Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

Look at the smiles on everyone's faces! What brought on such joy, you wonder? Last night we went to the baseball game! What a fun time that was! The 4 of us and our back-door neighbors, the Farnsworth family, went to see the Sky Sox play agains the Las Vegas 51 (as in area 51). Talk about good times!

For $22.00 (thanks to coupons) all of us sat on row I (the 9th row) right off 3rd base - and we even bought our tickets that morning! We got there at the end of the National Anthem, found our seats, and the boys immediately wanted their promised after-dinner treat! We held off until the 2nd inning and bought them cotton candy which came in 3 colors. The mascot, Sox the Fox, kept the boys wondering about why was he doing this or that...and why aren't they throwing any of those t-shirts to us?

Eric was full of questions about the game, so Jim and I had to trade seats so that he could actually answer the questions. I was getting all of the answers wrong, or wasn't answering the question well enough to make Eric's smart brain satisfied. And, I did say that there were 10 innings in the game...so Jim laughed with me and he decided I really DID come to the game for the malt (isn't that why you went to the Dodger game growing up?--and, FYI, there is NO malt at the Sox stadium). But, in defense of myself - why would I ever have known the answers to the questions Eric was asking? I never played baseball! I don't even know when the last time was that I went to a ball game (ok, maybe it was Sophomore year in college, but was I there to learn more about rules and tricks of the game? no) Besides, the game WAS a 10-inning game, which is when the Sox pulled ahead to break the tie! (Now, if you want to talk about soccer, football, or basketball, I could answer those questions! It's all a matter of exposure to the game, you know?)

I discovered why baseball is called "the American Past-time". The game is a little slow, and you just hang out and pass the time. We really enjoyed ourselves, don't get me wrong. It was some of the best hours we've spent as a family all week, just passing the time. It did help that our neighbors were there - its much more fun to be at the game with friends. While Eric was asking Jim questions, Michael kept going to their row in front of us to play with his girlfriend, Caper, and Arhan her brother. It was good, lazy, and very happy family times.

Michael, after I had him stand on my lap (well, my legs - I don't really have a lap right now) to dance to see if he would win free ice cream by being on the camera...he asked me "why don't they give me ice cream?" I guess he didn't understand the idea of the competition. It was so cute though as I watched the gears in his brain trying to figure this all out...and kindof sad too because he was feeling a little bit jipped out of his treat! And, Eric wasn't quite sure why that one boy would be so excited to get the broken bat. After all, it doesn't make sense - why do you want a broken one if its no good?

Here are a couple pictures: Michael, after enjoying his cotton candy of all colors and flavors...and Eric caught in the middle of his treat! Don't they look happy?

The game, which started at 7 and went until about 11, was a little bit long for the boys but we were holding out (we even stayed through the rain!) to the end because they really wanted to see the fireworks! It was the last Saturday home game of the season for the Sox so they had fireworks after. I was surprised at what a good show it was, for being such a small stadium. Michael was very calm and enjoyed the fireworks - unlike this year's 4th of July where he was scared and went with Grandma to her car to watch them. He sat on my lap and just looked up as I covered his ears. Eric couldn't decide, when I asked him on the way home, what was his favorite part of the game: the game or the fireworks, or the treats, or... The boys both had such a great time. Jim even enjoyed himself, despite the fact he probably would have been able to follow the game a little bit better if the boys and I weren't there distracting him with questions (Eric), being funny (Michael), and chit-chat (that would be me).

So, I've decided that we all need to say "take me out to the ball game!" next summer, a few times, to enjoy our "national past-time" more often. (or, maybe I'll send the boys and stay home with Kate? we'll have to see about that. ha ha ha)