A Night At the Shark Tank - Hockey with Kids

Caleb has been attending hockey games since he was three years old. He has surprised us with his focus and his interest. He can recite all of the players by number, understands many of the nuances of the game, and when he is at the Shark Tank (H-P Pavilion) he is in his element.

Xander on the other hand does not like sports. I sometimes struggle with the question, does Xander simply not like sports, or does Xander not like sports because Caleb loves them? I may never know the answer, but this winter Xander my little hockey hater found himself at two hockey games.

The thing is, games aren't cheap. The first visit was part of a family package -- tickets and dinner at a big discount -- but still close to $100 for the family. The second visit was for Jonathan's birthday. His beloved Capitals were in town on his birthday, and he wanted to take the whole family to the Shark Tank to celebrate.

It was good that we went with the special family pack offer before embarking upon the Capitals game. It gave us an opportunity to expose Xander to his first hockey game, and figure out entertainment. There was no way that we would have had a happy 6 year old if we forced him to sit through three hours of hockey without a simple video game.

In fact we treated the whole affair like a roadtrip. Our family pack seats weren't very good. We were up high and away from the action. But Xander, who doesn't like loud noises, got an opportunity to survey the environment and get a taste for what to expect. In hindsight bringing my iPad was overkill. Something more discrete like an iPod Touch would have sufficed. Xander was pleased as a clam playing games the entire game. Standing up and cheering for the goals scored, but otherwise disengaged from the entire event. Caleb was, well ... jealous. The boys aren't exposed enough to "my" iPad to see it as something other than a special treat.

At the Sharks/Capitals game we had much better seats. Jonathan had been looking forward to this game since September. In a way, I'm certain he imagined his two boys sharing in a happy pursuit. But he knew that Xander's resistance to sports, even fandom, might pose a problem. For this event we brought the less obtrusive, and less special iPod Touches. Caleb was much less jealous, but made the mistake of rooting for the Caps (it was a spectacular Sharks victory). Xander was better able to engage in the game, and also play games when he was bored. It all worked out.

Will we be taking Xander to games in the future? Not by choice (his or ours). But if we have to take him, or want to keep the family together, we now know we can handle it.

Outdoor Ice Skating When it is Sunny and 65

One of the great wonders of modern technology, is the ice skating rinks that pop up during the holidays all over California. In San Jose, we have an ice rink (Downtown Ice) as part of Christmas in the Park. In San Francisco there is the Embarcadero Center ice rink. And although many critics complain about these warm weather wonders (choppy ice and being bumped into by small kids), with two small kids, it is great fun!

I also have to admit, that San Jose is a hockey town. We love our home team. Ice skating and hockey are very popular here. For the last two years our Saturday mornings have been spent at Sharks Ice, our local indoor ice skating rink where the boys take lessons. We are raising a little hockey fanatic in Caleb, and just this Fall Xander asked to start skating lessons again, and absolutely loves it this time around.

So why not take the boys to an outdoor rink during the Holidays?

The boys had a blast. There is the novelty of being outdoors, breathing "fresh-ish" air and gliding across the ice. I remember driveway ice skating in upstate New York when I was their age. I overlooked the rocks (it was a gravel driveway that my dad took the garden hose to), and enjoyed the complete freedom of skating the day away on my 5 by 6 foot private rink.

Now, these rinks are bit pricey. $12 a kid (skate rental included) and no in and out privileges, but worth it. You can also find great deals, for example, if you are a Sharks season ticket holder, or some Monday nights in January (free if you have your own skates), or if you plan to make a day of it by ice skating, and going to the Children's Discovery Museum and the Tech Museum.

As a side note, the indoor lighting and hockey glass at Sharks Ice makes for some pretty dreadful pictures -- and I appreciated capturing the moment in natural light. I think we'll go back again next year (January 1st or 2nd). Downtown Ice is open through January 29th (the Embarcadero Center rink is open through January 8).

Tis the Season for the California Academy of Sciences

Friday was our first day off before the Christmas Holiday, so we met family in San Francisco and visited the California Academy of Sciences. We last visited two years ago. The boys were a bit too young to really appreciate it, and they didn't meet the recommended age for the planetarium.

I had heard an ad on the radio to come see reindeer and snow, and I thought it could be fun. And it was! Four hours worth, with a nary a meltdown. Even among the five and six set, four hours is a long time to do any activity.

The thing about the Academy of Sciences is that it is super expensive. Nearly $100 for a family of four. The membership is $200, so if you intend to go more than once a year, it makes sense to buy the membership. Of course, we probably won't  be going more than once a year.

The Academy is a indoor rainforest, aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum rolled into one. So I guess from that perspective it is a big value.

We got there at 9:30 am when it first opened. This way we were able to get free four hour street parking, within a short walk of the academy. We we also able to visit most of the exhibits before the lines formed, and get tickets to the planetarium show.

We started at the Tis the Season for Science exhibit and lined up for the Snowman theater. You learn about how snowflakes form inside a giant snowman. The show was targeted at small children, and the boys loved it (in fact that, and the planetarium were there two favorite parts).

