"Score!!"

SCORE!! A generous friend of Nathan gave us 11 tickets to a local semi-pro hockey game on Friday. We invited Leanne and her family to go with us because they are big hockey fans too. It was so much fun. We were right up against the glass by the ice. I will say I jumped and screamed a bit when the first guy was smashed up against the glass right in front of us! Then when the first of three fights broke out against the glass, right in front of us I covered Jaleigh's eyes. Yes- we could read every lip without much imagination, but we really did have a GREAT time. Leanne and her family got there before we did, so when we sat down she let us know that tonight they were doing a "dash for cash" and they would select 20 kids from the audience to go on to the ice and grab as much cash as they could, and then they get to keep it. So Nathan went and signed up the kids. There were over 3000 people in the audience that night so I didn't think too much about it.

When they started reading the numbers the kids were glued to their tickets. Every time they would read a new number, Ethan would say, "Aww MAN!" Apparently he thought he was REALLY close to getting his number called. Nathan had Jaleigh's ticket and when the last number was called- it was her ticket!! SCORE!!! I was shocked, but not really, because Nathan is always winning things. He is really a lucky guy. Jaleigh said she didn't want to go out there so we decided to send Ethan. We figured he was the oldest and would have the best chance at the most money. As Nathan & Ethan walked to the locker room to get ready for the dash, I realized I didn't have my camera. I actually thought, what meaningful pictures will I take at a hockey game when my kids aren't playing. Well... I was wrong. I need to have that thing EVERY where I go... Lesson learned.

We watched Ethan "heely" out on the ice, with his coat tucked into his pants and start shoving money everywhere he could imagine. It was soo FUNNY! They gave them like 3 minutes to get everything they could. There was fake money mixed with real money, but you were just supposed to grab everything you could. When he walked off looking more pregnant than I ever did- it was hilarious! After all the fake money was thrown away, he ended up with $46.00. Not bad when it was a free night at the game anyway!! SCORE!!!

Ethan, his money and the lucky ticket.

"Our" team hasn't had as good of a season this year, but at the game we went to they were really playing good! In fact, they do these little bonus things maybe to get the crowd more hyped up, and by the end of the game, we WON and walked away with tickets for a free Whopper from Burger King, a Big Mac from McDonalds, and a Taco from Taco Bell. SCORE!!!

The coupons and Saroya's cherished, but unlucky ticket.

There was only one cloud on the night, when happened somewhere in the 3rd quarter. I noticed that Saroya was still glued to her ticket. She looked up at me and said, "Mom- when are they going to call my number?" I felt soo bad! I didn't realize that she thought everyone would have a chance to go on the ice. When I explained the situation she was heartbroken. She melted in Nathan's lap and I just felt soo bad for her. She cried that if SHE had been allowed to go out there, she would have gotten more money than Ethan did. She was faster than him... We tried everything to get her to stop crying. She kept it up through the end of the game, the walk back to the van, and the ride home. (I shouldn't laugh, but on the way home she said, "I'm just going to rip this ticket!" I said, "That is fine if you want to." She said, "But it says 'Keep this Ticket' and I'm not going to!" like it was a law she was going to break or something because she was disappointed. As you can see above, she asked Nathan to put it somewhere safe for the next hockey game...uggg!!) Finally Nathan said, "Why don't we get you a snack, and then to bed. I think you are tired." She couldn't decide what she wanted to eat, so I suggested "Why don't you have a spoonful of cookie dough?" She looked at me like she couldn't believe her ears. "Ok." she said with a slight smirk. When we got her in bed she was smiling. I said, "I am glad to see you smiling again" and she replied, "Chocolate Chip cookie dough makes me happy Mom." Who knew that's what it would take? SCORE!!!