Homerun!

A few weeks ago we attended our first Chief's game of the season. (Upstate had sponsored the game so admission was significantly reduced. Also, there was a public health promotion for child safety, so Preston got a free bike helmet. Score!) This was all fine and dandy, since Preston's attention span for the actual game was about 2 minutes. I couldn't get him interested in what any of the players were doing, or really anything for that matter. Luckily, the business-savvy folks who run the stadium have figured out that entertaining the kids is requisite to maintaining any level of attendance, so they also have set up a bouncy house section behind the outfield. This kept us occupied til about the 7th inning (did I mention we didn't get there til the bottom of the 4th?) The remaining 2 innings were pure, unadulterated, tantrum-filled torture. The kind that makes you question why you ever thought to bring your child out in public, especially during what is usually nap time, and to what extent you have any effective parenting skills whatsoever. And to what end? For 30 seconds of glory: (watch the kid with a gray shirt, blue pants, and extraordinary speed.)

Now, considering Preston has never actually watched a real baseball game, or been taught much of anything about baseball, (besides how to swing a bat), I was very happy that he went with the flow, and didn't start running haphazardly all over the baseball field. (Which was a possibility I was completely prepared for.) Notice he did take a moment to observe the kids ahead of him before he finally took off, but I think this gave him the unanticipated thrill of feeling like he was in the lead of the group that went behind him. I would like to say this made the whole trip worth it, but considering I also got pulled over by state troopers and ticketed for an expired inspection on the way there, I would say it was a wash.

Happy Mother's Day!

There are a few things in life that didn't turn out quite like I had hoped, but hearing this beautiful child call me "Mom" is the single most wonderful thing I could ever imagine.

And I get to enjoy things like this: