A Swing and a Miss (For Us, Not the Team)

I've been meaning to tell about our weekend for a few days now.  Other things keep popping up. 

Not that Easter was a surprise. 

I just don't know where the time goes.  It's already Wednesday (practically)!

Last week Mike bought us tickets to the Rangers game on Friday; it was an exhibition game, so not a part of the official season, but he got cheap tickets!  So, the five of us went to the game.  We've only gone together one other time, and it was actually with a very large group of friends (some of my best girlfriends were staying with us and we took all of the kids to see a game).

Anyway, the kids were very excited to be rooting for the home team again.  We were a little late, but what's new?

While Christian showed what a fan he is, Michaela chose to put matching shirts on herself and Eliana.  Please notice the bags...I am going to be sad when Michaela reaches the age that she rolls her eyes and shudders at the thought of matching. 

As cute as the three of them are, I have to say...look at my new shoes.  Aren't they fun?!

Do you know what happened to my poor shoes later in the evening?  They were tainted by the spit-out refuse of an idiot who didn't have enough sense to put his gum in the trash can.  Yuck.

What was I writing about?  Oh, right.  Baseball.  When we arrived the game had already progressed quite far, but no one had scored.  The teams were alternating up-to-bat rapidly; no one was able to get a run.  Shortly after we sat down, however, our team got a single and then a homer.  Two runs!

While I am writing this, I cannot get the image of Squints from The Sandlot out of my head.  It's the part where the boys are trying to get the ball back from The Beast and he is in the treehouse with the homemade telescope.  Anyone else?

This guy might be my favorite player.  Why?  His name is amazing.  SALTALAMACCHIA!

How can you not love saying that?  Much less yelling it?  I am easily entertained, no?

We had to switch seats because Eliana started acting, you know, like a two-year-old in a confined space.  We didn't think the other patrons appreciated her climbing all over the place and hollering when we wouldn't let her flip herself over the seats in front of us (do you know how steep stadium seating is?!). 

We went up to the very top seating area (smart, since didn't I just say how steep it is?!), which was pretty empty.  She was still kind of a nut.  A nice gentleman who worked at the park came along and asked Christian if he wanted to go to the very top.  Like any normal seven-year-old baseball fan, he did, and Michaela followed as well.  Guess who else wanted to tag along?  Guess who hopped right into the arms of a perfect stranger and let him carry her all the way to the tippy top of the bleachers?

The child is a mystery to me.

They came back down to our adopted seats and...we pretty much packed it up and left.  Eliana seriously wanted to do whatever dangerous thing came into her silly little head.  I can't say that it was the most fun ever, but I will say that we are looking forward to some better experiences.  Some that might include, say, a nap for Eliana before a 7 pm baseball game.  (I promise I tried...she's stubborn.)

Up for tomorrow:  Soccer and swimming

Easter Outtakes

A normal person would follow up an Easter post with something nice like family pictures from the morning or photos of the gorgeous flowers in the sanctuary.

Here is a little known fact:  I am not a normal person.  I am a blogger.

That makes me much more interesting.  My family, too.  You not only get to see on a regular basis how much we (DO NOT) have it all together, but you also get to see what a typical photo session looks like around here.  My guess is, though, that maybe just a few of you can relate.

Ah, here we have the quick dash to get in front of the camera (our neighbor was sweet to come over and take pictures for us)...and please let's not forget the last minute boogie hunt. 

In the following picture, Christian looks very cute trying to pick up his little sister.  What is not so cute is that I appear to be spontaneously lactating.  I do not, I repeat, I do not have LBS (Leaky Boob Syndrome)!

It wouldn't be a proper photo session without the traditional escape artist!

To thwart any other plans she may have had to escape we engaged "Operation Immobilization".

And finally!  We actually made a photo that we could be proud to show off.  Maybe we are a normal family after all.

Um.

A girl can dream, right?

Resurrection

Arise my soul, arise and sing,

From the depths an anthem bring-

A song of praise, a song of love;

Arise and see your King!

Think of Him upon the tree-

Bleeding, dying, all for thee;

Wretched, far from heav'n above,

Bound by men to set men free.

Arise my soul, arise and sing,

Through the valley now let ring

A joyful hallelujah song!

Arise and see your King!

Risen from the tomb that morn,

A comfort to His friends forlorn,

He conquered death, my Savior strong

That we might be reborn!

Arise my soul, arise and sing,

Take hold of only Him, and cling

To Him for all eternity!

Arise and see your King!

The living Word became a man-

Lived and died and rose again.

Righteousness for infirmity

Brings to my lips a sweet refrain.

Arise my soul, arise and sing!

Arise and see your King!

Keep the Change

 This is going to come as a huge shock to you.

My two-year-old

is

a stinkpot.

You are reeling from this news, I'm sure.  Who would have thought that she would ever be so...strong-willed?  Opinionated?  Determined?   

And yet I still can't help but squish her in giant hugs and cover her with kisses all day.

Seriously.  The kid can throw a wicked temper. 

But, seriously.  I love her to death.

And while there are some things that change as she gets older

I'm grateful that there are some things that (at least for now)

remain the same.

I'm Just a Fool

Eliana brought a small cup home a couple of weeks ago from her co-op class; they had planted a seed in some soil in honor of spring.  We set it up in front of one of our dining room windows and have been watering it, letting the sun in faithfully, and even talking to it (maybe that was just me).  Up until today, nothing had happened.  I have never really planted anything before, but I know that it takes a while for something to grow.

This morning Michaela came running into the kitchen shouting,"Eliana's plant has sprouted!" 

I was so excited!  I said,"Really?  Let me see!"  I was happy to see something green in her cup!

As I got closer I thought it looked kind of odd for a new sprout.  I suppose that would be because it was actually a full grown clover thingy she had brought inside.

I got fooled!  That was a pretty good one. 

We had talked earlier about what tricks we could play on people...but never came up with anything.  Seems like she's the trickiest one of us, at least this year.

Did you get fooled today?  Or did you get someone else with a great April Fools' joke?  Or what is the best April Fools' joke that you've seen or heard?