So, just yesterday I told you how I was raised like a typical Canadian boy. Skating by the time I was 3 or 4 and playing in little league hockey by the time I was 7 or 8. Well, I have failed my kids. They have never been on ice before.
I have told you before and shared stories about how having three kids under the age of 2 just crippled us. Then less than a year later, the big transition occurred where I became the stay-at-home parent and Lisa went to work. I was super proud of the fact that after another year had passed, I finally had built up the courage and the plan to take all three kids out shopping by myself for the first time when Madison and Ethan were both 2 and Liam was 3.
See, we've never had much support. No family. Very few friends. During the early years, and the transition period, we met a wonderful young lady who helped us SO MUCH in our home a few days every week - and we wouldn't have survived without her, but eventually she moved on and I was left to handle things on my own. But other than that we were on our own. So, a lot of outings never happened. A lot of adventures in those early years never occurred. Most of the time I felt like a prisoner with three littles clinging to me.
Then came the year of diagnoses and still no friends or family nearby to help. Lisa was struggling too, making it near impossible to get out and do anything - especially one on one. There was absolutely no opportunity to leave with just one child, leaving the other two behind. So, unfortunately our kids have missed out on some things, and I'm playing catch up now.
This past December (earlier than that in fact) Ethan announced to the world that he was looking forward to December 21 - the first day of Winter; because that was his favourite day of the year! Apparently he loves winter. Well to be fair, he loves every season, but I had always assumed he was my summer boy. He hoped and prayed for snow to fall on the first day of Winter - and it did! I was so shocked, considering the day before had been sunny and 8 above!
After that day passed with him in all his glory, he announced he wanted to go ice skating. I don't know where he saw this or learnt about this. My best guess is from an episode of Peppa Pig. I didn't know what to think. Liam hasn't even seen skated before. As I stated earlier, I have failed miserably in getting my kids into active situations and activities. My kids have enough delays and challenges, and now I'm not helping them any by not being more aggressive in helping them to experiences these activities.
Horribly, I thought maybe the idea would pass or be forgotten about, but it hasn't been. It keeps coming up every few days. Ethan wants to learn how to skate. The crazy thing is, I know he's going to be fantastic at it. I can already see him whizzing around the rink like I was doing at his age. So, it's time to embrace it! It's time to lace up the skates (we don't even own any!!!) and find some ice to fall on - I mean SKATE on.
The 14th goal of my #2021Twenty is to find some skates for both myself and for Ethan, and then find some ice on a pond, lake or preferably a rink or an arena and go skating for the first time. The last time I was on skates was 16 years ago!!! Just prior to me turning my back on hockey as I mentioned yesterday. And now I'm expected to be the coach and trainer for my overly athletic preschooler. He's gonna be skating laps around me before I figure out which direction I'm pointed in.
In retrospect I should have asked for a pair of skates for Christmas. Perhaps Santa could have helped me with this goal. But I will start shopping on Marketplace or some Buy and Trade forms and see if I can fulfill Ethan's goal - which now has become MY goal.
