Real Canadian Kids

So our adventures in skating have officially begun. I have been suddenly aware in this past month that teaching our kids to skate has never really crossed my mind. Ice skating in this country is kind of like swimming. It's a life skill. You don't have to do it well (okay, with swimming you should be able to do it reasonably well), but you should own a pair of skates and be able to slide around on the ice with your friends. The realization that I was falling behind as a Canadian parent came to light when Schmoo started getting birthday party invitations that centred around skating parties. We managed to get out the first one due to Schmoo's soccer class, arriving fashionably late in time for hot cocoa and cake. Today's birthday party was another skating party. So off to the second hand sport shop we went yesterday to suit the kids up in some used skates. For $10 a pair, it was a pretty sweet deal and together with Bean's new helmet, we were ready to tackle the rink.

We ended up missing the skating portion of today's party, but our skates did not go to waste. Instead we got to start our skating adventure in true Canadian fashion....on an outdoor rink in our friend's backyard! You may remember this rink from last year, when we all slipped and slid around without skates. Today we were ready to be true Canadians! Both kids were excited. They both got suited up inside and wobbled, with assistance out to the rink. Schmoo was determined to do it herself and she did a great job! Bean lasted exactly how long I expected him to....about one minute. By the time I made it outside with Schmoo, he was slumped on the side of the rink asking for his boots. At least I got a couple of cute pictures! I did managed to convince him to slide around with me on the ice in his boots, just to get him used to being on the ice. We'll try again another day. Schmoo shuffled around for at least 1/2 hour. It helped that her friend C, whose house we were at was skating too. The two of them wobbled around and both had a few bum drops on the ice. No tears from the girls though. Bean managed a couple of falls - one where I was thankful for the helmet and another that cut his boot sliding short when he landed hard on his bum. Even Mama got her skates on and slid around for a bit. No falls for Mama, it was just like riding a bike....you never forget! Plus my skates still fit!

We had a great family dinner after some fresh air out on the rink. We had left Papa at home, laying low with his stomach bug. The six kids ran around and had a great time and the adults had a nice visit. We all returned home, stuffed with yummy food and dessert! It's another late night for the kids, so we'll see how eager they are to get back to the school routine in the morning.

No skiing this weekend. I had big intentions to make it up to the hill this morning for some runs with Schmoo before coming back to town for the birthday party. But yesterday's action packed day had me looking for a lower key day. So we went to church instead, leaving us time to grocery shop and come home to make potato salad and do some chores before going out again. This kindergarten social life is crazy! Thankfully the next round of potential kindergarten birthday parties isn't until March!