here we go again

Chiefs' (back row, Mitchell and Luke; front row Kurtis and Michael)

The van cargo area is stuffed to capacity.
Every seat is filled.
“Dad, do you have your blackberry?”
“Dad, do you have your wallet?”
“Dad, do you have your coat?”
“Mom, do you have your purse?”
“Mom, do you have some snacks and drinks?”
“Mom, do you have your coat?”
“Are the maps in the van?”
Count heads…we’re off!

Must be going away for a family vacation, you think? Nooooo… this is just one outing to the hockey arena. You think, oh, Gillian, that’s not so bad? Well, people, multiply that by 3! Not only is Michael on the ice (six + times this week for the Elgin Middlesex AAA Chiefs), Jenny is on the ice twice a week for Ingersoll, and Henry is on the ice at least twice a week as well. Yet begins another season of hockey for them, and another session of three courses at Mohawk for me. (And some of you wonder why you don’t see me much!)

I have decided that when people ask me what I like to do in my spare time (ha), I am going to say ‘evening TV’. Sitting down…putting my feet up…in the warmth of my own home…with popcorn and hot drinks…mmmmm.

Now, I realize that many of our friends are not accustomed to the hockey life, and in the future, I will strive to ‘gloss over’ this sport that consumes our family life. However, you must realize that hockey pretty much is our life! We like it though, because we meet so many new people and see many new places (mostly the Tim Horton’s) and arenas in cities across Ontario.

Goaltenders Extraordinaire, Michael and Lucas

The other team might as well pucker up and kiss their goal goodbye!

Today, we are in London for the London Junior Knights Tournament. We played our first game at noon against a team from New York state. Yes, folks…this is big peanuts. You should see some of these teams…matching jackets, hockey bags, parents sporting matching ensembles…you see it all! However, we started off the day with a very chippy game, but emerged victorious with a 5 – 4 win. Our opponent this evening was a team from Don Mills that we also beat.

Jenny and Speedy

Jenny is currently dancing around the house telling everyone in listening range that her birthday is tomorrow (like we are about to forget?!) She is going out to dinner with friends tonight while we do the hockey thing. Thank you so much, Sue, for making Jenny a part of your family all the time! Tomorrow we will shop until we drop (Henry says we better find it at the first store) for her present (that way she chooses EXACTLY what she wants ie. a particular BRATZ doll?) She is having a fabulous year at school and at hockey.

As for Henry…well, he had a hockey practice last night and played against his brother. Need I say any more? This morning I find that Henry seems to have ‘tweaked’ his knee and is hobbling around, claiming all will be right again in a couple of days. BOYS!

Other than the usual rush...today seemed to be a Saturday...not a Friday. Now my days of the week are going to be all messed up!

I need some sleep!