Ice Skating

Last week, the soccer field across the street from us was flooded to make an ice skating rink! Joey was beyond thrilled! So we took our loud selves on the tram this past Saturday and headed out to a used sporting goods store uptown.



The place was packed. No way was I going to snap any photos in there. Tensions were high. Lines were long. People were gobbling up ice skates, snow skis, helmets, hockey equipment and more.

$300 US later (yes, that's right $300 US*--we are still trying to figure out the math), we had in our possession three pairs of ice skates, one helmet, two hockey sticks and 2 pucks. *UPDATE: Rob returned to the store and pointed out a math error--turns out it was only $178 US. Phew that's better (but still way too expensive!)





Joey and Lily were ready to try their "new" skates right away. Sammy was so terrified that the children in gym class would make fun of him on Monday for not knowing how to skate that he just couldn't bear the thought of getting on the ice and seeing how awful he was. (We tried ice skating in Chicago last year and while Joey skated circles around him, Sammy spent a lot of time on his bottom :(

But he DID get out there and he only fell ONCE!



Granted he was a little slow moving and very cautious, but he got around the rink several times on his own two feet, without any help from Rob or me.

In typical Joey fashion, by the end of the evening, he was slapping the puck back and forth with a Somali boy he met there.



We've been back every day since Saturday. I love the fact that I can leave the boys on the ice with my phone and they can come back when they are cold, hungry or tired.

By the way, Sam's gym class (ice skating) went well on Monday. He paired up with a couple of other friends who aren't skaters either. I think by the end of winter, my kids will be able to hold their own on the ice. Even Lily!