Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Skating

OMG! Another month without a post. So so so busy with christmas card designs for clients.

I've been so overwhelmed with how to catch up on here. Do I say "screw the stuff I've missed and just start fresh now?" Or do I stay strict with chronological order? So while I'm trying to decide I feel anxious and the blog just sits. I had a conversation tonight with a fellow blogger who said to just wait until January when I'm not so busy and catch up then. After all, what's another month?

Oh and another thing I'm horrified at myself for is that in November it was the 22nd before I realized that I hadn't taken the kids' monthly pictures on the 17th. I've been a day late two or three times since they were born but it was because I physically couldn't do it on the 17th but this time the date just completely slipped my mind.

So while I'm going to catch up in January I am going to try to keep up withe current stuff when I can...like today. What a crazy day.

This morning I took the kids to the first day of gymnastics class. It's held at the skating rink in town. They took the same class at the same location last year and loved to watch the people skate. Today after class was over we watched the guys playing hockey for a while. They begged to go skating so we went to a used sports store and bought the cheapest skates we could find. All three of us left with "new" skates and drove right back to the skating rink. They were SOOOOO excited to get their stuff on and get on the ice. I talked to them a lot about how they were going to fall down a lot and that that was ok and how it was going to take a lot practice to be comfortable.

My prediction was that Maddie would fall down...a lot, and get frustrated and cry. I couldn't have been more wrong. That child had a smile on her face the entire time, was exclaiming, "Weeee!" and said "ouchie!" when she fell down. She could even get back up to hold onto the crates by herself. I was so proud of her and so impressed.

The only skates the store had to fit Jackson were hockey skates rather than figure skates. With no toe pick (I didn't realize the toe pick would be so helpful in learning) he had no way to push off to get going. I was trying to teach him to push to the side but it was really hard for him. He did get independent enough that I could skate around but he wasn't moving very fast and wasn't overly happy. He didn't cry when he would fall down and he didn't want to get off the ice. He was content to hang on the milk crates for dear life. At one point I reached down around him to lean on the crate and made him go really fast while holding on. He loved that!

Oh, when free skate was over and it was time to go, Madison was heartbroken (and tired) and she hysterically cried the entire time I was getting all of our skates off and shoes on and half way home when she finally fell asleep in the car. I felt so bad for her. We're definitely going to have to go again soon!

OH and just as we were all getting on the ice I realized I had left their helmets (bike) in the car. I stopped in my tracks and told them that I had forgotten the helmets. There was another mother there watching her kids skate. I said to her (in a funny way), "is it total child abuse to send your kids on the ice with no helmets?" She just looked at me as if to say "yes". I showed frustration and told her I had left them in the car. She told me she would stay with the kids while I went to get them. So what's worse? Letting your kids skate with no helmets or leaving them with a total stranger while you go get said helmets? Obviously they were fine when i got back and the mother had even put their mittens on for them.




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