Ok, it's catch-up time...once again! It was the Saturday before Christmas, and we we out for an adventure. We had done all the standard Christmas-y things...holy cow, I haven't written about all of that yet either!!! (you can look for that next week!) and were out for something new. I had heard about this fun little Parade of Santas (I'm sure that's not the official title!) that goes along an adorable cobblestone street lined with cozy shops and restaurants overlooking the river. Our day had been a bit spontaneous, so we went without an actual game plan. As luck (or un-luck) would have it, we got there just as the parade ended. The Santas from around the world continued to randomly wander the street handing out their "trading cards," complete with pictures and traditions from each country. There were also carolers and of course...hot chocolate! It was a freezing and overcast day, but we thought with a little hot chocolate we could still have ourselves some fun. As I drove down to the parking lot, our plans soon changed. The kids spotted a new ice skating rink set up just off the river and were convinced that despite their lack of experience, nothing could be better! Since Brady was home pretending to take a nap (yeah, he only really sleeps about once a week!) I thought, "Just how hard can it be with only the two of them?!" and took on the challenge! Yeah...sometimes I really don't think things through! It had been over 20 years since I had been on the ice, Kacey skated once at a party a few months ago and Dillon has never set foot in a pair of skates! But I'm Super-Mom, right? I can do it! HA!!!
Thank goodness I had my sense of humor with me that day, because I certainly had lost everything else! We got out on the ice and immediately Dillon went down! I literally held on to his arm pits for the majority of what little time we spent there, while his feet uncontrollably slipped back and forth making him look like some silly cartoon character...(I'm envisioning Fred*Flinstone's legs as he ran in his little car!) He simply could not (or perhaps would not) stop his feet! He's a pretty big 5yr old (closing in on 60lbs) and let me tell ya, this was not easy or fun! Did I mention that it was about 20 degrees out and that there's nothing I despise worse than being cold!? (oh AND we had gotten there just as one session was ending, so we had to stand out in that arctic air for 30 minutes until we could even get started!) It was (we were!) ridiculous! And of course the place is filled with beautiful people gliding hand in hand and spinning around in circles, having just a lovely time. Then there were the smart parents standing along side watching their talented children (with their hot chocolates to stay warm!) encouraging us as we slowly, oh yes, ever so slowly made our way around the loop! It took us over 30 minutes to get around this tiny oval just 3 times! Luckily, Kacey held onto that wall with all her might and only landed on the ice a few times! One time I thought for sure she had shattered her tail bone, she was crying so hard! She recovered and swore she was having a great time! (REALLY????) But I've got to tell ya...if I wasn't so darn cold, and if we had just a little more time, they would have been ready for Disney*on*Ice! (cause they wear those ridiculous outfits, like Nemo* or something with a lot of padding!) Seriously though, Dillon would have soon been cruising around on his own! By the 3rd time around he finally stood by himself and even glided around a bit holding onto just one of my hands! (and I finally got to straighten out my back!) .
Ha - here's the best part...I had worn my stinky Uggs! (don't EVER wear smelly shoes when bowling, skating or if you have to try on pants - or new shoes!) So when we turned in our skates, they couldn't find my boots! I was so embarrassed, convinced they had been put outside due to their complete and utter nastiness! (they're only a year old, but i wear them a LOT!) When they finally found them, they asked if I was sure they were mine. I took a quick sniff and replied, oh yeah, they're mine alright! I threw those stinkers on, and we ran on frozen feet all the way back to the car! And ya know what they said when we got inside? When can we do that again!?!
2 comments:
I knew you were brave, but you never cease to amaze me! Just the thought of holding up your kid makes my back hurt! (low threshold these days anyway)
You always look so cute--you'd never know you're freezing and your shoes stink! :) (Still laughing about the shoes.)
Ha! This reminds me of taking Kristina ice skating with us during our first winter in Minnesota when NO ONE else was at the rink--should have been our first clue! We thought we'd just be true Northerners and have a good time even though it was cold. We lasted about 10 minutes. Good for you guys persevering! They'll probably be pros with a little more practice!
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