Perfect day for the ski brothers

It's official, we all have the bug. Not the botty/tummy type bug but instead one that I am sure is going to give us countless days of pleasure and wholesome fresh air family fun for many years to come. I'm talking about the 'strap some wood to your feet and hurtle down a snowy mountain' bug.

We ventured en masse up the hill yesterday laden with 4 sets of gloves, goggles, hats, socks, boots, and one grandmother. A logistical nightmare, definitely, but absolutely worth it just for cute factor - Little Brother kitted out in his tiny tiny boots and skis only slightly longer than my feet.

Off we trekked to the learners platter, with a magic carpet and pommer tow. After one trip on the magic carpet and a slide down the slope holding Mums hand Big Brother pointed up to the 6 person chair lift that goes up the whole side of the mountain and declared 'I want to go up there now'. Gotta love that about kids - they don't let ability get in the way of their ambitions.

We persuaded him to have a few turns on the pommer with Dad - and he and Little brother (at the tender age of 27 months, remember!) both went up - and came down again - between Dads legs. They loved it, with basically no skill and no desire to master any, they were just there for the ride - totally trusting, I mean what could possibly go wrong? (So sad that they may learn one day how unforgiving gravity can be, and even end up like that quivering mess of worry at the bottom of the slope called Mum).

We only used bribery (international currency known as the lollipop) once to get them back up the slope, and once supercharged with colouring and sugar, three generations of Gentry's headed up the main chair. And came belting back down a few short minutes later. Big Brother is now hooked on skiing, and we'll be saving up for a few lessons next year, so someone else can gently teach him how to actually ski. Little Brother was a star, too, stomping away through the snow, sliding on his skis and leaning forward, without a grizzle all day. It felt incongruous to take his ski's off and lift him up onto the baby changing table to wipe his bottom. He fell asleep before we got back to the car.

Here's to great family holidays to come. And to breeding adrenalin junkies. And to contracting bugs like these.