Tonight was Kate’s very first elementary school skating party. It was held at the skating rink in our town, where I spent many a Friday night in middle school, and on our way there, I was a little excited. Ok, a lot excited. I am such a dork.
When we walked in, I seriously thought I stepped into 1991 – the skating rink was exactly like it had been when I was a kid, right down to the hand-written signs that say “Positively no smoking!” (Come to think of it, it was probably exactly like it had been when my parents were kids as well.) It brought back so many memories, from my mom and her best friend teaching us kids how to skate (Jenny, I seem to remember a failed attempt to teach you to skate as well…), to waiting anxiously to be picked during the “snowball” skates.
It was awesome.
However, Kate had never been on rollerskates before, and since I hadn’t been on them in approximately 18 years (like riding a bike, I tell ya), things were a little shaky at first. As in, Kate couldn’t stand up, and it was so hard to hold her up while I was on skates. (Yes, I know I shouldn’t have put skates on. But I wanted in on the fun too! It only took me an hour to put my shoes back on.) We wobbled our way out onto the rink, and she “skated” along the side, holding onto the railing.
(Someday I am going to get a big kid camera and stop taking pictures on my cell phone, I promise.)
We eventually made our way out into the middle of the rink, where the beginners are supposed to be. Unfortunately, that happened to be precisely the time that the Hokey Pokey started. We were so not ready to put our left foot in and our left foot out. I was pretty sure I was going to give her that nursemaids’ shoulder that babies get when their moms pull their arms out of the socket. Not too long into our adventure, I tweeted “Why didn’t I think to google ‘how to teach a kid to skate’ this afternoon!” Seriously I should have thought of that. Duh!
Before too long, Kate started to get the hang of it. She was falling about every 20 seconds, but that was better than she had been doing!
She fell really hard several times, and I was afraid she was really hurt. The very last time she fell, she landed on her bottom hard, and then I thought to myself (I am totally not kidding) “Why didn’t I think to google ‘what to do when a kid breaks her tailbone’?” I didn’t know if I should pick her up or call 911 or get a stretcher or what. Fortunately, she got tired of waiting on me to figure out what to do, and got up herself.
But let me just say one thing – this roller skating stuff is barbaric. Quite frankly I’m surprised it’s still legal. In the days of professional baby-proofers and kids in booster seats until they get their drivers’ licenses, I cannot believe the blatant disregard for safety while roller skating! There wasn’t a knee pad or an elbow pad or a helmet to be found. At next month’s skating party, I very well might be “That Mom.” And I’ll probably make Kate wear pads and a helmet too. Ha!
In any case, despite the fact that we’ll both be sore and have lots of bruises tomorrow, we had a really great time, and it was so much fun to get to spend a couple hours with Kate on a new adventure.
She is so much fun.
Skating parties are RAD! I’ve been to a couple with Faith, and I still skate up too. Now, if only to go back to SkateWorld in Vandalia… I bet it still smells like feet and soft pretzels.
The Roller Rink in G-town…wow! Now that’s a memory. Lived there just about every Saturday AM. Pre helmut days, which may explain soooooooooooo much!
Roller skating…so many teeth to chip, so little time!
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1) How did I not know there was a skating rink in G-town?
2) I was an awesome roller skater, so I don’t know what the HECK you are talking about w/ the “unsuccessful attempt”.
3) I remember your mom teach US to roller skate on the cement part underneath your deck in your back yard.
4) I had Strawberry Shortcake roller skates – BOO YAH! Did you??
Jenny, that is so funny – Andy has lived in G-town for eight years and still doesn’t believe me that there IS a skating rink! It’s in a very well-hidden secret location.
Forgive my mistaken memory – I must have had that wrong (maybe I was thinking of swimming – ha!), but an awesome roller skater? Seriously?
And yes I am fairly certain I had matching Strawberry Shortcake roller skates. I believe that was the year Anna got generic plastic ones.
Ok so I KNEW two things as soon as I read Jenny mentioned cool strawberry shortcake skates 1) Yes, Emily did in fact have as cool matching ones and 2) that I did not. Maybe I used yours without asking while you two were busy playing rummy or when I was supossed to be sleeping in Grandma Burns’ room. Maybe you guys should have had the stakes on when your pictures were taken in your matching Strawberry Shortcake outfits.
But I’m still Grandma’s favorite… So BOO YAH.
I love the skating rink in G-Town!! Oddly enough, my grandparents met, fell in love, and were skating partners in the ’50’s there. It was never an option in my family not to learn there!! Is the entire rink still wood? Even the snack bar and shoe changing area?
Wow, this brings back memories…maybe I need to get my 4yr. old DD there soon to learn!!
Wow..a blast from my past! I haven’t been to G-town rink in years!! Oddly enough, my grandparents “skate danced” there together in the ’50’s (they met/fell in love there). My Mom and her sisters all “skate danced” there as well. My Grammy actually still goes to the “get togethers” with former skaters.
That makes me want to take my 4yo DD and attempt to teach her to skate.
Glad both of you had fun!!
When I lived in Ohio, I worked for Big Brothers Big Sister. For our Christmas party the first year I worked there, we had a skating party. I hadn’t been on skate in at least a dozen years at that point. And while much of it did come back to me, I have to say the one time I did fall reminded me it is a lot further down these days. But it made me feel like a kid again (while looking like a gigantic dork).
YOU WILL NOT, I REPEAT, WILL NOT!! Put that child in a helmet and pads!! Geesh!! She will be fine, she always is, but that is not the way we learned!! Come on now! Tell Andy if he’s nice we will let him in on where the secret location of the skating rink is…we will have to take the girls to practice a couple Saturday afternoons…but I still never understood why the put the beginners in the middle with nothing to hold on to…go to a garage sale and get some strawberry shortcake skates, yes Jenny they still have them! :), and let her go around your garage floor. If you must put a helmet and pads on her let her do with the garage door down!! 🙂 HA!
I know! The last time that I took the girls skating we had our Girl Scout Skate Night. Not one or two, but THREE people fell and broke their wrists that night. We haven’t been back because The Chicken refuses to wear wrist guards. Oh well, I am saving lots by not taking her skating!
This is awesome, Em!!! I love this story – right down to the hokey pokey and the snowball!