So your kids are ready to test out their ski legs? Great! Now what? Gearing up can be confusing but with a few simple pointers you and your family will be ready to hit the slopes in no time. When picking out skis for younger children never exceed the top of the head. Instead, aim for nose or even lower when measuring the littlest beginners.

According to Bart Munson at Sporthaus in Kennewick, younger children can use shorter skis for a greater length of time until they gain stability and perfect their balance. Until kids are about 7 years old, the professionals at Sporthaus don't recommend ski poles.

One of the biggest misconceptions, said Munson, is that shoe size and boot size go hand-in-hand. In reality, ski boots are measured in metric sizes, so be sure to take advantage of the fitting area to ensure your kids' boots fit comfortably.

If you're hesitant to purchase ski attire because you're worried your kids will outgrow items too quickly, check out Obermeyer apparel with an "I-Grow" Extended Wear System that adds up to 2 inches in pant and sleeve length.

Be sure to pack plenty of granola bars in your jacket pockets for a quick energy boost on the mountain and remember to have fun!

There is absolutely nothing in the world like watching your own child learning and loving a sport you know your entire family will enjoy and that will be a big part of family fun.  Nothing, except, maybe, for being able to teach that sport.  This love of teaching children is something that is unmistakable for anyone who meets Mike and Kelly Stephenson, the new owners and operators of Ski Bluewood.

It was a beautiful sunny Saturday and I was headed up to Bluewood with Ethan, my 8 year old son.  It was a big day for both of us.  This was going to be Ethan's first time skiing, ever, and for me, it was going to be my first time skiing in 10 years (and first time with shaped skis).  A short 1.5 hour drive from Tri-Cities got us to the 4,545 ft elevation of Bluewood's parking lot.  A quick and easy trip through the rental shop and Ethan was ready to learn!

The learning school meeting area at Bluewood is just perfect.  It is a wide open area of snow, flat enough that beginners can get the feel of having skis on their feet without sliding out of control.  Kelly worked the basics with Ethan here and I took the opportunity to get in a run or two.  Mike was kind enough to give me some great pointers on skiing with shaped skis (remember it's been over ten years since I've skied!) while giving me a run-down of the mountain.

Bluewood is the second highest ski facility in Washington with a peak of 5,670 ft.  While boasting 24 runs and two triple lifts it is truly a mountain for the whole family: enough long cruising green runs for beginners to enjoy, yet enough black diamonds, including some of the best tree skiing around, to keep things interesting.  After some runs on their platter-pull area to get used to my new skis it was time to go back and check on Ethan.

The huge grin on his face was all I needed to see to know how much Ethan was enjoying himself.  The instruction was great too - he was ready to start making some slow snow-plowing runs with Mike already.  Almost a dozen or so runs later Ethan collapsed in a tired, happy pile at the bottom of the run and announced loudly: "I'd like some hot chocolate please!"

I can't say enough great things about Mike and Kelly.  They obviously are living out their passion and their love for teaching children is contagious.  Everything about Bluewood, from the friendly lift operators to the wonderfully helpful information booth and rental staff to the first class teaching staff told me Bluewood is going to be a great mountain for my family.

As we drove away, Ethan announced: "That was AWESOME!  I LOVE skiing!  When are we going again?"  "Soon," I told him…"real soon."

Oh, and by the way, the bruised lip?  It was from PE class at school - not from the mountain, and Ethan had so much fun he forgot it hurt!

Stay tuned for more about Bluewood and Sporthaus, including Mom lessons, little sister Natalie's ski adventure, clothing tips and more, on the MOM blog.

If you are looking for something new in your life, something that is challenging and fullfilling and rewarding , I suggest you check out Team in Training.  Team in Training and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society work together to create awarness and raise money for blood cancer research.

I joined Team in Training for many reason, initially for personal reasons like getting in shape and crossing triathlon off my bucket list.  Then I got to know the people involved with Team in Training and learned just how much blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma touch so many people.  My unlce is one that lost his battle…he had lymphoma that then turned into leukemia.

My goal is to complete an Olympic Triathlon in SunRiver, OR.  An olympic triathlon consists of a .9 mile swim, 28 mile bike, and 6 mile run.  Training has been exhuasting but worth every second when I think about our real hereos, the ones battling blood cancer, day in and day out.  As a team, we meet 3 days a week for training, run on Saturday, swim on Sunday, and bike on Wednesday.  It is also recommended that each one of these is done "on your own" during the week as well with one rest day.  I'm a single mom, I work full time, I take a night class and yet I still find time, better yet, I make time for this amazing organization with the hopes that I can help in the race to finding a cure.

