A condo in Keystone, 12 liters of soda, food for 10 teenage boys...50 dollars a piece, Being invited to hang in the terrain park...priceless.
I picked them up after school and we set out for the ski area. The boys were busily talking about school, the teachers they like and dislike and the plans for the weekend. I just drove.
I listened to the conversation in the back seat but honestly, I didn't hear that much because I am going deaf...I started thinking about what was gonna transpire with 9 teenage boys and a menopausal crabby old mom. As we pulled up to the ski area, the level of excitement built and before I could put the car in park, they jumped out and started stripping in the parking lot. All at once, there were teenage boys in their boxers, putting on long underwear and ski clothes everywhere. Cars were trying to get by and as some of the boys were hopping with a shoe off, half dressed for skiing... I had to laugh. I thought about getting the camera but I didn't move fast enough.
They left me in a matter of moments, "We'll call you and you can meet us when they close the gondola" is all I heard from them as they faded away. I headed to the condo. It was a nice place and I thought about all the "mom points" I was racking up. I put my stuff in and headed to the bar to meet a few mom's that skied all day and were having a drink. I decided that while I didn't do a thing to earn a drink, I ran over anyway and sat down with the girls...
Before I knew it, the boys were done night skiing. "Were done and we're starving" was the phone call. I put on the food and waited. They arrived, took off their ski stuff, headed to the table and started to eat like a pack of starving wolverines.
Then, as fast as they came in and scarfed down the food, they stood up, walked to the garbage can, threw away their plates...looked toward me and one after one said, "thanks Mrs. Ritter" and walked upstairs to play pool, video games and hang out. I fell asleep on the couch and moved to one of the bedrooms. I heard the boys upstairs talking and the pool balls clanking but really they were pretty quiet. I woke up around 11:30 and all the lights in the condo were off and boys were all in beds sleeping.
Morning came and I woke up, looked around and found all the boys asleep in beds, on the floor and where ever they fell. All of a sudden, they came alive again and breakfast was being consumed, gear was being put on and they were getting ready to head out the door. My son looked over and said, "Come on, Mom...get ready, the lift opens at 8" and while I was stunned, I quickly put on my ski pants, jacket, snowboard boots and headed out with the gang. We walked to the lift, split into groups to ride up, and I was on a lift sitting between my two sons.
"That condo is really awesome, Mom, thanks for doing this" I heard through the helmet and baclava. It felt like a dream...The lift was humming and the two boys were doing there usual bickering and I was in the middle of it. The lift got to the top of the mountain and we got off. I was putting my snowboard on, when again, I heard my older son talking to me, "We're gonna go to the terrain park before it gets crowded...you can come with us if you want or we'll meet you at the Montezuma lift." Did he just invite this "48, feel like I'm 100" mother to hang out in the terrain park with the fellas...did he really? Of course, I took the easy way out and met them at the lift after they did all their jumps and craziness.
My cell phone rang and Jim had just shown up. We were going to ride our snowboards together and then I was going home in the evening to let the dogs in and take care of the home fires. It was my turn. Jim and I got on the lift and rode with the boys all morning...I was the last one to the lift or the last one to make it anywhere but I didn't care. I was still included in the pack. At lunchtime, I decided I was going back to the condo to eat lunch and chill for a few hours. Jim went with me along with a few of the boys. We all ate lunch and Jim and I sat on the couch...two hours later, we both woke up from dozing...me with my feet wedged under his rear end because I was cold and him laying across my hip and on my arm. When we both came to, my arm was dead asleep and I couldn't lift it. We laughed about how we fell asleep like a couple of old dogs snuggling into each other to stay warm...
We headed out to finish the day with a few more runs and then I was ready to go home...I headed back to the condo, cleaned up what I could and waited for the traffic to clear. Then, I left.
I got into bed last night, remembering the day and trying to recover from the huge dose of testosterone that I had the pleasure of being around for 24 hours...and felt pretty happy...and lucky...and blessed.
The boys were good, they were polite, they looked me in the eye and talked to me...even included me when they really didn't have to. I had the opportunity to understand who they are...how they interact with each other and how they have fun...and, if I wanted to, I was invited to the terrain park to do some sweet tricks with them if I had the nerve. Too bad I didn't...
I'm not sure what this weekend really costs in dollars...but to Jim and I, it was priceless. Teenage boys are not nearly as bad as the reputation they have and I lived to tell the truth!
