Nate Can Skate

Nate went to ice skating camp last week. Mom and dad were a little worried that he might not like it because he's happiest when things go perfectly and predictably, and of course nobody can learn to skate without falling down a few times. It was nice that he had enough of his friends in the class to offer encouragement (and fall down along with him) to show that it was OK. By Wednesday the instructors were teaching him to skate backwards! Friday afternoon ended with a performance with a Star Wars theme. Here's Nate backstage with his light saber ready for the big show -- no stage fright or pre-performance jitters for him!


All the kids from his class went onto the ice to show off their new skills. Dad was happy to see the performance because he'd been stuck in rush hour traffic for almost two hours. Silly daddy thought two hours would be plenty of time to get fifteen miles, but he arrived barely in time to see Nate go onto the ice. Nate was very relieved when dad arrive.


Nate must not have gotten a big enough of a snack before the show because he thought eating his mitten was a good idea. He must have been pretty comfortable on the ice though, because apparently he didn't need that arm for extra balance. By the end of the week he was fairly competent on the ice for a brand-new beginner and he'll probably go back for more classes. Fortunately the rink is less than a mile from the house. It's used as a practice facility by an NHL hockey team so it's in great shape, and it's open to the public when the team isn't using it.

Swimming and Fun

We spent some time with friends over the weekend. It was great to see them of course, but the kids seemed most pleased with their swimming pool! Nate's become a pretty good swimmer and can make it from one side to another. He even finally mastered the cannonball! Here he is in his cool swim goggles as he prepares to dive down below the surface again.


Sean spent some time in the pool too, although he's not one to like getting his picture taken. This was about the best we could manage. He still wouldn't look at the camera but it's a nice profile nonetheless.


They also spent a lot of time playing with the toys in the backyard. This was a little crocodile teeter-totter they enjoyed in particular.

Discovery World

Next it was on to Discovery World, along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Milwaukee. There are lots of activities to keep the kids busy, and the first one they hit was the aquarium. Here, Sean gets up close to one of the critters that ordinarily would be swimming around in the lake. There was also a touch tank where Nate and Sean got to pet a shark and a stingray.

There were many interactive computer displays for experiments. Nate posed in front of a computer with two cameras side-by-side. The computer then combined the digital photos into a three dimensional object on the screen that could be moved in any direction.

There was also a camera that detected ultraviolet light in the form of heat radiating from the people who happened to walk by. This is probably the strangest portrait of Nate and Sean we've ever taken. They are standing in front of papa who is wearing a wide-brimmed hat.