Eyes on the prize

The thrill of victory. The knowledge of a job well done. The pride in sticking it out through a frigidly cold season. Sure, whatever.

It all pales in comparison to the excitement of receiving your very first trophy.

The Esko Hockey Association celebrated the end of its season with a banquet Saturday night. Talk about a loud and hyper time! Four teams of kids ranging in age from 4-8, plus siblings, running around a large party room. Some of the kids hadn't seen each other in more than a month, so there was a bit of a reunion element besides. Wow! But they sure had fun.

Sydney's favorite part of the evening was the cake. I tried to grab her a piece with a lot of frosting, knowing that's all she really eats. Next time, I think I'll go for a piece with a lot of white frosting. Her cheeks are still stained blue.

The excitement continued on the way home as AJ dug through the bag of treats he'd been given along with the trophy.

"Hey! We can go camping." AJ exclaimed. (A note: AJ thinks camping means having a fire in the backyard.) "I got camping chocolate!"

I explained the s'mores would have to wait until the fire ban is lifted. The next thing I knew, AJ had figured out that "camping chocolate" tastes pretty good all on its own.