Sledding

I don't view myself as an over-protective parent (and I know some of you are raising your eyebrows going "Not even close!") but I do have to say that I've realized that sometimes I am.

Todd has been taking Mikey and Roger sledding several times this year. We've gone as a family to a near-by park, but whenever Todd goes with the two boys, he goes to a hill that is at the rec center. They always came home in one piece and seemed harmless, until...

For Young Womens we decided to go sledding for an activity. We were having it at the rec center hill, so I had Todd, LeNae, and the boys come (my pregnant friend Katie watched Grant). It was dark when we started, but everyone had assured me that you would be able to see. When I got on top, I was surprised with how well I could see. The snow made everything so bright.

Standing at the top, I was a little nervous, but figured that it was because of the darkness. So I grabbed William and sledded down. It was one of the scariest things I have ever done (and I have gone sky diving and bunji jumping) - but maybe because I had my little boy on with me. It was so steep, and you had no control of the steering. I sat at the bottom for a few moments in shock. Because everyone was on top of the hill, I grabbed William and the sled and started hiking up. As I was walking I watched Katie's little girl Liv go down on her sled. She was lying down on her back and I stared in horror as her body bounced off and on the sled. I'm not talking a little bounce, I'm talking a good foot of air between her body and the sled.

When I reached the top, I walked over to Todd and told him that I couldn't believe that he takes the boys sledding on that hill. Just then, Mikey had walked to the top of the hill, pulling his sled behind him, got down on his sled just to ride it down again...ALL BY HIMSELF!!! I was just in awe. Todd laughed at me.

I decided to just stay at the top and supervise the Young Men and Women, and my boys. After some time I got more use to the height and more comfortable with the idea of sledding down. I realized it wasn't as bad as it seemed, and even went down a few more times with William, who laughed and laughed as we went down.

Mikey did not stop sledding at all. Once he got to the bottom, he turned around and brought the sled up the steep hill just to do it again. A couple of times he allowed Todd to go down with him.

Roger went down by himself a couple of times, but soon grew smart. Being the ladies man that he is, he had all the Young Women loving him. He would ride down the hill with them, then have them either hold his hands as they climbed back up, or even carry him back up the hill. That kid is definitely going to an all-boys high school.