Hockey is life. Because how do you have time for anything else?

Consider this your advance warning. Blog posts the next few days will likely focus primarily (if not entirely) on hockey. Why? Because Saturday marked the first of six straight days of games and practices for AJ. Plus, Sydney's Learn to Skate program begins tomorrow. Throw in a concession stand shift for me, a flood night for Jeff and a game for Jeff, and I'm thinking I want a t-shirt that says "Hockey is life. Because how do you have time for anything else?"

AJ is certainly happy to demonstrate that level of commitment. Saturday morning, I woke him up by asking, "Is there a hockey player in the house?"

He instantly sat up alert, "I know! I'm so excited!"

And that's why we do it.

This weekend's games have been in Duluth Heights. As warm as it's been, I wondered if they'd have enough ice for the tournament. Turns out, the ice was fine. It was small nets that they didn't have enough of. The solution? Tip over some regular nets and tell the kids any puck that hits metal counts as a goal. (They found more nets by mid-game.)

By the way, for anyone who's used to looking for #4, AJ got a new, bigger uniform last week. He's now #12.

I lost count of how many goals/assists AJ scored. I was more impressed with the amount of passing going on between he and his teammates, not to mention his ever increasing speed and willingness to chase the puck.

Oh yeah! There's some celebration!

Maybe it's because this is taking place during a week that marks several key anniversaries in my life. (18 years since I moved to Duluth, nine years since I started my current job.) Or maybe it's because I spent four long hours "working" in the snack shack, on a day when every hockey player in town was playing elsewhere, which gave me too much time to think... but I can't help but find a deeper... something... I can't think of the right word... in these Mite 1 tournaments.

During yesterday's games, I ran into so many people I've known from previous parts of my life (i.e. before kids.) And here we all were together again, shivering around the boards, cheering for our children. There was Mike, a former WDIO photographer who I'm pretty sure shot election night live shots for me from the very same community center that was now doubling as a warming house. I also saw Jessica, a former competitor from another TV station and volleyball teammate (who's now married to one of Jeff's colleagues.) And Tony, who interned at the police department when I covered the crime beat. Ken, a current co-worker of Jeff's. Natasha, who works for one of my clients. And Jon and Jamie Jaski, who are part of our "bonus" family. Jeff's and my third date was to Jon's high school graduation party. Fast-forward almost 15 years and our oldest kids are playing hockey against each other while our second born children are teaming up to pelt Jeff with snowballs/ice chunks.

Whatever that "something" is, that's the other reason I like hockey. There's a sense of community among all those chilly, exhausted parents. I hope it doesn't disappear as our kids get older and the games get more competitive. But for now, all I have to say is, "I've got to take off, it's my turn in concessions," and I get lots of sympathetic nods. Or talk about juggling schedules to get all the kids to all the places they need to be - and get "been there, done that" knowing looks.

On a side note, when we got home from AJ's second game, the first thing he asked Jeff was, "Want to go downstairs and play hockey?" Later, they watched hockey on TV: first the Bulldogs and then the Wild.

For two more months, our lives will revolve around hockey. And as long as everyone's having healthy fun, it's all okay with me.