Skating Skills Currently on Vacation

So, remember me saying how some skills will be solid for awhile, to the point of you (the parent) thinking, "Oh wow, just a few more weeks of this and he's got it nailed forever!" and you're bursting with pride and anxious to post your kid to YouTube so all the other wannabe parents will be pea-green with envy? And then the next day that skill is gone-o?

Guess what skill is gone? Just guess. You'll die laughing. I would be, were it not my kid. Go on.

Ready?

THE SPIRAL.

Yes. The Spiral is gone. Where once I saw my little boy raise his foot to the level of his hip and hold it, grinning at competition judges like he owned the universe, now I'm lucky to see that free foot go above the level of the skating leg's knee. Spiral? Hardly. THAT is a glorified one foot glide. Even Coach had to concede defeat on Saturday's lesson; after much fussing and fighting she finally gave up, saying, "Well, at least you stayed on the blue line."

I didn't have much luck either on Saturday Night ice, with Stitch just breezing through it and not even bothering to lower his shoulders even a little bit. "What is that?" I kept saying, with Stitch insisting that he was doing spirals, I just wasn't paying attention. Risking the appearance of being THAT MOM, I continued to badger him. No use. No spiral.

Tonight I came home, relieved The Babysitter and asked how Stitch had been. Stitch comes running out and starts doing spirals against the sofa. I frown. "Skating tomorrow?" she asks.

"Yes, and you won't need a coupon," I reply, as Stitch is bemoaning me as the worst taskmaster ever. I tell him to get his unfinished homework and bring it to the table. During dinner he tells me that he is good at spelling because he doesn't practice, and good at math for the same reason. I drill him on some things and he misspells "pencil." We won't go into math.

So yes, skating tomorrow. Despite Stitch's insistence that he is a competent speller, mathematician, reader and skater without needing to practice, I will continue to be Mommie Meaniehead and make him practice these things. Perhaps soon we can coax the Spiral to come back from the Bahamas.

Also, I heard some crazy rumor that Other Kid is in Axel Workshop. I had to leave the ice for laughing, followed closely by genuine concern. I would kill for a verification of this fact, and pay real money for video evidence.

Oh, Mr. Paulsen with your wacky skates... say it isn't so!!