Skating at Nathan Phillips Square

A classic Toronto experience, especially with the TORONTO sign.

Since it was March Break, and it was still cold, and we were going to be in Toronto for an appointment, and driving (because it was an 8am appointment). I thought that the star were aligned enough to go skating at Nathan Phillips Square!

I had packed everything, but we were supposed to get a snow storm. So it wasn't until our appointment was done, and there was no storm, that we decided to go.

It was cold.
But Nick did a couple of rounds, and then he was cold.
... So when I say that I packed everything... I didn't pack any snowpants. For any of us.

They had the skate helpers, so Katheryn used those.

We had fun taking pictures with the TORONTO sign in the background. Usually the rink is very busy, but this was in the morning, of a cold day (even if it is March Break), and they had called for a major snow storm. So there was only 2 other families out there with us

Pretty soon Nick was cold, his hands were cold (he only had regular gloves and didn't want his hockey gloves) and he was just over the outdoor skate.

My Dad took Nick into a nearby building to warm up and get some hot chocolate.
Katheryn and I kept skating.
Katheryn wanted a picture to bring to her class to show everyone what she did over the weekend!
But she didn't want the skating aid in it.

We took some funny pictures

And we skated around some more

And Katheryn took a picture of me on the ice!

After about 30 minutes we were done (we outlasted the other 2 families that had started with us).
So we went to find my Dad and Nick and get warmed up.

They had fun skating, but if we do this next year I need to remember the snow pants!

Walking to school

Nick wanted to walk to the bus stop today with his backpack

He did it the whole way to Katheryn's bus stop.
He is getting stronger with his crutches.

I don't think he is as strong/stable as he was when he took his first steps. But that is something we are working on. A part of me thinks he might never be able to do this again. I had hoped after the surgery we would be back to that point quickly. But we aren't.
And if he doesn't get back to taking independent steps it will make me sad, but it isn't the end of the world. He is stronger with his crutches. Especially with the higher braces on (which I don't hate as much as I used to). And on the weekends we take the tops of his braces and he is still able to walk with his crutches, but he is a little floppier.

Oops, I just hijacked a post about walking to school...

Last week while we were waiting for Katheryn's bus Nick wanted to get out of his chair and practice standing. When the bus pulled up I could hear a lot of the kids in the bus cheering for Nick (a bunch of kids in his class are on Katheryn's bus). And Katheryn got off and yelled "He does that at home!"
Nick was so proud of himself.
And if that is what he wants to do, then go for it boy!

Today he wanted to walk and run to the bus. So he did.

Yesterday coming home he wanted to be in his chair and his crutches.
I thought it was weird, but whatever. But then I realized that Katheryn and Nick were playing sledge hockey, and Nick was pushing himself in his 'sledge' while Katheryn was the coach

 They went the whole way from Jenn's to our house like that.
Now it just needs to translate on the ice!

Skating!

We finally got on the ice and skating!

This has been a very long way in coming.
Every winter I try to get the kids on the ice. But both kids. And that has been the hold up.
4 years ago Katheryn got bob skates for Christmas and I had hoped we could make a rink in the backyard. Because Nick wanted to do whatever Katheryn is doing.

So the next year I heard about a skate horse, being designed by the March of Dimes. They contacted me after reading my blog about skating. But after some back and forth I wasn't able to get one to trial. The following year I tried again, but again we just couldn't connect.
So then it just sat on the back burner for a while. Looking at some lessons, but nothing ever came from it.

Well, this year Nick started sledge hockey. And it became about helping Katheryn learn to skate.
Again, I looked at lessons. But they never panned out (we limit to 2 activities and Katheryn is still doing martial arts and brownies).

Then for Christmas we all got ice skates! I was so excited (and nervous... I haven't skated in 13 years). I researched where to skate at the cottage, indoor and outdoor. I got Katheryn some skating aids called Skateez (like training wheels for skates). We borrowed the sledge and we were all ready for a family skate at the cottage!
And then I got sick and we couldn't go.
We tried again during on a weekday, but it didn't work out.

So I was very excited, when in the last week of February, we got on the ice!

Katheryn was so nervous. This was how she did the first round around the rink. A death-grip with 2 hands on the edge.

This was how Nick did the rink. Just gliding, nice. He knew what he was doing!
Of course he got lots of looks and smiles and he skated around the rink no problem!

