80 Degrees and . . . . Icy?

Yes, while it was blizzarding across much of the East Coast yesterday, it was an unseasonably toasty 80 degrees in Southern California. The perfect opportunity to hit the beach and play in the sand, you say? Perhaps, but not really in the holiday spirit. So Norm decided it was the ideal time to introduce Lauren to ice skating. She was very eager to try it (especially after watching it in her Barbie winter movie - thanks Kristen!). So we bundled everyone up and headed to a rink in Anaheim where they had open skate from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Never having the opportunity to lace up skates before, Lauren was thrilled with the adventure. She waited with acute anticipation as Daddy first wedged her size 9 toddler feet into the tiny skates, then put on his own.


Once she practiced gaining her balance on firm land (not an easy task, I might add!), she was ready to hit the ice.


The rink was full of kids, young and old, big and small, engaging in everything from formal skating lessons to young teens holding hands. I was very proud of Norm and Lauren, with only 1 fall during their 20 minutes or so on the ice (unfortunately for Norm, his knee took the brunt of the fall to protect Lauren, who was not injured at all).

Daddy and daughter, demonstrating their fancy footwork:


A final pose before gracefully exiting the ice:


While being a bit scared, overall Lauren really enjoyed the experience and told us she would love to take skating lessons when she's 4. At a minimum, we've found another family activity to enjoy (well, for her and Norm; the jury's still out on whether Mom will make it onto the ice during a future outing, although I will gladly continue to be the family photographer).