Skating By

We went to the home school skate day at the local skating rink yesterday. The kids had never been to a skating rink before. The boys have always had amazing balance. They asked me to take their training wheels off their bikes when they were three. I took them off but kept the wrench close by knowing I would be putting them right back on. But guess what? They never looked back. They rode around in circles on the driveway until it was too dark to see. Then they wanted to teach all their little friends how to ride two-wheelers so they could all go fast together. I can still remember that amazed feeling I had as I watched those two little guys riding their two wheel bikes for the first time. So, I was a little surprised at the fear I saw in their eyes as they clung to the wall as they went around the rink. They were holding on to the wall as if they were on the rim of a volcano, hoping and praying they would be able to hold on, lest they drop into a pit of hot lava.

Crazy Fox went through an obsession with roller blades a few months ago. He found a pair at a yard sale and has practiced for probably 30 minutes total.

He held on to the wall for a few laps, and then he stopped in front of me and said "Roller blading is easy mom! I can do it without even touching the wall." And he did.

Little Lady told me she didn't want to go skating. I thought to myself, She doesn't even know what skating is. So I asked her to just try it, we got her some skates and put them on. I helped her stand up and hold on to the wall so I could take her picture, (she is a very willing ham).

Little Lady rolled about 1/8 of an inch and sat back down.

"Mom, I do not want wheels on my feet."

I held her hand and had her roll beside me for a few feet.

"Mom, I do not want wheels on my feet."

I said, "Honey, trust me, you're going to have so much fun. I will hold your hand. I won't let you fall."

"Mom, I want these wheels off my feet! I want my shoes."

We turned the skates in and Little Lady told the skating rink lady that she was too little to skate and she did not like having wheels on her feet. The skating rink lady tried to encourage her, but it had been decided. Little Lady was not going to skate. She was happy to sit on the bench watching her friends do the limbo and open and close our locker 900 times.

As the morning went on, Digging Badger let go of the wall, but he was always within arms reach of it. We'll have to go back and practice some more.