Hans & Gretel Brinker Come to China

Dave, Samuel, and Grace went to Manduhai Park this afternoon to test the frozen waters. Earlier this week the kids and I discovered that all the water at our favorite park is frozen solid, making for great explorations as the park looks totally different from water level. Where but two months ago the kids and their grandma pedaled a boat around the park, now an ice skating rink is set up and skates and bike-skating-contraptions are ready for rent.

Grace took to skating like a fish to water.

Unable at first to find his sea legs, Samuel took the bike-skating-contraption around for a spin.

By the time I arrived at the park everyone was skating like real pros--even their spills onto the ice were spectacular, as was the panache they exhibited as they sprung back to their feet to skate again.

The dilemma now is: Do we ask Santa for ice skates? Living as we do in the desert back home, ice skates don't sound too practical. However, there is an indoor ice skating rink there, and rumor has it that a dirt field across the street at IMNU will soon be flooded for ice skating, only there won't be any rentals. I don't think we have to worry about melting ice for the remainder of our time here, so who knows, maybe we'll all be ready for speed skating by the time we return.