Ice Capades Princess

Cora finally got to try out her new ice skates from Christmas today! It has either been too cold or the snow hadn't been removed from the neighborhood outdoor ice pond. Today, we took her to Hawrelak Park to skate because they also rent out ice skates. This way, Lee and I could join her! It was gorgeous outside today. The temp was in the high 30's which felt amazing compared to the sub-zero arctic winter we've been having. In fact, Cora refused to wear her winter hat and instead opted for last summer's sun hat. Spring fever is flowing through her blood for sure!

The skates Cora is wearing are called bob skates. They have 2 blades on each foot and strap directly to her regular shoes. They remind me a lot of the old Fisher Price roller skates that strapped right on to your shoe. She got use to them quite quickly. Lee and I on the other hand...well, let's just say the first 15 minutes were terrifying. We have not skated in a long, long time. We also have not been responsible for holding a two year old up.

 She wasn't scared of skating. The problem here was she wanted to skate alone. It took Lee and I awhile to "let go" and risk her falling. She also refused to wear a helmet which terrified me. I rationalized with myself and realized, she does many more dangerous things day in and day out. Finally, we let her go. She did really well. No major crashes. She was taking baby steps and being really cautious most of the time. We took some video, but I'll upload that on Monday or Tuesday.

 Letting go...

 She was really enjoying herself. Taking pictures while standing in ice skates is a lot harder than it seems. Lee did a great job taking these photos.

 Because it was so warm out, there was a nice layer of slush on the ice to play in.

 Cora says "mah ands" which translates to "my hands" when they got cold from playing in the slush.

 She looks like she is having a blast here. 

 Lee and I were teaching her how to blow warm air on her hands to keep them warm.

 Cora cheering herself on while skating. I love this little girl.

 Last photo before we turned in. It was a fun day.

Wait, one more. We couldn't miss an action shot of falling down. Notice the dad in the background wearing his shoes. Lee and I are definitely taking his lead next time. ;)