We’re always looking for new activities. The more active the better. Today we found a new place called Rebounderz. Two giant trampoline arenas, video games. What more could you want?
First, they got instructions and the rules.
Then they got to jumping. For an hour non-stop. I have never seen them so sweaty.
After a while of practice, maybe they can be as good as this guy.
This is what Thing 3 looked like at the end.
I just learned my lesson. Thing 1 had a swim-a-thon where the kids get pledges and then swim as many laps as they can. Swimming isn’t really his favorite sport, so we were pleased when he wanted to participate.
The money goes children with leukemia. So I told Thing 1 I would give him $3 per lap. I figured he would swim ten, fifteen tops. I almost offered $5 a lap since it was a good cause.
Well, he came home from the swim-a-thon tonight and announced he did forty-four laps! He wanted to keep going but the time ran out.
Thing 1 was quick to inform me it’s $132. At least it goes to a worthy cause. And it’s a good thing I didn’t pledge $5 a lap.
Sure it’s only T-Ball, but even at an early age the talent shows. Thing 2 accomplished an amazing feat in a game today. Playing first base, he single handedly retired the first three batters. He caught two put outs from the pitcher, and fielded one solo.
What’s the big deal? You need to understand how T-ball usually works. Outs are very rare. Especially outs that involve both a throw and a catch. Three outs in an *inning*? Almost never happens. Three outs in a *ROW*? Unheard of.
His coach, who has been coaching Little League for 10 years, called this the greatest defensive inning in the history of T-Ball.
The parents who were lucky enough to witness it will be telling their grandchildren about Thing 2’s performance today.
What I will remember is how he sprinted off the field at the end of the inning, all the way to where I was sitting with his sister, and exclaimed: “Daddy! I got 3 outs in a row!”. Priceless.
A great Superbowl last night. Thing 1 and Thing 2 stayed up until 10pm watching the whole game. And they were cheering for the Packers so there was a lot to cheer about. Here they demonstrate their touchdown dances which we get to see after every score.
Yesterday was our long anticipated first trip to a pro football game. We’ve been to baseball and basketball games this year, but there is something about your very first football game that you never forget. Being there yesterday brought back my first Giants game with my dad. Also, having not been to a football game myself in many years, it brought back all the not so great memories that makes football probably the worst live viewing experience of any sport – the traffic, crowds, bad weather, poor views, and outrageous prices.
But it was all worth it to see Thing 1 and Thing 2 experience it for the first time. I hope they have vivid memories because it may be a while before we go to another one.
Lesson #1: “Possible Obstructed View” means you have a big pillar right in front of you which kids can’t possibly see around. This was the view from our original seats.
Leave it to greedy NFL owners to have the nerve to build a stadium with seats like this and charge good money for them.
Since it was preseason we were able to move to empty seats in the upper level where we could see the entire field even if it looked like a bunch of ants playing.
That is, until it started to rain and they wanted to go back to our original seats because the seats were covered.
Lesson #2: When you have young kids with you, splurge for the parking lot closest to the stadium. I pre-paid $35 to be in a grass lot that was ideal for tailgating. We threw the footballs around and had a fun time eating sandwiches, snacks, and peeing in the portable potties (Thing 2: “How do I flush?”, Thing 1: “Where does it go?”). They were very intrigued by the games of beer pong going on all around us and Thing 1 wanted to know the rules.
But then we had to march from the parking lot about a half mile through the other parking lots to get to the game. Which was fine, except I didn’t realize how hard it would be to do after the game in reverse, in the dark, with Thing 1 and Thing 2, exhausted and 2 hours past their bedtime. I may have been completely slightly at fault for taking us in the wrong direction after the game but it doesn’t help to hear “is that the car?” and “maybe they know” and “are we lost” and “I’m tired of walking” every 10 seconds. It took us nearly an hour of walking to find the car. Which didn’t matter, in the end, because we still sat in a ton of traffic.
Tomorrow I’m taking Thing 1 and Thing 2 to their first NFL game. It doesn’t matter that it is a preseason game. Or who is playing. Or that we’ll be sitting in the cheap seats. They have been looking forward to this since the winter.
The game isn’t until 7pm TOMORROW night but Thing 2 insists on sleeping in his uniform tonight, which he’ll also wear all day tomorrow. He’ll add the helmet tomorrow at the game for full effect.
It’s fun to watch his excitement. Even if it is directed at the Redskins.
It’s never too early to start teaching children the important stuff in life. Like the Yankees. Especially when her older brothers are such sports fanatics, she’ll need to be able to hold her own.
We had a pretty big week recently with the arrival of Thing 4. But this week may be a close rival. At least in the minds of Thing 1 and Thing 2.
The beginning of April means spring, longer, warmer days, and lots of sports events.
Yesterday we had NCAA Basketball’s Final Four. Today is the start of the baseball season. Normally we wouldn’t care about baseball this early. But the opening game this year is Yankees vs. Redsox, an event Thing 1 and Thing 2 are very excited about.
Tomorrow is the NCAA Basketball Championship, with unlikely Butler taking on Duke for the national title. As he is known to do, Thing 2 has become a passionate Butler fan after watching them win one game.
As if this weren’t enough sports excitement for the Suburban Household (SuburbanMommy would say it is plenty), the Masters golf tournament is this week. With the return of Tiger Woods after his, um, injury – that’s how I described his recent hiatus from golf to the kids.