Skating Lessons

Both kids have taken skating lessons: Dylan, earlier this year and Reagan at this time last year.  Finally!  We were able to enroll them in a class together and both kids were really looking forward to the chance to skate together with their friends E & E.  

The kids were all smiles before getting on the ice!

They had the kids all grab onto the wall when they first went out on the ice. 

Then the class divided into two groups.  It was kind of self-selecting . . . the kids who could stand up and the kids who couldn't.  You can see in the above picture that Dylan cheated slightly to be with Reagan and Ethan!!  Although he knows how to stand up and skate (he's fairly slow, but he doesn't fall down much), he gets pretty lazy on the ice and takes help where he can find it.  

Skating came back to Reagan a lot faster than I thought it would!  She's really improved over last year!

The three of the four kiddos :).  

Winter Fun!

It was so nice to have gorgeous weather in January, at least for a few days!  We were able to make two trips to the park for some ice skating and sledding before the rain came and then the extremely frigid temps.  

Even though the day was only in the low 20s, there was no wind and a bright sunshine, so we felt much warmer than it was.  

John and Reagan skated together to get her used to being on the ice again. 

Dylan did some practicing with a chair (even though he really doesn't need it).

Reagan decided she needed a chair too (she didn't). 

Dylan soon told us his feet were tired and after a few rides on the chair while Daddy and Mommy pushed him, he wanted to take his skates off.  He was more interested in pulling the sled and digging in the snow than skating.  (And yes, there is a perfectly good hockey rink that is not flooded, next to the tiny skating pond the city created and flooded instead as a consolation prize due to budget cuts).

Next the kids and John headed to the sledding hill.  It was the perfect set up to have it all in one place!  The hill was just the right size for a 3 and 5 year old.  

Each kid took turns going down with Daddy.

Then we felt comfortable enough to send them down together.  This is my favorite sequence of pictures showing just how much pure joy the kids were having going down that hill: 

Happy

Happy

Happy

Happy

Happy

Face plant right in the snow

But still happy!

I've never been one to enjoy the outdoors in the winter, but I think we found our new favorite activities!