Raptors!

We made a stop to check into our hotel, which was right by the lake.  At least it was a decent day so we had a little bit of a view...

The boys ate their chocolate and then Jacob snacked on some leftover chicken bites from lunch, so at that point we decided that it was probably easier to skip our planned dinner at Wahlburger's (for a few reasons), and just head straight over to the arena.  We wanted to look in the store in the arena, as well as across the street, and we wanted to pick up our tickets before the rush.  Jacob was very interested to see where our seats were, and when we looked at the map, they looked promising!

After shopping we had a bit of a wait to get in, but once we did we were thrilled with our seats!  My sister-in-law works for the NBA and was able to get us tickets, and they were definitely much better than we'd ever be able to afford!

Going to an NBA game was a first for me.  Craig went to one while on a lacrosse road trip years ago, and then he and Jacob went to the preseason game this fall.  I had never been to one, and I was fascinated by how the flow and vibe of the game was so different than any other sport.  Maybe because it's in a hockey arena I expected it to be more like hockey?  I don't know.  It wasn't bad, just different!  There were trainers out during warm-ups helping players with agility, and everything just seemed much more casual.  And there was a DJ!  Plus another one in the team store!

We were all just happy to be there--especially that kid in the jersey on the right... :)

Everyone was excited to see this guy, because we had two stuffed versions at home.  For some reason I expected him to be bigger, but I wasn't expecting his tail to project quite that much.  That thing looks like a weapon!  One of the highlights of our night was a promo where two guys were dressed in sumo suits and had to run around the Raptor to put their ball in a barrel.  The Raptor showed no mercy and was actively body slamming and running at the guys at full speed.  How no one got hurt and the Raptor's head stayed on, we'll never know!

They did the anthem and some fireworks, and instead of just starting the game, there were more warm-ups.  That was one notable difference compared to hockey, which starts immediately.

The mascot was banging the drum to get everyone fired up...

...and then the game got going.  It was cool seeing the players in person.  So many are so tall, and really great athletes running up and down the court.  The strategy of subbing players in and out was also a notable difference compared to other sports.

Wizards' foul shot

Raptors' foul shot

 

This guy played for the school that Jacob is hopefully going to next year!

While Craig was off paying for souvenirs around halftime, we had to take selfies!

At one point during the game, our most hotly asked question was answered...Drake was the in the house!  (For those unaware, he's a famous rapper who happens to be a Raptors superfan!)

Even though both kids have stuffed Raptors, we added one more.  I know, I know.  It's an early Christmas present...and it made a kid happy!

Fred VanVleet dribbling

And after a very close game, the Raptors won!

It had been a great night and we were so happy to have been able to go!

Luckily we had a short walk back to the hotel, and everyone went down without a battle.  The next day was a rainy one and we slowly made our way home while stopping to shop.  We wanted to check out a couple stores to see if we could get some Raptors gear cheap, and managed to find both destinations at the same mall.  And then, just before the border, we stopped at the mecca...

Toys 'R' Us may have closed in the U.S., but it's still hanging in there in Canada.  After resigning myself to never having that store experience again, it was surreal to be there.  I'm not going to lie, I missed it!  We had fun adding things to Christmas lists (and sneaking one purchase), and then it was time to head home.

It was a tiring weekend, and even with one day to recover and get going on Christmas décor (the house is done, the tree is not--and remained not done all week), it was tough to go back to work on Monday.  We had another busy week, and now we're back to another busy weekend.  It seems the Christmas rush is on!