Ice Skating Love

What was the hardest part about going ice skating with two small children while 7+ months pregnant? 

Lacing up my own skates. 

Otherwise it was a fantastic afternoon, this re-start of what I hope can be an ongoing family activity for us all. (Would it be weird to push a baby stroller on the ice?? Is that allowed?)

I took the kids twice last February, and wrote about it briefly here. Then it got warm and though this particular rink is open year-round there still seems to me something seasonal about the activity. So we haven't been skating in about 8 months. 

Amy totally rocked it today - gaining much more confidence, a willingness to fall and get up again, and scooting along mostly unaided. She was very pleased. William was a bit more nervous than before, and could have done better had he tried something other than having me hold him by his armpits the whole time. But he's only three. 

Amy is the age I was when I started ice skating. I never got more serious than a few winters' worth of lessons (Basic 2, I think) and many more winters' worth of public skating on Wednesday afternoons with my mom and brother. And that was the good stuff. 

Nothing has changed about ice skating in all that time, and I think that's what makes me so happy to do it now. The ice feels the same, the rink looks the same, even smells the same as the one I skated at growing up. They play oldies music (and I can only hope Christmas carols when the time gets near). And the Zamboni provides just as much of a thrill as ever. 

I am not a sport person, nor am I an after-school-activity type of mommy. But I do think we will make this a part of our weekly or bi-weekly routine for as much of the season as we can. It felt like home.