Last night was a night of surprises for AJ and Sydney. And from their perspective, of all the surprises in the history of surprises, this night ranked pretty close to the top. After all, how often do you get a chance to pose with a pirate at a Caribbean themed restaurant...
...and Champ at a Bulldog hockey game, all in one night.
Before I go any further, let's take a closer look at the above photo. Sydney is standing next to Champ. And she wanted to! This is the child who cowered in terror last January when we had a chance to skate with the Bulldogs. The same child who wouldn't sit on the Easter Bunny's lap in April. And now, "this is how four-year-olds do it. They're not scared anymore." she explained, as if it was the most basic concept in the world.
Notice she was carrying "Patch" the stuffed dalmation in the above picture. After a trip through the souvenir shop, he was quickly replaced by a different dog. What better way to commemorate your first game, and such a strong showing of bravey, than with a mini-Champ?
Jeff's been wanting to take AJ to a Bulldog game for a long time. But with the new arena opening last year, and the team winning the national championship, it hasn't been easy to get tickets. Last night, however, the 'Dogs were playing Alaska Anchorage, a team with whom there's no particular rivalry, and so we managed to get tickets.
To make the night even more magical, we started it at Marlee's Caribbean, a restaurant with bigger than life pirate sculptures and, as we learned, a 300-year-old cannon. Jeff and I have eaten there before, and Sydney has been inside with me once when I needed to pick up a gift certificate, but this was AJ's maiden visit. I'm fairly certain we'll never be able to eat there anonymously again. AJ has made friends with the owner, asking all sorts of questions about the age and source of the various decorations.
Until the game started. It was an awesome game for the kids to see. (Unless you consider they probably will never see such a blow-out victory again, which means no future game will ever seem quite as exciting.) The Bulldogs scored three goals in the first 10 minutes, and a fourth goal before the first period ended. Then it was revealed that Culver's has a special sponsorship/partnership deal, and so if the Bulldogs score five goals in a game, everyone at the game gets a free scoop of frozen custard. Suddenly the student section erupted in a new chant, with AJ happily joining in "We want ice cream!"
I was a little nervous about our seats, specifically about the language the kids might here. We were a level up, but on the same end as the student section. Making it more interesing, we were sitting right behind a guy who - based on his appearance and actions - was either mildly drunk, or had special needs. He was older than me and yet was chanting along with the students, calling out the names of the opposing team as they were being introduced, followed by "You suck!"
But the quick succession of scores turned him into a happy drunk/person with special needs. After each goal, he excitedly turned and high-fived each of us, including Sydney. And in the third period, when the Bulldogs scored goal number five, he turned to AJ and shouted, "You get your ice cream!"
Sydney's attention span, with the help of her two stuffed dogs, lasted until a few minutes into the third period. And my phone kept her busy until the game ended. I now have lots of pictures of the game. I think this is a shot taken right after the refs had to break up a fight.
As for how this experience will affect my children's college choices, AJ seems torn between wanting to play for the Bulldogs, and wanting to play in the pep band. Sydney, meanwhile, announced she doesn't want to play hockey, but she wants to go to school with Champ.
When it comes to surprises, it'll be a while before we can top this.
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