"On land, penguins are clumsy. They either waddle on their feet or slide on their belly across the snow. However, they can actually run as fast or faster than most humans. They slide on their stomachs, called 'tobogganing', to conserve energy and move relatively fast at the same time"(http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/winteranimals/encyclopedia.php)
I'm not sure if what we were doing was in attempt to conserve energy or just a simple lack of skill but the six of us rang in our new year looking like a family of penguins out on the ice.
First of all, I would like to point out that we usually spend our New Year holiday sledding down hills of snow... but after the third try of sledding down snow-less hills and coming up with mouthfuls of dirt and grass stains; we opted for another tradition, at least until some real sledding material falls.
We have a wetlands pond just behind our house that freezes over every year and every year we say we're going to skate on it but this was the first year we actually did. (You see, there's no need to travel because there really is so much to do right in your own back yard!)
I dressed everyone up like Eskimos and completed my supplies checklist. I met the family outside and we walked towards the pond; halfway there we all started taking off layers as it was so warm (50 degrees so I was told) and I was really wishing I hadn't put my tights on under my long underwear under my jeans...
I suggested we stick to the little pond but before I could raise my banner of rules Tiger was already testing the bigger one. I immediately sent Mr. Zookeeper to check the stability of the ice and when he gave the go ahead- we all went ahead.
I raised the bet that I would be the first one to fall- I would just like to mention that I did not fall once (where anyone could see me, thus it didn't count) but I cannot say the same for the kids. Monkey walked across the ice with ease but once she insisted on walking alone she couldn't stay up for long... there is a reason we padded her little bum! I insisted she needed help and she insisted she did not; eventually we got her in the wagon and let her feel independent while resting her backside on a blanket. She was offended that the ice was cold... what was mother nature thinking by making her ice cold?
Puppy is my child. She had a hard time enjoying herself because she was worried about everyone's well being. I spend every minute of every walk telling the kids (TIGER) to stay away from the water and now I was encouraging them to dive in? Once I convinced her that the ice was not melting fast enough to drown us and that she would not sink without us knowing- she had a blast turning in circles! (but I think she was doing that just to keep an active eye on all of us)... either way, Puppy requested we use real skates next time and not just our shoes.
FYI- it might be a few years before I strap blades to bottom of my clumsy, reckless and talented at ignoring me children...
Tiger was amazing. He ran across the ice as if he was on the savannah! He fell one time and then enjoyed it so much that he kept throwing himself at the ice... tobogganing I guess you would call it. Ice must effect a Tiger's hearing because he did not hear a word we said... especially when the word was slow down or wait for me. Because he was so eager, we all saw the back side of the swamp area and traveled upstream right into some barbed wire... I'd like to mention that pokey fences do in fact keep out most animals but it takes a lot more than sharp wire to detour a Tiger.
Rhino was ecstatic to use his sharp PVC pipe and sprinkler stake to carve in the ice. (The pipe and stake are his favorite toys but that's another story) He got to walk out to the "island" that I never let him swim out to and was able to discover that he is lighter on his feet than he (and I) realized.
Mr. Zookeeper cheated. Yes, he did. He wore his ice spike shoe covers and thus never slid, sliced or fell against the ice. He says it's knowing his limits; I still say it's cheating but am glad he came anyway. I did forgive him when it was my turn in the little Fisher Price wagon and his grip allowed him to push me great distances. See, I am an understanding person after all- always willing to take one for the team.
I of course also worked on my double and triple axles while perfecting my one-man lifts... next time I will try skating them out instead of just rehearsing them in my mind while grasping at every branch in attempt of trying to keep my balance. What? Every girl is a swan princess in her own way and if I looked ungraceful at any time it's because I didn't have spikes on my shoes! But I would like to put in a word for the fabulous workout that maintaining your balance on slippery ice provides, my buns are burning and it's not from using them as landing gear...
Rhino can't wait to go back, Tiger will now be impossible to keep away (the advantage of driving is that they can't escape because it's not just in their own backyard- let's just hope he realizes the difference between frozen and NOT!) Puppy overcame her fear of being the next Titanic and Monkey had to go the bathroom (Don't eat yellow snowbanks). We got to spend time with the kids and no one got hurt or lost so overall it was a great outing.
The hot chocolate we went home to might have been more refreshing if it was frozen (we were all so hot when we finished) but maybe we'll try that next time.
Some animals run and some animals swim; then there's us who get a kick out of trying to walk on (Frozen) water...
No comments:
Post a Comment