Valhalla

Because this is what you do when it's January in Minnesota...

Thursday night, the big girl was invited to go ice skating at the park down the road. No skates? No problem - she borrowed some from the neighbor. It was love at first glide.

The next day she didn't have school. We went to the local "Play It Again Sports." Sixty three dollars and forty-eight cents later we walked out with two pair of skates. New figure skates for the girl, and a pair of beat up hockey (or hah-key) skates for the boy. The Toddler wanted some, but I told her she had to be three.

That's what they do here - have ice rinks at about every park. During the winter they flood them, set up a warming house, and put up lights. In the summer, they're used for either running dogs around or soccer. They also flood out a section of the park and set up a makeshift rink.
I tell you. These kids today. Friday afternoon we went out for about an hour and a half. The weather was nice - in the mid 20's. Went around and around. The ice was a little 'soft' - still ice, but there was just a little more give. Sunday it was much cooler - around 8 and breezy - and we only lasted about thirty minutes. The ice was as hard and a little pitted after the balmy weekend. After watching the kids go around and around the loop on Friday, though, I'd say the skates were a pretty good investment.

Good times, I tell you...