I had thought/hoped that the Skateez would be enough support. But at the rink they had pylons that they used for support. So Katheryn used that to go around the rink and eventually felt comfortable letting go of the edge. (They didn't have any skate aids to borrow/rent, and they are too small anyways)

Kyle didn't want to go on the ice (it's been a good 20 years for him), but I found it was easy enough to get back out on the ice and skate.
Family selfie on the ice!

Here are my 2 skaters!

Katheryn started getting more and more brave

 

 

And Katheryn got more comfortable going around the ice with her pylon.

 

 She did fall a couple of times, but got right back up!

I think it was a great afternoon! We were on the ice for an hour and a half. Hopefully we'll get out at least a couple more times before the end of the season.

Sledge Hockey - getting back out there

Nick had sledge hockey again today.

He had been off the ice for about a month, and even though we had brought the sledge home, and planned to go skating as a family, we didn't get out.

Leading up to hockey practice Nick was so upset, he was crying.

"I don't want to go".

We told him that he had to go. We talked about why he didn't want to go, and he said he didn't like hockey anymore.

He was crying up until we got him on the ice.

And then he was all smiles.
I was a little hesitant to make him go, but I am glad that I did. He had a lot of fun and I could see him getting stronger on the ice.
I wish we had more time to get him out there more and get him stronger on his sledge.
Hopefully we will all get some family skating time.

Katheryn likes watching hockey, and we have said that we might be able to get her into sledge hockey next year. Nick actually does better (and shows off) when she is on the ice with him.

We went out for dinner afterwards. Katheryn decided she wanted to dress up!

Sledge Hockey with Katheryn

We had a new sledge hockey player today!

Katheryn had the opportunity to get out and on the ice with Nick.
Nick actually did better with Katheryn on the ice. He certainly liked showing off!

Sledge Hockey



Nick has been playing sledge hockey for a couple of weeks now.

Every Sunday for 2 hours he goes on the ice and learns how to play.

Every week he gets a little better. The rest of the kids just zip along the ice, but Nick is still learning to move himself.

We come out to watch nd cheer him on (and Grandma Ridding came out this week)

Katheryn likes to be right up and close to the ice watching.

This week we got to watch a game that the intermediate league played. And after the game then Nick got out on the ice for his practice.
This week Nick also got his own hockey jersey!

 



He isn't zooming around the ice yet, but he is getting better. I wish there was a way to get him out more, maybe we ca borrow his sledge for some public skating? Once he is better at moving himself, he can work on hockey skills.

But he does like passing the puck back and forth under his sledge.

 

He is so proud of himself that he is playing hockey!

Playing Hockey!

Nick signed up for sledge hockey today.

Kyle wasn't able to be there because of car issues, and so I tried my best to get him all set up. (I have never, ever played hockey, just watched it)

He is all ready to get on the ice!

 

Nick had fun on the ice, he says it is easier to move on the ice then on the pavement (with sledge roller hockey, like at Easter Seals Camp)

I showed Kyle the video afterwards and he was asking me what he was wearing.
I told him I had snow pants on him, and then all of the padding and helmet that was in his hockey bag. What was the problem?

Apparently the padding is supposed to go underneath his clothes, and there was a white hockey jersey to go over everything. And he had large hockey socks to keep his legs warm.
Hmm. Well, that's now how I got him dressed.
But at least he had fun!

Paralympics

The Paralympics started yesterday.
It is getting extensive media coverage on CBC, and I have my PVR all set up!

I have been thinking about how to approach the Paralympics. Do I say, "ooh lets watch all these athletes with disabilities and see how great they are". Or do I say "wow, lets watch the olympics"

I really don't want it to be about the differences. I want it to be about what we are watching.

We talked about the Olympics and favorite sports, all kinds of things that Katheryn could do.
Because no matter how much Nickolas cries and wants to put on ice skates, it is not an appropriate sport. And it breaks my heart to tell Nick that he can't do something. I hate the word can't.

So we look at how he can do what he wants to do.

And the Paralympics show us all of the things that Nickolas has open to him. Every single athlete has a story to share in which they were told they could do anything they wanted, they could show that their different ability did not hold them back.

So we are going to be cheering for our sledge-hockey team. Watch it as a hockey game. Not as an adapted sport, not as a sport to do instead of regular-hockey. Just hockey, with a puck, a net and some ice.

http://www.paralympic.ca/sledge-hockey

And in my head I want Nick to start sledge hockey when he's old enough. But as a sport that is available for him. Not a different sport, not a special sport, just a sport that is available to do.

