We met our neighbors at the local roller skating rink on Sunday. The boys had never been. After walking in the door, I was immediately flooded with memories of skating growing up. After all, the confetti carpet looked the same, the cinder block walls painted brightly were familiar and the sense of being over stimulated (well, the 'over' is more now as an adult) with color, noise, texture and people was all, well, the same.The boys were anxious to get started. True to his personality, Hayden was very eager to tie up the laces and get out on the floor. I knew he envisioned himself just cruising around right out of the gate. To be honest, he does pick up most gross motor skills with a swift ease, but I had a feeling this would be different, and it was. Suddenly, his legs which allow him to pedal a bike and run as fast as the best, were awkward and uncoordinated to him. Ryan and I were delightfully surprised that he didn't get discouraged (sometimes, if he doesn't pick up something as quickly as he planned, he can get his knickers in a knot). He kept at it. By the end of the two hours he was getting the hang of it. He cannot wait to go back!
Logan on the other hand, true to his personality, approached learning the new skill with an 'easy does it' attitude. Despite others whizzing around him, he was very content to be moving at a slower pace. Much. Slower. He just would inch his feet one after the other. (also true to his personality, he didn't want to hold anybody's hand--remember the 'fiercely independent.') Surprisingly, he was quite steady and balanced. Full of smiles, he even did the chicken dance with daddy. A little girl (whom we didn't know) took Logan under her wing and remained quite loyal for most of the two hours. She doted on him and he soaked it all up. After I was returning from the bathroom with him, she approached us from the other direction. They met, held hands, and turned for the rink. It was somewhat endearing because I knew he was still my little boy and would want to snuggle on the couch that evening. But, when he's older and walks away hand-in-hand with a girl (without looking back), my heart might break.
Owen and I enjoyed watching/cheering/encouraging from the side. Thankfully, Owen was not phased by all the noise, lights and people.Afterwards, we patched blisters (next time, two socks are in order) and had our neighbors over dinner.
