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Last week, Mike and I did something crazy. We took Mazzy to Utah for a Park City ski trip and left Harlow at home with Grammy. (If you follow @insta2yearold, I know it seemed like she was with us, but she was LYING. That’s a story for another time, I think.)

We left Harlow home for three reasons.

1) Harlow can’t ski and she is too young for ski school. We could leave her in daycare during the day but we did that while we were in Vermont and didn’t want to do it again.

2) We thought it would be nice to spend some one-on-one time with Mazzy. She hasn’t had much since Harlow was born.

3) Taking care of one kid instead of two, especially a kid that is now five, seemed like something resembling an ACTUAL VACATION.

But don’t feel bad for Harlow. She was staying at home with Grammy and Grammy spoils the kids each time she sees them like she’s never seeing them again. She filled Harlow’s days with new clothes, new toys and an action packed calendar of activities Mommy and Daddy are way too lazy to implement when we are home.

The trip was really great. We stayed at a hotel right at the base of town, a short shuttle from the mountain.

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Every day, Mike and I would drop Mazzy off at ski school, ski for the day just the two of us, pick Mazzy up at 3pm and then congregate in the hotel hot tub with friends who were staying in the same hotel.

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The weather was so mild, the kids even went in the regular pool.

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Then we’d shower and go out to dinner in town, finishing up the night with ice cream.

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Mazzy also loved to visit a moose in town named “Loosey” who wore cowboy boots and red lipstick.

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And she was particularly intrigued by a stuffed bear in the tourism center.

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“Mom, is that a real bear?”

“Well, it was once.”

“Is it dead?”

“Yes, it’s dead.”

“Can I touch it?”

“I guess.”

Mazzy ran over and touched the fur. Then she touched the spot that looked like where the bear’s penis used to be. (Or maybe it’s a girl bear? That actually didn’t occur to me until now.)

“What’s this?” she asked, pointing to the nub.

Oh crap. How was I going to explain a chopped off penis???

The lady at the desk came to my aide. “That’s where they shot him. They had to shoot him over and over and over again before he died.”

Thanks, lady. I think the chopped off penis story would have been easier to swallow.

Ummm…. this vacation story has taken a wrong turn. What was I talking about again? Ah, yes. ICE CREAM!

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Mazzy even noticed there was pink on the ceiling of Java Cow— our preferred ice cream eatery.

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“Put that on my pink stuff, Mom!”

I promptly uploaded it to @pinkinnyc. Then we sat around a fire pit until our cones were finished.

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I love Harlow to death but vacationing without her was pretty awesome. A little window into our future when both kids are over five.

On the last day in Park City, after three full days of ski school, Mike and I took Mazzy skiing with us for the day.

SHE WAS AWESOME.

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Keep in mind, on previous trips she could barely stand on skis but suddenly she was skiing off the lift on her own and telling us to follow her down the mountain. Mike turned to me with a huge smile and said, “I am so happy right now.”

I was too.

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For reference, Mazzy’s total experience is three days in ski school last year, two days in Vermont earlier this year and then three days on this trip.

And look what she can do now:

This is why families take ski vacations. It is something the whole family can enjoy together, even as the kids get older. This is how I grew up. Ski trips are some of my fondest childhood memories of spending time with my family.

After the first run, Mike and I decided Mazzy was ready to go farther up the mountain. We took a long winding trail down, even hitting some intermediate slopes. Mazzy did great— she was confident, cautious and competent. She didn’t fall once.

But I would be doing you all a disservice if I left it at that. You see, as happy as Mike and I were about Mazzy’s hard-earned skill, she was less than impressed. Once at the bottom, Mazzy slumped into the snow and said, “I’m tired. I don’t want ski anymore.”

WHAT???!!!!!

“But Mazzy, you did awesome! You are so good at this! This is what we’ve been waiting for! We are so excited to ski with you!”

“I’m TIRED.”

It was still early so we negotiated a deal. I would take her on the alpine coaster at the base of the mountain, if she would go up with us once again after that.

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She loved the alpine coaster and tolerated the skiing. I’m hoping it was just because she’d skied for four days and her legs were tired. Next trip she’ll feel refreshed and excited! Or was this one of those times when your parents try to get you to love something they love but it doesn’t quite happen? Like that time my mom took me to a Hall and Oates concert. Oh no!!! That’s not what’s happening, is it???

When we got back to the room, Mazzy was in a foul mood and I couldn’t quite figure out why. She didn’t want her Boos, she didn’t want to go to dinner, she didn’t want to go to the pool.

“What’s wrong? What do you need? What can I get you?”

“I want Harlow.”

Oh, my heart. In all my thoughts about whether Mike and I could deal with leaving Harlow behind, I never once considered that it would be tough on Mazzy.

“Let’s call her together, okay? And you can tell her you’ll see her tomorrow.”

The vacation was sweet. But the moment we returned, hearing Mazzy and Harlow scream one another’s names as they ran towards each other into one big monster hug— that was even sweeter.

And then they ate popsicles together in a cardboard box in the hallway of our apartment building.

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Because how else should reunited sisters celebrate?

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