Massanutten also is close. Easy bunny hills and good ski school

Take a look at Deep Creek MD (Wisp Resort). We were there right before Christmas last year - both kids did ski school and it was not very crowded. Just a three hour drive from the DC area.

I learned to ski as a kid, meh.
DH was an good skier
We did a couple of ski trips as a couple before kids
Our kids (18 and 22) snowboard and the 22 yo is an instructor

I’m happy to sit in the lodge with a book.

OP don’t feel like you HAVE to learn now for your kids. They can learn and have fun on their own. And you maintain your ACLs

If you want excellent beginner lessons and an easy drive, go to Bryce. The accommodations aren't luxurious by any stretch, but you need to travel much further for that.

I grew up skiing on the East (ice!) Coast, and while I agree with the PPs who claim that the Colorado/Utah resorts are far superior, I’d stay local while everyone’s still learning. Skiing has gotten prohibitively expensive, and unless you have money to burn, it just doesn’t make sense to travel that far and spend that much until you all can ski pretty confidently on most of the mountain. I’ve found decent conditions locally in PA and WV. People seem to like Bryce and Snowshoe but I’ve never been there. When you’re a beginner, you’ll be spending most of the day on the bunny hill or a very gentle green trail anyway. Have fun!