Mouland Family: She skates!!

We got Katie back on the horse, so to speak, this weekend. Dr Kiefer said we had to wait til the new year to take her skating and the weather this weekend was a beautiful +7, so off we went to Spruce Meadows. Bryan and I took the kids last night just before dark. She couldn't wait to go but once the skates were on her feet she almost had a panic attack, she was crying so hard she was hyper ventilating. We encouraged her and she did stand and let us take her around, hanging on to both of us like if she let go the pond would swallow her up. It didn't help that I was wearing hockey skates for the first time and felt like I had never worn skates before (28 yrs in figure skates and you come to like your toe pick and long blades) - at one point she even said she wanted her figure skates back! She really did quite well in the end, took one tumble at which point Bryan threw himself on the ice too to show her that falling was okay. We really tried to pump her up and then took her back out again today. Some of the family came out too and her cousin Olivia was also afraid to skate - she got new skates this year and they were very sharp. Slowly they each warmed up and as one tried and succeeded at something new the other tried. By the end of the skate both girls had gotten back to where they had been at the end of last season! It was a successful undertaking, Katie even fell a couple times, got herself back up and went off again! I really had thought it would take Katie more time, but that girl of ours is determined!