backyard skating
Steven made a skating rink in the back yard. Yesterday the kids finally put on their skates and headed out, or, to be more precise, they headed out into the yard and then changed into their skates once they got where they were going. First they shoveled off the ice and sneaked into the garage to find their skates. They are very industrious.
Once I realized that they had shoveled the snow off the ice and were putting on skates I figured I should probably assist them. I slipped on my own boots (my jacket wasn't really needed - beautiful winter weather lately!) and joined them. I tightened Tennyson's skates up and then turned to Jordan. She had tied her own skates but it was obvious when watching her that they weren't nearly tight enough. I glanced at her feet and then looked again.
"Jordan," I said. "Those are not your skates. They're huge!"
"Yes they are mine!" she said.
I looked again. "Nope," I laughed. "They're Daddy's."
Apparently hers hadn't been in the bag she had looked in so she chose the next closest pair. It was cute. Back into the garage we went. A few minutes later she was back on the bench and getting laced into her own skates. Happily, we also found some missing tuques and mitts in the bag we hadn't looked in since October.
At first the kids laughed as they slipped and fell and slipped and fell and laid on the ice. It wasn't long before Tennyson's frustration got the better of him and he cried and moaned and went back inside. Jordan stayed out on the ice by herself a while longer. I checked on her every once in a while, and though it was obvious she was getting more tired and clumsy, she was also becoming a little steadier.
Today after school Jordan dumped all her school stuff at the front door and then gathered up her ski pants and skates and left the house through the back door. I followed her out and laced her up. Ten minutes later I decided that the boys were going to go outside too, so I shut off the TV and dropped them into their ski pants and ushered them out the back door. I put Tennyson back into his skates and set him loose on the ice. Mitchell just ran around doing Mitchie things.
I went back in to supervise Elliot, and kept an eye on the goings-on in the backyard through the dining room window. It was obvious that Jordan was quickly catching on. Her shuffle-shuffle-runningshuffle-fall was turning into push-glide-push-glide-windmillingarms-fall. I opened the back door and called out my encouragement and praise for her obvious ice-skating growth. She was rosy cheeked and pink nosed and excited and wanted me to come out and watch closer. I agreed. Moments later Elliot was in her snowsuit and we joined the other two on the ice. Elliot and Mitchell ran and crawled around, narrowly missing the bladed feet of the older two. Jordan excitedly showed me how she can now turn and stop and skate all the way across without falling - at least some of the time. Tennyson was happy until he fell and then he lay there in sad, pathetic, put-upon four year old fashion until I'd grab him by the front of his coat and hoist him to his feet again. Steven showed up and played on the ice with the four kids, sliding them, squealing, across the ice on their backs. It's amazing how much fun six people can have on a weekday afternoon on a small patch of ice in the back yard.
My family is awesome.
It also amazes me how Tennyson not only manages to fall, but he manages to fall up into the air and then down onto his bottom. I'm sure it's black and blue tonight. Eventually he had enough and wanted to go back in. Jordan persevered and stayed outside. Mitchell hung out with her. Elliot and I went back in so I could start supper.
Finally at 6:00 I had to call Jordan in. She had spent an hour and a half on her little rink in the backyard, determined to teach herself to skate. She rocks.
Once I realized that they had shoveled the snow off the ice and were putting on skates I figured I should probably assist them. I slipped on my own boots (my jacket wasn't really needed - beautiful winter weather lately!) and joined them. I tightened Tennyson's skates up and then turned to Jordan. She had tied her own skates but it was obvious when watching her that they weren't nearly tight enough. I glanced at her feet and then looked again.
"Jordan," I said. "Those are not your skates. They're huge!"
"Yes they are mine!" she said.
I looked again. "Nope," I laughed. "They're Daddy's."
Apparently hers hadn't been in the bag she had looked in so she chose the next closest pair. It was cute. Back into the garage we went. A few minutes later she was back on the bench and getting laced into her own skates. Happily, we also found some missing tuques and mitts in the bag we hadn't looked in since October.
At first the kids laughed as they slipped and fell and slipped and fell and laid on the ice. It wasn't long before Tennyson's frustration got the better of him and he cried and moaned and went back inside. Jordan stayed out on the ice by herself a while longer. I checked on her every once in a while, and though it was obvious she was getting more tired and clumsy, she was also becoming a little steadier.
Today after school Jordan dumped all her school stuff at the front door and then gathered up her ski pants and skates and left the house through the back door. I followed her out and laced her up. Ten minutes later I decided that the boys were going to go outside too, so I shut off the TV and dropped them into their ski pants and ushered them out the back door. I put Tennyson back into his skates and set him loose on the ice. Mitchell just ran around doing Mitchie things.
I went back in to supervise Elliot, and kept an eye on the goings-on in the backyard through the dining room window. It was obvious that Jordan was quickly catching on. Her shuffle-shuffle-runningshuffle-fall was turning into push-glide-push-glide-windmillingarms-fall. I opened the back door and called out my encouragement and praise for her obvious ice-skating growth. She was rosy cheeked and pink nosed and excited and wanted me to come out and watch closer. I agreed. Moments later Elliot was in her snowsuit and we joined the other two on the ice. Elliot and Mitchell ran and crawled around, narrowly missing the bladed feet of the older two. Jordan excitedly showed me how she can now turn and stop and skate all the way across without falling - at least some of the time. Tennyson was happy until he fell and then he lay there in sad, pathetic, put-upon four year old fashion until I'd grab him by the front of his coat and hoist him to his feet again. Steven showed up and played on the ice with the four kids, sliding them, squealing, across the ice on their backs. It's amazing how much fun six people can have on a weekday afternoon on a small patch of ice in the back yard.
My family is awesome.
It also amazes me how Tennyson not only manages to fall, but he manages to fall up into the air and then down onto his bottom. I'm sure it's black and blue tonight. Eventually he had enough and wanted to go back in. Jordan persevered and stayed outside. Mitchell hung out with her. Elliot and I went back in so I could start supper.
Finally at 6:00 I had to call Jordan in. She had spent an hour and a half on her little rink in the backyard, determined to teach herself to skate. She rocks.
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