Ice as Nice

Took the kids ice skating in the holidays.

With temperatures soaring into the 40s (that’s celcius for the overseas readers) indoor activities were in demand. And what better way to spend a hot summer’s day, than on ice.

We are lucky to live in such a fabulous part of the world that has both beaches and ice rinks just minutes from our door. But the bonus is you don’t have to worry about sunburn when you stay inside (frostbite is another matter entirely)!

I’d tried ice skating before, in the days BC (Before Children, that is) so I knew from firsthand experience how fun- and foolish- the pastime can be.

Quick wander down memory lane, if you’ll allow…

Since I had spent a great deal of my childhood on rollerskates, I was quietly confident that I could handle blades as well as wheels. So my friends and I paid the entry, and hit the ice.

And discovered it’s not quite the same after all.

After a few minutes doing my best impression of a toddler finding their feet, I was soon skating with the best of them, and even managed to go backwards (on purpose, as opposed to involuntarily as can happen from time to time) for a while.

We were even cocky enough to not just skate but started moving to the music blaring from the speakers spaced out around the rink (that had the amusing effect of being REALLY LOUD as you went past but not so much in between). And groove we did. Oh yeah, it wasn’t just the temperature that was super cool, just ask us.

Well after some solid skating time, and proud that I had managed to stay upright for the entire 2 hour session, I then lifted a foot to step off the ice for the safety of solid floor. That was my fatal mistake. See, out of the blue this little critter bolted out from nowhere straight into my legs, sending both me and he onto the frozen rink. He on top of me, to be precise.

What a pain in the icehole.

Thankfully it was my pride that suffered the most, and I half-crawled for the bar to pull me off the rink and back into shoes, much to the amusement of the expert skaters all set for the next session; Smarty Pants that they were (as opposed to cold, wet pants like me).

Because that image of me planted butt down on the ground has stayed with me long after the event, I was content to stay on the sidelines (and in shoes) when the next generation took to the ice with Vacation Care these school holidays just past. That was in spite of the fact that they had these Zimmer-frame type contraptions for the very beginners to hold onto.

Mind you, it was lucky that I did, because one little bloke did an action replay of my moment, only he went down as he was stepping onto the ice, and spent the rest of the session sitting, foot propped up, hot chocolate in hand.

The rest of the group passed casualty-free (except for a few decent blisters), and we only had to stop a couple of kids from eating the ice; only one of them belonging to me (*shudders*).

And unlike the first time I put myself on ice, my kids had their proud mother standing by with camera to capture the event on film (well, SD card, but you know what I mean). Got some great shots too- including one taken just as my daughter was about to fall, with her little feet going so fast trying to get grip on the ice rink, they’re actually blurred in the picture! Ah, good times, good times.

The bonus for me as a mum was that the effort of trying to stay upright and uninjured sure required some exertion, so by the time I took my two home again, they just didn’t have the energy or even the inclination to start the squabbling that had plagued so much of the holidays.

In fact, I’m thinking of signing them up for lessons.

Naturally, I’d have to go along with them, just to make sure all was well. Who knows, next time I’m brave enough to skate, I’ll spend the entire time on my feet!

Jx
©2010