Melt My Heart

Many of you reading this probably know (or maybe you don't) that figure skating was a HUGE part of my life growing up. From the age of 6-13 (or so), skating was my passion. From the very first time I put on my own skates, I thought "Hey! I'm actually pretty good at this!" It really felt meant to be. By the end of my time on the ice that first day, I was zipping around like I had been doing it for years.

As I grew older, I began to enter new levels of skating. I passed ALL of my "badges"! I could do toe loops, and lutzes and sit-spins until the cows came home! I don't want to write about how and why I stopped skating, but I will say that through the years, I have missed it so much. After I had been away from my semi-private lessons for 5 or so years, things started to fade away. I could no longer land the perfect lutz or get as low in a sit-spin. I got really frustrated every time I skated. Eventually, I didn't want to skate anymore. It was heart breaking for me. I used to be so good and now, as time passed, my skill level passed with it.

Throughout my life (both as a figure skater and during my post-figure skating career), I always knew that when I had kids, skating would be an important part of their lives. My in-laws bought Eliot his first pair of ice skates this past Christmas. Yesterday, he got to try them out for the first time... and I returned to the ice for probably the first time in 5 years.

Eliot did OK. He was nervous. He fell a couple of times and that made him doubt himself, even though I tried to let him know it is OK to fall. His first time on skates was a lot earlier than my first time on skates (by about 3 years). Still, I think he had fun and it was a VERY meaningful day for me. It was just Eliot & I out on that ice (well, and about 30 other people free skating on a Sunday afternoon in Laconia), but I set up my camera and handed it over to Ted. He had no idea how much those photos were going to mean to me... and he didn't disappoint. I will cherish these photos of Eliot and I skating forever.



After skating, which really lasted only one time around for Eliot (but believe me, it took more than a few minutes to accomplish), we went back to Nana & Papa's house for lunch and some outdoor snow fun. They're driveway is a big hill so we took Eliot out in his sled and sent him on down! He had a blast.
Notice his one boot and one sneaker. I told him to put his boots in our bag to take to Nana's. I saw him pick up on boot and one shoe and I made sure he put the shoe back while he put the boot in the bag. I forgot, of course, to make sure to explain to him that he then had to go and find the other boot to put in the bag. Woops. "Parenting fail" as the kids say. He stayed warm and dry though with a very heavy duty plastic baggy wrapped around his foot and taped with duct tape :)

Valentine's Day Photos-- Check!

I've been on the hunt for a cutsie Valentine's Day idea to do with Eliot as my photography subject. It's tough because Valentine's Day tends to be a girly holiday so there are plenty of cute ideas for girls... boys are a bit tougher. Finally, I got it. The perfect idea to try with Eliot.

I thought that this would take hours upon hours to accomplish. Not only would I have to set up my in-home studio in my own (teeny tiny) home, but I would also have to get Eliot to play along. Hmmm.... I enlisted my sister to help accomplish this (what seemed to be giant) task.

She came with me while I went to stores in search of a certain "prop." Then, she watched and played with Eliot while I dragged all my lights out, back drop, and stand, and set them all up.

She helped me get him ready and then she helped me to get him to actually look and SMILE at me.

It did not take as long as I thought it would. In fact, I think the whole process might have taken an hour. AN HOUR!!! For these shots, that's really unheard of with my uncooperative child. Of course, it doesn't hurt that now that he has outgrown his soy allergy (Hallelujah!) I can use M&Ms as part of a reward system.


Enjoy :)


And since part of the reason I started this blog was to give small updates about Eliot as well, I guess I'll throw in some of his latest "milestones." YES, we had an allergist apt at the beginning of January and he did indeed outgrow his soy allergy. This has opened up new doors for us in terms of eating. He was on such a limited diet before that now I feel like I've won the lottery! Horray for grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate!

Eliot has also been speaking in paragraphs lately. He talks about anything and everything. His vocabulary is excellent and he surprises me almost on a daily basis. Whether it's repeating back a sentence that Ted said (that might not have been so nice) or coming out with the funniest answers to questions I throw out there-- he keeps me giggling! He also likes to know what everything is now too.. Since we're giving him foods that he's never eaten before, he always makes sure to ask, err--, TELL me, "I don't know what this is..." So far, he's been good about trying things too. I am so proud of him. I love him more and more every day!