8.8.2010 (Football and Hockey)

  We are a hockey family, which I never really pictured that's what I would have. I grew up in a football family. A daughter of a Florida Gator defensive back and a retired high school football coach, my Saturdays through Mondays were filled with the sounds of college and NFL football floating through the house. And Friday night was Varsity football night. I remember going to my dads old high school to watch the games when I was a little girl and I have loved high school football ever since then. The crisp, cool Michigan fall air, the warmth of a hot chocolate in my hands, the sound of the marching band, the beat of the drum line, the referees whistle and the crack of helmets bashing together- those sounds stir up so much excitement. I went to a small private school, that at the time, had no football team but I would go either to the games at the high school my dad coached at or with my cousin to her high school's games. Its weird to me that the NFL season has started back up and if it hadn't been for someones comment on facebook, I would have had no idea.

my Dad, the coach

 My husband doesn't follow football- at least not to the extent I'm used to. He is from Wisconsin, and by Wisconsin blood, is of course a Packer fan. And I am still a Gator fan as I have always been.

But unless one of those two teams is playing a big game, football really isn't on in our house. Instead of the NFL package, we have the NHL package. And instead of going to outdoor football games, I take my kids to their dads hockey games at the rink. The cool crisp air (well maybe not crisp) and the hot chocolate are the same, but instead of the bashing of helmets and marching bands, the air is filled with sounds of sticks and players bashing into the boards and skates shaving the ice. Being from the Detroit area, I was raised a Red Wing fan (which is one of the few things my husband doesn't like about me- he has always detested the Wings and is a die hard Blackhawks fan. I had a very happy husband this past Stanley Cup). So I did know and enjoy a little hockey pre-Charlie. And, though, as much as I miss being surrounded by football- I love that we are a hockey family.

I've been taking the boys to their dads games, well, since before they were born. I would sit and cheer him on with my big pregnant belly and a thermos filled with, of course, hot chocolate. As soon as I could after they were born, I took them to their first game- wearing sweatshirts with their daddies name and number on them. We also took them to our local pro team games.

The second the boys learned how to walk, Charlie had hockey sticks in their hands. They picked up fairly quickly how to use them, but I am still waiting for the day where one of those sticks(or pucks!) hits our 50in plasma TV.

They have now graduated from knee hockey sticks to real hockey sticks that my husband cut down for them. And we have even gotten them out on the ice. I want to start taking them weekly now. They absolutely love it. A nice benefit of my husband being a manager at a hockey rink- we can go whenever we want. You never saw two kids more happy about hockey and ice.

For our wedding, I wanted to incorporate as much of my husbands favorite things as mine- which is why our wedding color was orange (his favorite color). But the best thing that I did for him, if I do say so my self, was his grooms cake. The Stanley Cup... cake.

And this past Halloween, the boys went as hockey players... and so did  I :) Thank you Mary and Andrew for the awesome Blackhawk jerseys and our friend Scott who owns the local hockey store for putting the names and 1-2 and 2-2 numbers on them for us.

I cant wait till I am not pregnant so I can get out on the ice with them. I took them up to the rink tonight to have dinner with Charlie and watch some hockey. I love that every time a player hits the puck, my boys throw their hands up and say "GOAL!" Even when they were just 6 months or so they would sit and watch hockey on TV- they have always loved it. We spent an hour up at the rink tonight, just hanging with daddy and his employees, watching and playing hockey.

So another football season has started that I probably won't watch as much of as I would like, but watching my three boys out on the ice is much more exciting anyway. I hope Gavin and Breidens love for the sport continues to grow and that they want to follow in their daddies footsteps. But I also hope that when they are big enough, they will give football a try.