I pull on my trusty sweatshirt, grab my even more trusty cup of coffee and are rolling before 6 am to celebrate the first day of summer vacation. Am I sleeping in? No. Am I headed to the beach? Nope. I don’t like the beach in truth, I’m so pale when a person at a makeup store asks what shade I am looking for my reply is “corpse”. So, no toes in the sand for me. I’m going where every hockey parent goes no matter the month, day or year – straight to the rink!
I am starting summer at the crack of dawn to enjoy two hours in the frozen tundra of the rink along with an hour commute on either end. Both my players are hitting the ice with their one-on-one coach and I was cut a major break when the start was pushed back an hour so I didn’t need to peel my three-year-old out of bed for a 5 am exit. It really is the little things that bring an irrational level of joy.
Big Day for my Mite!
It’s a big day in truth. My mite is working with my daughter’s coach for the first time and I worry about his six-year-old attention span combined with an early wakeup making will prove a volatile mix. Our coach is the model of patience, but I’m still concerned my son might break him. (UPDATE: My son was the model of focus. Perhaps watching my daughter with Coach S many times, he inherently understood that he wasn’t someone to be trifled with…or the hockey gods were just dispensing a little luck our way this am.)
Bantam on the ice with Coach S.
Everything is quiet, save my three-year-old enjoying hearing his voice echo in the vast expanse of chilled space. Only the most necessary light are on as we sit alone. My daughter is geared up and you can hear the swoosh of her blades cut into the ice. Up and down. My son is patiently waiting his turn playing with tech as the little guy tears into a muffin for first breakfast (he’s a solid kid, or a hobbit, so more breakfasts are sure to come.
Sporting Conflict: Hockey vs World Cup
Technology saves the day!
I also needed to make accommodations for my own personal passion; World Cup. Yes, I am a hockey mom, but I wait in anxious anticipation every four years for the international display of “the beautiful game”. Gotta love a good sports related conflict first thing in the am just to make the start of summer that much more special.
Little guy trying to join the fun.
With one kid done, and another family and coach in the building, the hand off happens. The rink seems a little less lonely with more people around reminding me that the rest of the world is getting up and joining me and my level of semi-functionality. It’s a comfort to know another family is spending their first day of summer the same way I am. The little one is trying to get on the ice, Minion jammies and all. Forget about skates, he’s got my daughter’s stick and keeps yelling “hockey” in a half hopeful, half frustrated tone. He doesn’t understand why we won’t let him out there, it’s full on injustice.
Mite hits the ice with Coach S.
An hour later and my second sweaty mess is ready to head home. I sort the details of the next practice sessions with Coach S. Between his schedule and ours, I could probably overthrow a small nation with a lesser level of coordination, but we make it happen. Everyone is piled back into the car the sun is now fully up reminding me of the many hours of “day” ahead.
The summer solstice has been celebrated, school is out and I am cruising into the hottest months of the year with a sweatshirt on and the heavy coats still stashed in the car wondering if the pool is open yet.
How did you celebrate the first day of summer?
