Now that the snow has fallen and the ice has formed, it is time to break out the skates and sticks for Hockey. And because we don’t do anything halfway around here, we now have a rink the length of our house shoveled on the pond in the backyard.

But it doesn’t stop there. We also have a chair parked on the edge of the ice, along with the fire pit, used for warming oneself after being out on the cold ice.

Situated on the rink are cones to mark the goals, along with spray painted lines. Who says winter in Chicago isn’t any fun?

It was Jeremy’s first go at skating, and he did a great job. He had a little help from Jim,

and then tried it on his own.

After wobbling around for a while, I showed those boys who’s boss on the ice. ahem.

The boys had their friend Stephen over yesterday for a serious hockey tournament. The competition was running high.

Peter manned the goal well.

Molly made her case, but was denied the chance to play.

As I write this, I am watching our Human Zambonis clearing the ice in preparation for another day of skating. It’s interesting how the priorities have suddenly changed. Now when a few inches of snow falls, the boys grab the shovels and head for the ice before even considering the driveway and sidewalks. First things first.