Yesterday the kids had their first ice-skating lessons.  I was looking forward to it, but was also a bit apprehensive.  We don’t have the best track record with ice skating.  Which is sad because my mom and brother run an ice-skating rink.  Noah has never been able to skate.  The first year we took him (2008) he cried the entire time he was on the skates.  We forced him to be on the ice and his uncle’s held his hands, so that I could get a picture–but really he hated it.

The next year, we tried again and I held him up and he hated it–we made it about 10 yards before he started crying and wanted to be done.

Last year, both of them got on skates without tears, but were both completely unable to stand much and not at all able to skate.  Again we made it about 10 yards before they were both done.  But at least there weren’t tears.

So, it was progress.  But I really want my kids to be able to ice skate.  I never got to take lessons as a kid and I can sort of ice skate–enough to get around the rink and have some fun (and by fun I mean not fall on my ass–because no matter how much “cushion” one has, it still hurts to fall).

I was talking to my mom about signing the kids up for ice skating lessons.  My mom’s rink has lessons, but only for kids 5 and older so Zoë wouldn’t be able to take them and she gets short changed enough with activities that I wanted her to be able to take lessons too.  So, my mom asked one of her skating instructors to give my kiddos private lessons and my mom is going to pay for them–which is awesome.

The lesson was awesome.  Noah was a bit worried before we went and was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to stand up on skates.  As you can see that was not a problem at all.  He was up right away and did amazing.  Zoë held on to the instructor the entire time.  She had a few moments of solo walking on the ice–but very few.  Noah fell down a lot but he got right back up and never asked to be done.  I was amazed and couldn’t have been happier and more proud.

I have a lot more pics that I took with my camera, but I haven’t transferred them to my computer yet.  But what you see in those pictures is a little boy who is having a blast and so clearly proud of himself and what he was able to do.

Awesome.  I can’t wait until next week.