Last Friday the school announced that they children do skating on Monday and Wednesday after school. They do it on the school tennis court that had been purposefully flooded and frozen with nets either end. So on Saturday we rushed to Kelowna to pick up some second hand skates, hockey skates for the boys and white figure skates for Lucy as they didn't have any hockey skates small enough for her. The Canadians are absolutely mad on ice hockey, it's their national sport and is always on TV wherever you go, and the children had been watching it being played on the frozen lake at the bottom of the mountain so were keen to have a go.
On Monday afternoon I went down to school to watch as they put on their skates and tentatively took their first few steps on the the ice, luckily they have little zimmer frames for them to hang on to as there were arms and legs everywhere!! Charlie got the hang of it quite quickly, helped by one of the dads, I asked the teacher who he was and was told that he was an ex-NHL player, clearly expecting me to be impressed but I had no idea what she was talking about...I've since found out that this stands for National Hockey League and so basically he was a pro!! Shame he couldn't have quite the same effect on Ned who was much happier holding his zimmer frame or Lucy who's little legs were going too fast for her body. They were all black and blue by the end of it, but not put off and keen to do it again!
The school has a real emphasis on citizenship and they have a key word each week to work on...respect, diligence, trustworthiness, fairness, loyalty...the list is endless. Tonight at tea Ned got up from the table to get himself a drink and said 'I'm getting myself a drink, Charlie would you like another drink.' Charlie, clearly stunned said, 'Is this the real Ned'!!!
That sounds great fun Joy! I wonder if they would consider properly freezing the little playground in Upottery next winter rather than just leaving it a little bit slippery?!!!!
ReplyDeleteHope the bruises are healing! xx