Edgars and Os!

My brother Tommy organized a family day at the ballpark. He searched for a good day to do it, and chose Sunday afternoon for a few reasons. Among them was that there was an Old Time cap giveaway for the adults and the kids were permitted to run the bases after the game. Something for everybody! He has been working on this for weeks (if not months) and it was well worth it! Saturday's game against the Nationals was the final game of the series. The O's had come from behind in two previous games for the win, which made Sunday's game that much more exciting. We were all hoping for the sweep, and they did it! They came from behind again, and waited until the eighth inning for the go-ahead run and they caused us a few gray hairs along the way. So Mom and Dad, Cathy and Jim, John and Patrick, Jen, Jay, Zach, Ryan Lily, T.J., Tom, myself, Paul, his girlfriend Amanda and Amanda's Dad and brother, as well as Tommy, Alice, Katie and friend Dan saw a good game and had a terrific time.

A few days before the game, I told Ryan about the Jumbotron and how some people get their images up there by holding up signs and being enthusiastic fans. He immediately made a "Let's Go O's" sign with crayons and construction paper, then created a 'finger O' for himself, then one for Lily. He insisted he leave them in the family car because he did not want to forget them on the day of the game. During the game, each time the cameras began scanning the crowd, Ryan held up his sign and his O...he did not get up there for the Fan of the Game thing, but the next time they showed crowd shots, there he was! Our whole groups clapped when we saw him (sitting next to me, and I almost blocked the poor little guy out!). When it was over, he handed his signs to his Mommy and said something along the lines of 'we won't be needing these anymore.' Too cute.

Lily had a good time at the game, too. She was so happy to see her Uncle T.J...and when she got to sit on his lap, she was ALL smiles. About halfway through the game, she noticed the second row of family behind us. She had no idea it was planned that way, and went down our row telling us all to turn around so we could see who was behind us! More cuteness.

After the game, Tommy was able to use his status as a season ticket holder to get all the kids in the 'priority' line for running the bases, which was great because the other line was HUGE. This event was pretty well organized and moved quickly once it got started. Our kids ran the bases--Ryan going "so fast the lady had to tell him to slow down" and Lily looking cute as can be with her pretty yellow dress and followed by Zach, making sure she got all the way around. T.J. took advantage of the time on the field to have me take his picture before we got 'moved along' by the folks in charge of keeping the line going. Naturally we all got pics of the kids on the field.

Tom and I brought Jen, Ryan and Lily home while Jay drove Zach back to his Mom's. Tom was sweet enough to drop us all off, then go pick up some pizzas and ice cream for dinner. It was lovely to relax with them before heading home for the evening. The heat of the day really wore me out! But I had a great time. Our seats were in the shade, there was a breeze to mitigate the 94 degree heat, and the Orioles won! Thanks, Tommy--we really enjoyed Edgars and Os.

Father's Day

This year, our extended family gathering was hosted by my sister Cathy and her husband Jim at their Shore House. And what a terrific job they did! It was a hot day, but the breeze from the water helped and the lovely view was worth it. The younger folks enjoyed the water very much, with wading, boating and fishing. Jim and Cathy prepared pulled pork and smoked turkey in Jim's new smoker. There were sandwiches, salads, fruit, deviled eggs, steamed shrimp, yummy cookies, cheesecake, ice cream sundaes and more. Most of the family were there...Jen and her family were not able to come, as they were busy with a project at home. We missed them, but we understood. Everyone else seemed to have a good time--there was lots of visiting and laughter. Tom played with the little ones, making them laugh a LOT. He teased Laura all day, asking her why she was eating his lollipop, his ice cream, his cookie...you get the idea. Laura (although only 3) caught on very quickly, and removed her treats from his reach saying, "That's mine!" I made it sound bratty, but it was really very cute. Her tone was more 'you are mistaken, Uncle Tom' than anything else. Dad had a good day, with visits from all his children, and a gift or two presented right there. Our gift of Omaha Steaks had already been delivered to his home. I think all the fathers enjoyed the day and time with their children. They were all so cute!

I never did get my camera out, but I did take a couple of shots of Rob and Lisa together on the swing with Tom's camera. I'll try to post it here--I liked it.

Ball Game ***edited***

I got a call from my brother Tommy on Saturday afternoon, inviting Tom and me to join him and our Dad at an Orioles game the following afternoon. Heck, yeah! We had no other plans, so the ball game was a great idea. We met Tommy and Dad at the Metro Station and took the Light Rail to the stadium for the game against the Mets. Our seats were in the shade along the left field foul line. Great view and a lovely, if hot, day. Mom sent money with Dad to treat us all to a cold drink. It was a really enjoyable outing. We would have been happier if the O's had won....but you can't have everything. The Mets fans at the stadium seemed like a nice crowd--and boy were there a lot of them--Dad was talking to the father and young son seated next to him, and learned they came down for the weekend. At least *that* is good news for Baltimore! Those New Yorkers had plenty to do while in town, too, with the HonFest and Greekfest going on, as well as the Inner Harbor activities. Heck, even our train on the trip home was full of Mets fans....Tommy amused them all by pointing out that, with the Orioles, you don't get cheated out of those last three outs. You get a full nine innings of play! :)

Thanks for the game, Tom, I enjoyed it!

***edited to add--

I forgot to mention that Tom took me to dinner at the Pirate Cove on the way home. Yummy food! When we pulled into the driveway at the back of the house, there was a deer munching on greens across the bridge. We were both so pleased to see that the deer still come by! (I already knew that, because a lot of the lily buds from around the mailbox have been eaten, but it was nice to see the deer.)

Memorial Day celebration

Tom's sister invited the family to her place for crabs and a cookout on Sunday, to share some time and commemorate the day. So, after church on Sunday, we spent the afternoon with sister Renee, Sue, Tom's mother, sister Laura and her hubby Gary, as well as Gary's Mom. Jen, Jay and all three kids were there, and brother Bob, too. Bob's wife Linda was missed, but she had responsibilities at home--they are installing a ramp and a deck for Linda's brother Doug, who had part of his leg amputated due to complications of diabetes. Linda was overseeing the construction, and I think some plumbing work, too. We brought some desserts--a Key Lime pie, a chocolate cake, and ice cream. Yummyiness.

When Tom and I arrived, Jay and the kids were already there--Jay was helping set up and the kids were bouncing on the trampoline. They were having a blast. I watched for a bit, but found my recent viewing of a news story on the dangers of tampolines dampened my enjoyment...I wandered back to the rest of the party and did some set-up work myself.

The crabs were yummy, the afternoon beautiful, and I really enjoyed the company. It was a lovely way to spend the holiday. The kids found lots of ways to amuse themselves. At one point, they walked across the bridge over the pond to the second level of the house, then climbed onto the carport roof (with Renee's permission) and eventually, led by Lily, jumped of the roof and started the whole circuit all over again.

Once Renee's granddaughter Cloey arrived, Lily's activities became decidedly more feminine. The two girls played with dolls, put on a play and even applied lots of glittery make-up before the end of the evening. They also jumped on the tramp, played on the playset and ran around outside with the boys... I think they all had fun. I know I did. Thanks, Renee!

Duck!

Seems Tom may have been right about the duck sitting on a nest...this morning when he left for work, he had to shoo the duck out of the driveway so he could pull out. He watched in his rearview as it headed back to our property once he was gone. I've been keeping the dogs away from the area where we first found her...I guess it has been a good thing.

Speaking of the dogs, I took Lola to the vet today. Poor girl has two ear infections....I have two different topical medicines for her. She does not especially like them. We have to do it every night for a week, so I hope she at least continues to tolerate it!