300 rejections: 36. Ice Skate at Steinberg Rink in Forest Park

I was tempted to cross off #36 on my own over my lunch hour. I am so glad I decided against such a practical, bland option. As we approached the ice, Cadence kept saying, “I'm scared. Oh, I'm scared. Hold my hand. Stay close to me.” But then she got on the ice and pretty much didn't look back. She took to ice skating the way she has taken to almost everything else—immediately.

It would seem that as we skated on the Steinberg Ice Rink in Forest Park to cross the item off the list, a new tradition was born.

I took the day before Thanksgiving as a vacation day because I was getting close to losing vacation days and because Cadence was out of school and I wanted to spend the day before our first holiday apart with her. I envision us spending the day before Thanksgiving on the ice in Forest Park in coming years. I love new traditions!

I didn't spend much time practicing what I've been learning in my classes. There were too many people with too many varying skill levels. I was determined to be available for Cadence and to not fall down myself. But I do look forward to when I have more skill and tricks on the ice.

We spent nearly three hours on the ice. She kept looking up at me with a smile on her face. “I am having such a good time. This is the best day. Thank you for paying for our skates.” That girl, and her awareness of things like cost of skates, takes my breath away constantly.

The warm temperature (upper 50s) created a layer of water on the ice so when Cadence fell, her mittens, and then the mittens I loaned her got soaked. Luckily it was warm enough outside that we could go without them (though you know I would have preferred warm dry mittens.)

While it was warm for November, the wind was strong and made the day feel cooler than it was.

We took a break for hot chocolate (nothing warm about the hot chocolate—tongues were burned and ice obtained to cool down the drinks), and then we walked to the firepit outside the rink. The giant fire pit was cozy, and would be a welcome relief on a day when fingers and toes sting with frigid temperatures.

We stopped two other times. Once to approach a local reporter and her cameraman to cover the season opening of the rink. Cadence was ready to walk right up to the reporter. She stood by as she watched other little girls talk with the reporter. The camera was positioned just outside the rink. I never dreamed we'd be seen in the background b-roll of this newscast, but we were! You can see a fuzzy pink coated girl with a teal stocking cap and her black vested mama in a denim skirt skating a few feet behind her. That's us!

I marveled at how quickly she picked up the skating. And how tough she was when she fell down. She hit the ice pretty hard with her knees a few times. That night she lamented the bruising and how tender her knees were, but she still smiled hours later.

My child would still be skating if I would have let her. Three hours on the ice wore me out, but man, did we have a good time. I've promised her we'll go again this season. “And let's not plan to do anything, but skate all day,” Cadence added.

My list has expanded my horizons, but it's also expanded my daughter's. And for that I am deeply grateful.

Two days later, we were in the car headed to visit our grandfather. She was sitting in the backseat with my computer on her lap. "Whatcha workin' on?" I asked her.

"I'm writing about my ice skating experience." my girl answered. She agreed to share her account on my blog. Enjoy!

on wednesday I got to go ice skating with my mom . It was so much fun. I fell a couple times but it did not really hurt. I got a lot of bruses on my knees. A lot of people dropped their phone and got wet. My mom taught me some tricks, like the swizzle, that she has been learning at her ice skating classes . The people dropped their phone because they were acting crazy and fell and dropped their phone in the puddles on top of the ice. There was also a fire pit. Me and my mom got to have really good hot coco. It was really GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was really fun.