Birth of a Monster

Several years ago, my youngest daughter was invited to a birthday party at the ice skating rink. The hosts were kind enough to let my older daughter tag along. The youngest didn’t really take to it, but the oldest did.

I didn’t want my kids to commit to an activity that required me to drive to the suburbs regularly. But after a couple years she wore me down. Two summers ago, we started going to the rink on hot days. That fall, she signed up for group lessons. A year later she had graduated from the basic skills class and we hired a private coach for weekly lessons. This summer she will participate in her first figure skating competition.

I didn’t know when I snapped a cute picture of my girls skating at a birthday party that I was witnessing the birth of an ice monster.