Entry FeedIf you would have told me a year ago that I would be running a hockey practice for my seven-year-old, I would have thought you were insane. But last night, I did just that.
I was never a skater, never interested in learning to skate, and I had never even watched a full hockey game until I met Husband. But it is not only the great Canadian passion, it is turning into the passion of my family, and I can't explain the fun of getting to share that with my kids.
Husband, as you know, is sick. He was supposed to be running the first outdoor practice of the season. He was feverish, and with the wet cool weather and his pneumonia, opted out. And then he said, "but why don't you run it?"
Yeah, I thought to myself, why don't I? I have been taking hockey since May. I am the house league convener. Sure, these kids are all seven and have been playing since they were four. Sure, they are all pretty competitive select kids. But I am a natural leader. I have a whistle. I have pylons. I have pucks. How hard can it be?
It was AMAZING!!!! Thanks so much to the two dads who were on the ice helping out, but actually let me run the drills. The kids listened. I used my whistle. We covered skating, pivoting, turning, backwards skating, puck handling. OK, so maybe it wasn't always in the best order. But they did well, and it was a decent practice.
Then the scrimmage...
I almost sat it out, worried that I would get knocked over by some over-eager seven-year-old and injured. Also worried that I would look like a complete knob. But again, thanks to the wonderful support and encouragement of those two amazing dads, I stuck it out.
And it was the BEST time I've had with my first born in a long, long time.
It is hard to describe the magic of the moment. It was cool, but not cold. The wind was bad but I was actually starting to skate hard enough to warm up and not notice. I could take the puck off of the kids, pass to the other adults (my teammates).
The magic? My son was smiling, and we were having fun together because I was with him doing something that he loved. A light snow began to fall, and we switch teams so that we were together. It was almost time to go and you could tell that the kids were getting tired. Son One got a break-away, and I tried to catch up. He saw me, and though he could have taken it in on his own, he passed giving me a chance to score.
Yes, it would have been amazing if I actually had scored. But this is the real world and winter hockey magic only goes so far.
The good news? I didn't fall and make a fool out of myself. On the ride home, Son One said that I was better than he thought I would be, though not as good as Daddy. I am still not down from my high.
That is the coolest story. A memory to treasure for ever.