Move South, Go North

Being a stay at home dad has been a joyful experience, though one I wouldn't want to do forever unless we could also put the kids in daycare or hire a nanny.  Emily always says that you need to get out of the house everyday so that you don't get stir crazy and I think it is good advice.  So, as I mentioned in a previous post, we've been going to the Hurricanes practices regularly.  Really our only two activities are going to hockey practice or story time at the library.

Last week we were at practice and the players started really shooting at the net.  Every now and then a puck will hit the boards or the pipes and careen up into the netting and then out of the rink.  There is usually an usher down there to make sure everyone stays on this side of the rails (party poopers).  That day the crowd was sparse and the guy down there hoped the rails and picked up a puck.  He then gave it to Goose.  Like I said before, the boy had been skating around the house in his socks skates, but now he has a puck and is alternating between a miniature Cincinnati Reds bat and a long straight piece of train tracks as his hockey stick, which he swings lefty. (Aside: one step closer to first!)

He's even made a net with "baby fence"!

Tonight we signed him up for ice skating lessons that run on every Thursday in February.  We also had to get him some waterproof mittens and pants.  It's funny; we moved down South and now the boy might as well be Canadian, though we did get some good barbecue tonight.

Here he is at our other staple, Story Time, just soaking it all in.

I hope he participates in skating lessons more than Story Time.  He just sits there, observes, and refuses to participate.  Then he sings all the songs and talks about the stories at home.  What a stinker.  Sorry to say, but we don't have an ice rink at home so he'll be out of luck.