The Arena

Aerial view (from the cheap seats)

The rink is complete!  I made a family commitment to build a rink in the backyard, and with some help from a seasoned rink builder (from work) was able to open it up for business.  The guy that helped me has been doing this for 10 years, he provided me with a Home Depot Bill of Material (down to the part number) as well as instructions for assembly and maintenance -- I call him my "Rink Mentor".  The rink has been functional since last Tuesday and we've been on it everyday since.

Dylan probably got an additional 5 hours of ice time this week, clearly made a difference during his organized practice/scrimmage.  His team won 5-0, Dylan had all five goals -- and stopped a kid from scoring on his team's net by diving stick-first and stopping a breakaway.  I was slightly embarrassed, the game was 5 on 5 and he put on a Gretzky like clinic -- had the "pass" talk with him afterward, nonetheless, his skills have improved considerably.

Madison has been playing every night as well, much improved.  I noticed that she is much more comfortable on skates and is not as cautious as she had been in the past.  We've probably been outside more this winter than all of last year combined, looking forward to a new tradition.