HOCKEY!

WHM has been asking for about three months now.  All he wants is to play hockey. Hockey, hockey, hockey.

His preschool teacher -- long story here -- was amazingly generous and gave us all of her 5-year-old son's gear. (His older brothers play college hockey and he wanted to play but didn't like it. His gear was essentially brand new, and we were lucky enough to get it.)

Mick signed up WHM for one local learn-to-skate program, and then found out about a second learn-to-skate, learn-to-play program across town.

(We live in Maine. Need a rink? We have 'em. Oh, what's that? Your kids are going to play for the Bruins one day? So are everyone else's.)

Fact: for our entire marriage, Mick and I have talked about hockey, and how if we were ever hockey parents, HE would take the early ice times.  Fast forward to WHM's hockey clinics, and Mick has a job that requires 4 hours a week -- on Saturday mornings.

So … guess who gets to take WHM to hockey?!

Anyway.  Last weekend, Mick was a trooper and got WHM to the first rink, all dressed and on the ice. Then CAM and I followed just about 30 minutes later and took over from there.  That allowed Mick to see the bulk of one clinic, and then I took over and got WHM across town to the other clinic.  In between, we managed to fit in a kids' workshop at Home Depot.  It worked out well!

Poor WHM.  The first clinic was a bit disorganized and he truly in his four-year-old precious little mind expected to get on the ice and skate. No matter what we prepped, he simply didn't believe it.  So by the time CAM and I got to the rink, WHM was sobbing -- not from being intimidated, but from poor frustration.

We packed him up and after our workshop, got to the second clinic.  THEY WERE AMAZING.  The local hockey team buddied up with all the kids and WHM had the captain of the hockey team with him, one-on-one, for an hour.  It was enough to make me almost cry. While the other clinic wasn't quite "up to mid-season speed," this one barely gave me a moment to process.  More importantly, they barely gave WHM a moment to process.  I walked him to the boards, and a coach came over, talked to him, and whisked him across the ice to the center line before WHM could even say "bye."  He LOVED it!

Here are some pics.  I'll try to post videos as well.

In the meantime, all WHM has done every day is to come home from school, put on his hockey pads, and "skate" in his socks.  He also takes his hockey stick up and down the hallway -- sometimes he's lefty, sometimes righty.  He's still working out the details.

--Jen

Mick getting WHM all set at clinic (and rink) #1.

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