Throwback Thursday: Daddy's Girl

Dear Em,
My mom told me that when I was little, I was a Daddy's girl. He was in the Navy, & I was devastated when he went out to sea for long periods of time. I couldn't bear for him to be away. I would kiss his picture on the refrigerator every night before going to bed.

As I grew up, I became less of a Daddy's Girl & more of a typical teenager. I couldn't understand then that when my Dad said "no," it was because he loved me & wanted the best for me. As a self-centered teenager, it seemed like every time my dad didn't want me to do what I wanted to do, it was because he was trying to make my life absolutely miserable. He was my dad, & I knew he loved me, but dads are supposed to make their kids miserable, right?

It wasn't until college that I started to look at my dad as more than just my dad. In 2002 I went to my first RedSox game. My Dad has always been a diehard fan, but this was the first time I fell for the boys in red socks. That fall the RedSox made it into the playoffs as a Wild Card team. I felt an excitement rise in my chest like I had never felt before. I died a little when their losses to the Yankees ended their World Series run.

In 2004, the team was something special. They were "the idiots." You could feel the true camaraderie in this team, & I wondered if they would be the RedSox team to win the World Series for the first time since 1918. It was when the RedSox began their postseason that my dad & I started emailing each other. We talked about the team & the highs & the lows from the previous games. We talked about what each win meant. I had only been a real RedSox fan for a couple years, but my dad had been a fan all of his life & had never seen a RedSox World Series win. He talked about what that meant for him. We talked about how we held our breath with each strike, each ball, & each hit. My dad was sharing his thoughts & feelings with me like never before.

When the RedSox won the World Series that year, I can't tell you the joy & elation I felt. I felt so fortunate that I was a fan when the RedSox made history. My dad was the first person I called. He's been my first call after every RedSox World Series Championship (& Patriots Superbowl Championships) since.

There's an amazing thing that happened with my mom & dad sometime between the time I left for college & got married, they became more than just my parents. They became my friends. I can talk to them as a peer instead of as a girl who is pretty certain her parents are trying to ruin her life. For my dad & I, the RedSox were a big part of how that happened.

I continued to go to RedSox games in Boston & at other ballparks on the east coast. When they lived in New Jersey, I gifted my dad & my siblings tickets to RedSox games in Baltimore.  My family lives in North Carolina now, far away from any ballpark where the RedSox might play. When my dad is visiting Rhode Island, we've gotten him tickets to see the RedSox play with your daddy & Papa. We even took the family on a tour of Fenway. Yet, I had never gone to a RedSox game with my Dad- until last weekend.

Your daddy & I talked about what we wanted to do for Father's Day gifts this year. When I learned that my dad would be in Rhode Island for 4th of July weekend, I checked the schedule to see if the RedSox would be playing at home. We were in luck! This year we got tickets for all the Dads (Daddy, Papa, & Papi), but I wanted to go too (& Grandma did too). This year I finally wanted to share the experience of a RedSox game with my Dad.

The RedSox were playing a double header that day, & we listened to the first game on the radio on the way up. Just as we arrived, the RedSox won their first game of the day in overtime. Excited, we headed to Sweet Carolines for dinner before our game.

Then my Dad & I did some RedSox gear shopping. He got a rain jacket, & I bought a new hat before heading into the ballpark early to watch the team warm up. I was so excited to walk through Fenway with my Dad. We watched Ortiz put his arm around Napoli. We talked about who we thought was playing that day. We enjoyed being at Fenway on such a gorgeous day.

The RedSox did not win that night, but I loved sharing the fan experience with my dad. I loved that he got just as annoyed with the incessant start of the wave as I did (he's pretty sure it threw Lackey off & was the reason we started to falter in the game). I love that he cheered for every RedSox hit. I love that even though the RedSox were losing in the last inning & it was late, he was happy to stay for the whole game. I love that he laughed with me when I called a Steven Drew home run just before he hit it (your daddy wishes the Redsox would trade Steven Drew & we teased him about it all night). I loved having the opportunity to share Fenway with my Dad for a night.

I'm so thankful that my dad & I have the RedSox & the connection we developed through them. I hope my dad & I are able to share many more RedSox memories together- & that someday you will be excited to join us in RedSox game fun.

I love you so,
Mommy

Thowback Thursday: Mark Bellhorn

Dear Em,
Baseball is back, & no one is as thrilled as I am. Watching the games & listening to the announcers brings back a happy nostalgia that I can't completely describe. It's one of the things I love most about being an American.

Today's TBT photos come from a time when it wasn't baseball season. It comes from one of our Christmas Jammies photo shoots. Mostly to surprise my Dad, I got the whole family Red Sox shirts with their last names printed on the back. Your daddy doesn't like Red Sox shirts with non-player names printed on the back. It's understandable. It can actually be quite confusing to sit at a game & think that the Red Sox have a new player I never knew about- only to realize the person in front of me is wearing a tshirt with their own last name on the back.

