Life Is Therapy - Roller Skating

Every once in a while Kayla brings home a flyer from the PTO about "Family Skate Night." I've never gone because I thought it would be a waste of time and money since Kayla's never even been on roller skates before - so what fun would that be if she couldn't participate?

Um, hello!? What was I thinking? Or not thinking as the case may be.

If I never take her, then how will she ever get a chance to try out roller skating?! And I remember going to roller skating rinks when I was a kid and loving it.

Ever since Kayla was born I've always been about providing her with all those 'typical' experiences and just getting out in the community and trying things and doing things.

So when the flyer came home in Dec I thought, "Why not take her? She might like it, or it might turn in to a disaster...but I won't know unless we go."

They had the plastic beginner skates that go over your shoes (why have I not bought these for her before? I don't know, I guess I didn't think she would have the balance or coordination for skating...I know what she's getting for her birthday now!)

We started off going around with me holding her hand, then she held on to the half-wall and 'walked' herself around.

Her favorite was when the lights when down and the disco ball came on. She let go of that half- wall and made her way to the middle of the rink. Once in the middle of the rink she kept going around in little circles (without holding on to me) and was so, so, so proud of herself. She kept saying "I did it!"

There was falling...a lot of falling. But she got back up each and every time and giggled through most of it.

There was even the limbo. She did the limbo. The first time going under the bar I held her hand and went through it with her and I knocked the bar down; so next time around I let her go by herself :) She made it through 3 rounds of limbo.

We tried the regular skates but I think they were too 'heavy' feeling on her feet and the wheels too fast for her, so back to the plastic skates.

So the verdict? She loved it! Absolutely loved it. The next morning when we were putting our shoes on to go somewhere she asked me if we were going skating again - so now I can't wait for the next flyer to come home and go do this again.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

If roller skating isn't fun therapy then I don't know what is!

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