Let's Play Hockey!

I gave up my afternoon spot at Open Skate....there was just too much to do, so little time today, and the weather was gorgeous! We were having our Chicks with Sticks session tonight in Edina, so I would still be getting skating in today before the sun set. Tubby fell asleep after lunch, and I somehow managed to get him to stay asleep as I put him on the floor. This allowed me to get a lesson from Michael on stick handling, so that I would not feel like such a dork later at class. It was time well spent, and I now feel comfortable holding the thing in my seemingly huge *pink* gloves.

Melissa had riding this afternoon. She just loves it. She seemed a little more distracted today and less strong. That is kind of the way with her....ups and downs. Too bad for her, or maybe good for her, Susie led the girls in a rather hard workout today. Lots of trotting, standing in the saddle, using all of their stomach and leg muscles. For Melissa on a GOOD day, this is HARD work. To her credit, she continued to try the best she could, and was visibly struggling with the exercises and handling her horse at the same time. A side-walker is still near her, though not using a lead rope, so Melissa controls the horse on her own, but help is directly next to her if she needs it. She managed without it, but it was very comforting on a day like today knowing help was right there.

We had to boogie directly over to Edina from Waverly~about an hour's drive~ for my hockey session. I arrived with only 4 minutes before the start....not enough time to make it with putting on all those pads. Grandma ? met me in the parking lot and I quickly handed off the baby and the little girl who REALLY needed to go poop, and I ran to the locker room. I think I made it out being only about 10 minutes late for class...not so bad for a beginner. I waved to my little girl in the stands before they headed back to Waconia....Grandma still had a long night ahead of her, bringing Jonny to a den meeting. Mondays are still the toughest day of the week for us!

Hockey was a BLAST! I love it! It is so much fun. With the extra practice that us 3 Chicks have been putting in, we rose to the level of the formerly intimidating ladies dressed in black on the other team. We were now evenly matched with them, making the scrimmage *almost* real. I tried my hand at goalie for one shift....not bad, but I want to SKATE, not sit around all game. I am so excited for the real league to start up in the fall. There is even rumor of a summer league beginning when our own ice arena opens up next month. That would be GREAT! It is so exciting to have finally found exercise and a sport that fits me so well. Since I HATE being hot, being in a cold arena is the perfect atmosphere for me. The skating is not jarring to my joints or pelvis, and the need for proper posture in order to balance keeps my back in check, avoiding the previously certain back pain that inevitably accompanies any other exercise I have attempted in the past. I love it, it is FUN, it is challenging, it is doable, it gets me out of the house, it gets me exercise I have not had in 10 years, and it is something I can practice with the rest of my kids. Is that not PERFECT?!? WAHOO! Now, if only we could "check" in our league.....that truly would be perfect!

On the way home, I picked up Crispy's "new" bike at the service shop(we had bought this bike for Jonny when he was 5, but he never got to ride it because the brakes were maladjusted). Crispy has been eagerly awaiting learning how to ride without training wheels. Too bad it was after his bedtime by the time I got home. We ended the long day by watching the Minnesota Wild game. This was their third playoff game in the series, and it was another overtime game in which we won! Now THAT is really great hockey!