Olivia asked me to go ice skating a while back. Then a living social deal popped up recently. So we went. I really enjoy ice skating but it has been years since I have been on them. But I didn't fall and I really enjoyed myself. :) Olivia learned that things aren't as easy as they look. She really struggled with balance right from the start. She fell a lot, cried because it hurt her tushie, and then got pretty discouraged after one time of slowly working are way around the rink. But one thing Olivia is really good at is not giving up. We took a break and after she calmed down, we discussed how much I fell the first times I tried to ice skate, we watched some other people fall and struggle, had a general pep talk about practice and perserverance, and then she got some further instructions for how to keep her balance better. Then a couple of other sweet moms came up and sat down with us. They too gave her some encouragement and then even took her out on the ice between the two of them for a round. Then she and I continued to skate. We were on the ice for an hour and a half. She finally put a smile on and learned to laugh and cry with her falls. :) She really tried hard and did well. Upon coming home, when Jeremy asked if she had fun, she said, "yes and no" but she said it with a smile. She knew she accomplished something big even if she wasn't going fast or doing spins and jumps. She has said that she would like to wait until she is a little older to go back. :)
