Ice Skating with Mama & Papa

Today we went back to to Pershing Square for more ice skating, and this time U. was able to join us. Such a cute pic of us standing together on the ice. Too bad Astrid's eyes are closed.

This time around with U. there, it made it so much easier to ice skate around the rink with Astrid. He would hold her one hand and I'd hold the other, to keep her balanced and standing upright.Astrid helping Papa with his ice skate.

Astrid would get tired and wanted to get off the ice (only to return a few minutes later) so U. and I took turns leaving the rink with her so the other one could skate around. Eventually U. left with Astrid so that I could take advantage of the full hour we paid for, since I'm the better skater of the two of us."Skate at your own risk is right!" U. was holding Astrid when she started kicking - with her ice skates on - and the sharp end went right into his knee cap full force, like an ice pick. Note to self: never hold a child wearing ice skates.

I give him credit for not using any bad expletives. Not even under his breath. He just took it like a man and walked it off. After ice skating, again we walked around the Pershing Square fountain. (Astrid loves fountains.)It's a nice fountain, but there are many homeless people who like to sit around it and hang out. I used to go there sometimes on my lunch break (for their concerts in the park) when I worked downtown, but with a kid I feel much more protective. Especially after my coworker told me about how one homeless man with a large dirty blanket stood next to him at the corner, waiting for the light to turn so they could cross, and when the man opened his blanket a gust of wind blew right into his face carrying with it whatever was in the man's blanket. When he got back to the office my friend went to the restroom to wash up and noticed a single lice in his eyebrow. Good thing he was almost bald!
Whoa check out the fountain's water mommy!A beautiful, sunny LA winter day.Security approached us shortly after this photo was taken and told us we were not allowed to walk on the fountain's rocks. Um..okay. First time I've heard that, but maybe it was just because we got too close to the water.