. Lo and behold she had pooped in her diaper, requiring a multilayer diaper extraction. If you are planning a cross country ski excursion, be aware that the Nordic Center only has outhouses, so plan accordingly.

With g standing in the driver’s seat of the truck, I took her out of her snow clothes, stripped her down and changed the stinky mess. It was not ideal but we didn’t have any other choice.

After the diaper drama was taken care of we moved on to phase two of this adventure – gearing up. We rented Big E his strap in nordic skis from the Sundance Nordic Center. They’re not true nordic skis, but rather skis with a stirrup on each, that straps over the kid’s own snow boots. It gives more control and stability than classic nordic skis.

Little g rode in the hiking pack. I always put her in the pack at the last possible moment because she tends to cry while I strap her in and doesn’t stop until she’s moving. On this adventure, however, she waited to wail until I started moving and didn’t stop for twenty minutes straight.

I strapped on my snowshoes then hefted little g onto my back. The picnic table was very helpful for this part since getting the baby pack on without tipping the baby out is always a bit of a trick. In this picture we’re all geared up ready to go.

And so began phase three – hitting the trail. On this nordic ski adventure I didn’t have the luxury of another adult. Because I know my son’s patience runs out quickly I started the trip by reminding Big E of the book The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper. That particular book is one of my mom’s favorites and I remember her often quoting the famous line, “I think I can, I think I can,” when I was growing up. I tried to get Big E excited by saying we would pretend to be the Little Engine and if we fell we had to chant its famous catchphrase.

Hopes were high at the outset. I knew from the last time we went cross country skiing that Big E would likely be spending plenty of time on the ground. For that reason I decided the best trail for us was the Lil’ Rodent Loop. It is short and sweet, right by the yurt and wouldn’t be used by anyone else.

Big E struggled with the skis, constantly crossing them and falling down. Being the headstrong boy that he is, every time I tried to help him up he yelled, “No, I can do it myself!” His attitude, along with the still crying little g, made any attempt at positive encouragement through pretending to be Little Engines that Could fly out the window. With every flop came crying and complaining from Big E, plus crying and complaining from little g who was rapidly approaching naptime. At one point E was lying on his back on the snow, wrestling his skis around and one ski popped snow onto his face. Needless to say, he was not happy about it and from that point on I decided to take things into my own hands.

Although I want E to learn how to ski on his own, the stress of two crying children was too much. From that point on I did everything I could to keep him from falling down. I wanted him to have a positive experience and that just wasn’t happening. So, I held his hand, pulled him up, eased him down the downhill sections and pushed him up the uphill parts. I stopped giving him pointers and just let him move however he wanted. If he fell I just grabbed him and pulled him back up, which was not an easy task with a baby on my back.

We finally made it to the end of the trail and a miraculous thing happened. Little g stopped crying and Big E started laughing. That’s right, true laughter at the thrill of going down a slope on skis. For one brief moment he understood the joy of skiing and I couldn’t help but smile. That joy is exactly what I experience every time I’m on the mountain. More than anything I want my kids to experience it too.

We headed back to base to pack up our gear. We had only been on the snow for 30 minutes, but that was enough. Little g was ready for naptime, Big E was tired from falling and I was exhausted from carrying 30 pounds on my back while lifting, pulling and pushing my 4-year-old. The trip was short and stressful, but at least by the end we were finally all smiling.

Sundance on Dwellable

Nordic Skiing with the Ladies

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I usually go cross country skiing on groomed trails at Soldier Hollow or Sundance Resort. But when my sister-in-law Chelsea invited me for a ladies Nordic ski trip up South Fork Canyon I thought it would be fun to try it out on the untamed snow. I didn’t quite know what to expect since I’m accustomed to just moving into the ski tracks if the trail gets too tricky.

Chelsea and I got to the meeting place first (Vivian Park in Provo Canyon) so we got out our gear to practice a bit before the other ladies arrived. The snow was falling thick all around and several powdery inches covered the path. All the powder slowed the skis down, even with the fresh coat of wax on our skis, but the slower pace was fine by me since I was still unsure of what to expect from the trail.

Soon Chelsea’s old college roommates, Hannah and Liz, arrived and we all piled into Hannah’s SUV to make our way up to the trail head. Big Springs trail head is up South Fork Canyon, an off shoot of Provo Canyon and a beautiful area. All around were pine trees and aspens, everything covered with thick fresh snow. We unloaded in the parking lot and headed toward the gate that crossed the road. The trail follows the unplowed road for a while then loops to the left, through a large meadow and down some steep switchbacks until you’re back at the trailhead.

Here Liz and Chelsea are all ready to go, but once they get going it doesn’t go so well for Chelsea.

I have quite a bit of experience on the snow. Usually it’s downhill snowboarding which is quite different than cross country skiing but I assumed some of the skills would cross over. On the beginning incline we all did quite well, although the snow conditions didn’t allow for great kick and glide technique. The uphill route was an aerobic experience leaving all of us sweaty under our snow layers. Chelsea, who was the least experienced skier in the group, fell quite a bit, but she wasn’t alone.

Halfway through the trail, we made it to a meadow with enough slope to try a little downhill skills. Liz, Hannah and I hiked up a little bit and staying in single file slid down the meadow, each of gaining more speed than the last. Since the snow was soft it took several trips to pack it down enough to pick up real speed. I went third and the speed I got was enough for me to know that I didn’t want to go again. The problem with cross country skis is that they are skinny and long which makes them awkward when you try to slow down via snowplow. Not to mention that once your skis are in the tracks of someone else the grooves make it difficult to move into a snowplow. My attempt at downhill skiing left me feeling out of control with my speed and although I didn’t fall, I didn’t want to try it again.

Once we moved on from the meadow we began the descent back to base. This part of the trail had more twists and some steep side drop offs that made cross country skiing a little tricky. I was grateful for the powder to slow me down because once I got going fast there wasn’t a lot I could do to stop myself. I snowplowed, tried going in the power, even pointed my skis toward the mountainside so that I would stop without falling. All of these tricks helped some but it did not prevent me from spending some time sitting in the snow. The worst part about falling isn’t suddenly finding yourself flat on your back or spitting snow out of your face. It’s trying to coordinate the huge sticks strapped to your feet so that you can stand back up without tripping over yourself again. Liz, who had taught Nordic skiing before, suggested the following for standing up with skis on.

Place the skis parallel to each other and on the ground.
Curl yourself into a ball with your weight over your feet.
Plant your ski poles on each side of your skis and push yourself to standing.

These tips were definitely helpful, especially to curl into a ball and put your weight over your feet. I would’ve spent a lot more time on the ground if not for that.

The trail passed through trees, meadows and even some old farm equipment until finally we made the last turn toward the parking lot. Hannah, Liz and Chelsea all headed toward the car as I attempted to ski under the gate. After a day on the trail with fairly little problems I was surprised to suddenly find myself sprawled on the ground. I had tripped while crossing through the gate and with no grace whatsoever I was rolling on the snow covered parking lot, skis and poles splayed out in every direction. To make it worse another car was parked right by me with people loading in, watching me make a fool of myself. With as much dignity as I could muster I unlatched my skis, gathered my equipment and headed back to the truck, my face red with embarrassment. It’s one thing to fall while trying a difficult section of trail and quite another to fall in the completely flat parking lot.

Bruised ego aside, it was a fun trip and I would definitely try it again. Now that I’ve gone on an ungroomed trail I’m excited for next time. Hopefully I can make it without falling on my face.

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