I reminded myself that one of my new years notes to myself included the message "If you don't like weekends, figure out how to change things".
That's another story, but anyway it got me out of the house.
Here's 3 of the mom's who brought their kids for an afternoon of fun. Another showed up later after I'd already taken the photo
Since my friend Gina came prepared to skate I decided to be daring, take the plunge and go too.
Now mind you I told you in the earlier post I have never ice skated. I never learned how.
"I wore my mom's ice skates on frozen (mud) puddles (and I DO mean puddles) when I was a kid. We didn't have any place to skate. When I was a teen some of us went a couple times, but I never had skates that fit, and I had bad ankles, (I managed to break both of them at different times) so never learned how to do it although I could generally manage to stand & slowly inch along while wearing them! Besides all that, Nebraska weather is very fickle. We get cold, we get snow, but generally our cold is not cold ENOUGH and does not last LONG ENOUGH to solidly freeze lakes around here for ice skating. Therefor it is rather pointless to even buy ice skates if one is only going to be able to wear them a time or two.
A little over 10 years ago I learned to roller blade, and so I figured that maybe since I could do that, I could also ice skate but never had actually tried it.
I also realized it's been over 8 years since I've roller bladed now! After I learned, I had two more babies, so that activity fell by the wayside!
My kids have went ice skating over the years, but I never have."
Lynisha mentioned she remembered skating in between me & her dad at Cottonmill lake--I honestly cannot even remember that, but Leon does not ice skate at all and I may have skates on, but as I mentioned above, I didn't know how to skate in them!
SO...back at the rink--
Believe me, I started out pretty slow. In fact I circled the whole rink close to the edge, with the ledge in close reach. Yeah, don't even think about making me move over!
Kaela started out using the slider until she got the feel of things again. She's been skating on her own for quite a few years now. I think she first went when she was about 3!
Woohoo! getting braver--see, I've moved out in the open away from the ledge!
Jackson--
It's way better to learn to skate when you're young, closer to the ground, and NOT afraid of looking stupid!
Gina and I kept busy carting little girls around the rink.
They weren't too brave as far as venturing very far from the edge without us nearby!
The whole group of kids (plus Gina) after a fun 2 hours!
I'm hooked. Ready to go anytime again. I just wish it wasn't so pricey!
Newest pictures from Sat 2-13
Kyrie and Trey are here for a week, and when they heard about us going ice skating last week, they wanted to go! Luckily the rink was open for skating this Sat, so we made a date with Gina B and her kids to go. This time we got there a little before starting time, so we got in without waiting in a long line, and when the ice was still nice & smooth!

Kyrie had no hesitation about venturing out on her own! she was so excited to try it out!

Waiting their turn...

Trey was all excited to go, but pretty hesitant about the whole idea of actually going out on the ice. He had to stand & watch for a while


Quite the independent little guy he is! at one point he decided he was hot, so headed back to the entrance where Papa Leon was, removed his coat & hat, thrust it at Papa & headed back out on the ice!


Gina's 3 little girls ventured a bit further than last week.


Gina with her 3 girls--I missed a picture of J-boy totally!

Kara & Kaela

Kyrie & Trey had no problem navigating on their own!

We let Trey try the skates first, and I took him around the rink on a "ride", then we took them off & he just slid around in his shoes, happy as can be!







Me with the "great amazing N"-- Yes Nathan, I said that totally for your benefit!

"Look at me"!

After wearing his shoes for quite some time, he decided he wanted to try the skates again, so again headed off by himself to find Papa & request help putting them on. This time he was quite ready to try venturing on the ice with them, and actually did quite well for being on the ice for the first time, and barely 3 years old!

Take a picture for mom.....


Our group was smaller this time, but no less fun. We had a great afternoon of skating.
Come join us next time!
P.S. I was feeling pretty good about the 2 hour work out I had and all the hundreds (HAHA!!) of calories I'd burned until I ate that awesome Jimmy Johns sandwich for supper tonight....
See, there's no point of me exercising anyway. It just makes me hungry!