Thursday, January 12, 2012

Quick change artists

My bag is packed. I'm ready to go. For the fourth night in a row, when my day job ends, I'll be making the change from working professional to supportive hockey mom.


Let Superman have his phone booth. I don't need one. (Good thing, since they don't seem to make those anymore.) Give me a bench in a warming house, or the floor of a crowded dance studio office, and off come the high heels and on go the snow pants, mukluks, hat and gloves.

I'm trying to decide which is more difficult. I face this hectic craziness at the end of 10 hours of work. Jeff, meanwhile, gets the kids geared up for hockey or skating lessons (last night we threw in Sydney's dance class for an added challenge) and then waits for me at the side of the rink. We spend a couple seconds together for the unofficial passing of the baton (i.e. a quick kiss), and then he heads off to start a 10+ hour work shift.  

There's just never a dull moment.

Sydney is already learning to master this quick-change skill. Here she is at 7:30 yesterday morning, ready to head to preschool. It was "jersey day" for AJ's hockey team, so of course my newly skilled skater needed to wear her jersey too.


And here she is at 7:30 last night, after finishing dance class and then racing to make it to the second half of her brother's hockey game.


The picture I didn't take was of her bundled in snow pants and boots, sliding and rolling down the hill next to the rink to pass the time while AJ was on the ice. Don't slap a label on this child. She'll prove you wrong every time (Unless you call her stubborn. That's a pretty consistent trait.) She's happy to be the girlie girl, and equally proud to keep up with the boys. I love that about her! When I'm not totally frustrated by her quick shifts in attitude.

I also didn't take any new photos of AJ playing hockey, though he made a really pretty goal. Winter finally roared in around the lunch hour yesterday and by last night it was way too windy and cold to take off my gloves to use the camera.

Last night was a particular logistics challenge. Sydney's dance class ended at 6 p.m., the same time AJ's hockey game started at a rink 20 minutes away. Jeff managed to drop Sydney off for her lessons, then head with AJ for his game. I, meanwhile, left work and made it to pick up Sydney with 10 minutes to spare. We then bundled up and headed to watch AJ. Phew!

AJ has one more scrimmage tonight, and then our six-day hockey marathon comes to an end. I'm fairly certain we get the next three days off. Until AJ asks to go to the rink to skate. And next week's schedule appears to be calmer. Until a last-minute scrimmage is announced.

On a brighter note, the kids have barely watched TV this week. Who has time for something like that?

2 comments:

  1. I'm tired just reading about it.

    A quote:

    "Don't slap a label on this child. She'll prove you wrong every time (Unless you call her stubborn. That's a pretty consistent trait.) She's happy to be the girlie girl, and equally proud to keep up with the boys. I love that about her! When I'm not totally frustrated by her quick shifts in attitude."

    This sounds exactly like my daughter! I'm sure they would be kindred spirits.

    Way to go, Super Mom!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sure does bring back memories, especially of your brother and his activities. I can't tell you the number of times Eric & some of his classmates were at some sporting event and had to get back to some parade to play his trumpet in a parade. The back of our Chevy Suburban was the changing room for them to get into their band uniforms MANY times as I drove down the highway. When we got to our second destination, they'd jump out, I'd find a place to park, and then it was time to watch a parade.

    ReplyDelete