When I was a young girl, I lived in a neighborhood that had lots of kids to play with. I had two younger sisters and we were always outside. In the winter my friends, sisters and I loved to sled ride. We had those beautiful old wooden sleds with the steering mechanisms in front that you moved with your feet. We would bundle up in many layers and continued to sled even when our feet and fingers were stone cold.
Once we were at Suzi’s house and she had a steep drop off at the edge of her lawn. I was always careful but Suzi was a bit of a daredevil. One day she was flying down her hill and launched right off that edge and disappeared. It was a tense moment. I don’t remember fire engines or anything like that; I think everything was ok but whew, that was a scary moment.
Jim and I have a great hill next to our house that is a beauty for sled riding. When my kids were little they loved to grab their saucer shaped plastic riding gear and start at the top. Once, I went outside to check on them and see how it was going. They were flying down the hill as my husband and brother in law watched close by. I think my jaw dropped when I saw the sheer speed with which they flew by. I began to object and here is what Jim said: Honey, go back in the house.
So now my grandson, his cousins and my niece are the next generation of sled riders. The equipment is alittle faster and quite fabulous. Great big plastic sleds with handles on the sides, snow boards, and still those brightly colored saucers. It’s all great fun for them.
At my age, I’m into the hot chocolate. When I can tell the kids are getting tired, I will whip them up a batch of hot milk and Hershey’s syrup with mini marshmallows. I have it simmering on the stove when they walk in. There is just something special about a mug of cocoa after a cold bout of sled riding.
Any snowy sled riding memories you want to share?
What fun each generation has in the snow. We slid down sand hills and ordinary hills, using pieces of cardboard or coconut fronds. No snow for us. If there is fun to be had outside children can usually find it.
No snow at all in your part of the world? How cold does it get? 🙂
In some parts of New Zealand there is snow enough for sleds. But we rarely get snow in our city. The sand hills and the coconut fronds refer to my childhood in Fiji. Definitely no snow there 🙂
I really don’t have any! When I was little we lived outside of Chicago and it was flat! No sled riding hills, but we had plenty of ice skating ponds! We moved from Pittsburgh to Chicago when I was 5, and I don’t have any memories of sled riding before then, although I know where we lived and it was probably a GREAT place to sled ride, LOL! I was 12 when we moved back to Pittsburgh and I know I did sled ride then but I don’t remember it! Hot chocolate is always good when coming in out of the cold!
I am sure that your boys and my kids did some sled riding together Cathy. (though I think we probably both stayed away from any sledding ourselves!) I should dig through some old pictures and see if I can come up with anything.
Good to hear from you! xo Joanne
Hi Joanne, what cute boys & what an awesome pic of Gavin trudging through the snow! It would be a great picture to frame! Priceless….Stay warm & enjoy hot chocolate with Gavin!
I am always up for a hot chocolate! That’s for sure. Thanks Cindy!
I remember the sled trains we would have by interlocking our rubber boots (with the metal buckles that always froze shut with ice) into the Flexible Flyer behind — and those layers of clothes that ulitmately were encased in a suspendered wool snow suit that weighed more than any of us when when wet.
Beautiful! Thank you Michael!
Oooo, thanks for the memories, Joanne. You wrote about them so beautifully. I grew up in New Jersey (very hilly also), and we actually lived on a big hill, so our side yard had some good snow moments. Yes, we would bundle up, and there was always something warm waiting for us when we were done…especially mother’s arms 🙂 I agree, that mothers are best off in the house, away from the Oh-My-God moments of childhood antics. I’ve had some of those moments, too..they don’t seem to phase the men, but they can be frantic for mothers.
Love and hugs,
Marianne xo
I smiled at your comment about those Oh My God moments! You are truly right- we are best left in the house!
Thank you for walking back in time with me Marianne!
xo Joanne
My sledding memories include riding down Sugharhouse Park’s hills on cardboard, under the watchful eye of my Bompa. He’s gone, now, but whenever I see kids sledding, I remember those fun-filled days.
(((Hugs))),
Peg
Hugs to you too Peg. I admit I never sat on cardboard to sled. My mom would likely have given me a hard time about that (too dangerous or something!).
Nice to hear from you…
xo Joanne