Yesterday was spent around a table with warm drinks playing boardgames, and today was something quite different. With my wife going back to work after the holiday break ending, and me being largely unemployed - Smallsteps and I ventured out onto the ice for a skate. Though, admittedly, I wasn't skating this time, because I suck and I am worried about falling and doing more damage to my shoulder, which is still not that great after tumbling down the stairs a few weeks back.
Considering Smallsteps is Finnish, she is not a very good skater. It is not her fault though, it is that of her ridiculous parents. With one who can't skate but has a pretty good excuse of growing up in the tropics, and the other who keeps making excuses and I am yet to see skate after about thirteen years together. That length of time means snow on the ground for about half that time.
I had a deal with a friend of mine to teach my kids winter sports, as he was a professional hockey player and all-round athlete, but he moved back to the sticks of Sweden from whence he came with his Family (Finnish wife - lots of hockey competition there). So, that plan fell through, much to the detriment of our child.
She has fun though.
And really, she isn't that bad, but in comparison to many of the "ice kids" out there, she is behind. Compared to the average child here these days who spends their time on a phone, she is probably doing okay. But comparing physicality to the sedentary, is not really useful. She was also on "new" (for her) skates that were a bit different to her previous, and that definitely had an impact at the start of the session. After about half an hour, she was comfortable enough and falling far less.
It was about -10C (14F), so it was pretty warm out there, though as I wasn't skating and wearing less wintery clothes, I put my hands in my pockets. This skating area is nice though, as it is newly and purpose built, so even when the weather warms up and goes above zero, it stays cold for longer and is skatable for more of the year. Plus, it is not far from our home, so we will go more over the coming days.
And, despite parents lacking the skills, we have convinced some ringers to come teach Smallsteps some skills and give her more practice. The mother of one of her friends is an ex-figure skater, and my niece's mother, whom she spends time with occasionally an is also an ex-hockey player from back in the day. With a little guidance, I think she will get the hang of it and the confidence to push a bit more. Though, she definitely isn't afraid of falling!
(Hitting the ice at 20kg is very different than hitting it at 100kg)
We were out there for about an hour and we had planned to have a daddy-daughter coffee date afterward, but Smallsteps ended up going trampolining with the friend of the family, which was a gift she got for her birthday a few months ago. So, tomorrow we have planned to hit the ice again in the morning and then in the afternoon, use her Christmas voucher from the grandparents to a climbing centre for a couple hours.
Smallsteps will go back to school next week, so it is nice to be able to spend some time with her and actually do some stuff, before she goes back, and I have to start getting serious about my lack of work. I am in "no rush" but if I stay in no rush for too long, it will end up being a problem.
List your top skill:
Procrastination.
Let's put it on ice for now.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
