Future Skaters

With all this ice skating we've been watching during the Olympics and our recent hockey experience, David decided that we needed to get the kids in roller blades. So, while we were in El Paso, we headed to Academy Sports (2 of them, in fact), and got the kids suited up.

I barely got the vehicle unloaded before David had them in their new equipment

It was raining and cold outside so we took up the rugs that are in the hallway, and let the kids have at it. David gave them instructions to just take little steps and practice going down the hall.

Tristan took a spill initially, landing right on his bottom
(I suggested we duct tape Charmin to their backsides)

But, he got up and tried again, and began to get the hang of it.

Grace was a pro the first time up, though she did take a mild spill a time or two.

Getting ready to be pushed down the hall.

They both decided that these new-fangled devices strapped to their feet were pretty cool (Which made for one happy daddy)!

The next day David took them out in the garage so they had a little more room to "skate".

They were racing from the door to the house to the garage door.

Grace even skated a few strides!

Their starting racing position.

David has decided that now is the perfect time to get them used to skating on blades - after all, we're moving to Korea in a few months, and they've put out some really good ice skaters recently, so why shouldn't our kids learn from some of the best in the business? His thinking: if they're comfortable on roller blades, why wouldn't they be comfortable on ice skates? Now he's planning on making a hockey player out of Tristan and then starting up a team in the Bahamas (because that's where Tristan came from, so he should be able to have dual citizenship, right?), and having Tristan be the captain. Gotta love the ideas that flow through my husband's brain! But I guess that's what happens when you're stuck at home for 6 weeks...

The kids think their new skates are great and have asked if they can put them on pretty much non-stop since we got them home. Tristan even woke up asking about them this morning. No "Good morning, Mommy", it was "Mommy can I go put my skates on and skate in the garage?" The boy barely even had his eyes open! Oh well, if they like it and have fun doing it, that's all that matters!