I took my kids to their very first school skating party today. It was everyone's first time to roller skate. They loved every minute of it. Julianna wasted no time at all and as soon as she had skates on her feet, she was on the rink skating around and around and didn't stop until I bought food. Both Drew and Julianna had "walkers" to help them learn to skate. By the end they were both done using the walkers and were skating around on their own. Lily was too embarrassed to use a walker, but not too embarrassed to have Mom hold her hand and walk around the rink with her a bit. I asked one of the employees to give her some tips on how to skate. Once the guy advised her on the best way to learn, it wasn't long before she was off and gone without me. It clearly goes without saying that Drew was cautious about skating...but you would all be surprised at how brave he was. He used the walker a lot but would often venture onto the floor without it. He did a lot of practicing on the carpeted areas. By the time we left they were all exhausted. If we'd been in the car seven minutes instead of five on the way home, Julianna would have been asleep.
I'm so glad we went today. These sorts of new activities make me nervous. I like to know exactly what to expect before I get there. I had a friend that was going and so she made it a lot easier for me. I love my friends so much. They know me so well that they know I need a run-down going into new situations. I'm glad Lindsay was there for moral support. I know it sounds crazy that the grown up mom would be nervous about going to the skating rink...but it's true for me. I love that I have a support network of friends that understand this about me and never seem to tire of answering all of my questions. The thing about my nerves...they are always gone within 10 minutes of the new situations beginning. You would think that I would know by now that there is nothing to be nervous about...but worrying is a hard habit to break. Baby steps....all the way to the skating rink. :)
The following pictures are poor quality on my phone. The lighting makes it hard to get a good picture that isn't blurry.
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| This is probably the only moment Julianna was still enough for a picture. |
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| Julianna having a wonderful time...probably going upstream. She had a hard time always remembering to go with the crowd. |
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| I never could get a shot of Drew besides this one. He was having too much fun! |
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| When we started Lily could barely skate and was nervous to go without me. If you know Lily, you know what a big deal it is that by the end of the afternoon Lily was skating with a friend during the couple skate. :) |
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| Lily and Drew now both want roller skates for their birthdays. |
