Tubing Flop

I had a wonderful and relaxing weekend visiting with my Mom. Thanks to Robby's school closing on Friday in preparation for bad weather (which never materialized), we were able to get an early start and beat the traffic. I packed Robby's sled and all of our winter outerwear in anticipation of spending Saturday playing in the massive snowfall that was forecast for her region. We arrived early Friday afternoon, allowing us enough time to run to the grocery store and help her batten down her hatches for the "big storm."

The whole day Robby chatted about and made plans for our snow-filled adventure. He challenged me to a snowball battle and vowed to make a snowman taller than the deck. Above all else, he was looking forward to sledding.

Despite the wishes of a little boy, the snow never materialized. Saturday morning we woke to her grass only slightly frosted. Although we were both disappointed, I had devised a perfect plan B on the off chance (sarcasm intended) that the weather forecasters were wrong. After lunch we bundled up and headed to the local ski resort for a day of snow tubing!

Robby squealed when he saw the giant tubing hill. After I paid the salty admission fees, we grabbed a tube and headed towards the conveyor belt for the trip to the top of the mountain. I am not sure who was more excited about the first trip down, but I do know that we both had a blast. Robby went first and I could hear him giggle during his entire ride. I'm sure that other riders could hear me as well, but I was screaming instead of giggling. I have forgotten how quickly a snow tube can travel!

Hearing Robby laugh, and seeing his grin from ear to ear at the bottom of the slope, I was shocked when instead of pleading to sled more, he asked if we could go home. After all, I had anticipated (and paid for) a full day of tubing.

Going down the hill once was not going to cut it! Certain that he just needed another run, I insisted that we go again. He obliged and seemed happy when we were headed back up to the top. Again, he giggled the entire ride down the hill, this time riding the tube on his stomach. When I met him at the bottom, he turned in the tube and declared that he wanted to leave.

Robby and I sat by the fire for several minutes as I tried to persuade him to continue. He was insistent that he was done and began to whine. Once the whining started I knew that our day was finished. Begrudgingly and with some degree of anger and frustration, I walked him back to the car and we returned to Nana's house. Needless to say, I was not happy that our day of snow fun was cut prematurely short by a meltdown!

Robby knew that I was upset and he kept his distance for most of the evening. Despite numerous solicitations, he never voiced why he wanted to leave so abruptly. He continued to say that tubing was a lot of fun and that he had a good time. Logic did not work and the conversations only frustrated me further. I finally gave up and accepted that tubing is apparently not his thing.