"Hopefully, kids realize you can do anything you want. Skateboarding can be that gateway."

 Out of nowhere there have been some new wheels trying to steal the limelight during our outdoor play. Seth had decided that he wanted to dig his skateboard from out of the shed to give it another try and Opeie had followed suit and made it clear that he wanted one for his birthday a few weeks back. It is great to watch the boys trying to learn something new and as it is something they can't just bomb around on at the moment it is great to just sit out of the front of the house and watch them learn to balance and get the feel of their boards.

I had a neon green 80s style Ghostbusters skateboard when I was a kid and I absolutely loved it. I remember being shouted at by my mom one day and I decided to run away, I didn't actually run away because I was far too scared, I just disappeared to my tree top base for a few hours and I don't think I was even missed. What sticks out most about that time was the only thing I thought that I need, apart from a few chocolate penguins and some slices of bread (I used to eat so much dry bread), was my trusty skateboard.

The boys have turned into a pair of skater dudes over night and have even dug out their cut off denim jackets from our scooting escapades last year. Learning something new together has become great bonding for the two of them and it's really lovely to see them have another common interest. Each day if they have a spare hour, they have been outside practicing and their new love has clearly been a little contagious because both of our neighbours kids either side are now owners of their own boards too. That's my boys, a real pair of trend setters.

As with everything new skill that the boys decide to take up, their duo venture inevitably quickly becomes a trio and this time was no different. The boys were desperate for me to get a skateboard too and although I'd not been on one since I was a boy I thought What the hell!

We've now reached the point where the little smooth piece of path outside our house isn't enough and they have watched enough skateboarding videos to learn that they need to go out and find some great places to practice. With it being Sunday we headed over to a local industrial estate where we knew the business' would be closed over the weekend and we took full advantage of their quiet empty car parks. Mrs. M even had a little go too.

And when the weather isn't playing ball and it's too wet to skate? Well, Netflix have had that covered with a great selection of inspirational Skateboarding documentaries including Plan B: True, Hill Street, Tru to this and our favourites The Motivation and Motivation 2: The Chris cole story. It is handy to know that if you are watching these with kids there is a little bit of language in so I tend to watch these things first so I know where to skip or mute.

I don't think there is any fear of skateboarding taking over the amount of fun that we have on the scooters but I'm loving the fact that the boys are branching out and giving something else a try and I do love having a go myself too.

Remember kids 'Wear those pads!'

I had to include this video, I love the satisfaction on Opeie's face!

 

"Climbing is unadulterated hard labor. The only real pleasure is the satisfaction of going where no man has been before and where few can follow."

Opeie has been so under the weather this weekend so we've barely left the house for the last three days. This afternoon though Opeie decided he wanted a nap late afternoon and me and Seth saw that as a great chance to throw his skateboard and pads in the boot and head over to the park to practise Seth's board skills. I assumed this evenings post was going to be about skateboarding but something else took over this afternoon. We did get a little skate in, but the board and pads soon got left on the floor so that Seth could work on something else...

Since our walk in the woods last week and Seth's failed attempt at climbing a tree he was desperate to give it another try. We were in Ironbridge park and there are some great trees for climbing so it was the perfect spot to give it another go. I loved climbing trees when i was younger so there was no shortage of stories to tell Seth while we climbed from branch to branch. Because of Seth's muscles i need to be so much more careful when doing things like this but as far as I'm concerned as long as he is safe and comfortable i just let him get on with it. Seth always tells me when hes had enough or his legs start to hurt and then he just gets on my back and i carry him to the car. Today we made the most of the time we had just me and him, we can't really do these sorts of things with Opeie at the moment so it was a nice change...

Seth was doing great today but it wasn't long though before he needed to rest his legs so he jumped on my back and we headed back to the car, we hadn't quite had our fill of climbing though so on the way home we made a brief stop at Apley woods to see if our den in the woods was still standing (which shockingly it was) and also to see if there was any trees to shimmy up...

yes the 80's have returned, after our recent visit to see our friends Sam and Jamie sweatbands have become to recent 'must have' with the boys???... Thanks Jamie!

