Monday, May 11, 2009

Fifty things to do while your kid figure skates


Your kid is on the ice for an hour. What can you do with your time?




  1. Wrap yourself in a blanket and watch from the stands.

  2. Chat with the other Ice Parents.

  3. Play music for the skaters.

  4. Walk up and down the bleacher steps (I never do this).

  5. Put on skates and give it a try (I don’t do this, either).

  6. Exit the rink doors and see what the outside world looks like.

  7. Solitaire.

  8. Catch up on e-mail.

  9. Take an online course.

  10. Go grocery shopping.

  11. Pick up the dry cleaning.

  12. Get your oil changed.

  13. Meet someone for coffee.

  14. Browse the stacks at the local used book store.

  15. Return library books and video rentals before those overdue fines get out of hand again.

  16. Heckle (I try not to do too much of this).

  17. Plan your kid’s next skating dress.

  18. Apply crystals to your kid’s next skating dress.

  19. Run to the fabric store. Don’t forget your coupons!

  20. Knit or crochet.

  21. Facebook.

  22. Walk in a botanical garden (pretty and free).

  23. Wash your car.

  24. Wash your dog.

  25. Balance your checkbook.

  26. Balance your work and ice schedules.

  27. Watch a ball game on TV.

  28. Text.

  29. Use your cell phone to catch up with mom.

  30. Finally put all those photos in a scrapbook or photo album.

  31. Read the newspaper.

  32. Read a novel.

  33. Take photos.

  34. Take a video of a jump or spin to give your kid feedback.

  35. Avoid gossips.

  36. Shiver.

  37. Work on hockey-glass communication.

  38. Help youngest kid with homework.

  39. Arrange a car pool.

  40. Check the vending machines for spare change and apply to ice contract.

  41. Eat your kid’s stash of pudding and 100-calorie snacks from her cooler.

  42. Hide the evidence.

  43. Chew gum to mask the pudding-breath smell.

  44. Practice your innocent look.

  45. Talk to the Zamboni driver and see what’s new at the rink.

  46. Share your kid’s 100-calorie snacks with the Zamboni driver. Share your gum, too.

  47. Root through the lost and found for your kid’s missing guards, gloves, and champion cords. (If you find Ice Girl’s cords, please let me know.)

  48. Make a list.

  49. Check it twice.

  50. Write a blog post.


How do you spend your rink time? Add to this list in the comments.

12 comments:

  1. okay - that was really funny and so true! Add to the list - 1. Sew boy scout merit badges on by hand and hope that it doesn't look like a 5 year old did it. 2. Grade papers or find another high school skater that is on a break to help me grade papers!

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  2. Fun list! You should give #5 a try! I've had a blast lacing 'em up with my kid. Never would have thought I'd start ice skating at my (undisclosed) age. :-)

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  3. I also skate. It's a lot of fun and it's good to know what your kid is going through (also, to know it's not as easy as it looks) Also, there's a wonderful cafe by our rink that serves great muffins and pastries. In fact I think the people from the rink are one of their best costumers.

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  4. I'm big on 36 -- shiver. Especially in the summer when it is 90 outside and about 2 inside!

    Very funny.

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  5. Parismom,
    Don't sew on those merit badges, get some stuff called "Patch glue" they should have it at the scout supply store. Or, you could do what my mom did and just staple them on. (With 30 minutes left until my brother's Eagle court, she was running out of options. They looked really good too)

    I spend my time at the rink talking to the other ice moms, and chasing my 4 year old.
    I have to admit that I've done most of the thngs on your list. I have a friend who works in the office at the rink, so sometimes I go hang out with her. Our rink is close to a Costco so I shop and buy gas. I can't tell you how many skating dresses I've beaded at the rink.

    Back when I was skating, my mom would read, cross stitch and do the grocery shopping.

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  6. That was soo funny! Hi Ice Mom, It's Alexa again! Guess what, I got first place in my competition. You and Ice Girl helped me through it sooo much! Keep blogging!

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  7. Congradulations on you first place win Alex. Good luck for your next competition!

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  8. While my daughter was skating I was on the props comittee for her ice show. So we had prop comittee meetings and made props while our children were skating. It was a lot of fun and the props look great in the show.

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  9. Hilarious!

    I've begun stretching with my skater, and I can now touch my nose to my knees. Something I haven't been able to do in years, and not a marketable skill, but boy, do I feel limber!

    I've also been jogging around the parking lot. I sat around watching all my kids exercise and be active, and my middle-age spread was spreading fast.

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  10. Are you kidding? This is an expensive sport. I have taken up teaching on-line. Now, my hours at the club are billable!

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  11. I've thought about teaching online. I still have a valid certificate. Hmm. That's a great idea, anony!

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