Iceskating

Christmas Skates

We gave our kids ice skates for Christmas.  My daughter shrieked with glee when she opened the box, but I was anxious that her enthusiasm would disappear when she tried to balance on them.  She had a pair of double-blade skates when she was younger (no balancing required) and I worried that it would be a rude awakening when she tried a single blade skate.  (According to the Internet research I had done, kids who skate on double blades learn nothing about real skating.) Apparently, I had no reason to fear.  My daughter stepped onto the ice in her new skates like she had been skating for years.  No balance problems at all.

Skating

My 3 year old son had never skated at all, so I had no idea how he would take to it.  I got him double-blade skates.  I wanted him to enjoy himself and have fun without constantly falling over.  I don't care if the double blade is poor preparation for future Olympic skating.  My son held my hand for about 2 minutes his first time on the ice.  Then he saw a teenager doing a spin and let go of my hand so he could try spinning himself.  By the end of our first day on the rink, he was trying other tricks as well--skating on one foot, jumping into the air, and jumping off of the outer wall onto the rink.  (I did not encourage that last trick.)

Skating Tricks with Grandpa

How to Walk the Baby in the Winter

There is an outdoor, free public rink near our home, so we have been skating regularly during the past month.  We only skate when the skate rental shop is closed, so the rink is often empty when we're there. Both kids occasionally fall over, but they just laugh and get up again.  I push the baby in a stroller while I skate.  He likes that, but he loves it when I just leave the stroller in one place on the ice and skate towards him.  He thinks that is hilarious.