Took the kids cross country skiing for the first time yesterday and the oddest thing happened.  My littlest, for the first time ever, turned into a Ski Beast.  Let’s take a step back,  this child has been on downhill skis since three and all that time she’s been the cautious one.   She let her brother be first for years.  There has never been a fuss.  So, when the Ski Beast arrived, it came as quite a surprise.

It started with an initial roar of delight.  She loved the loops and curves of the cross country experience.   At the three mile mark, the Beast arrived. That’s right, I said three miles in, which means we still had three miles out.  The Beast snarled with anger about being behind.  The Beast raced to stay ahead screaming about “Mr. Perfection” and his greatness.

Mr. Perfection is her brother.  I’d never thought of him as Mr. Perfection, but her eyes.  Around mile five the true attack came. The Ski Beast sensing an failure zoomed ahead.  Her brother, sensing the pressure, moved faster.  In return Ski Beast tackled him, laying him flat face first in snow.

Ugly.

I’m not sure I should be saying this, but I got a little satisfaction in the fight.  Frankly, I didn’t think she had it in her and really who would’ve thought it come out on cross country skis.

Ski Beast,  I’m starting to think that the beast will indeed be an athlete.   But stop tackling Mr. Perfection, it just makes a long ride home.