CANADIANS LOVE TO SKATE

An old pair of skates can give so much winter fun. All my grandchildren are skating-some taking hockey lessons and playing on little teams. It brings back of memories of learning to skate as a preschooler on a patch of ice in the local school parking lot. Then older on the ice rink  at my school. There are very few outdoor rinks at schools now. Locally, the Mill Pond in central Richmond Hill freezes and welcomes skaters. Nathan Phillip Square in Toronto has a wonderful rink. Or go to Ottawa with the Rideau Canal used by skaters in the winter. Skating is an affordable winter sport. If a child can not afford new skates there are many second time around places to get used ones. Or if you are lucky there may be older children in the extended family system that will share and hand down skates to their younger members. One of my sons-in-law has made a back yard skating rink. I have the skates but now need to get a helmet. As a youngster, like everyone else-who used a helmet! But as a role model, this Nana should get one! And maybe one for the Granpa too!  

NANA SAYS LEARINING TO SKATE IS A CANADIAN TRADITION

Remembering my childhood when I learnt to skate on a little patch of ice on a driveway at a local school around 3 years of age, watching my grandchildren acquiring the skill is a happy moment. The important aspect  is balance which means the little one can stand on the skates. Skating is such a Canadian thing to do! Not everyone will become a hockey player-although street hockey and fun games occur everywhere- or a figure skater, it is a fun activity for all the family. Indoor and outdoor rinks are scattered across the country along with ponds and river surfaces. The Rideau Canal in Ottawa is the famous one. Locally we have the Mill Pond which freezes over in the winter attracting children of all ages. Since one of the grown children have a rink in the backyard, maybe even this old kid will don skates again and have a go!!

CANADIAN SNOW IN DECEMBER

Canada has its share of snow coast to coast. Ontario was lucky to miss those horrific snowstorms in November. A light dusting prior to Christmas then a snowstorm that left several inches but hit the east coast with a vengence! Embracing the winter by walking to work and playing with my little grandchildren in the snow helps me to accept that winter takes a good four months of our lives. A backyard ice rink will help the sweeties to work on their skating skills! How do you embrace winter? Skiing! Indoor activities? Or do you just look forward to Spring?

FAMILY DAY ONTARIO STYLE

A vacation day in the middle of February is a welcome relief. Titled Family Day, it allows time to do some family activities. The stores are closed so shopping is not an option. Time with family. Tobogganing, skating, go to a movie or activities at home. For working parents, an extra day to get work done around the house. How did you enjoy family day? Was the time well spent?

EMBRACING A CANADIAN WINTER

Helps the winter to pass. Since I have started to walk to work and play with my grandchildren in the snow, I find the season passes quicker. Ice skating- on indoor rinks or outdoor ponds, skiing, snow boarding, or sledding and tobogganing down a favourite hill are activities enjoyed by young and old. Ice fishing and snowmobiling are rural necessities. One of our family members is trying to make an outdoor rink in their yard so I may even try ice skating again- but now need to buy a helmet so I am a good role model for the little ones. The garden being dormant gives time to pursue the indoor tasks. Closet cleaning, an exercise routine, writing projects and sitting reading a book or working on a craft are some of the things on my calendar. Do you find yourself trying to find enjoyable pursuits? This time of year also brings the boredom factor. The busyness from the Christmas season behind us often leaves a void. A good slap in the face from the cold can be invigorating! Needing to bundle up and embrace the season gets the juices flowing! Are you fed up with winter already? Are you trying to find ways to use the time? Remember like all the seasons it is always with us. It will pass quicker if you approach it with some enthusiasm! Now get dressed and go outside to face the cold!

NANA SAYS ENJOY THOSE SCHOOL BREAKS AT CHRISTMAS

Now that the excitement of Christmas is over and the children do not go back to school for two weeks, it can be a good time to regroup as a family. Many parents also have reduced work hours and a chance to do activities with their children. It does not mean running around and shopping. Quiet ones like playing with the new toys for the little ones or having your older children teach you about your new gadgets. My Sonya is helping me with my new RIM Playbook! Close to my home there is a good hill by the library. When there is enough snow, old and young are toboganning or using a sled! Old fashioned fun. Little backyard skating rinks help the little ones practice their skating skills or even using a patch of ice found in parks would do. For the skiers and snowboarders, a chance to go to the slopes! Playing in the snow making snowmen or snow angels is also simple! A midwinter cleanup! Filtering through unused toys or items replacing with the newly acquired things. A drive to your major city, looking at the lights before the New Year when they all come down. Crafts, cookie making, a new recipe, or just watching movies together or even going out to a movie make for fun family moments. I remember enjoying the time at Christmas as a child. The break from school gave opportunities to lounge in my new jammies, read any new books and just play. As a teenager, spending time with friends and maybe a sleepover! Listening to music and dancing in my room! When my children were little, just enjoying the days off work to be with them! It can be a time of renewel before we face the rest of the winter. It is also a chance to establish some new winter routines to help enjoy a season most of us just tolerate. Children embrace snow and the joys it brings! Perhaps we can learn from them! What are some activities you do in winter? Are you enjoying the break with your children or grandchildren? Tell me your favourite winter tale!

SKATING CANADIAN STYLE

Skating is one sport that the majority of Canadians know how to do. I learnt from a very young age- think about 3 to skate. It was on a little patch of ice at the local school. Children go through several pairs of skates in their lifetime. Even while at York University, I would go with a group of friends to skate recreationally at the arena there after class. When my children were younger I would skate with them. Adolph made a backyard rink for several years at our old house in Thornhill and again when we moved to Richmond Hill. It was easier to put the kids in the backyard skating than driving somewhere with them. Every town and city across Canada has indoor and outdoor rinks for skating pleasure. Here in Richmond Hill, many people go to the Mill Pond for outdoor skating. Recreational and professional skating in varied fields such as figure skating, speed skating and hockey are enjoyed everywhere here in Canada. Did you know the oldest indoor skating rink is in Montreal, Quebec built in 1862- Victoria Skating Rink? The first Stanley Cup playoffs were played there in 1894. The Olympic Plaza in Downtown Calgary has had winter skating since the 1988 Olympics. Our Nation's capital- Ottawa- has the Rideau Canal Skateway- 7.8 km or 4.8 miles long. Doing some research for this blog I discovered it is not the longest- Winnipeg, Manitoba- has the longest ice skating rink- 8.5 km or 5.3 miles long. I wonder if family members living there have skated it and can brag about their accomplishments!! Although a small rink in comparison, Nathan Phillip's Square in Toronto is a fun skate. Reminds me of my youth and a cheap date there with Adolph! Children and youth everywhere enjoy their local arenas, frozen ponds or rivers. Many famous hockey stars started this way. Winter skating- a reason to be outside with the little ones! Do you have favourite places you like to go skating?