Close, but not close enough

So, it’s been over a week since my son’s atom A hockey year came to a close.

I’m slowly adjusting to life without hockey, although I was tempted to take up one parent’s suggestion that we go sit in the rink for an hour and a half together, just for old times.

Mind you I’m still rooting for the junior A Mariners. But I doubt any of them would want me to drive them in my minivan to their playoff game in Woodstock this week. Although guys, I do have a DVD player.

This past season truly was our best year yet in minor hockey. We had a great group of kids and an equally great group of parents. I’d dare say we weren’t just a hockey team. We were a hockey family.

Which probably explains why at the end of our last game of the season, we mothers sat in the Bridgewater arena with tears streaming down our faces when our kids dedicated the player of the game award to the parents.

Living through my first experience of rep hockey, I certainly have gained a stronger appreciation for all families who, even on a year-round basis, struggle with getting two or more of their children from point A to point B when they have to be in point C. Maybe they have a daughter in a dance recital in the Halifax, another child playing in a basketball tournament in Bridgewater and a third son or daughter playing hockey in Pictou.

Seriously, how do they do it? All I had to do this year was juggle Timbits hockey with atom A. And unlike the atom hockey, the Timbits only made one road trip all season to Barrington for the annual end-of-the-year jamboree. Although wouldn’t it figure? My son’s atom hockey team was playing a game in Yarmouth at the same time.

Since I couldn’t be in two places at once, I decided to start out by my Timbit’s side, feeling a little guilty that he seemed to always get the short end of the stick this year. Literally. We even had to cut a foot and a half off his hockey stick when we bought it.

Being the younger child – five compared to nine – it was easier to sometimes have him miss a Timbits practice on weekends when we had to be in Canning or Chester. You can kind of get away with the Timbits-was- “cancelled” excuse this week. Or the, you’ll-have-more-fun-with-us-since-the-hotel-has-a-pool ploy.

But this was his big day. So his father and I stayed in Barrington, and my son went to his hockey game with his grandparents. (Who incidentally drove from Yarmouth to Barrington to pick him up. Did I mention they’re devoted too?)

After the jamboree wrapped up I figured I’d be back in Yarmouth to see the second half of the older one’s game. At least that’s what I kept telling myself when we pulled out of the Barrington arena parking lot at 10:39 a.m. to drive back to Yarmouth for his game that was starting at 10:45 a.m.

Well, maybe I’d be there for the third period.

Because as one hockey mom on our team once put it, ‘You just love it when a kid on the team has their “moment.”’

As a mom, I’d hate not to be there if that moment belonged to my son.

So having seen my younger child score a goal that morning that prevented his team from getting shut out 15 goals to nothing – that was his moment – I put on my imaginary supermom cape so I could be in two places at once in case I had to catch another moment.

We finally pulled in to the Mariners Centre parking lot. I parked the van and ran for the front doors. I no sooner had my hand on the door handle when my cell phone rang. The ring was the one I had programmed in for all the parents on my hockey team.

Before answering I shouted out, “NOOO…….” I knew why my phone is ringing. “Hello,” I said, in a less than enthusiastic tone. “Hey, Jacob just scored the greatest goal!” exclaimed the hockey mom on the other end of the phone. “I’m in the lobby,” I said.

To which the mother responded, “Noooo…”

Close, but not close enough.

So much for being supermom.

Just imagine, I thought, if I had to be at a dance recital, basketball game and a hockey game all at the same time.

So, as it turned out, I missed what was to be his last goal of the season. And a pretty good one at that from the description I was given a minute later from the other parents.

On the other hand I got to see Justin’s goal, and I wouldn’t have wanted to miss that for the world.

Now, I’m just missing hockey.

Oh well, at least there’s still my Ottawa Senators.

Wow, I just made myself feel even worse.