This was the first Christmas after Daddy & I got married, & I was kind of excited about my new last name. I had thoughts of how stinkin' cute it would be standing next to my new husband with our newly matching last names printed across our shirts. On the other hand, I knew your Daddy would probably never wear the shirt again if I got him one with his last name. Unfortunately, I did know he'd wear a Bellhorn shirt again & again.

Who is Bellhorn? He is one of my least favorite Red Sox players of all time. It was really hard to watch him bat. In 2004, he led the league in strike outs. Surprisingly, he was also among the league leaders in walks & on base percentage. In fact, half of his plate appearances resulted in a strike out, walk, or home run. Through what I can only describe as a miracle, he was on fire that post season. He hit three doubles & three home runs with eight runs batted in- ultimately helping the Red Sox win their first World Series since 1918- and ultimately cementing him in your daddy's heart.

Daddy & his best friend dubbed Mark Bellhorn, the All Or Nothing baseball player. They laugh about Bellhorn being their mentor by choosing to live their lives with an All Or Nothing mantra- the joke being that most often they can choose nothing (like Bellhorn's strike outs) & still be abolutely amazing. So when I'd ask your daddy to do something & he would forget, he and his best friend would look at each other & laugh as they said "All or nothing."

And that is why, while my whole family wore Red Sox shirts with their last names on the back, I stood next to your daddy, with the name Bellhorn printed across his own shirt (the ironic thing being they no longer made Bellhorn t-shirts, so I had to create one the same way I did with all of our last names). Sigh. He's lucky I love him so much.

I love you so,

Mommy

P.S. Daddy did eventually wear a Red Sox tshirt with his actual last name printed on the back for your first Christmas, the first Christmas that our little family of three shared the same last name. And, just like I thought, that tshirt only makes bedtime appearances. At least he wore it more than once.

Princesses & Baseball

Dear Em,
Yesterday after work you, Daddy, & I snuggled in bed & watched a movie. I drifted in & out of an amazing nap. We ate oatmeal for dinner. We were lazy bums, & I loved every second of it. We needed every second of it. We were recovering from our fantastic weekend.

The highlight of your weekend (other than scoring your very first soccer goal) was going to Disney on Ice: Princesses and Heroes with Grandma & Papa. You couldn't wait to dress up as a princess yourself & were very particular about the princess look you wanted. You gave me detailed instructions on how to put together your outfit, accessories, & hair. We ran into a few...battles.

I insisted you wear a turtleneck under your princess dress. The summer heat is long gone, & I figured an ice skating venue would be chilly. You looked at the turtleneck in disgust. "I am NOT wearing that," you shouted while giving me a look that said, "Let's see who can be more stubborn." I explained to you that I didn't want to be chilly & that if you didn't wear the turtleneck, we would need to find a non-princess, weather appropriate outfit for you to wear. "Fine, I'll wear it," you pouted. I was surprised that you gave in that easily. Win for Mommy.

We used the curling iron on your hair for the first time, & I spent almost 40 minutes on your curly up-do. You insisted on wearing a crown that fell off your head at least ten times while I was fixing your hair. I felt like there was no point in fixing your hair if your crown was just going to fall out every fifteen seconds. I suggested a different crown. You stomped your feet & screamed. We finally compromised on a third princess crown that was really made for dolls but would actually stay on your head (Is it weird I felt a little like Macgyver?). It wasn't your original vision, but it would work. Win Win.

When I finally finished, I couldn't wait for you to see the end result. You looked amazing, the perfect picture of a 3.5 year old princess. You ran into my room to look in our full length mirror. I waited to hear "oooohs" & "awwwws" & exclamations of glee. I heard nothing. I walked into my room, a proud grin covering my face. "What do you think? Do you love it?!" I was practically bouncing with happiness.

"I look like a witch," you said matter of factly.
My grin transformed into face of mass confusion. "Wha...?!"
"A witch with a pretty dress & pretty crown &...yucky hair," you continued.
You've got to be freaking kidding me. God help us all if you do somehow become a princess. You can be a little....how should I put it...high maintenance.

"How probable do you think it is that we can get out the door by 11," Daddy asked me. I gave him a look that said fat chance. We headed back into the bathroom. I reworked your hair until you gave me the seal of approval. Win for Emma.

I was just happy to come out of it without any all out wars. I had to admit. You did look absolutely amazing. My reward for pulling together an acceptable princess look & a hair victory? Daddy & I went to Boston for the RedSox vs. Yankees game while you enjoyed your magical Disney experience with Grandma & Papa. I have to say watching my favorite team (beat my least favorite team) with my favorite guy is not a bad way to spend an evening.

Picking up my sweet, high maintenance princess from school & listening to her recount her dazzling Disney experience is not a bad way to spend a Monday either ("Mom, it was so amazing!").

