Being a cautious person by nature and one with little athletic ability, I wasn’t very adventurous growing up.  I think that may be changing though, because of my kids.  I think I am feeling the need to face some fears and challenge myself so that I can share certain experiences with my sons.  I don’t want to just be the mommy they come home to after they have experienced something new, I want to experience some of these things with them.  I think it helps us bond in a special way.

Yesterday, I went ice-skating with the kids for a school sponsored fundraiser.  It was only something I had done once  in college so I wasn’t too keen on doing it again.  I was mostly scared that it was not a fully enclosed rink and it was freezing outside.  I was also a bit fearful that if I fell too much (which was likely) I might mess up my already problematic neck and shoulder.  Regardless, I baked the brownies I volunteered to bring, bundled up and went.  My brother joined us since my husband was busy and luckily he had skated a few times before.  That way at least I could send both boys with him if I chickened out or got hurt while we were there.

Well, it was a surprisingly nice experience.  I was not too cold.  All those layers and continuously moving kept me quite comfortable.  I also managed not to fall and skated with my younger son who is averse to risk or getting hurt.  He had been to a skating party once where he just walked along the wall and fell over and over.  This time he seemed less interested in the whole experience.  So, I held his hand and slowly we eased away from the wall and skated many laps.  I encouraged him by saying “It’s only Mommy’s second time just like you and we’ll be okay”.  He seemed encouraged by that enjoyed the whole two hour event.  My older son skated with his uncle and wasn’t so cautious.  He’s the fearless one so he has no interest in starting anything slowly but luckily he also has a high tolerance for pain.  His learning experience was a little different but he was doing well by the end too.

I felt really good afterward.  There were many parents there who stood by the sidelines as I thought I might have.  But, my kids came home very excited to tell their dad about how ‘we’ skated.  They seemed to have a sense of pride that Mommy skated with them.  I think it helped my little one overcome his fear more easily and I think I showed my older son that you can start out more slow and steady like I was and not fall as much.

I am more keen to embrace new challenges at this age than I was as a child. I guess I’m enjoying the bond it creates with my children.  Having boys makes me step outside my comfort zone.  I can’t just share the girly things I though I would with a daughter but that doesn’t mean I can’t learn something new from and with my sons.  These may be little challenges for most but they are things that I was fine shying away from when I was younger.  Now I see no reason to.  Its been a way to add something to my life while sharing an activity with my kids.  I think the next adventure will be skiing.  I hope I don’t hit the slopes too hard!