My mountain-man husband wanted to head to the great outdoors during our winter break. Sadly, our schedule and weather didn’t cooperate with those plans. Passing through Portland, we decided to try out a winter activity with an Oregon modification: Ice Skating at Lloyd Center.
When we first told our boys the plan to go ice skating, our five year old son refused. “I don’t want to fall through the ice,” he confessed. I assured him we wouldn’t be visiting the back pond his father braved as a child in the mid-west. “We’ll be inside - in a rink,” I explained. “We’ll be safe, out of the rain, and near hot chocolate!”
We brought our own lock and so safely secured our coats in the ice skating rental shop. Lacing up our boots, we miraculously climbed the stairs and stepped onto the ice. Me with my older son and my husband with or youngest (divide and conquer is our strategic parenting style), we tried to instruct our sons on the fine art of skating and avoiding major spills or falls.
My eight year-old wanted to hold on to me – but I knew that would lead to both of us on the ground. So instead, I just skated alongside him and offered encouragement and advice. The boy hung to the side rail for dear life. That first lap around must have taken a good 15 to 20 minutes, His feet were under him (at most) 10% of the time. I felt bad for him, until I saw a young man in his mid-twenties doing the exact same thing. It’s hard to look cool clinging to the side, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Back to the entrance, the twenty-something exited the ice and (ignoring the pleas of his girlfriend) unlaced his skates and marched away from the rink. My kid asked for mittens (“My hands get cold when I fall on the ice.”), but immediately headed out for another lap.
Slowly but surely, my eight year old gained confidence and skill. By the end of our two hours he was gliding (albeit wobbly) across the ice and passing other skaters. The only time he fell was when he tried to turn too quickly so that I could snap his picture. (Sorry!) Even on the way down his smile reflected off the ice like a moon beam! It was awesome, wintry, family, inside-fun!
Slowly but surely, my eight year old gained confidence and skill. By the end of our two hours he was gliding (albeit wobbly) across the ice and passing other skaters. The only time he fell was when he tried to turn too quickly so that I could snap his picture. (Sorry!) Even on the way down his smile reflected off the ice like a moon beam! It was awesome, wintry, family, inside-fun!