Skating Report

The first time Kara and I took the trio skating they hugged the rink wall the entire time. Well, I did drag them away to skate with me a little, but they were very reluctant to do so and clung to me so tightly it was awkward to move. Viva did leave the side of the rink at the end of our skating time. She fell and wasn't too happy about it, but wasn't hurt.

The second time I took the trio skating--the following week--Bentley greatly improved his skating style by only hugging the rink wall with one hand and guiding himself with the other. This enabled him to move facing forward! I encouraged Jake and Viva to emulate his style. Jake did. Viva didn't. Another young skater (a three year old hockey girl!) told Bentley how to skate backwards and he took her advice and skated away from the rink for a couple of feet.

The third time I took the trio skating--earlier this week--the children amazed me. I figured they'd be glued to the side of the rink until they had formal skating lessons, but I still took them back to the rink because Bentley requested it as a birthday treat.

Viva didn't want to go. She said "I'm not going to go skating until I know how to skate." That was a golden opportunity for me to talk to her about the value of practice. She sure wasn't going to learn to skate unless she got on the ice. I insisted she come with us.

When we arrived at the rink Bentley and Jake waited impatiently while I put their skates on their feet and then they hit the ice. Viva waited patiently. She lollygagged. Finally she got on the ice and slowly circled around the rink.

Bentley meanwhile was getting better and better on his skates. He stayed right next to the rink, but he let go of the wall for a few feet at a time. He refused any help from me. Jake practiced on his own and with me.

After a while Viva left the ice and spent some time marching around the outside of the rink in her skates. I was thinking it was about time to leave when I turned around and...Jake was in the middle of the rink! I was baffled. How did he get there? As I watched he moved slowly--almost skating. WOW!

Next thing I know, Bentley is also in the middle of the rink. I wasn't surprised to find him there because he was more stable on his feet than Jake, so if Jake could make it to the middle of the rink, Bentley now knew he could, too.

What did surprise me was that Viva followed suit. Shortly after the boys headed to the middle of the rink, she was skating (less or more!) in the middle of the rink, too.

Sure, they need a few lessons on style and how to stop and make turns, but they sure surprised me today. It turns out that for our trio third time really is the charm!

P.S. Now Viva is telling people that she can skate. She even mentioned the word hockey today. (Not going to happen!)