Let's Make Up!

That's what the evening was filled with (and with the best way I know how). I went to bed at around 8:30, but I didn't get to sleep till midnight. Needless to say, I'm in zombie mode right now, but oh, the memories.

We took the babe roller skating last night and it actually turned out to be a really fun evening. Let me set it up:

Two years ago, the babe was taken to the skate center and put into some fisher price "learn and grow" skates. The experiment was unsuccessful. After several falls, lots of tears and only fifteen minutes after paying the full price to get in, we left the skate center. I decided that I would buy the babe some "learn and grow" skates of her own to practice in. Fast-forward a year and still no skates from mom. Auntie takes the babe on an outing to where? Why, the skating rink of course. After paying full price, Auntie and the babe leave the skating rink after only ten minutes.

The babe's birthday is coming up so, mom seeks out roller skate prices on the Internet. She finds a really cute purple pair that only cost her $24.oo. The skates arrive and are unwrapped on the babe's sixth birthday. She is ecstatic!

Over the next four months, the babe practices rolling around the kitchen (just as her mother had done years before, in order to learn how to roller skate). She skates slow, she skates fast and she falls a lot. Not to be deterred, she keeps at it and soon begins to look somewhat like the skaters on Xanadu. Hmmm. Mom comes up with a plan. Why not try the babe at the rink again on a night where it doesn't cost your first born to get in. See how it goes and then take it from there.

The family is admitted for a flat-rate of $10.00 for unlimited skating and rentals. Awesome! Mom picks up some skates, while hubby rolls Indy around in the stroller. The family finds a table to park our stuff and mom proceeds to put on the strangely shaped rental skates. The babe laces up her own. In only a few moments, mom and dad are wondering where the babe has gone, "Did you see her? When did she leave?" The babe is out on the rink...cruising. Success! She stays out on the floor for most of the time (about one hour and thirty-five minutes). Mom and dad are ready to hit dollar nights...a family activity to carry us through the winter.

I've pretty much decided that I've got to purchase my own pair. Those rentals were killing my toes! They only had men's sizes and you know, no half sizes. So, a seven was too small and an eight was way too big. They're definitely on my wish list. After a couple of rounds, I was looking like my old disco-rollering self (okay, not really), but it was fun and great exercise. I'm really excited to go again. I'd forgotten how much fun it can be!