Our first grandson is nuts about hockey. From the time he could hold a stick and hit a ball, he called his favourite game “hockey ball.” When I babysat (pre-pandemic), he liked to play with a small hockey stick and a foam ball or a tennis ball. And the ball often ended up under the couch, sometimes on purpose. I don’t have pictures of us playing because, of course, I had a stick in hand too, or was on the floor trying to get the ball out from under the couch.

A year ago was his first time on skates. A little wobbly and he liked to fall down and put on a show. We went to an arena on a Family Day free skate, courtesy of a real estate company. He tried those supports and didn’t really make much of them, but he was on the ice with his dad that day and we watched.

Learning to skate

His next-door neighbour friend, Simon, often looked out for our grandson, shared his hockey sticks, pucks and net, taking time for a small boy. I’ve been impressed.

In spring, summer and fall, Simon’s net was there and the boys played on the driveway between them whenever they could. Together and apart, the net and pucks were available.

This year again, the neighbours have a rink in their backyard and our grandson can skate whenever his parents can take him outdoors.

Now this year, our grandson has taken off on his skates and doing so much better for a small boy who’s just turned four.

Photos on these blog pages are © Carolyn Wilker unless otherwise noted.