| On Friday night, I learned my limitation.
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| | the ice. I landed on my wrists, and
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| I took ten pre-teengirls to the ice
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| | fullyrealized how hard the ice really
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| rink--along with little brother Victor,
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| | is...and how much more brittlemy bones
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| who hadnever ice-skated in his life.
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| | are at my age...when I picked myself up
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| At fortysomething, I had no deep-seated
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| | with a half-laugh and an under-my-breath
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| desire to skate; thegirls afterall would
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| | grunt of "I hope he was worth it."
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| skate by themselves and completely
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| | We were great, Victor and I. He took to
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| ignoreme. I was cold. I was sore from my
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| | the ice like a duck towater and passed me
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| early-morning tennis game andhalf-hour
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| | whenever he could, checking in with me
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| workout with weights. In tiny Ridgefield,
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| | everyfew dozen yards to make sure I was
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| Connecticutin January, ice skating on a
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| | still alive. The second crashwas my swan
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| Friday night is as good as it gets:the
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| | song; I exited to the slightly warmer
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| place was packed. Clearly two hundred
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| | viewing roomwith ice on my butt and two
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| children and hormone-impaired
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| | clearly bruised wrists, totallyticked off
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| middleschoolers were lacing up, while
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| | that these kids had gotten the best of
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| little Victorbegged me to skate alongside
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| | me.
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| him, at this never-before-seen rink, with
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| | Five minutes later, I reminded myself why
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| an almost-desperate look on his face.
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| | I was there in thefirst place: I had a
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| Of course I had to oblige. "How tough
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| | 9-year-old son who needed me, for crying
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| could this be anyway?" Ithought as I
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| | out loud! It was back to the ice for
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| snapped on my rented skates. "I work out
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| | another half-hour. Round and round we
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| everyday,"
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| | went, avoiding the whippersnappers and
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| I reassured myself. I skated as a kid.
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| | pre-teen girls with a vengeance. My
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| We'll take it slowly. Ilook the part,
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| | daughter and her nine friends?
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| what with my jeans, turtleneck, and down
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| | Forgetaboutem. Caught in their own little
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| vest. Imean...I could pass for one of
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| | world-on-ice, checkingout each face that
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| these kids if you caught me at the right
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| | whirled past them, I was only the
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| angle!
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| | night-timedriver and MasterCard-holder.
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| We got onto the ice, Victor holding my
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| | The evening ended with hot cocoa drunk by
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| hand with a look of "Can I do this, Mom?"
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| | giggling, rosy-cheekedgirls. Victor,
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| and me with an
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| | encouraged by my proddings of "You're
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| "it's-like-riding-a-bike-you-never-forget
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| | doing sogreat!" now had his sights set on
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| -how" assurance.
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| | ice hockey. And my left wrist,though
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| The first time around was, well, awkward
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| | clearly black and blue from a dozen
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| would be anunderstatement. I was wobbly.
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| | broken blood vessels,was not much worse
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| Victor held me up. When I asked him how
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| | for the wear.
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| he was doing, he was clearly in control.
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| | Will we do that again? Absolutely. Cold
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| "I rollerblade,remember, Mom?" Oh
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| | air, oxygen to the brain, rosy cheeks,
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| yeah...that.
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| | laughter, friends, bonding with my kids,
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| Dozens of wiry boys...barely as high as
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| | and a sense of community in this New
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| my kneecap...who hadclearly been skating
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| | England town of mine are just too
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| since they could crawl...zigzagged in
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| | compelling.
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| andout of my path like cockroaches when
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| | Looking like a fool when I fall?
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| caught in the dark by a quickly-turned-on
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| | Black-and-blue reminders of mymiddle age?
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| light. Whippersnappers! In and out they
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| | Bruises to my ego? Well...that's all part
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| skated, so fast and with such precision
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| | ofmotherhood.
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| that it took my misted-breath away.
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| | Keeping the spirit of the holidays after
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| Did I mention the strobe lights? Just
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| | the holidays haveclearly passed is one of
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| when I thought it was safeto look down
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| | the challenges of being a Rocket Mom.
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| and see where I was going, the lights
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| | Keep your eyes wide open for
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| playing on the ice only made me dizzy. I
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| | opportunities throughout the nextcouple
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| was reassured by my assessment when
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| | winter months to create special memories
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| Victor exclaimed: "Mom, don't look down!
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| | with your kids.
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| You'll throw up!"
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| | Be it snow-skiing, ice skating, or
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| By the third or fourth time around, I was
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| | sledding; or creating uniquepottery at
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| feeling much moreconfident. But when a
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| | your local paint bar...be prepared for
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| pre-teen girl caught sight of a hottie
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| | giggles and memory-making...and check
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| andabruptly skated backwards...directly
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| | your ego at the door.
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| in front of me...I wasknocked smack on
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