I joined Arthur, her BF, and four of her co-workers for a night out of country cookin' and skatin' last Thursday night. Yes, I said skatin'. Arthur was the youngest one in the group at 26. She said something like...do you know the last time I went skating was in middle school? That was like 10 years ago. HELLO! I am 20 years older than Arthur and I haven't skated since middle school! That is like 30-35 years ago!
Truthfully, I have been on skates since middle school. I believe anyone who has had a child in elementary school has experienced 'skate night', and most parents cannot get through skate night without their child begging them to skate with them.
Skate Night is a fundraiser/social event for children and their parents. It usually starts within a few weeks of the new school year and the PTSO (is it still called that????) starts recruiting poor unsuspecting parents right away to host skate night. It occurs on a school night and that day is usually very exciting for the students and very hectic for the parent, and exhausting for both.
First, the parent (usually Mom, sometimes Dad, often a grandparent) must bust their rear-ends to get home in time to pick up the kids from daycare, get home and stuff down dinner, and make the kids do homework before driving to the next town to Sparkles Skating Rink. I don't know how many times I threatened Arthur, and eight years later, Courage, 'Finish all your homework or we are not going to Skate Night'.
Once you arrive at the skating rink your child loses all the social training you've been giving them since they were born. They become rude, bossy, whiny and incurably hungry. Even though you ate before you left the house, they start begging for popcorn and Slurpees. They fight with this week's bestest friend in the whole world and when you try to intervene you yourself 'are not my friend anymore'. They start bossing other kids around and cry when they don't listen. In between all this going on, they skate, a little. If you are lucky, they don't get plowed down by the older kids.
The organizers of Skate Night really liven things up. They have coloring contests and other silly games that one or two of the same kids win over and over. It truly means the world to a primary school child to win a coloring contest.
Then there are the games; dead bug, hokey pokey to name a couple. This is actually the best part of the evening. All the kids are on the floor and they are laughing and having a good time. The parents are hiding in the snack area.
After blowing my diet (yeah, I would have to have nachos, darn it!), consoling my child for not winning the coloring contest, stopping an argument over who does the best dip, my child would beg me to put on skates and come out on the floor. I once swallowed a tortilla chip whole because Courage caught me off guard. I gave in after I could breath again, after all, she didn't shed a tear when I accidentally slammed her fingers in the trunk of the car when she was getting her skates out even though I had to run back to the front of the car to pop the trunk again. So there I was, baby-stepping in skates and holding my seven year old's hand. The grin on her face was worth the pain I felt later when I did a Fred-Flintstone imitation and did a smack down with my fanny.
And here is Arthur, 10 years since the last time she roller skated last, saying she doesn't remember how to skate. 'It's like riding a bike, you never forget how', I told her. I was right. She got right on the floor and after a few wobbly starts, she was off. She even had a little confrontation with some speed demon teeny boppers before the night was over. The BF wasn't bad on wheels either. I actually made it around the rink a few times myself, and exited the floor with no bumps or bruises. Ego still intact.
Oh, and our skating was for a good paws, uh, hum, cause, that is. Admittance was $2.00 plus a can of dog food. Not only did we exercise and reminisce, we did something good for animals at the shelter!
Truthfully, I have been on skates since middle school. I believe anyone who has had a child in elementary school has experienced 'skate night', and most parents cannot get through skate night without their child begging them to skate with them.
Skate Night is a fundraiser/social event for children and their parents. It usually starts within a few weeks of the new school year and the PTSO (is it still called that????) starts recruiting poor unsuspecting parents right away to host skate night. It occurs on a school night and that day is usually very exciting for the students and very hectic for the parent, and exhausting for both.
First, the parent (usually Mom, sometimes Dad, often a grandparent) must bust their rear-ends to get home in time to pick up the kids from daycare, get home and stuff down dinner, and make the kids do homework before driving to the next town to Sparkles Skating Rink. I don't know how many times I threatened Arthur, and eight years later, Courage, 'Finish all your homework or we are not going to Skate Night'.
Once you arrive at the skating rink your child loses all the social training you've been giving them since they were born. They become rude, bossy, whiny and incurably hungry. Even though you ate before you left the house, they start begging for popcorn and Slurpees. They fight with this week's bestest friend in the whole world and when you try to intervene you yourself 'are not my friend anymore'. They start bossing other kids around and cry when they don't listen. In between all this going on, they skate, a little. If you are lucky, they don't get plowed down by the older kids.
The organizers of Skate Night really liven things up. They have coloring contests and other silly games that one or two of the same kids win over and over. It truly means the world to a primary school child to win a coloring contest.
Then there are the games; dead bug, hokey pokey to name a couple. This is actually the best part of the evening. All the kids are on the floor and they are laughing and having a good time. The parents are hiding in the snack area.
After blowing my diet (yeah, I would have to have nachos, darn it!), consoling my child for not winning the coloring contest, stopping an argument over who does the best dip, my child would beg me to put on skates and come out on the floor. I once swallowed a tortilla chip whole because Courage caught me off guard. I gave in after I could breath again, after all, she didn't shed a tear when I accidentally slammed her fingers in the trunk of the car when she was getting her skates out even though I had to run back to the front of the car to pop the trunk again. So there I was, baby-stepping in skates and holding my seven year old's hand. The grin on her face was worth the pain I felt later when I did a Fred-Flintstone imitation and did a smack down with my fanny.
And here is Arthur, 10 years since the last time she roller skated last, saying she doesn't remember how to skate. 'It's like riding a bike, you never forget how', I told her. I was right. She got right on the floor and after a few wobbly starts, she was off. She even had a little confrontation with some speed demon teeny boppers before the night was over. The BF wasn't bad on wheels either. I actually made it around the rink a few times myself, and exited the floor with no bumps or bruises. Ego still intact.
Oh, and our skating was for a good paws, uh, hum, cause, that is. Admittance was $2.00 plus a can of dog food. Not only did we exercise and reminisce, we did something good for animals at the shelter!
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