Day 2354. Sammy was up first, as usual, and we went to breakfast around the same time as the first two days, just after 7:30 am. We had a good time eating, then returned to the room where we still had some time to relax. At 9:10 we started getting ready - all five of us - then we went downstairs to the ski room where I helped the kids put their ski boots on. We grabbed their skis and went outside where the shuttle was waiting for us. Then the five of us got on and rode it down the hill to the ski school.
We walked to the bottom of the slope where all the ski school groups meet. The kids had a different teacher today as the other one was not there today, and it was a woman. She then had them walk up the hill with their skis in hand to get to the start of the ski race that they were going to start their day with. Randy, Sammy and I stayed on the bottom at first, then walked up the hill to get closer and have an easier time watching the kids run their race. I walked up even more than Randy and Sammy.
It took a while but then it was their turn. The race was really not organized very well. There were no numbers, no loudspeakers or announcements so you had to really watch and recognize your child to be able to know when they'd come down the hill. They had two races set up next to each other, and our kids had to go down the race with just little sticks sticking out of the ground to go around. Tammy was the first one in their group to come down, and she seemed faster than the others. Emmy was last and seemed to be a little slower. He'd been telling everyone that he had won a race before and wanted to win again. But then last night, when he was having one of his fits, he'd said that he'd be last today.
After all six in their group had run the race, the teacher came to them and asked them whether they wanted to know who was first etc. They said yes, and Tammy had actually won! Wow! I was so proud of her! I was very surprised when I found out that Emmy was in fifth place together with another girl and therefore last. Tammy was elated, and she really deserved it. She's had to watch Emmy get medals and even a trophy last summer, and now it was finally her turn. Emmy didn't show his disappointment very much.
We left them with their teacher to finish their two hours with her and took the shuttle back up the hill to the hotel. Sammy was ready to get back to the hotel. He had kept talking about the cleaning lady all morning, and she had in fact come while we were gone. It was of course later than usual, but I still got to close my eyes for 25 minutes.
After my alarm had woken me up, I got dressed and went downstairs to take the 11:30 am shuttle to pick up Tammy and Emmy at 11:45. Our return shuttle was right after so I was really hoping we'd make it back in time, and we did. By noon we were back at the hotel. The kids took their ski clothes off and relaxed for a few minutes, then we went to the restaurant to eat. Today we ordered three different soups that we all shared, and they also gave us some bread and butter each that we all enjoyed. The kids had already noticed the piano near us and Tammy wanted to play it. I told her to ask the waiter whether it was okay to play but she was too shy. Emmy then went to him and asked, and he said yes. All three kids then sat down by it to play. Emmy started with the finger warmup, then they did their homework piano pieces and what they're going to play at the competition in 10 days. Once they were done, the only other family in the dining room clapped for them. It was another kid and his family who was in the same ski school group as them.
We paid and left. Emmy wanted to play fusbal with me, so we all went to the room there to play. Tammy didn't want to play, though. It was Emmy and I who had lots of fun playing. Then we returned to our room where we still had a little time to relax before having to leave. Sammy sometimes watches his tablet while standing by the bed and leaning against it, and Randy took his picture where he stands by himself, only leaning against the bed. Good job, Sammy!
Just before 1:30 pm the three of us started getting ready to leave, and we took the shuttle at 1:45 pm to go back down the hill. But this time we got off at the gondola on the opposite side of the mountain from the baby slope. They were FINALLY going up a decent mountain and down a nice slope. As for the weather, it was terrible. It had been foggy for much of the day, and the whole mountain was covered in it. In addition, it was raining. I went to buy their lift tickets, and because they were on a different mountain in the afternoon, I paid a whole lot more buying two 3-hour tickets, one for the morning mountain and one for the afternoon mountain. I put them into their jackets, then we continued waiting for their teacher. It wasn't 2 pm yet. Tammy and Emmy were playing with the girl they'd become friends with at the hotel, the one that had held Emmy under water and who was in their group. 2 pm came and no teacher. I was getting a little nervous as my shuttle to go up the hill was leaving at 2:05 pm. At 2:03 pm she finally came, and I left and made the shuttle.
Back in our hotel room, I got my computer out to work even though I was pretty tired. I then worked until leaving again at 3:30 pm. It was time to go to the kids' award ceremony. It was still raining and foggy.
When I got to where you get on the gondola, the kids weren't there yet. Instead I saw parents from one of the boys from their group I had talked to before and started chatting with them. And then we could make them out in the thick fog. They were coming down the hill. The kids told us that they had gone up and come down twice, down the blue slope, the easiest one. Now they were ready for the award ceremony, especially Tammy who couldn't wait to stand on the box that said "first place". However, there was no ceremony. The teacher simply handed out the certificates and the medals to everyone, that was it. Tammy was looking for "first place" on her certificate but it wasn't even on there. She was very disappointed about it all.
We were done and started walking in the direction of the ski rental place where a lot of people were heading. There the kids had to take their ski boots off and put their shoes on, hand in their skis and their helmets. Then we were done. Before we left the shop, I ordered a shuttle to pick us up and take us back to the hotel. Then we walked to the bus stop. We still had ten minutes to wait there before the shuttle arrived but it was okay. There was a roof, and it wasn't too cold. We were talking. They were telling me how much they had enjoying going up the mountain and skiing down. This year they enjoyed skiing more than ever before.
Back at the hotel and in our room, they showed their medals to Daddy right away. Then they spent a few minutes relaxing before we put our swim suits on to go to the pool one last time. It's been the hightlight of the day for Sammy every day as he's been spending the whole day in the hotel room. And once again we were having lots of fun role-playing our stories. And he wanted to do lots of somersaults in the water that I helped him with, and Tammy joined him. As for Emmy, he dared to try a somersault jumping into the water from the edge and did quite a few of them. He even asked me to record it and show it to everyone on the internet. After we'd had fun for a while, we decided it was time to leave which we did after a nice, long hot shower right there by the pool.
Back in the room, we put our clothes on as Emmy wanted to play fusbal one last time. Sammy didn't really want to go but then he didn't want to stay in the room. Tammy didn't want to play but wanted to come along and took some paper and a pen with her to draw. When we got to the room, the table was available, much to Emmy's delight. Another boy wanted to play with us, and as Sammy didn't want to play, Emmy and I played against the boy, and the boy won. Then I played against Emmy and let him win. Emmy was having so much fun! Randy, Sammy and Tammy had already left at that point. Emmy still wanted to try out billiard before leaving so I showed him how to do it. After he'd tried it out, we left and returned to our room.
It was time for me to make sandwiches for everyone. I handed them all their plates, and we all ate and still had plenty of snacks and dessert for after. It was the time for everyone to relax on their devices. Just before 8 pm, I read them a story and prayed for them, then they went to bed. Of course all three in our big bed of three single beds. I then started working on my computer. Now it's after midnight and therefore later than the last few nights. In the morning we have to pack and catch a train back to Vienna after breakfast.