While we waited in line it started to snow. It was a thick bubble mixture. But the kids were thrilled and all ran and danced in the snowflakes.

At 10 am the four story rainforest opened, so we queued for the exhibit. Coming from snow and snowmen to heat and humidity required a wardrobe adjustment. We started at the bottom of the rainforest and climbed to the top. The rainforest is built over the aquarium. So when you look down at the swamp, you can see people watching the big fish in the aquarium. At the top of the rainforest is my favorite part ... the butterflies. Then you make sure you are butterfly free and take an elevator to the aquarium.

The aquarium is pretty cool. The boys liked the hands on area, where you can pet starfish and sea urchins. I liked viewing the big fish through the rounded glass enclosure. You feel like you're in an aquarium for the fish, and they are watching you. When you climb out of the aquarium you get to see the albino alligator in the swamp.

We then had tickets for the planetarium. The boys were too young last visit, so this was their first time, and they loved it. They stay engaged for the entire show, and we learned something about our solar system.

After that, we went to the rooftop to see the living roof - two acres of native species. Since we are having incredibly warm December weather, it was nice to be outside in the sun. Then on our way out we went to visit the two reindeer before we headed home.

Overall a great visit.

Little Farm - Tilden Park, Berkeley

During the Holidays a couple of years ago we took the boys to Tilden Regional Park to ride the Carousel and visit the Little Farm. It was at the end of the day, and the farm was closing down for the night. So, other than being able to view into some stalls and see a couple of pigs, goats and cows we didn't really see how magical this place is.

Tilden Park is located in the Berkeley hills, not far from my parent's house. Last Saturday armed with a wreath purchased in a Cub Scout fundraiser for my parents we headed to Tilden Park to do the wreath drop-off, visit the farm and ride the Carousel.

On the way there we found out that this time of year the Carousel is only open after 5:30 pm. Decked out with lights it is a sight to behold, but only after dark. Of course we weren't planning to stay there that long, so the Little Farm would have to do.

When we entered the farm we were greeted by three large and friendly cows. The Little Farm lets you bring in celery and lettuce to feed the animals there, and the cows were looking for some food. Of course we didn't remember this, so we just gave them a pet hello, and proceeded to visit the other animals.

Next to the cows were the poultry -- chicken, turkey and ducks -- all very friendly. We watched chickens escape the enclosure walk around the yard a little bit, and then climb back in. The boys also liked seeing the bunnies in the hutch. We then climbed the hillside to see the goats, sheep and young cows. It was awesome.

And you couldn't beat the price... free parking and admission. We'll probably ride the carousel on Christmas Eve when we're in the vicinity again visiting my parents. Next time we'll remember celery for the animals too.

Christmas in the Park - Downtown San Jose

Most people don't know that San Jose is California's third largest city, and the largest Northern California city (bigger than San Francisco and Oakland). In fact most Californian's don't know.  We don't know this because San Jose's downtown is sorely lacking character, restaurants and reasons to visit.

San Jose is trying to change this and attract visitors to downtown. One vehicle to attract visitors is Christmas in the Park, where Plaza De Cesar Chavez is "transformed into a holiday fantasy with over 60 musical and animated exhibits." Of course this has been going on for 32 years now ... but I would venture to guess that San Jose has been struggling with its identity for about that long or longer.

Don't get me wrong, we love San Jose. It is a great place to raise children. The housing is much more affordable than in neighboring Bay Area cities, and you can afford to have a reasonable sized yard. While many of our schools aren't tops, they are getting better every year. We have wonderful weather, access to professional sports teams and facilities, and you can do your grocery shopping without experiencing the gridlock frustration that we did in San Francisco.

This year we went to the tree lighting in San Jose. Before the lighting San Jose made the amusement park rides at Christmas in the Park free. This was really cool. The boys road their first ferris wheel, experienced a spinny ride that didn't require parents to join in, and went on the carousel.

We enjoyed walking through the exhibits. Lot's of decorated trees sponsored by local groups. We actually missed the lighting. The speeches started at 5:30 pm and at 6:30 pm the tree wasn't lit yet. We opted to head for dinner (out of downtown in our Willow Glen neighborhood). And next visit we'll be sure to let the boys ice skate in downtown.

Holidays Ho

On November 7th I heard my first holiday song. It was far too soon. We had just removed the last vestige of Halloween from the house, and hadn't yet ordered a turkey for Thanksgiving. "Last Christmas" was the last thing I wanted to have playing in my head.

Flash forward three weeks and with waning leftovers, it is time to ramp up the Yuletide spirit. In our household we celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. To ensure a level playing field between the holidays I introduced my boys to Hanukkah stockings. Yes, Hanukkah Harry comes to our house eight nights in a row and brings stocking stuffers.

As much as I loved stockings when I was a kid. The present opening process could get quite tedious on Christmas day ... so there are huge benefits to extending the gift getting for eight to nine days (this year Hanukkah begins on the 21st so it overlaps with Christmas). 

