"Roller Skating Diva" and Other Winter Vacation Activities

I had such high hopes for lots of outdoor activity over our Christmas vacation. But for those of you have been privy to California's record-breakingly moist December, you know that rain, puddling and even flooding have proposed some serious challenges to outdoor romping in the last couple weeks. After breakfast today, I suddenly (and painfully) realized that it was the final day of mine and Leila's Christmas vacation together. I struggled to find just the right activity for us. With only partial seriousness, I suggested roller skating. Then I thought about it, then I looked up "toddlers on roller skates" on YouTube and Leila and I watched some cute and uncoordinated roller skating attempts. Done - she was so excited to check it out. We had to bide time at the pet store - talking to fish and hamsters and kittens and birds - before we could head over to the rink. Walking into Roller Towne was like leaping back in time - I hadn't been there in probably 20 years and it looked eerily the same. I also hadn't been on roller skates in 20 years, and it was downright embarrassing to discover how stiff, fearful and graceless I've become over the years. Leila did great though... that is, until we headed out on the rink. I had to retire my skates to keep her up and we struggled through one meager lap around the rink together. But it was also totally satisfying to do laps on the carpet with her. She was ridiculously adorable on those skates. And she was ridiculously happy and proud of herself- such an ecstatic smile the whole time. What a great conclusion to our week off together!









And some other stuff... Dancing in the rain...


We went to ImagineU Children's Museum on New Year's Eve to celebrate bubbles. Leila didn't quite indulge as much as she could have, as she shied away from being engulfed in the massive, body-consuming bubble (seriously... kids would stand in a pool of bubble water and get encapsulated in a giant bubble. I'm sad that Leila rejected the opportunity, and my photo opp, but we had fun watching the other kids have fun). But there was plenty of other bubbly and non-bubbly activity too.






And here was Leila (before Christmas) making gifts for her Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa... handprints on ceramic plates that were turned into a Christmas tree and a Santa Claus.