Net Minder?

The goalie on Porter's team couldn't take it any more.

Coach Tim asked Porter, who often plays defense,

to give it a go.

Porter didn't hesitate  - "Sure, that'd be AWESOME!"

I'm not gonna lie. I was a bit worried.  

That's a lot of pressure.  And a lot of equipment.  

Shouldn't he at least TRY . . . at PRACTICE first?  

Who knows if he can even STAND UP in all that gear?

And, um, will I still enjoy watching his games?

So many unanswered questions . . .

but Porter wasn't concerned,

and neither was his coach.

Come 15 minutes early and we'll suit you up . . . 

and that they did.

That's our goalie . . . 

happy & SWEATY & quite LARGE after the game. 

Note: he had to borrow a larger jersey as his was 

nowhere NEAR large enough to streeeeetch 

over his chest protection! (which, of course, I was glad

he was wearing, as the first puck hit him

square in the center of the chest.  Thwunk!

I took a deep breath . . . 

he giggled & used his oversized stick to sweep it away.)

We celebrated the team's victory, uh, well actually, loss, 

at In 'N Out after the game.  

As far as Porter was concerned, it was a victory, 

'cuz it was SOOOOO FUN.

I'm still undecided.

Thanks for sponsoring our celebration, Grandma Irene!!  

So sorry we didn't have warmer weather here

during your visit :-(

but we loved having you!

P.S. Hockey Goalie gear smells reeeeeeally bad.  When we sat down to dinner, I smelled FEET and realized it was Porter's HANDS.  Ughhhhhh.  All the fabreeze & baking soda & direct sunlight in the world doesn't make a bit of difference (on the gear...his hands cleaned up fine).  I know, 'cuz I tried.  Another strike against goalie-ing, in my book, which really doesn't matter, 'cuz it's not about me.  I know.

Rudolf Hip Hop - - 3rd Grade Style

Yay - I think I made the quality better!!  :-)

After Porter had come home drenched in sweat on several Fridays, I finally asked him what on earth he was doing at school toward the end of the day.  He said that Cierra's mom helped with P.E. every Friday, and they were doing Hip Hop. I didn't think too much about it, but knew he was having fun. Then, right before the Christmas break, parents were invited to come see the dance all the third graders had learned . . . and I was quite surprised to see just how much fun Porter had been having.  I had no idea my little boy could dance like that!

We Are the Champions!

Porter's street hockey team, The Ducks, won their post season tournament last night.  

He was so excited, he exclaimed,

"We just won the Stanley Cup!!"

Well . . . actually it's a trophy with a little gold plastic hockey guy on top, 

but it FELT like the Stanley Cup! 

(If the Stanley Cup was a trophy with a little gold plastic guy on top.)

They EARNED it, though. 

I've never, in my life, seen Porter sweat so much. 

When those 8 yr-old boys take off their gear,

it just doesn't smell so good.  

End of Description.

Speaking of Hockey!

Here's a few of our favorite Hockey Monkey . . . 

. . . in Action!  

He's the one in the white helmet 

with a tiny bit of red pants sticking out beneath his knee/shin guards.

Most of the time he's the blurry one, cuz he's moving so fast!

He L.O.V.E.S to skate all-out, full-speed-ahead, fast-as-he-can!  

I'm convinced that's his favorite part about the whole thing.  

Well, that, and all the gear (skates, knee pads, shin guards, elbow pads, gloves, 

sticks, helmet-with-face-grill, padded-undershorts-complete-with-built-in-cup called a girdle)  Which reminds me, can you just hear him loudly shouting, "Mom, did you remember to bring my pants & my GIRDLE!"  hee! hee!

After every game he N.E.E.D.s to spend some time at the skate park adjacent to the hockey rink -- Sometimes in his hockey skates, but this time he brought his skateboard.

You might notice that he is FULLY protected, uh, except for his feet.

Even the "punk's" moms make them wear TENNIS SHOES!

btw "Punks Not Dead" . . . ?

. . . But, apparently Punk - tuation IS!!!

NOTE TO SELF: NEVER, EVER drop Porter off at the skate park by himself...

NaCl . . .

Porter & Dave picked up In 'N Out on the way home from hockey last weekend. As Porter sat there, his hair drenched with sweat, eating his dinner, this is how it went:

P - "Oh shoot, we forgot the sodium chloride."

Me - "Huh?"

P - "You know, for the fries."

Me - "Huh?"

P - "Uh...Halite? -- when it's in rock form.

       The S-A-L-T!"

Oh, for heaven's sake.