Another Night of Overindulgence

Karl's work sponsored another night of getting our family out into society. This time it was the Bees game. Here are the highlights, low lights and everything in between that I may want to forget but want Eva and Samuel to remember. A long post for a long night.

• Eva didn't want to wear her Bees shirt. She wanted to look like Polly, as in Polly Pockets. She even wanted me to "scraggle" her pig tails like Polly.
• We took Trax down because Karl and my mom already had a car downtown. Eva talked on her toy Blackberry all the way down.
• My mom and dad were able to join us. My mom runs into someone she knows everywhere we go.
• Food was provided. Sam's dinner was 4 bites of meat, 2 of those huge looks-like-chocolate-but-tastes-like-playdough (I know because I used to eat them in Jr. High and call it lunch) Grandma's cookies, and a can of Sprite. Eva ate 2 bites of meat, mint brownie, cookies, and a can of Sprite. Nice.

• Who knew that Safety Night at the Bees game was going to be such a big deal? They got so much free stuff (I love free stuff and apparently my kids do, too)... duffel bags, helmets, pens, pencils, bike helmets (which Samuel modeled for most of the game), fans, water bottles, whistles (whoever chose those was not a mom), key chains, gum, toys, tattoos... all in the name of safety. Samuel carried it all in a "the Jerk" like manner until it got too heavy.
• The balloon lady could create amazing stuff... swords with a belt to hold it, crazy hats, bees with a plastic stinger, any animal under the sun. Samuel chose a blue cat. I could have predicted that. He likes blue. He likes cats. That is all. I love the photo of Samuel watching her in awe. Mout open and all.
• Eva and Samuel got all shy and wouldn't say, "Hi" to Bumble. Eva had no problem using her balloon butterfly to spank him though. The butterfly popped 5 minutes later. On accident. The cat popped 6 minutes later. On purpose.

• Using the fond memories of the "string gum" from the last game to my advantage, I got the kids to clean their rooms, the living room, and the basement so they could have a pack at this game. Samuel's lasted 10 minutes. We chose not to figure out how a kid can eat that much gum in 10 minutes. See Karl's tiny bubble? That is how much they would share with him. We need to work on that. Add that to the list after nutrition and respect.
• Much to the dismay of the lady in front of us, the kids started entertaining themselves by climbing over the seats. Then they started climbing the wall. So, we need to add safety to the list of things we will someday teach them. The security guard helped us, though, he was so kind as to come all the way down and tell them to get down. Embarrassed, I climb over the two rows of chairs (do you know how short my legs are?) to get them. Right when I get there, Karl yells, "Where are you parents?" at Eva and Sam. Everyone around us who had been bugged by our kids for the past 20 minutes laughs. Ha Ha.

• They finally get to ride the train. Last time they asked and we said, "in a little while." They trusted us and waited. They got up there in time to see it close. This time they knew better than to wait patiently and asked every three minutes. They had to wait through a tire change. They survived with $3.50 snow cones (doesn't that seem like a lot?). Eva couldn't finish hers because she over syruped it with all the self serve flavors. Whoever thought it was a okay to let a five year old put as much sugar on a snow cones as she wants wasn't a mom (um, it was a dad).
• They love rolling down the grass hill, playing on the bouncy house, and making friends on the playground.
• I drag/bribe/force them back to the game in time to see it end. As we walk to our seats one of the players tosses them each a baseball. Never mind the fact that basically everyone in the stadium would have appreciated it more but what is a night of overindulgence without an official baseball? Karl was envious.
• They got to run the bases again. Samuel must relate bases to his t-ball experience because they seem to make him want to sit down.
• Bumble the Bee signed their baseballs. They cared. Can you tell by Eva's face? Another thing to add to the least of things we need to teach them... gratitude.

On a completely unrelated note:

Oneity, one of my favorite places to buy my kids' clothes is closing their retail store. I am sad about it but happy about their clearance sale. They have boutique looking stuff at reasonable prices and the best part is that they are a company with conscience and a heart.