Hockey, season two

We have started hockey again this year, and after the gap of the off-season I see huge changes in Alex, leaps of maturity that I did not notice in the small steps leading us from day to day. But this start into a new hockey season brings me messages of change: in his attitude above all he is a new boy. He is confident. He is eager, even volunteering that in addition to the standard Saturday afternoon practice he would like to go to the optional Thursday session as well. He hits the ice and doesn't look back - unlike last year there are no requests for rests, no coming off the ice to sit on the bench, no sitting on the ice refusing to try. There are no tears; on the contrary, every time he looks up there is a smile on his face. I am even allowed this year to leave the players' bench and go to the restaurant, which is out of the line of sight of the practice rink, for a coffee; and I find that now that I can do this I do not want to. It is too fun watching the surprise appearance of this new Alex. For reasons I no longer recall, shortly after Christian was born I started calling him the Butterfly King; but it is Alex this winter who is spreading his wings.

(Alex is in the blue jersey with the white stick; in all the pictures but the first you can figure out which one he is.)