Why I MUST take my family skiing! #MarkWarnerMum

TWO SKI HOLIDAYS A YEAR! It’s non-negotiable! You knew that  when we got married!

It was inevitable that I would become a skier. It was in-utero that I heard these words, flung down the stairs in frustration and anguish. Daddy was having to come to terms with the fact that I would turn 9 weeks old as the ski season began, and Mummy was not as keen to hurtle down the black runs as she used to be. He couldn’t fathom it. I think the words “baby-backpack” were used…

Dropping Mummy off at ski lessons? Why we want to be Mark Warner family skiing ambassadors

Apparently this was acceptable attire in the 90’s. Don’t worry, I’ll raid my savings to get them something way more cool if we get our ski holiday!

They met on a skiing holiday; they came home and instantly booked their next trip. When the time came for a summer break, Daddy stayed at home. Mummy scuba dived without him. Skiing gave him such a buzz that he couldn’t see the point in a beach excursion. In fact, Mummy once insisted on visiting Carmel beach on a road trip of California. He never took his shoes off.

Their ski holidays were full on. A relaxed and sleepy bloke, my Dad would set the alarm for 6.30am, just to see if there was fresh snow. He had to be among the first to make tracks in new powder. And whilst white-out snowstorms saw Mummy heading for the nearest piste-side gluwein vendor, Daddy skied through it and met her at the bottom.

He has mellowed since the arrival of me and The Bug, and now loves being buried in sand on the beach – no, honestly, he does 😉 He is the most fun a Dad can possibly be by the swimming pool. But he has pined for his ski holidays, and asked every year whether we are old enough to be taken.

Build an epic snowman on a #MarkWarnerMum ski holidayI’ll confess that I didn’t get it to begin with. Couple of planks on your feet? On the snow? Why would I spend all day with a soggy bottom when I could be building an epic snowman, or making ice-decorations? But I was booked in for my first ski lesson at the indoor slope, the minute after I turned the legitimate age. I never looked back…

It turns out I’m a thrill-seeker (as you’ll know, if you’ve seen any of Daddy’s instagrams of me at Thorpe Park). I stand up against my height chart weekly to see whether I’ve made it to the requisite 1.4 meters required for a ride on Swarm. It is ok to stuff toilet paper into my shoes, isn’t it?

My brother has taken a slightly more timid route to the slopes, mine and Daddy’s preferred adage of “point your skis DOWN!!” not really cutting it with him. But he manned up to the challenge eventually, and managed to produce this:

And the result of his first skiing lesson?

The Bug is finally ready to ski - we need a family skiing holiday!

Proud of himself!

Mummy conducted a series of mini interviews with our family. You can see that my brother is well and truly over his nerves! You will also see why Daddy absolutely needs a ski holiday. We are rather worried about him – he is not the man he used to be:

To be fair to Corporate Dad (as he shall henceforth be known, until his recovery is completed), his sentiment is on the nail. Here’s what he really wanted to say in his video clip:

The most exciting thing about a skiing holiday with my kids would be the opportunity to share the biggest passion in my life with them. If they can enjoy it even 50% as much as I do, they’ll have an amazing time, and have something they can take with them for the rest of their lives, to share with their friends and their own families.

*Sniff*

So why are we telling you our family skiing story? Well, Mark Warner Holidays are choosing 5 lucky families to be their blogger ambassadors next year, and we really want to join them. There are hundreds of ski tour operators, but here are the reasons why we especially want to be picked by Mark Warner:

  • Their recommended and regulated ski schools will teach us to have fun while we’re learning to ski. Knowing we’re safe and happy will leave M&D free to do some slightly more ambitious skiing. Who knows, after their wedding vow renewal this year perhaps they will rekindle the romance that began on the pistes. A second honeymoon is fine by me as long as there is none of that kissy stuff – that’s just yeuch!
  • Their fully registered nannies can drop us at ski school  – perfect for those powder days when Daddy neeeeeds to be first in the queue on the chair lift 😉
  • When we’re not skiing, me and The Bug can join the children’s club. Phew! So we can still make those snowmen, go sledging and all sorts of other fun activities. I might even get to go ice-skating!
  • M&D know that chalet catering staff are often some of the best aspiring chefs you’ll find, and they are longing to sip kir royale by a log fire whilst 3 delicious courses are prepared for them. Knowing my brother – the lover of chilli squid – he’ll probably partake of the whole lot too. But I’ll be itching to get back to the kids evening activities, leaving M&D to chill out over dinner. None of that kissy stuff though! 👿

We really cannot wait to begin this new adventure. Will tumbling around the nursery slopes, laughing with his children give Daddy a whole new passion for skiing? Will he come to love watching us master the pizza and chips of ski positions as much as he loves jumping out of a helicopter? Will I ever be that cool teen with the braids who matches her Dad run-for-run through the trees? And will my brother one day outshine us all on a board at the half-pipe?

