Solo Mother

A friend SMS’ed me this morning: Want two tickets to the Caps Rangers game?”

Hell, yes.

I decided to be a bad mommy. The King of Everything has gotten only TWO time outs in four weeks. That’s astounding for a kid who got two time outs EVERY DAY last year. I figured he deserved a really special treat.

I ran home to get the King of Everything. Our seats were so cool! Up in the highest section but nothing like the old stadium. It was like we were floating over all the action, just to the left of the goal. We cheered all the cheers, including the traditional reply to the out of towners “Let’s go Rangers!” which is, “Rangers suck!” (sorry, New Yorkers. It’s how I roll when it comes to hockey). The kid was so good, absolutely riveted on the game, asking all sorts of questions, keeping track of the puck, getting the hang of it. He was nothing like the kid I forced to watch live baseball this summer. Sorry, baby. No more baseball for you.

I love ice hockey. Started following it when I was 14, but when you’re in love with a team that hasn’t won the Stanley Cup, yet, no matter how close they have come… it’s hard to keep the faith. I don’t know all their names and positions yet, like I used to… but it was SO GREAT to actually know the game, be able to explain the rules, the strategies, why one move was beautiful, why I was yelling, AW COME ON! sometimes… why we yell Rangers suck!

It was magic. Hot dogs and Cracker Jacks and Dipping Dots. The guy sitting next to us was 7′ 2″. There was a guy down the row with disks in his ears the size of squash balls. My kid? He was totally hanging with the crowd. Sheer heaven.

The topper was when our friend came to find us and gave my son a hockey puck. Not just any hockey puck, but one from the real game. A cold one. My son’s face lit up like a firecracker.

So Curtis? THANK YOU. I can’t even begin to tell you what a precious gift you’ve given me: a perfect night out with my son.

PS: we didn’t take a cab home. We took a PEDICAB home.

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