Sunday, April 8, 2012

Roller Skating

I hope you had a Happy Easter!

*****
So the other weekend, Big Brother was invited to a roller skating party, his first time roller skating.

I'll admit that I was slightly apprehensive, given our experience a while back with ice skating.

(We haven't been ice skating again since.)

But, to my pleasant surprise, things went quite well. Big Brother really enjoyed himself.

The first time around, he clung to the rails for dear life.

Then snack break.

The next time around, we held hands.

Then another snack break.

By the third time, he wanted to try to fly solo.

It was slow, and it wasn't pretty, and he stumbled and fell a few times, but he made it!

(Then, you guessed it, another snack break.)

I had a great time, too. Brought back fond childhood memories of elementary school skating parties, where being able to skate backwards got you your pick of girls for the slow songs (I couldn't skate backwards to save my life), playing classic video games like Gauntlet (apparently all skating rinks are required to have vintage games), and drinking "suicides" (a little bit of every kind of soda pop from the fountain).

I also couldn't help but think that learning to roller skate was a microcosm of the early years of parenthood: helpless at first (cling to the rails), then wanting help (holding hands), then a desire for independence (I'll do it myself, Dad-E).

No doubt, in just another lap or two, he's going to ask me for my car keys.

Great job, Big Brother! Here's to more skating.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

2 comments:

  1. I loved skating when I was growing up...it was "the" thing to do in middle school, in particular.

    For my birthday a couple of years ago, just after my girls turned a year old, a group of my friends surprised me with a late-night trip to the skating rink. It was so much fun...but I was scared to death of falling. HA! I didn't think "I can't change diapers for the next six weeks because I broke my wrist doing the limbo at the skating rink" would hold much weight with the husband. ;)

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  2. WHat fun...he is growing up! Love, aunt-e

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