Reid was bursting with pride last night when I picked her up from school. She had had her first skating lesson without me and it had gone very well. She skated alone, she told me, there were no adults near her. “Not even a single drop close,” Reid said. They were way at the other end of the ice, she said. I suspect she was exaggerating a bit in that but since she refused almost entirely to try to skate without holding on to me, I’m impressed that she wasn’t holding on to anyone. I told Reid that I knew she could skate alone – had told her so when we were still taking lessons together – and that I was so happy that she knew now that she could skate alone, too.
Reid acknowledged that she had fallen a few times but that she had also developed a new technique for getting up again. She never did like the “pushing on one knee” technique that she’d been taught in Frosty Blades. Reid told me that one of the Senior Kindergarten girls was able to skate without falling. I pointed out that M is older than Reid and probably more experienced but that Reid would improve, too. I think that they skate weekly until March. Five months should give her a strong base, I think. Maybe she’ll be ready for hockey next fall?
Reid asked me if I was proud of her. I was surprised she couldn’t tell from what I said but maybe she wanted the actual words. I told her that I was proud and that I thought *she* should be proud of herself, too. She nodded vigorously and said she was. (Sidebar: I read an advice book for parents of only children that it’s important to help your children recognize when they feel proud of themselves rather than having them perform to cause you pride. Sometimes I over think things but I don’t want her to be a messed up kid.)
We spoke with Grandma Joyce and Aunt Lisa on the phone last night and Reid was excited to recount her feat of solo skating. It’s the most fun to speak with Reid when she has something to report, I think. They got lucky, eh? I’m still looking for fluid skaters for weekend family skates, so bring your skates when you come to Ottawa.