Gliding on the Ice

So, turns out, our adventure playing in the thin layer of snow we got a few weeks back was an introduction to a great January filled with wintery fun.  It continued the next Sunday when we decided to take an adventure to a nearby ice skating rink.  The boys and I had been ice skating once the year before at a rink that offered stroller skating, but of course, Benny wasn't old enough to get out of the stroller, and Evan relied on hanging on to the stroller and getting a ride.  We had all had a great time though, so we decided to give it a try this year. 

When we walked in, we saw a youth hockey team finishing up a game.  They boys really enjoyed watching the kids skate around, but when I asked Evan if he wanted to play, he gave me an emphatic "no!"  After the game was over, they were even more entranced by the zamboni that came out to clean the ice.  Finally, the ice was ready, we had all put on our skates, and we were ready to get out there. 

The boys took one step on the ice and weren't sure what to make of it.  Evan made a death grip on the wall and started inching himself along.  Benny hung himself on me and we slowly wandered around the rink together.  After a while, we decided to try out a great little device that you could rent.  It looked like a little plastic walker.  The boys could take it out on the ice and use it to help them keep their balance while they skated around.  Ben wasn't too sure about the walker, but Evan had a ball with it.  Once he got in it, he could zoom around the rink with only the occasional nudge for steering.

After a while they dimmed the lights, turned on the music, and started all of the twinkly, fancy, roller-rink type lights.  The kids loved skating into where each of the lights were shining on the ice.  While it was pretty physically demanding on the grown ups when they had to sit hunched over one child or the other, everyone had a ball.

Ben wore out before Evan.  For a while, he just wanted to be carried around the rink in someone's arms while Evan continued to zoom around the rink threatening to take out anyone in his path in his little plastic trainer.  I was a little worried about carrying Ben while on the ice.  It was fine, but I had visions of me losing my balance, falling flat on my bum, and spilling Benny onto the hard ice.

The boys were thrilled and couldn't wait for their next winter adventure...which turns out would not be that far in the future...

 (These boys are excited about skating!)

 (Ooooh...zamboni)

 (Daddy and his boys cruising around the ice.)

(Mommy with a tired Benny-notice he's watching the twinkly lights on the ice.)