I'll Let You Fall, But I Will Be There to Help You Back Up

As a parent, you often embark on "family fun" outings knowing full well that the likelihood of actual family fun is slim to none. The kids aren't excited about the adventure. They whine all the way there. You set your expectations way, way low.

That was us, earlier today, when we announced we would be going ice skating. We bought a Groupon to the Toyota Center (where the Kings practice) a while ago, and wanted to use it. We figured, if we at least got them on the ice before the melt downs started, we'd call that a "win."

Then, it became one of those days where your expectations were far exceeded. Not only did the kids have fun, but they did well! They started out clinging to us but, by the end, they were skating on their own ... and still smiling despite lots of falls. Holden got the hang of it pretty quick, and continues to awe me with his athletic abilities. After a short time, we were merely just there to lend a hand to help him up, brush off the ice and send him back on his way. Riley stayed close to the boards, but liked skating on his own to us.

As we went round and round with the crowd of pink-cheeked kids and their families, pop music blaring, I kept thinking about how ice skating is a lot like parenting: I'll let you fall, but I will be there to help you back up.