That part of our family life has to start somewhere. We hope it can start this year…

Will it help if we make our puppy dog eyes? #markwarnermum

How could you resist those puppy dog eyes… 😉

Mark Warner operate a variety of family-friendly trips, including ski and summer holidays. Explore the huge variety on their website.

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. All opinion, editorial and imagery is our own, and may not be copied without permission.

61 thoughts on “Why I MUST take my family skiing! #MarkWarnerMum”

  1. If you ever go to Austria (I hear Mark Warner have resorts there! 😉 ) then let me know! By the way, your outfits in the top pic would be deemed very retro but cool nowadays by the looks of what I have seen recently… I do hope you still have them!!

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  2. GG tell mummy she has to wear that same anorak if she wins this. And salopettes. Big padded ones. None of these sleak ski trousers. Salopettes like dungarees.

    It’s in the T&Cs of the Mark Warner entry info.

    honest.

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    • She is not standing anywhere near me if she wears that – there’s a reason they used to sing They Might Be Giants at her as she went down the slopes…

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    • Honestly you can’t fail to love it! The thrill of achievement, the fresh air, the tingling cheeks in front of a log fire. And did I mention the cheese? 😉

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  3. He did say ‘ I promise to retweet you’ during your vows the other week and that made me all teary so I think he deserves at least 2 ski holidays a year just for that statement!! hahahahaha Good Luck sweety xxx

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  4. Beaming reading that epic entry, can sympathise entirely with the need to get Actually Daddy back on the slopes as we have a surfer Daddy that mourns the pull of the sea! The best of luck, sounds like they’ve found the perfect ski family! xx

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  5. I love the bright skiing outfits. Retro wear is very stylish nowadays and no chance of losing them in the snow. I hope you get to be ambassadors, your enthusiasm is infectious and makes me want to pick up some skis and shoot down a slope (straight to the apres ski)

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    • Learning on a dry slope is great for making you realise how cool it is when you get to the snow. I learned on a dry slope and it was so much easier when I finally made it onto snow. Kind of like learning to dive in a quarry pit in Leicestershire, and then diving in St Lucia. You’ll never go back!

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  6. Your Daddy sounds just like the Daddy D – a beast on the slopes! I’m a bit softer, but still love slipping around on the icy stuff. The VERY BEST of luck with this – I’m keeping everything crossed for you!

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    • Thank you. It is hard work but it’s such a thrill when you get it – there is no feeling on earth quite like it. And although you come home with aching legs, your mind is totally rested. No way you can think about work when you’re surrounded by all that stunning scenery and trying to stay on your feet 😉

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    • Ha! If we end up in the same place we can just sit in the sunshine on a cafe deck and watch the Dads trying to teach their kids. And sip mulled wine, obviously 😉

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  7. Awww! You have to be picked you must you must you MUST!

    Love the video – GG has the power to wrap people round her little finger with cute like that!

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  8. How could ANYONE possibly say no to those faces at the end! I would love to learn to ski – we never did it as kids, and we’ve already had the ‘We will start taking our kids skiing once they’re old enough to not kill themselves’ conversation 😉 Good luck with the comp! xx

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  9. I lived in America for a year in my twenties as a Nanny and had my own ski equipment and went skiing regularly…I keep meaning to organise a trip for our family- I think they’d love it! I’ll take a look at Mark Warner as love the idea of the nannies and kids clubs 😉

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  10. We’ve been taking our little ones for years. My husband/dad sounds like yours….forget the beach. Bring me snow.

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  11. You know, I thought I’d seen the end of skiing holidays when I got hitched to a guy with a dodgy knee who’d overdone it in Canada on Cross-country skis. Now feel a bit differently having read your blog. You are about the same age as my son who wasn’t interested before … but now! Maybe see you on the slopes next year. Hope you get to be a Mark Warner Blog Ambassador next year – you deserve it 🙂 Jo x

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