  

we didnt stay long and as we got in the car to head home i recieved a text from Mrs M to let me know that her and Opeie were having a bath (extra adventure time for me and Seth), so we made a slight detour and went investigating in a rapeseed field before heading home for tea, i knew it would be a great chance to get some colourful pictures. It was a great unexpected couple of hours in the sunshine and it was so lovely to hear Seth say 'This is so nice spending a little time just the two of us'.

"It is in the compelling zest of high adventure and of victory, and increative action, that man finds his supreme joys."

When I was around 9 I had a harsh telling off from my mom. I say harsh but that's more how it felt back then, it clearly wasn't a huge milestone in my life or I'd have remembered the conversation word for word. It was probably something minor like 'your rooms a mess' or 'you're back late where have you been?', but that day I felt a rage I had never felt before and decided I was leaving and never coming back! So what do you take when your a child leaving home with no intention of coming back? A backpack full of chocolate and biscuits, a compass,   Devil bangers, my favourite he -man figures and last but not least the one thing I couldn't be without, my neon green Ghostbusters skateboard. As I walked away with my backpack on and my board supported nicely between my back and backpack I felt pretty cool not to mention adamant I would stick with my decision.

I called on my two best friends Paul Kenny and Kelly Valentie (no idea whatever happened to them pair) and we headed to our tree house (which was more just a tree that we climbed up that me and Paul had cleverly propped a really big piece of guttering we found on, which stuck out of the side of the tree so that we could wee down it (it's what boys do). Clearly Kelly wanted no part in our urine extraction plans (a true lady).

The relevance of the story isn't the argument or the tree house and it definitely Isn't the homemade toilet, the story is about the skateboard. My lifeline, in my head it was my way of getting further away from home, faster. For a 9year old it opened up my world much the same as getting my driving licence. Seth loves all my stories from my past and most nights as I am tucking him in he asks me to tell him one. My skateboard pops up more times than I can mention between the ages of 8-11 and Seth has been desperate to get in on some four wheeled adventures.

After having a chat with the genuinely great guys over at Native Skate Store they aggree'd to send out two Tricks Skateboards for myself and Seth to begin our adventures and for me to relive my wonder years. Seth looked so excited when he saw them, they are great boards and for a starter board for Seth they are awesome. Nativeskatestore.co.uk have a great selection of boards and accessories and since finding them i have come up with another great idea for a future post over the summer, which i'm really looking forward to.

Some people may say that with Seth's muscle condition skateboarding would be a little irresponsible but if these people were to say this to Seth he would tell you about the 'blind skater'. i had no idea who he was talking about until i Googled it and found Tommy Carroll, it's great to know that these are the sort of videos they show the children in school for sports relief, proving in many cases there's no need to limit yourself, anything is possible...

Its good for Seth to have a goal and we will always embrace whatever he is aiming towards. Since Seth has been talking about skateboarding he has always said he wants me to skate with him (hence the second board), its going to be a lot of fun and another great way for me and Seth to bond. Although Laura goes in to over protective mommy mode sometimes with the boys, we both feel that we shouldn't hold Seth back. He's no different to most children his age, he wants to adventure and who are we to stop him? He will always have one of us right next to him so there's no cause for concern. 

Because of Seth's operation we'd not had a chance to get out on the boards until today and Seth was itching to get out. The fear of split stitches was far more important though. I'll be honest he really surprised me how well he balanced on the board and although he needs me standing next to him for support he did a great job. I really loved the chuffed look he had on his face 'ive got a skateboard and i feel cool' and rightly so he looked awesome.

 I'm fortunate to know some great skaters and even got chatting to a woman at Opeie's dance class recently who used to be sponsored and is making a new video at the moment. I think this is just the start of our posts about skateboarding and thanks to Native Skate Store Seth is feeling confident and excited. This should be a great summer for us boys and our new hobby and hopefully I can help Seth create adventure stories of his own to pass down the generations.