Santa then comes on Christmas Eve with the big presents. I usually try to keep it to only a few, but really special toys that the boys really want. This year Caleb is getting the Lego Black Pearl, and Xander is getting a magic set.

Keeping with my mom's tradition, I started Holiday shopping in August. Living in the Internet age makes it super easy. I kept wish lists for the boys on Amazon.com. Over the last three months I added items and deleted items until I had the perfect concoction of holiday delight. For example, I can go overboard a bit with Legos with my five year old Lego-maniac. I don't want either of us to suffer from Lego fatigue (especially since I'm the one who has to assemble the masterpieces). So I was able to keep the total this year to four (two for Caleb and two for Xander).

Amazon.com notified us when the items went on sale and by doing this we saved some money. We also are part of Amazon Prime so we don't pay shipping and as always there is no sales tax.  I also got all my shopping done before Black Friday and didn't have to set foot in a store.

Yesterday we rolled out the holly, and decorated the house (everything but the Xmas tree, poinsettias and wreath). Living things we tend to put off until the middle of December to ensure that they make it to January 1st.

As soccer ends this coming weekend, we'll be able to refocus on fun Holiday excursions, like the festival of lights at Vasona Park, ice skating in downtown San Jose and the model trains at California Railroad Museum.

I'm finally in the Holiday spirit ... although I still am not ready to hear "Last Christmas."

Rise of the Soccer Mom: The Agony and Ecstasy of Under Six Soccer

This Sunday afternoon we trudged through mud and rain to the final day of our soccer tournament. My boys were cold and wet and cranky. We were heading into battle for what could have been the final game of the season. It was the second day of the soccer tournament. The winner of our game would go to the finals.

When did I become a soccer mom?

I think it was when our under six year old (U6) team, the Pumas, started winning. We ended the season with 7 wins, 3 losses and 0 ties and qualified for the top tournament division with six other teams. The first two losses early in the season, I barely noticed. And then we had a heart breaking loss in the second half to the Super Soccers, and suddenly everything changed. I really cared, and I wanted our team to win!

To put under age six sports in context, T-Ball games always end with the same score, 27 to 27. Every player gets a chance to bat three times and run the bases. Everybody wins. It isn't until kids are entering second grade when there are winners and losers. In U6 soccer there are winners and losers, but every team makes the tournament in carefully calculated divisions with similar teams -- so every team gets an opportunity to win first or second. And every kid gets a trophy.

In U6 soccer most games look like a scrum, all the kids run in a group to the ball. As the season progresses the teams start to play positions (so you have four forwards, a goalie and two defensemen). At the beginning of the season, in August, my expectations were low. I just wanted the boys to experience playing on a team and have fun.

This was Xander's (6) second year of soccer. Due to some minor gross motor skills issues, he doesn't run very well. So we asked the league if they would make a special accommodation and let him play U6, even though he missed the cut-off by a month. I was worried about putting him on a team with seven and eight year olds -- especially if the team was competitive. I also logistically wanted my boys on the same team. The league made the exception.

Caleb (5) on the other hand is super athletic, and has been begging to play soccer since last year's season. Jonathan volunteered to be an assistant coach, and our neighbor is our U6 head coach. It was all coming together.

The first few weeks were rocky. Xander had "changed his mind" and he did not want to play soccer anymore. I felt like a terrible parent forcing my non-athletic child to play a sport that he had no aptitude for and clearly hated. He was acting out on the field and with the other kids, it was a nightmare. However, I stayed strong and stuck with my guns. I was raised to value hard work and commitment. Once you say yes to something you always follow through even if it is difficult or not fun. I not only wanted Xander to finish the 10 week regular season, but with a great "do your best" attitude. Quitting for me is a big deal, not trying is a bigger deal. Three months later and we don't have to reinforce attitude with Xander, his soccer skills have improved and he actually enjoys playing. But ask him, and he will not be playing soccer next year. And that is fine.

Now it is tournament time.  Our team has really come together. The kids at different skill levels genuinely like each other. The fact that we are finishing the season in the top group is proof positive that team work wins games, and our kids have learned team work.

But my burgeoning soccer mom is a bit annoyed that the U6 tournament field is significantly smaller, and our kids have to adjust to the downsized local -- lot's of balls out of bounds. Due to this we tied our first game against the Hurricanes, a team we had beaten a few weeks earlier. On the bright side they had tied their first game against the Super Soccers -- that very team that transformed me into a rabid soccer mom.

When we took the field against the Super Soccers, I was very anxious. The Super Soccers scored the first goal, and my heart dropped. But then we scored two more goals and time ran out. We were victorious!

However, the rainy weather on Sunday postponed the finals until December 3rd. So I will not hang up my soccer mom sneakers for a few weeks. Meanwhile this Thanksgiving we won't be watching football, we'll be watching futball! And I think the boys could do with a bit more practice ... Just kidding.

As much fun as it is to be a soccer mom, we won't be buying a mini-van anytime soon. My little Caleb won't be playing soccer next year. Soccer is his third favorite sport, behind hockey and baseball. Next year he'll be playing mini-mites hockey... and the hockey mom will rise!