One of the things that's made skiing fun this year is we've been trying to coordinate schedules so we can ski with some "ski buddies." Lucy's friend Tess and her family are especially fun to meet on the mountain. Lucy and Tess ride the lift together and race each other down the hill. Sometimes Austin takes the girls up the Green Mountain Express quad to the top of the mountain so they can use their skiing skills on the blue runs. 
Lucy and Tess taking a ski break in the lodge. Give Lucy some fries with massive amounts of ketchup and she's good to go for hours more.
Gavin is my ski buddy. We ride up the ski lift together, watching the skiers and boarders doing tricks on the Riemergasse freestyle terrain below and munching Sour Patch Kids. Gavin insists that we must eat on the ski lift because it is a "restaurant bar." (He refuses to be convinced that the signs requiring use of the "restraint bar" have anything to do with safety. He's getting to be a confident, if not always correct, reader.)
This is my standard view of Gavin as we go down our favorite Sugar Run trail. I make him be the leader because (1) he's faster than me, and I'm better at stopping. So I know I won't run over him but I'm not sure he won't come careening into me. And (2) he is still prone to occasional spectacular crashes that require Mom to come right behind him to clean out his goggles, put his skis back on, and give him a hug.
I love Sugar Run trail. It's nice and long and easy and never crowded. Gavin is becoming very good at keeping his skis parallel in a turn. I'm working on it. A few more ski lessons probably wouldn't hurt. Especially since I don't think my ski buddy is going to want to stay on Sugar Run forever. 