Category: Skating

A Hot Shot is born

We just found out today that Katrine is a Hot Shot.  A member of the Skater Ontario Hot Shot Team that is.  Very proud of our wee skatey miss.  She worked hard at the seminar in August and got chosen to this year’s team (sorry, fell down on the job and didn’t get photos).  What does this mean?  That she has potential I guess.  Definetely that she is working hard and improving.  So I am not 100% sure what I am bragging about other than that she made some province wide team for her skating and will be monitored and maybe get to go to a seminar.  Just the same, Yeah Skater Katrine!!!!

 

Double Flip

Katrine had to settle for ice cream this time though as all of the close yogurt places have closed and Elspeth was fading fast.

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Katrine and coaches have been working hard this summer and have all earned a well deserved break.  She has done her first two Pre-Juvenile competitions yet I have never seen her solo in person.  You see, I was voted out of the competitions in favour of Baba.  Apparently he makes her less nervous so how can I argue?  She has worked hard and is gaining confidence.  At the end of the day, that is what is important.  Proud of you!

Oh what a sunny weekend!

It has been a beautiful weekend with ample time spent outside in the sunshine.  The girls spent the whole weekend with smiles plastered to their faces.  Each had a date with their Baba which was the icing on the cake so to speak.  They each gave him a date for his birthday.  Katrine and Glenn went out for pho while Elspeth took her daddy to Tim Hortons for a muffin and iced lemonade.  Glenn also had a great time on his dates.  I will let the photos speak for themselves.  I hope that you have all enjoyed the sunshine.

Mama, I like the sand.

Time for some bubbles.

My crazy pair

A moment of calm before she sprang back into action.

Just in case you think that we dared to spend time away from an arena, here she is just before hitting the ice as a demonstrator for a COS coaching seminar. 

Yup, it is the perfect time to break out the ice cream cones.

Our Primary Star

Today was yet another day spent at an arena…well two in fact, because it was Katrine’s ice show.  Her number was really fun.  All of the Primary Star girls got to perform with umbrellas.  I was a bit worried when I first saw the boxes of umbrellas.  I saw poking and tripping but they handled them like pros and the number was really fun to watch.  Really proud of Katrine.

The evening ended earlier than anticipated.  I went to get her at intermission to discover that she had a fever and was feeling unwell.  I am hoping that it is nothing.  An unanticipated end to a nice show.

Thornhill Fun Skate

What a day!  Elspeth enjoyed herself to a point.  There is a new format for the CanSkate elements and we were not adequately prepared for her to be on the ice 30-45 minutes.  She had on her lighter dress and no sweater.  In other words, she was freezing by the time she got off and pretty miserable until she warmed up.  From a parent’s point of view it was kinds hard to follow what was going on.  I am not sure which elements she actually finished.  That said, she must have done them all because she received a gold overall ranking for her perfomance along with a red and gold ribbon which put a smile on her face.

Katrine got to have a little visit with one of her China sisters and was super happy.

Elspeth’s first ice show

Okay, just so that you can all get your Katrine fix too.  Here is a photo of her taken last night at the airport while waiting to meet friends bringing their newest daughter home from China.

Now onto Elspeth’s ice show.  To sum it up – CUTE!  A whole row of littles giving it their best.  Of course she was the smallest by far but she kept up and had a great time doing it.

I think the funniest part was waiting with her in the change room for her turn.  She decided to do some off ice work.

“See, I can stretch my leg up behind my head like Katrine.” (Hmmm, more like we can start having you take your own skate guards off!)

“Look mom!  I’m doing a Y stand!” ( Hmm, not quite but adorable nonetheless.)

Primary Stars Team!

We now have a CanSkater of the Month and a new member of the Central Ontario Primary Stars Figure Skating Team in our house!!! (Yup, proud mama moment)

We got the email today.  Katrine has been selected as a member of this year’s Primary Stars Team!!! 🙂 She is super excited.  When I got home from drumming with Elspeth tonight she ran up to me and jumped in my arms while telling me the news.  It was great to see her so very exctied about something that she has put so much time and effort into.  A special YEAH to all her coaches.

Some photos of our Katrine on ice.

Training

Competing

For fun.  It is all about the skating for her.

Stuffed Animal Day at Skating

Yup, it was stuffy day for Elspeth this past weekend at skating.  She decided to take her two My Little Ponies.  Pinkie Pie had to sit with me and watch, under strict instructions that she was also to cheer.  Rainbow Dash was the braver of the pair and she ventured out on the ice with Elspeth.  Considering that she was working with four feet and no brain, Rainbow Dash did great.  Her first time on the ice and she only fell once!  (Okay, Elspeth dropped her but isn’t the other version cuter?)

Oh!  Elspeth was also named one of the CanSkaters of the Month for February!  Here she is in mid jump…

Sorry, bit blurry.


Mama turns 40

Yup, I am officially in my 4th decade with Glenn to follow soon enough.  It has been a wonderful birthday too.  I got to sleep in (mainly because I slept through the alarm but that is a minor detail) and still made it to work on time!  Waiting for me in my mailbox was a can of coke (my caffeine of choice) and a pink flamingo hat.  So, all day I was walking around school with a flamingo on my head…and the kids loved it!  I shared treats with my SSC students as well as those in my prep coverage classes.  I think that I smiled all through the day.  To top it off, it was a fairly smooth day at work.

I picked Katrine and Elspeth up and we met Glenn for dinner.  We chose to go to B*ston Pizza because they had GF items that I can eat as well as meals that the girls enjoy.  Glenn made the meal extra special by finding out if the bacon wrapped steak bites were GF.  They were!! And they were also delicious (we got them without the onions or dip)  A perfect way to change an ordinary meal into something special.  After a delightful dinner it was back home for dessert and gifts.  Glenn and the girls had baked a GF chocolate cake with chocolate icing and then topped it with 40 candles.  It took 3 puffs for me to blow them out.  Man that is a lot of candles.  Topped it all off with cuddles from my girls, a glass of wine and a roaring fire.  What did I get?  Lots of stuff but one of the best things is a new dishwasher from Glenn.  Doesn’t sound special?  Well it is when it means that the broken one is replaced and dishes no longer have to be done by hand.  Now that put a smile on my face.

Saturday was a reasonably quiet day that involved some sleeping in and more relaxing.  Today was the official end of the celebrations which were marked by the arrival of a visit with a dear friend and her family who brought me some beautiful roses that are now brightening up our kitchen and mantel.  Then it was off to the local skating trail for some family fun with friends.  It was a wonderful day to be skating – cool but not cold and with only a slight breeze.  Plus, Elspeth is improving leaps and bounds so she was going at quite a good pace which meant that Glenn and I got some actual skating in.  We ended the afternoon with dinner at home with those friends marked by great conversation and watching all four girls consume mounds of cake pops.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make this birthday special for me.  I have had a weekend full of love and it has made me feel special.  My twenties saw me married, my thrities the arrival of our girls, so I can only hope that my forties are half as good as either decade.

😎