The winter session of ice skating is coming to a close. It is Thane’s second session.

Thane is an observer by nature. He watches, takes in the situation before he participates. We can tell his sister is going to be the one to jump head first into the pool (actuality, not just speculation).

Thane is the youngest by 6 months, and, in most cases, 1+ years in his Snow Plow 1 class. That is a daunting situation for any 2.5 year old. He has done well. Friends of ours have said, “as long as he wants to get back on the ice after he leaves, it is a good day.” And he has. Each and every time.

In the first session, he watched. He stood carefully on the ice. Walked when needed and maintained a perfect statue pose. He generally showed more enthusiasm for the sticker that was placed on his helmet after class.

In the second session, Thane has earned that sticker (and sometimes two!). He walks with ease, glides when asked, shimmies, and bends. He listens to his teachers and has even gone faster than some other kids, nearly pushing them out of his way. He is not at the top of his class, but not at the bottom either. Thane will never remember a time when he did not skate.

After class, his reward (in addition to the sticker) is to watch the big kids (aka 7 year olds) play hockey. We tell him that he will do that one day if he keeps listening to his teacher and doing as she says.

On Monday, a makeup dau for us, I made the mistake of letting his watch the hockey players BEFORE his lesson. Big mistake. He put up a fuss when it was time for class and you could tell by the slump of his skates when we finally coerced him on the ice that his heart was not in it.

Of course, Monday was graduation…and grade day….

Below is his report card. We are definitely keeping him in snow plow 1 for one more session, to get his sea legs and really get comfortable. The two things Ellie mentioned (not his regular teacher) as not accomplished he can actually do…when he wants to.

The type is bad so what it says is:
A. Sit and stand up with skates on: off ice? YES
B. Sit and stand up with skates on: on ice? YES
C. March in place? YES
D. March forward, 8-10 steps: NO (But he can)
E. March then glide on two feet: No (He just learned this last week)
F: Dip in place, bend knees: YES

Shab introduced me to a new photography site-i ♥ faces. I love the chance to have someone give me an idea on something different to try and this site has good ideas and seems to be a welcoming place. So here goes!

Each week, there is a new challenge…faces, jumping, winter, feet. Something to “focus” on (all puns intended).

This week is hands. It is Week 8 of the challenge…

Since the deadline is tomorrow night, I dug into the archives. This is one of my pics (no, not Jay’s). It was taken when Thane was just seven months old, on December 23, 2007, a few days before his first Christmas. He found this old mirror (which is now broken) and was mesmerized by it and the baby on the other side of it.

check out i ♥ faces to see some more fun

We saw the orthopaedist yesterday. He watched her “walk” and did some excercises with her legs to check knees, hips, ankles, feet.

Diagnosis? She is fair haired and skinned and very flexible (he could touch her thumb to arm no issue). Basically she is loose jointed and he said that loose jointed kids walk later. He showed us how her right foot is slightly inward just in a relaxed state but that surgery or a brace or anything would not fix it, she will just grow out of it. It is not affecting he walking.

She is a very healthy little girl (he repeated this often). She is flexible. There is nothing physically (or neurologically) wrong with her. There is nothing we can do to fast forward and have her walking.

Prognosis: She will be a great gymnast or swimmer! He said she seems very close to walking. I asked how long, and as any good fortune teller would respond, his answer was a very certain: “She will be walking within 3 months.” Gee, thanks Madame Zelda!

He seemed to think 12-18 months was the “normal” time to start walking. He showed no concern over her and did not say we should look for x, y, or z and then be worried.

He did say that since her joints were so loose, we should watch for picking her up by her wrist, elbows, etc, in case they slip and she were to get nursemaid’s elbow.

Jay is laughing at me because now I don’t have something to worry about.

Here are some pics our friends took of us at the rink last week. In the one where Mark (and Kinsey) is walking Mara, you can see her toe in a bit.