snapshots

Ha ha - I got Risa into skating lessons! With kindergarten registration done with (I hope) and now getting a coveted space in the local skating rink, I feel a great sense of accomplishment this week. Oddly enough, it's more satisfying than anything I did at work!

I took Risa to her lesson today. She's on the far right of this group of 4. She hadn't been on the ice for almost a year, but her skates still fit and away we went. Her rustiness was quickly evident as the other 3 kids in her group skated circles around her. I could sense her disappointment out there as well, and I knew this was going to be a lesson in parenting for me as to how I would talk to her about it. She stuck it through the class with smile on her face but was glum when she stepped off the ice. Somehow I had hoped that she wouldn't be bothered by it, but to my chagrin, the first words out of her mouth were, "I fell down the most." I tried to reassure her that she hadn't practiced for a long time and besides, all the kids were falling down. The important thing was that she was going to get better and not fall down so much next time. I asked her if she had fun and she said "yes", but it didn't quite seem adequate at that moment.

We (and Risa herself) had all got used to her being ahead in so many ways since she was a baby, but I always knew that things could equal out later. Kind of like when I started guitar 4 years ago - I could get away with not practicing for almost a whole year as I made my way through the beginners books, but talent only starts you off and eventually you have to work to achieve.

Risa's goal, however, is to play hockey so I will remind her to stay motivated to keep skating.