The other part of my training is also raising funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Right now, my fundraising consists of a Miche Bag Fundraiser on February 11, 2011 and a Yard Sale Fundraiser scheduled for February 12, 2011, along with letters to friends and family.  For more information about those fundraisers, please check out my webiste.  From there you can also donate directly, learn more about Team in Training, how you can get involved, and learn more about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Thank you.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/pctri11/cmeadg

Kids triumphed over adults as the better readers in Mid-Columbia Libraries' 2nd annual Winter Reading Challenge, which pitted young versus old to see who could read the most December 13 - January 15. The competition more than tripled in size over last year, with over 2,400 participants and over 15,000 hours read: 1,967 kids logged 9,924 hours of reading, while 503 adults logged 5,347 hours of reading.

Participants completing six hours of reading were eligible for grand prize drawings. Amanda Peterson of Prosser won the kid grand prize of four hockey game tickets and an autographed photo from the Tri-City Americans. Payton Hatch of Kennewick won the all-ages grand prize of four upper-box baseball game tickets from the Tri-City Dust Devils. Linda Clark of West Richland won the adult grand prize, a Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader from Friends of Mid-Columbia Libraries. All kids who read for six hours or more were invited to pick up an individual prize at their local library branch through January 15.

Mid-Columbia Libraries enriches our communities by empowering individuals with materials and services for life-long learning and growth, starting at birth. With eleven libraries and a Bookmobile, Mid-Columbia Libraries has provided our region with excellence in library services for more than 60 years. For more information, go to: www.midcolumbialibraries.org.

Have you seen the Feb/Mar issue of MOM Magazine in the Tri-Cities? You can find these stories, and a lot more!

Cover MOM Marla Marvin - How does she do it?

May I have your attention? Know the real signs of ADHD - Doctor MOM

The Truth about retirement - Nest Egg DAD

Birthday Parties

Facebook safety

Crowd pleasing recipes

and of course - PINK PAGES!

You won't need sunscreen but you will need lots of towels ~ and courage! This weekend marks the annual Polar Bear Plunge where brave souls jump into the Columbia River to show their support for the Special Olympics.

The 2011 Polar Bear Plunge takes place at the east end boat launch at Columbia Park near the Lampson Pits from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. While online registration has closed, participants can register on-site. It's open to anyone brave enough to endure the frigid water and past plungers have ranged in age from 6 to 70 years young. Participants younger than 18 are required to have a parent/guardian signature of consent to participate.

If you're not up for taking a dip in January you can still show your support by joining the spectators. It's a fun event for kids to watch so bring the family out to cheer those braving the icy waters! All proceeds benefit Special Olympics of Kennewick.

Winter weather in the Pacific Northwest can get you down for sure. We spent all day yesterday with the kids cooped up in the house, trying to figure out what to do. They were bored and let their energy out by fighting with each other. This made us realize once again that our kids really need a good amount of daily exercise, and we decided that no matter what the weather, we were going to go on a hike today.

It was pouring when we woke up, but we were determined to go on our hike. We prepared with rain jackets and hiking shoes and hit the trails. The rain was really warm and refreshing, and the kids loved having permission to get soaked and muddy. It felt so nice to get some fresh air and exercise, and the pace that the kids kept reminded us again how much it was needed.

We hiked one of our favorite trails in Corvallis - the Homestead Trail loop from the Oak Creek parking lot of the McDonald Forest. It's about 1.5 miles of relatively flat terrain (I truly believe my kids end up doing an extra mile with all the zig-zagging and back tracking they do, though), and ends with a bridge perfect for throwing Pooh sticks.

Here they are, soaking wet and having a blast:

If the winter weather has you and your kids down, make the extra effort to get out and get some exercise. What is your family's favorite way to get exercise in the winter?

While many kids and teens understand the influence the late Martin Luther King Jr. had on America, be sure to take time this January 17^th to help deepen your family's understanding of civil rights movement and why we celebrate MLK Day. Take a trip through history by visiting Time.com ( http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1704734,00.html) where you can view pictures of King during the civil rights movement, or test your knowledge of his famous speech by taking an online quiz. You can also listen to music that resonates from the era such as "Voices of the Civil Rights Movement: Black American Freedom Songs".

If you're looking for a local activity, you and your family can take part in the 20^th annual MLK Bell-Ringing Ceremony at Columbia Basin College at the MLK statue outside of the Thornton Center on the Pasco Campus. Tomorrow's bell-ringing ceremony starts promptly at noon. There will be a short presentation in from of the statue immediately followed by an indoor program in Gjerde Center that offers youth a great opportunity to learn more about Martin Luther King Day.

Sick of hearing the groans when dinner was served, I recently told the kids that they were responsible for making dinner the following night. I told them that I'd take them to the grocery store and they can pick out what they want (meeting certain nutritional requirements) and prepare it themselves. They completely loved the idea, and decided on pizza and fruit cocktail, with caramel apples for dessert. They had a lot of fun and were quite proud. When dinner was finally served, we had a little talk about how hard they worked, and how bad they would feel if I groaned and complained. Alex replied, "Anytime you guys are tired, we can just make dinner!" I think I might just take him up on that offer!