Miss My went ice skating and liked it!

Today I went ice skating with L and our daughter. I hadn't skated on ice (or anything else) in over 20 years. Wow, that makes me sound really old.

I started ice skating in Holland when I was very young. I started with ice skates you could attach to your shoes and/or boots. My sisters and I put the ice skates on at home and then 'walked' through our backyard to the canal behind our house. In summer my older sister swam in that canal (she once saw a turd floating by when she was swimming in that canal, eww) and in winter my sisters, friends and I ice skated on that canal.

I remember our school class had ice skating competitions (I never won) and the route was to this old mill and back as many times as you managed. You got a stamp every time you had returned from the mill. It was fun but being a born foodie I was just interested in the hot chocolate and warm sausages.

I don't remember ice skating much when I was a teenager. Maybe the ice on the canals wasn't thick enough or maybe I just had better things to do (chasing boys? shopping?). I do remember going to a big ice skating hall called Thialf. It was with my friend and her father. In Holland people use speed skating ice skates and I remember I managed to skate one round (the hall is really big) and then had to sit for a while as my ankles were hurting. I think I liked the whole cosy-winter-ice-skating atmosphere more than ice skating itself. I was rubbish at it anyways.

Fast forward 20+ years to today and I was putting on my new figure skating ice skates (really quite different from speed skating ice skates) and was, well, a bit scared to be honest. But as soon as my flat feet got used to the ice I remembered how to ice skate. Is like riding a bike! It felt great and I don't think my butt hit the ice at all. Success!

While I was enjoying my time on the ice L was teaching Isabella to skate on ice. Well, he was just holding her hands while she tried to stay in the upright position on the ice as it was her first time on the ice. She was really excited, wasn't scared of falling (she had practised 'falling' with her ice skates on at home), looked really cute with her pink helmet on and was really quite excellent for a first timer. She skated without support multiple times and I think we might have ourselves a Michelle Kwan. Just kidding, I'm not a tiger mom! I was really proud of her.

The thing that struck me most about ice skating today was how much fun it was. I tried to do some pirouettes and managed quite well. L (by his own admission really rubbish at giving compliments) said I did really well. The only thing missing was the hot chocolate and warm sausages. But all three of us agreed it was a lot of fun. So fun that we will go ice skating again tomorrow. You have to find some fun activity during these long Finnish winters!

Will this be me next year?

Missed the lovely hot chocolate.