The first time I attended a Blues game, I was with him when we were in college circa 2002. I remember not knowing what to wear, because I had no Blues gear. I chose a red sweater and black coat, because I was trying to make sure I'd be warm enough while still looking cute. I quickly learned (the hard way) that you NEVER wear red to a Blues game, especially when they are playing the Hawks. Once we got there, I fully expected the game to be about socializing, much like going to a Cardinal's game. I also learned very quickly that hockey moves fast and socializing is minimal. I also learned during that first game what high-sticking was. That's right...I knew nothing about hockey. I know a lot more now, but I am still learning. It took me several years to understand icing, and I still get confused about when someone is offsides.
When we first moved to St. Louis, we lived downtown, which made heading to a Blues game almost too easy. Billy convinced me to buy a partial season ticket plan, and so began our journey to becoming a family of Blues fans.
Billy got a customized Blues jersey in 2007. When Audrey was a baby, we decided to take some photos of her where you could she the "Nance" on the back of Billy's jersey. It just seemed fitting because of our love for the team, and the game. And so began a tradition that continued for all 3 kids.
As she grew, we kept our partial ticket package, and she went to so many games as a baby and toddler, that we didn't even record them all with photos, on my blog, or even on Facebook. I found several passing references to her going to games, but it was so normal for us, I didn't even feel the need to record those moments. She did pick up on it quickly though, and I found this blog post with a video of her at a game when she was almost 2.
As I look back on many of the special times we've had as a family, I find that many of those times related in some way to the Blues. When we found out we were having a boy, we decided to do the reveal on a night when we were going to a Blues game with our extended family. Audrey had the announcement hidden under her jersey.
Once Barrett was born, he got right into the action too. He would fall asleep every time, during the second period. I used to wonder how he stood the noise. Come to think of it, he still usually falls asleep during the second period when we're at home watching a game. I guess his internal clock just knows that is his bedtime!
When I was pregnant with Fletcher, Vladimir Tarasenko had just joined the Blues, and he quickly became Audrey's favorite player. So, we joked that we were going to name the baby Vladimir, Vladdy for short. Barrett wasn't quite 4, so he didn't catch on to the joke. After Fletcher was born, Barrett argued with my mom when she told him he was going to go to the hospital to see his brother Fletcher, because he brother's name wasn't Fletcher; it was Vladimir. When we brought Fletcher home from the hospital, the Blues were in the first round of the playoffs. We were all decked our Blues gear as we prepared to watch the game at home, and snapped our first picture as a family of 5 that evening.
And that jersey Barrett is wearing in that photo is the same Oshie jersey that was Audrey's first, and that Fletcher has been wearing this year as we've cheered the Blues to the Stanley Cup.
When we went to the Winter Classic in 2017, I honestly thought that would be the peak of Blues excitement in this city for a while. I had no idea just how wrong I was, but we did savor that time. It was such a cool experience to see how this town stepped up to the occasion, and I think St. Louis proved then that we really are a hockey town.
We're a hockey town not just because of the Blues, but because of the youth hockey that goes on here. And, even though Audrey decided she didn't want to play hockey, we've got two boys that seem to love it. I am still learning the ropes of being a hockey mom, but I have plenty of support. There are so many other kids that play it's easy to find another hockey family when I have a question. Fletcher isn't playing yet, but he's been playing with pint sized sticks and watching his big brother play since he was born.
And Barrett can't get enough of hockey. When other kids are tired, he wants to keep playing. I've seen him grown and get so much better over these past 2 years of mini-mites. I know my world as a hockey mom is only going to continue to get more intense as well with earlier practices and more games that are further away.
The Stanley Cup win last week was wonderful for all of the players and their families, but it was also for families like ours. Families that hand down jerseys of players that don't even play for the Blues anymore from one child, to the next, to the next. Families who keep blankets in their car year-round in case they end up at the ice rink in shorts and flip flops. Families whose children know the names of Blues players before they knew the names of the president or governor. Families who bond during hockey games at home and at the arena. Families who Bleed Blue through and through.
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