Go Canada Go!

Easter Seals Camp - Day 5 - The Fun Isn't Stopping!

Today is our last day of camp activities, tomorrow we leave in the morning after breakfast...

So all of those activities that sounded like fun to do later we had to decide what to do today

Katheryn spent the morning making a hemp necklace.

While Nick went back for a nap. The days have been so full of stuff he wants to do, that it is just go-go-go and his routine has been broken up that he is having a hard time to adjust on some days.
But a nap was quick to revive him

Because it was sledge hockey time again!

Nick was excited to try out the sledges again.

The fun of being in the sledge quickly wore off of Katheryn (especially when she wiped out)

 But we quickly got a family game going!
Mommy going for the assist!
Nick is getting a shot off!

 

After lunch we decided to off and make our own activity

 

there was a trail and I wanted to see if it lead down to the river

It didn't...
But we could see the river from where we were

And there were lots of acorns to collect.

Then it was time for lunch!

Where Nick had little finger-men walking all over the table

And someone got a Golden Ticket for dinner tonight

Right after lunch Katheryn and I hurried off while grandma and Nick went to make some soap.
Katheryn and I were going up high in the air!

Katheryn has been a little unsure about the ropes course. When she couldn't go last time she said "I wasn't aww when they said I couldn't go right now. But if they say I can't go tomorrow, then I will be aww."

But when we actually got there she didn't want to do it.

I didn't actually have to force her to go. But we had lots of talks before she agreed to go up

 

Once she agreed to go, she was all hooked up and on her way up...

 

and up.....

And then it was my turn to climb up (see the ladder that doesn't reach top) and join her
She was still nervous that she was up so high

But was still ready to go
(This is Collie, he is one of our counsellors)

Mommy got to follow, all by herself, no holding hands for me...
Still a little nervous

Katheryn had her choice between 2 bridges.
The stable bridge and this bouncy bridge.

I wasn't sure if it would make her more nervous if I was on it too. So I let them cross first
They took a rest

Then it was time to head back
Katheryn still wasn't won over by the experience

This is our scary face

And our smiley face (do you see a smile in there?)

There it is!
Because she is heading back down

Down, down, down....

Now that we are on the ground, Katheryn said she had fun. But next time she goes up she'll do the whole course (except the tires).
And she says that she was glad that she went, and that it was fun!

I just realized that I should have taken pictures from the top of the course! Oh well, next time.

We were up and down before Nick and grandma got to join us.
It was hot up there! No clouds in the sky and just a bit of wind.
Time to hit the pool!



 

Katheryn was just swimming, swimming, swimming away!

She didn't want anyone helping her, kept putting her face in the water and blowing bubbles.

We had some swimming races (with mommy only using her arms) 

 

 

And Nick was having fun swimming on his belly - and we were working on getting him to kick his legs behind him.

 

 

We spent as much time as we could in the water before it was time to get out, rest for a bit and get ready for the big night!

 

 

On our what-to-bring list including the suggestion for a dress-up outfit for the last night. So I made sure that I had something cute

 

So much cuteness!
And the yellow flower was a favorite

We had an opportunity to get family photos done.
I was going to take Nick out of his chair for the pictures. And then my Marie wisely commented that the chair is part of who he is. So he stayed in his chair

Katheryn wanted to ride it too

Then it was time for family photos.
We were all colour coordinated with each other!

 

Katheryn quickly tired of smiling for a bunch of photos

 

We got a picture of all cabin counsellors!

Nick, Heather, Parker, Collie and Tara! They were FANTASTIC!!

And the kids loved them!

 

This our cabin family.

OK Pictures are done, now it's time for the food!
Everyone grab your golden ticket!

 

So how was the food Nick?

Yummy turkey dinner!

 

Grandma won this in the silent auction

Now it's time to dance the night away!

Nick was definitely a dancing hit!

 

He even showed off his cool cane moves!

 

They had the swing open for the adults.
We went to watch for a bit. There is not anything that will make me go up and do that (they pull you about 70 feet in the air, you pull the rope and drop.... and swing...
Marie thought about going, but there were a bunch of people in front of her.

Our last night of games night.
Go Fish!

We didn't pack anything tonight. Just leave it all for tomorrow morning.
We've had a great camp!