We went to REI today, which actually did have some stuff, but no kids' mittens or ski goggles. Julian also had a playdate; Gabriel and Dave did some soldering in the garage while Katrina played on her bicycle, and I went running. It's shocking how much effort and planning and decisions went into this apparently innocuous afternoon. Once again, we still didn't all get to the phone to call my mother, which I'm mortified about. Somehow, some way, tomorrow.
And now, some updates on yesterday.
I had to get the first-skate photo, despite the challenging circumstances. It was PACKED, and Dave was really shaky too, and embracing new challenges without complaint is not high on Katrina's list of qualities.
It took Dave a few laps around the rink to regain whatever comfort he had from the 13-week class we took together about 3 years ago, and able to confidently maneuver enough to hold Katrina's hand. That wasn't enough for Katrina though -- she had to have both of us on each side of her, and brothers don't count (they both gamely tried). I was really hoping to get some video of her first skating experience, but she got pretty mad every time I broke away.
She also kept insisting on sitting down. I give her a pass, it was her first time on the ice, and the instability and slipperiness is a pretty big shock.
Fortunately, the boys are completely independent, except for lacing skates. Gear 'em up and send 'em off.
Julian had a great time, despite hockey skates (new to him) that we discovered later rubbed raw a nasty 1" square patch on his left ankle. Here he showed me his "trick" of turning around...sort of.
His pants were wring-out-able soaked later.
Gabriel, meantime, is gobbling up the ice and getting more and more confident and brave every time on the ice. He needs it, because his next hockey lesson is Tuesday!
It occurs to me watching these that he's establishing a lifetime of ability on the ice. He may never be a great skater, but even just a few years of learning at his age will always stick with him to some extent.
Now if only his ability to stop would catch up with his increasing ability to take off.
The boys together, though I didn't think Julian was skating as comfortably as he usually does. Now that I've seen the awful burn on his ankle, I know why, though he never complained. At the time, anyway. Tonight he was trying to make a case for why he should skip school tomorrow.
A parent taking video of her screaming tantruming toddler wreaking havoc and blocking narrow walkways at a crowded ice rink invites dirty looks and shame, but I had to get a few seconds of it anyway.
I wish my memory of Katrina's first ice-skating, and our first family skating outing, didn't include her outrage, tantrums, demands and insistence on sitting down on the ice and hundreds of times bending down to pick her up, but overall it's good. She really loved it. Still, I'm looking forward to when she can skate on her own so I can "play" with her the way I do with these two little characters.
We'll borrow the remaining missing gear, or buy it when in Truckee. It'd be ironic if our family got as hooked on skiing as we apparently are on skating -- winter sports in a summer climate.
3/7/2010
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