HAPPY HOLIDAYS

I am very sorry that I have not posted anything (OK stop with the emails).  I have backed off because I am a very emotional type person.  What does that mean really?  I have been told from several people that I am to open in what I post and since this is about Connor and I that maybe I need to keep more of our personal life well personal. 

I know that during this time of the drama I am going through with Connor's mom and the child custody that yes I will not put out as much information until it is over.  All I do ask is to PLEASE think happy thoughts that Connor and I get to stay together in THIS state. 

OK on with the show.

Connor is in full swing of hockey season and me as a assistant/goalie coach.  I am not used to hearing kids call me coach, it is very strange.  I just like to be called Tommy and not coach.  If you have not ever experienced youth hockey I will give you some insides to it.  The thing to really point out is the times the kids have either their games or practice and that is well VERY EARLY.  The time can begin as early as 6 AM (yes that is in the morning) and think about the fact how EARLY the kids need to be up as well.  Yes there have been the times and not just Connor but many of the kids who need to complain how EARLY and TIRED they are.  Then again when they are done they have some of the biggest smiles on their faces. 

Connor had asked me to coach last season and I just did not think that for his first year it would be a good idea.  I promised him that I would and I kept to my promise this season.  I call myself the UN-official goalie coach of the team and it works well.  I am learning a lot from not only Connors coaches about skating drills but watching the other coaches interact with the kids.  Connor's group are all under the age of 8 and these coaches have such a strong desire to help each and every one of these kids not just be better skaters but these coaches are teaching the kids how to be better people.  The basics of being on a team and treating each other like you want to be treated.  Connor's team has had two team bonding events.  It is not just about the kids bonding but it is also about the parents too.  I am such a people person and want to know more about the kids parents and how their kids wanted to play hockey.  I am not sure if I will be back coaching next year depending on the personal issues but I do know that I will stay in contact with many of these parents to hear how they kids are doing.

What have Connor and I been up to lately?  Very glad you have asked.  During the Thanksgiving break we took a family road trip to Santa Fe New Mexico.  OK family trip??  I have been dating Ann for over a year now and we had her two daughters as well for the trip.  WOW what a great time we all had during that trip.  The kids all hung out together in the pool and they looked and even acted like brother and sisters.  It was very fun to watch these two girls fight for Connors attention, oh he is going to break hearts as he gets older.  We took a trip to Albuquerque on Thanksgiving day but the only places that were open was a local Starbucks (yes we went in) and a winery (no we did not stop in there).  Even though the town was pretty much closed down we still had a fun time being together.  We left there and headed back to Santa Fe so the kids could go and spend more time in the pool before heading out to dinner.  SO where did we eat?  OK we are a family on a budget but wanted to create a memory or more and I do hope this trips stays in the kids memory banks.  Dinner was NOT at a 5 star but a well cafeteria.  There is a chain of these cafeteria's called Fur's and well the best part was that the kids (and the adults, I mean Ann) were able to pick what they wanted to eat.  Connor had ham and Ann's youngest had fried chicken, how cool is that where you do not need to eat a traditional meal??!!  I LOVED the time we were all together and wish that it had lasted even longer.

I do want to close and say THANK YOU to everyone of you who have taken the time to read this and my other blog (kidsneedtheirdadstoo.blogspot.com).  My new website (yes we have heard this before but I mean it this time) is going to house the blogs but we are looking at sometime in January for that.  Have a great holiday season and I will have some big news coming out very soon so please come back.  You do not know what it truly means to know that you have read this so again Thank you and please let me know how you are doing.

Have a day,

Tommy