The ups and downs of skiing with the kids

Ski Santa Fe's base lodge is at 10,350 feet and it is only up from there; the carful of kids live at 500 feet at home. So we spend the first day of vacation taking it easy in the town of Santa Fe (elevation 7,260 feet), checking out the sights before we head up to the ski resort. We don't want to be sluggish and short of breath on the slopes.

The carful of kids love the snow and we have a successful first day of skiing at Ski Santa Fe and topped it off with some New Mexican food at Tomasita's before calling it a day.

I know the symptoms of altitude sickness because of my experience as a flight attendant. Water really helps in the dry mountain air but it is cold out and the kids resist drinking water and Gatorade.

In the middle of the night, I start feeling icky. As I sit in bed staring at the ceiling, I realize that I drank Dr. Pepper instead of the prescribed water or Gatorade. Sometimes I should listen to my own advice; I sit up, grab some water and start sipping.

The next to fall is the middle child.  He picks at his breakfast and by the time we get to the ski resort, he's puking. After talking with the Ski Patrol, I take him to the cafeteria to sit and drink. In a few minutes, like magic, the middle child has his color back and is back to his bouncy self.

He is ready to conquer the mountain and move on to the blue runs! He's 8 and has more nerve than body weight. I make a deal and he agrees to a lesson.

My daughter, 10, is not going to be outdone by her little brother. She's ready to take on a blue run too but she routinely bombs the mountain. I convince her to take another lesson so she can learn to control her speed.

With the carful of kids in lessons, I have a little time to enjoy the postcard-perfect day and ski down a gentle, green run.  I don't have anything to prove--I'm here to enjoy myself, not injure myself!

Drinking water after every run, we have good day on the mountain and everyone feels great. Before you know it, it's time to pack up and call it a day.

We grab some burgers at Blake's LotaBurger, a New Mexican hamburger chain.  Serving up hamburgers since 1952, the carful of kids love it.

We make it back to the Best Western and then the kids decide it is time to go swimming.  How can you have the energy to go swimming after a full day of skiing?