I just wanted to write a quick post about how proud I am of Ava regarding her first ice skating lesson on Saturday, as well as the exciting weekend we have to look forward to in the next few days. Before I get into that, a quick update on Jessica and the neck issues she’s been having. It’s been 6 weeks now, and although she’s been trying a number of different treatments, including massage, yoga, and acupuncture, she’s still been in consistent pain. Yesterday she went to her first physical therapy appointment, which was prescribed by a doctor, and the results were the best thing she has experienced yet, so we really feel like we’re finally on the right track with all this. She’s got a variety of exercises to work on daily, and several more therapy appointments already scheduled, but her therapist knows exactly what and where the issue is and how to treat it. Hopefully we’ve found light at the end of the tunnel. Can’t wait for her to be back to her normal self; these past 6 weeks have been really hard on her.
Regarding Ava, last Saturday was her first skating lesson. She was supposed to be in the level 1 class (Snowplow Sam 1) but when she stepped out on the ice and skated for a few seconds, the teacher immediately moved her over to the level 2 class. I watched her throughout the class, and I don’t mean to brag, but she was easily one of the best skaters in that class as well! Some of it is natural talent, but I couldn’t help but take a little pride in how well she was doing because we’ve been skating a lot lately, and I’ve been teaching her some of the same things I’ve been learning in hockey. To her credit, she’s been picking it up very easily and getting better each time out.
She ended up having a blast in her class and wanted to stick around for the public skating session afterwards. I went out to skate with her, but she had already made a friend from her class, so she skated with that little girl for quite a while. Once her friend had to go she came over and skated with me for a bit longer. We had such a good time and she was already talking about wanting to get started with her next lesson. Not surprisingly, Elise is getting more and more interested in joining us, so hopefully it won’t be long before she does.
I actually organized a team ice skating lunch at work next Tuesday and a bunch of us are going. Although one of our girls will be in school at that time, there’s a chance that Jessica and the other 2 kiddos will join us. Should be a lot of fun, and a nice team building exercise for all of my co-workers, especially the new ones.
This weekend we’ve got a lot to look forward to. Friday night Jessica and I are going out with another couple for dinner and live music. Then on Saturday morning, Kristy and Madi will meet us at the ice skating rink at the end of Ava’s class. Madi will be staying the night with us that night, so we’re going to skate for a while, then head home for a movie. This weekend will be our first since finishing our diet, so we’re all going out for dinner that night with Madi.
Sunday morning we’re all going swimming, and this will actually be our third Sunday in a row doing so. Turns out there are 2 indoor water complexes within 20 minutes of our house, and both are very modern/family friendly. They’ve got pools, toddler play areas, lazy rivers, slides, and one even has an area for surfing. We know Madi loves to swim, so that should be a fun way to finish her overnight visit. Kristy will meet us there Sunday afternoon, then we’ll go our separate ways after. We’ll be home in plenty of time for me to get ready for Sunday afternoon hockey.
In the slightly longer-term, we’re only about 3 weeks away from our trip to Raleigh, so that’s going to be a lot of fun. I’ve already found a guitar store that I need to check out while we’re there, but other than that, I’m looking forward to going with the flow, and eating like a king. Laurel and Mark have already given us a recommendation for a nice barbecue restaurant to check out while we’re there, so I think we’re in good shape. Lots of cool stuff coming up for us, so I’m sure I’ll be writing again soon.
Cheers