Little Rocks

Jonas and I had the opportunity to go curling this weekend with our Area Cub Scouts. Neither of us has ever done it before, except on video games, and it was something that we were both looking forward to trying. So, we got up early Saturday morning, bundled up and headed out.

I didn't set foot on the ice but I learned a few things nonetheless. Number One - not all Canadians associate the word "helmet" with a hockey helmet. Number Two - curling is full of movements which are not natural, even for Canadians, including.... Number Three - walking on ice is a lot easier if you've got teflon tape on one of your feet. Number Four - falling on the ice isn't as much fun for kids when they're not doing it to delay going to school. And Number Five - there is a reason why my Scotish ancestors associated curling with alcohol consumption, though I learned this anecdotally because Scout Leaders are not permitted to drink when we're on duty.

In the spirit of the day, Jonas and his fellow Cub Scouts had a great time. Called the "Little Rocks" program, the coaches taught the kids the basics of the game. Jonas learned how to throw a stone. (To my mind, "slide" would be a better term but I was raised a hockey player.) He learned to sweep the ice. (They don't use brooms anymore, by the way, but it still did a mom's heart good.) He was quite proud of getting a couple of his rocks down the sheet of ice and onto one of the rings, called "The House". He did pretty well, if I do say so myself.

His biggest disappointment of the day was that they didn't get to play a real game to validate his belief that he was pretty good at this new endeavor. He enjoyed himself and left the rink with a longing to try it again. I think that's something we'll indulge.

Cheers!