We'll tawk tomorrow,
I love you all,
Terry
I listened to the conversation in the back seat but honestly, I didn't hear that much because I am going deaf...I started thinking about what was gonna transpire with 9 teenage boys and a menopausal crabby old mom. As we pulled up to the ski area, the level of excitement built and before I could put the car in park, they jumped out and started stripping in the parking lot. All at once, there were teenage boys in their boxers, putting on long underwear and ski clothes everywhere. Cars were trying to get by and as some of the boys were hopping with a shoe off, half dressed for skiing... I had to laugh. I thought about getting the camera but I didn't move fast enough.
They left me in a matter of moments, "We'll call you and you can meet us when they close the gondola" is all I heard from them as they faded away. I headed to the condo. It was a nice place and I thought about all the "mom points" I was racking up. I put my stuff in and headed to the bar to meet a few mom's that skied all day and were having a drink. I decided that while I didn't do a thing to earn a drink, I ran over anyway and sat down with the girls...
Before I knew it, the boys were done night skiing. "Were done and we're starving" was the phone call. I put on the food and waited. They arrived, took off their ski stuff, headed to the table and started to eat like a pack of starving wolverines.
Then, as fast as they came in and scarfed down the food, they stood up, walked to the garbage can, threw away their plates...looked toward me and one after one said, "thanks Mrs. Ritter" and walked upstairs to play pool, video games and hang out. I fell asleep on the couch and moved to one of the bedrooms. I heard the boys upstairs talking and the pool balls clanking but really they were pretty quiet. I woke up around 11:30 and all the lights in the condo were off and boys were all in beds sleeping.
Morning came and I woke up, looked around and found all the boys asleep in beds, on the floor and where ever they fell. All of a sudden, they came alive again and breakfast was being consumed, gear was being put on and they were getting ready to head out the door. My son looked over and said, "Come on, Mom...get ready, the lift opens at 8" and while I was stunned, I quickly put on my ski pants, jacket, snowboard boots and headed out with the gang. We walked to the lift, split into groups to ride up, and I was on a lift sitting between my two sons.
"That condo is really awesome, Mom, thanks for doing this" I heard through the helmet and baclava. It felt like a dream...The lift was humming and the two boys were doing there usual bickering and I was in the middle of it. The lift got to the top of the mountain and we got off. I was putting my snowboard on, when again, I heard my older son talking to me, "We're gonna go to the terrain park before it gets crowded...you can come with us if you want or we'll meet you at the Montezuma lift." Did he just invite this "48, feel like I'm 100" mother to hang out in the terrain park with the fellas...did he really? Of course, I took the easy way out and met them at the lift after they did all their jumps and craziness.
My cell phone rang and Jim had just shown up. We were going to ride our snowboards together and then I was going home in the evening to let the dogs in and take care of the home fires. It was my turn. Jim and I got on the lift and rode with the boys all morning...I was the last one to the lift or the last one to make it anywhere but I didn't care. I was still included in the pack. At lunchtime, I decided I was going back to the condo to eat lunch and chill for a few hours. Jim went with me along with a few of the boys. We all ate lunch and Jim and I sat on the couch...two hours later, we both woke up from dozing...me with my feet wedged under his rear end because I was cold and him laying across my hip and on my arm. When we both came to, my arm was dead asleep and I couldn't lift it. We laughed about how we fell asleep like a couple of old dogs snuggling into each other to stay warm...
We headed out to finish the day with a few more runs and then I was ready to go home...I headed back to the condo, cleaned up what I could and waited for the traffic to clear. Then, I left.
I got into bed last night, remembering the day and trying to recover from the huge dose of testosterone that I had the pleasure of being around for 24 hours...and felt pretty happy...and lucky...and blessed.
The boys were good, they were polite, they looked me in the eye and talked to me...even included me when they really didn't have to. I had the opportunity to understand who they are...how they interact with each other and how they have fun...and, if I wanted to, I was invited to the terrain park to do some sweet tricks with them if I had the nerve. Too bad I didn't...
I'm not sure what this weekend really costs in dollars...but to Jim and I, it was priceless. Teenage boys are not nearly as bad as the reputation they have and I lived to tell the truth!
We'll tawk tomorrow,
I love you all,
Terry
Comments