It was the first time the boys had been roller skating and went I bribed them with the possibility of going, they were amazingly on their best behavior. So as a family we went after Dad got off of work.
The boys were so excited and I secretly was interested to see how well they would do. Thinking back to when Jarrett and I learned how to skate and all the Friday nights we spent at the roller skating rink in our small hometown.
As we visited the skate rink last night, we quickly learned a lot has changed. As we picked out the boy's skates and looked out on the rink we noticed a lot of kids with some pvc-pipe contraption that looked like a walker with wheels. Immediately I looked at Jarrett and said, "We need to get one of those for Michael (our coordination-challenged child, thinking he'd be the one who'd need the most assistance) and so we rented a "Skatemate" as we were soon schooled in our skating terminology.
After helping them get all strapped in and realizing we probably should have brought their helmets, we set them free on their own balance. In less than 5 seconds both boys were on the ground, one doing the splits and the other falling flat on his toosh. It was so funny to see, I couldn't help but laugh, which I think set the tone that falling was okay and something that if it happened, just to laugh off and push on.
As Dad and the boys set out around the rink, it took them 10 minutes to make a full circle. To give a point of reference, the rink was no longer than 2 school buses parked back to back. But continue to try they did and the boys were all smiles, no matter if they were on all 8 wheels or on their knees or bottom. They were having a blast and it was fun to watch dad get to share it with them.
They continued to go around and around and every once and a while they'd get off the rink to come check in with me and tell me how much fun they were having. It was great to see their confidence grow with each lap and Jarrett and I were very proud. And impressed, not only was Gabriel doing great, but Michael, the one were were worried would struggle, instead did amazingly well. He was able to, with this help of his skatemate, whiz around the rink with ease and confidence. Even Gabriel, who has a competitive nature at heart and thinks he a master at sports, complimented Michael and said, "Wow, Michael is a really good skater."
It was a great evening and we had a lot of fun. For Dad and I, we reminisced about those old days when we were young friends, and how special it was now that we could share another new experience as a family. These are the moments that life is truly about.
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| The boys were so excited to get their skates on... |
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| Michael was first to his feet. |
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| and then Gabriel tried practicing a bit on the carpet. |
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| And with Dad and Skatemates help. |
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| While Michael practiced some on the carpet... |
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| and spent some time looking at the ceiling. |
Showing me his skating skills
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| Gabriel's arms really got a workout helping him maintain his balance. |
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| But in the end they were off and both doing great. |
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| And all smiles! |
Angie
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