I don't know how parents have multiple kids in sports. Two practices and one game a week already feels like a lot.  Theo's game this week was at the Northeast Ice Arena . One of my favorite things about Minneapolis are all of the indoor and outdoor ice rinks. Theo is doing so much better from when he started. Though he does like to go out whenever there is a line change. 

Despite a super cold weekend and a lot going on back in Minneapolis we spent Scott's birthday weekend at the cottage. I immediately got to my project of untangling one of our kites.  I was super grateful that we got to get out of Minneapolis a few times during the worst of the ICE immigration crackdown. During the week I was watching Theo's school each day. His school is something like 60 or 70% immigrants. Up here we could pretend things were normal in the world. Yeah, I guess you could say it was cold out. I tried out the throwing boiling water in the air trick.  I wonder how often people get scalded doing this. I'm a bit of a worrier. You thought this was going to keep us indoors the whole weekend? No one was out. I have never heard it so quiet up here. I thought I was hearing branches snap but I guess it was sap freezing .

Last year we made a trip up to the Gunflint Trail and Voyageur Canoe Outfitters for Brooke's birthday. Due to a faulty pump the VCO folks provided us with a complimentary stay in 2026. So with the kids off in mid-January we took them up on that. We stopped for the night at Blake's house on our way to the Gunflint. He had recently acquired my Grandma's old Apple computer.  The kids were blown away by the old style computers. Then they decided to write a story and were sad that it couldn't be saved.  Blake's winter project this year is working on his library. 

With every practice Theo has gotten better and better at hockey. I really enjoy watching him play. That's him in the dark blue shirt. He hadn't gotten his jersey yet. Most of the kids were wearing their old jersey's or their siblings. Two of the dads coach the co-ed team. Theo's in the 9U age bracket. I thought all the kids were going to be beginners like Theo, but some of them are really good. 

Christmas time is tricky for me because it's the busiest time for me at work. I took a half day on New Years Eve and then we headed straight up north. The kids and I should've just went up days earlier, but instead I played video games in the guest room all week. Was so happy to see this place even though I was not feeling great. Of course this little guy brought another bug home with him for winter break. Ah, the good place. There's nothing better than cottage in winter. The cottage was looking beautiful in the snow.