Reflections on Learn to Skate

I buzzed out of the office to take a peek at Stitch's Mealworm project, which he was desperate for me to see. Yes, there was one mealworm and one Beetle, just hatched from his Pupae stage. Gross.

Moving on, we headed to the rink for a put-in lesson with MiniFab and possibly Gordon. I like the semi-privates, the kids do really well together and it's cheaper. We got there and just MiniFab was getting skates on, so it would be just the two of them. I checked in with the Monitor and had a seat in the stands. MiniFab's mom isn't anti-social, she just doesn't like the cold, so she typically sits in the lobby.

I watched the kids, with MiniFab taking herself very seriously which is kind of breathtaking for someone her size and age, and Stitch being all Boy and blowing through things when he wasn't under Coach's laser beam. They were jumping and spinning and it's kind of fun to watch a practice ice session where everyone is going backwards. Those early days of forward swizzles seemed miles away.

Folks, I just want to say it outright: Having a kid in Basic Skills and/or L2S is not akin to having Herpes. It's okay. Anyone judging you or your kid based on your skater's level isn't someone you want to be around anyway, so whatever. There's a reason why I don't ask you what your skater's level is. It's because I see the uncomfortable squirm and quiet, "She's just in Beta." Just Beta? Hell, that's fantastic. Your kid is awesome. End of discussion.

The lesson ended with MiniFab and Stitch taking first tries at Sit Spins, with both of them catching on fast. MiniFab's mom was watching with me, and I asked if MiniFab was doing the July Open.

"Oh, no. She doesn't like that kind of thing."
My head exploded. "You don't understand... she would kill at competing."
"She just doesn't want to..."
"Those other girls wouldn't know what hit them!"
"She's the same way with violin. Loves to play, hates recitals. Her teacher has to convince her to do it, but I'm not going to do that here."
"Wow. That's too bad, but if that's her choice then that's what it is."
"Is your son doing it?" she asked.
"Yes, he likes to perform and compete. In fact, he does his best skating for an audience." I was kind of looking forward to see how he would ham things up next weekend.
"That's great. He seems like a nice boy."
And MiniFab is an awesome girl.

We said our goodbyes and Coach hit me up for whenever next time would be. "Bring music," she said.
"Yup, on my to-do list..." along with figuring out how to make a Sport Coat out of satin stretch and beading the sleeves. I was going to offer to bedazzle MiniFab's dress, but oh well.

I miss the other L2S parents, because it felt like we were all confused together. Now I'm in another universe and it's kind of lonely. Some of these moms don't even talk the same language. I guess I'll adapt eventually, but in the meantime I'll be bumbling along and learning as I go. Which makes me wonder, what if we're all just bumbling along...


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