[Skating at Scotiabank Place] Family Christmas Party 2012

Before I start the first posting of 2013,

I must wish you a Happy New Year!

Have a promising and fufilling New Year!

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

It's not so much fun this winter due to the NHL lockout!

I cannot quite believe that more than half of the 1230 regular games have been cancelled. What a season it is. I don't want to see another entire season cancellation like 2004-2005!!

Despite the NHL lockout, we still went to the Scotiabank place, not to watch a game, but to skate there!

Oh, if you don't know, Scotiabank Place (French: Place Banque Scotia) is home to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League.

You can see our experience watching our hope Senators' game here:

[NHL Hockey game] Family outing to Scotiabank place .

We were lucky to participate in the Family Christmas party hosted by Mr. D's work place. I couldn't participate in the party last year, urrr... in 2011 I mean, because of a mandatory seminar scheduled much ahead. :(

So it was a second chance for me, to skate on the ice where Daniel Alfredsson, Senators' captain, and his team play an NHL game.

We arrived about an half hour earlier than our scheduled ice time.

Mr. D helped kids to wear their skates, helmets and gloves while I wore my skates.

I'm the only one in the family who wears figure skates. My three guys wear hockey skates.

We were the second last group to hit the ice, which means that there had been at least four groups of people who already had skated on the same ice.

As a result, even though a zamboni smoothed the surface during the break time, the ice was not the best quality!

Nonetheless, we had lots of fun at Scotiabank place.

Looking at the grandstands from the ice gave me an unfamiliar feeling, but of course, not in a bad way. It was just very different.

(Boys at the Home team bench)

We were on the ice for the 50 minutes. 

Each ice time is 50 minutes so that a zamboni, ice resurfacer, can mend/smooth the ice for 10 minutes, before the following ice time.

We exchanged our coupons with hot chocolate and cookies.

Remi and Pablo went to the desk to claim for their Christmas presents.

Each of them received a very nice set of binocular.

(Guess what! I was so busy eating cookies that I completely forgot taking photos here at the North Pole  of which original name was Coliseum Room. :( )

Then, we went to see Santa.

Kids took a photo with Santa. This Santa at the Scotiabank Place was a young fellow.

But, my kids know that Santa you see at a party or a shopping mall is an assistant to the real one working hard at the North Pole. :)

It was such a fun day!

I hope the family Christmas party 2013 be held at the Scotiabank place again!

Scotiabank Place