Uncle Lee asked Daddy yesterday if we had gotten Ian "cheese cutters" yet. At first I thought, "the kid just learned how to use a fork, let's not expect him to work in the kitchen yet!" but then realized they were talking about skates. Ian is fascinated with hockey. That should come as no surprise. I'm typing this right now as a random hockey game in playing on the TV. (Toronto @ Dallas. Tied 2-2 so I should care more about the last two minutes of the game.) We have our own goal and sticks and pucks that are permanent parts of the living room decor. But I hadn't really thought about him actually playing the game versus just swatting a puck around under the sofa.

Ian and Uncle Lee played quite a bit of hockey on the back porch after Thanksgiving dinner and I'm not sure who was smiling more. Every time he scored a goal (knocking the tennis ball through the propped open screen door) Ian would yell GOAL! and wave his stick in the air. The stick he's now using is a Philadelphia Flyers stick that belonged to both Daddy and Uncle Lee when they were little.

So maybe he will be ready to try out the ice soon. But he's certainly learning a family tradition and having fun.