Take Me out to the Ball Game….

I am not a sports enthusiast, by any stretch of the imagination. I am one of those wives that suffers through every play-by-play, who rolls her eyes every time her husband puts the radio station on sports talk, who reluctantly fills out her March Madness bracket because she is duty bound, who doesn’t understand why someone has to go to a draft for a fake sport such as Fantasy Football, and who dreads the onset of the football and basketball seasons. But I LOVE baseball.
I love going to the ballpark, the smell of hotdogs, popcorn, peanuts, and Dippin’ Dots ripe on the air. I love the whirlwind of excited children, the banter of old college roommates, and the stories of when baseball was truly an American past time, as told by the elderly fans. I love how baseball elicits a more family-minded environment than any other sport. I love everything about it; the dirt, the grass, the sweat, how fast a boring nine innings can change with just the swing of a homerun bat. I love this sport!
On April 18, 2010, the three little Nemos went to a Seattle Mariner’s baseball game. It was the first time that we had been to the ballpark this season, but it was Max’s 3rd baseball game. It was one of the most wonderful days at the park that we had ever had as a family. The park was littered with children of all ages. In fact, the day was dedicated to kids. It was Boeing’s annual Salute to Kids Day, and it was glorious. Kids announcing “Play Ball!,” kids throwing out the first pitch, kids running the bases, kids doing the salute to the flag, and kids announcing the plays. It melted my mommy heart and made me proud to be a part of it.
I sat back and imagined my little guy, throwing out the first pitch or running the bases on a Major League stage. I imagined my little Cub Scout carrying the flag onto the field, while everyone saluted. I imagined my little musical boy singing the national anthem, while everyone stood in awe. It made me a little teary, I won’t lie.
In addition to it being Salute to Kids Day, it was also Felix Hernandez jersey giveaway day. Now this mama loves her some Felix, and anyone who knows this, understands how deep this love runs! We arrived at the park 2 hours early. Nate didn’t want to get there and miss the jersey giveaway (even though Max won’t fit in that thing for YEARS). We waited in line for what seemed like forever, but our waiting paid off. Jersey in hand, I saw the glow on Nate’s face. Like any other American daddy of his ilk, he was beaming with joy that he got to share this day with his not yet aware tot! You could see the imaginings of many years to come in that man’s eyes. We decided to walk around the park before we headed to our seats.
The aroma of many lands was starting to work its magic on my psyche, and my stomach. I was feeling the pangs of hunger working their way up to the surface from the second we walked past the entrance gates. As we walked around the stadium, the feelings started to grow, and I was getting grumpy.
For some reason, the ballpark always makes this girl STARVING. Food is always present on my mind whenever we go. There are so many wonderful choices at Safeco Field; Thai, hamburgers, hot dogs, clam chowder bread bowls, sushi, chocolate covered strawberries (Shishkaberries), garlic fries, popcorn, cotton candy, etc., etc.
I always want to get Thai food, but in hindsight, it may not have been the most appropriate choice for a one-year-old. Nonetheless, we opted for Thai and grabbed a Pepsi, then headed to our seats. Max LOVED the food. He ate everything, Phad Thai, chicken curry, and rice. Later, he and I shared a Shishkaberry. I think that was his favorite part of the day!
We got our tickets from a friend of mine, and were expecting the seats to not be that great. We are used to being spoiled by family members who play the sport. But as we arrived to our upper deck (300 level) seats, right behind home plate, we were pleasantly surprised by how wonderful the seats actually were. We had a great view of the entire park, especially the strike zone. We could see everything that happened. 
Max ate and drank happily. He rarely fussed. We had to get up and walk a bit, but I didn’t mind. I like getting up throughout the game. People watching is one of my favorite parts of being at Safeco. He finally fell asleep around the top of the 8th inning. He slept for the rest of the game. It was a glorious day!