Casey was playing his first varsity high school hockey game (as a freshman) at UNH’s Whittemore Center, so your Dad and I took you and Ainsley to watch.

It was pretty late, and a school night… you and your sister were tired going into it. We had the place to ourselves… high school hockey games don’t draw a huge crowd. The first half was pretty boring… you were pokey and logey and laying around.

At intermission, I brought you up for snacks.  You wanted cotton candy and a drink. And popcorn.  So did Ainsley.  I bought one cotton candy for you to split.

You quickly dove into the big portions.

I kept telling you (so did your Dad) “If you’re full, stop eating.”  but there was no stopping the ravenous machine.  Soon Ainsley said, “I want my own cotton candy.”  Being the Papa Bear that I am (it’s not easy saying no to you guys), I bought another.

Ten minutes or so into the second half, the C&A dynamic duo came back to life.

ZIP! ENERGY! SPUNK! were now flowing in your bloodstreams.  Soon you were in the empty row behind us, running back and forth, carrying on, getting loud and being crazy.

The snacks had revitalized, and you were having fun… w-i-d-e-awake.

As the mayhem reached its zenith, it was time to go.  It was nearly 8:30 pm (past your bedtime) and your Dad was taking you home.  You were revved-up at a time when you should have been shifting into a lower gear.

Blame it on the Papa Bear who brought you back to life and then got a kick out of watching you run around and having fun.

We’re only kids a VERY short while… cotton candy is magical on the tongue…. and laughter will always beat the crap out of zombie rest.

It takes time to learn, overcome nervousness, get used to something new, make progress and figure things out. Case in point, your budding hockey career at the age of six.

In my last blog (December 10) I mentioned how you’ve come so far already since your earliest hockey days. I wanted to follow up and tell you about your debut and share photos of the moment you + hockey joined forces.

Always eager to introduce you to the sport (the only major sport he didn’t play as a kid or in high school), your Dad made a skating rink in your backyard in Somersworth. The Clickman’s were invited over; Ben joined you on the ice.

In January, 2008, your Dad put your first pair of hockey skates on your feet, brought you outside and you got to experience what  a thin blade of steel feels like beneath your feet for a brief, shining moment.  You tried to stand up with your Dad’s help – here’s a photo!

Only two years and 3 months old, it was probably a confusing debut as thoughts rushed through your head like  “Do people actually stand on these things? Why’s my Dad’s not wearing skates? He’s got sneakers on!  Gimme my boots!!!”

The seeds of persistence you showed three years later (headline of my last blog) were planted on this cold January day by a loving Dad who had a vision of your future.  Who knows, maybe someday you’ll play varsity on a high school hockey team, wouldn’t that be cool?

That’s a long way off, so for now just keep doing what you’re doing, trying hard, learning, improving and never, ever giving up.