Hockey Without the Glider

Hockey Clinic

Jonathan attended a free hockey clinic today and he really enjoyed it.  He basically was just learning how to skate and get comfortable on skates and with the ice.  Of course Brad made me go out with him, since I am a Minnesotan (like that means anything for me...the non-winter loving person).  Luckily for me, a coach came over and rescued both Jonathan and I.  Jonathan took off with the coach, Shep, and his kid glider (the red PVC pipe thing).  Eventually he came over to the wall by us and he said I don't think I need this anymore and put the kid glider against the wall.  Shep was great and came and grabbed his hand and off he went.  He then let go of Jonathan's hand and Jonathan "skated" (it was more like walking on skates) all by himself.  As one of the mom's running the clinic said, at this age, it's just amazing if they can stand on 5 mm of metal.  Jonathan would periodically come of the ice and take a "break" but he pretty much was out on the ice the entire 50 min of the clinic.  I did convince him though that he would be able to go faster if he used the glider and that was all he needed to hear.  The kid has no fear!  He went out and tried to skate as fast as he possibly could.  He did quite well.  He fell a couple of times but he got right back up.  I was so proud of him.  Even Coach Shep said, "Look at Jonathan, he is tearing it up out there!"  Jonathan complained once that his feet hurt from the skates and I told him hockey skates aren't the most comfortable things to wear on your feet and that was the end of the complaining.  In the car on the way home, Jonathan did complain that his bottom hurt.  Ha!

Let's Go Jonathan

Spin Chairs

Ok, so no one warned me of the battles over toys between kids after Christmas. We weren't home for even a couple hours and the kids were fighting over toys, particularly the spin chair Grandpa Long bought Jonathan for Christmas. Diana would want to be in it and just bully her way in. At first Jonathan thought it was cute and would spin her and was doing a really good job sharing. Then Diana started getting a little too mean about it and would push or kick Jonathan out of the chair. This continued all week, I felt like I was a referee most of the week. While I was cooking dinner Friday night, the kids were fighting over the chair again, Diana was pushing Jonathan out of it when Brad walked in from work. I told Brad it had been like this all day and he took Diana out of the chair and she had a major meltdown. That is the most upset I have seen her, we all know she is feisty so it's not like I haven't seen her get mad before. Saturday morning we were talking about our day and I mentioned the idea of getting another chair. In the back of my mind, I was thinking, if they have their own chairs, maybe they will stay off my new furniture. Both Brad and I were at our wits ends with the kids over the chair and to my surprise Brad came home with another one. The biggest smile came across Diana's face and Jonathan was super excited as well, I wonder why?!? Ever since this second chair came into our house, life has gotten better. They each have their own spin chair, they take their floor pillows Nana made them in the chairs with them, they hide/play in their spin chair and all are happy. I think these chairs might be the favorite present from Christmas, they are in them all day! And Daddy has a new best friend! Seriously, since he came home with this chair it has been Daddy, Daddy! constantly to the point where I think I have already lost my little girl to Daddy!

Hockey Pictures

In case you can't watch the videos, here are a couple pictures I took of Jonathan at hockey.

Police Legos

Jonathan has been hard at work building his police legos that GB & Granpa Weeks got him.

Hotel Stay

After a lovely 4 hour layover in Minneapolis, we volunteered our seats for a $600/voucher per seat.  We opted to stay in a hotel because the carseats were still in Brainerd and the airlines wouldn't give us a rental car/carseats and we were exhausted and just wanted to get to bed (knowing we had to be at the airport at 5 am the next morning).  Jonathan was super excited to sleep in a hotel.  We also got a food voucher so we spent it at the hotel gift shop and bought gummy worms, ice cream and Nilla Wafers.  The kids were in heaven, although sleepy.