Ripley ... Skating 101

Last week we started skating lessons for Ripley. (Ripley is the kiddo on the upper left hand side of the picture) Come to find out, this school doesn't believe in giving the kids a rack or milk-crate to lean against to get the hang of pushing themselves along the ice. So, imagine a class of eight kids under the age of 4 dropping like flies all over the ice. Quite comical. Ripley has to take everything in before jumping in ... so in his time he got on the ice. But, after the zillionth fall, he was "all done" with giving it a whole hearted try. The only reason he keeps going is the hope of being able to play ice hockey one day. I told him we'd have to take the new hockey helmet back to the store if he didn't want to go back to skating class. 'Nough said. This week he was back on the ice. I brought my skates and ended having to put them on to get him on the ice, but aside from that it was a success. He was willing to stand up, "stomp bugs" with his feet and tried to move around a little bit. He was giving a whole hearted try to get up like the instructor had taught him. We're planning on going back next week. I told him that when he goes through the lesson without Mommy and tries to stand up and move he'll be rewarded with a hockey jersey like a few of the other boys have. These are big motivators for my little sportsman.

Another funny Ripley moment today ... I've told him to watch out and hold onto Mommy's hand in parking lots because we don't want cars to come along and "flatten us like pancakes". Today when we were crossing the parking lot after skating class Ripley says "Mommy we gotta look out so cars no come and give us pancakes!" Hilarious.