I love you so (even if you are a little high maintenance),
Mommy

These are a few of our favorite things: August

Dear Em,
Why is it that everyone seems thrilled about these cooler temps except for me? I'm all about bringing back the warm August weather & activities. Our August flew by. I keep wondering where our August went...& then I remember, we did a lot, an awful lot.

These were some of our favorites:

Your first Baseball Game:

Omg, you were so stinkin' cute in all your Red Sox gear as we took you to your first Pawtucket Red Sox (or PawSox) game. "I look just like Daddy," you exclaimed as I put your Red Sox hat on you (which we've had since before you were born but you hadn't worn yet). PawSox games are perfect for first games. The tickets are cheap, the ballpark is beautiful (especially as the sun sets), & it's a great place for kids. Before the game, kids dangle buckets full of baseballs into the dugout, & the players will sign the balls. Unfortunately, we were running a little behind & didn't get there early enough to try that. We realized that getting there any earlier may have been rough. You cheered & you were cute & you filled up on Dels & fried dough, but by the third inning you were pretty antsy. Sitting is not really a strong suit for you. So, we mostly walked around. Luckily, there's a great view of the field from all angles of the park & a great top walking area. There's also a grassy field that fans can sit on & watch the game. That's where we will definitely be the next time. It was a great place for kids who have a tough time sitting still. We did sit in our seats long enough to get on the jumbotron (yes, you were on the jumbotron at your very first game) & meet Paws, the team mascot. You loved it (you cried when we told you it was time to go) & I got tons of outdoor exercise walking. Win Win!

Being Artsy:

This is your very first person you drew all by yourself. Let me tell you, when you're a Mommy the small stuff really matters. I almost cried happy tears the first time it seemed like you were coloring things & not just scribbling all over every page. I cannot describe to you how excited this picture made me. I was practically ready to throw a parade. I know I'm a little biased, but I think you're the most adorable little artist.

Charlestown Seafood Festival:

Daddy was away at a concert & it was just us girls at the festival. We were excited to show Nonnie how yummy the jumbalaya is & how fun the rides are. Nonnie would not step foot on one ride, but you're a little daredevil. Look how high you flew on the airplanes! I see Daddy having a roller coaster buddy in the future.

Looking for Treasures & "Surfing":

I think Nonnie took home at least a ton of Rhode Island beach rocks & shells. When you weren't helping her search for smooth & pretty rocks, you & I were having a blast with the boogie board.

Outlet Shopping:

Megan, of A Baby Makes Four, Nonnie, & I took the kids on our annual fall outlet shopping trip. We blew through so many outlets. I spent way too much money. It doesn't seem fair that most of the things we bought were for you when I think back to how much you seemed to hate shopping during different points of our shopping adventure. Maybe 6 hours of outlet shopping is too much for a two year old? Asking you to try ANYTHING on pretty much wasn't going to happen. I feel like I bought EVERYTHING, waited until we got home to try it all on you, & then brought ALMOST EVERYTHING back when it didn't fit you. Sigh, at least we got some amazing deals, but I'm thinking Megan & I should think about leaving the littles with the Daddys & doing next year's shopping on our own (why do I hear angels singing when I think about shopping without kids?).

Watch Hill fun:

We brought Nonnie to Bay Street Deli & Catering for the best Rhode Island Clam Chowder anywhere, played on our favorite beach, & then went out for ice cream. It was a perfect way to end a work day.

Swimming:

A Visit from Papi:

Car dance party with Papi.

It was so amazing to share so much of our summer with Nonnie & that Papi was able to come to visit for a couple weeks too. It's so hard to live so far away from them, but I think we make the most of the time we do have together.

More fun at the Zoo:

We picked Papi up from the airport & said "surprise, we're going to the zoo!" It was quite a surprise considering Papi had gotten only 3 hours of sleep before leaving to catch his flight, but we all had fun showing him the animals & the zoo's Big Backyard. Plus, he treated us to Dels while you enjoyed a puppet show about recycling (they have puppet shows & story time at the zoo, how cool is that?).

Newport Vineyards Tour & Tasting:

So, you didn't go on the tour & you certainly didn't participate in the tasting. We surprised Nonnie & Papi with a fun date & dropped them off for that part. We hung out in the beautiful, grassy fields of the vineyard while Nonnie & Papi enjoyed the tour & tasting, & I got some fun shots of you & Daddy playing together.

Picnicking on Goat Island:

We packed up dinner & headed to Goat Island in Newport. I first found this spot when I was at a convention at the Hyatt in Newport for work. I had lunch at the poolside restaurant outdoors, surrounded by an amazing view. There's a great grassy area with adirondack chairs. We enjoyed our picnic dinner with full view of the Newport Bridge, sailboats, & a wedding in front of the lighthouse.

Dinner at the Beach (with all the Grandparents):

Pizza, grandparents, & beach...yay!

Shipping up to Boston:

Our plan was to take Nonnie & Papi on a tour of Fenway & then play at the Boston Children's Museum. Well, you know the saying, "when you fail to plan, you plan to fail"? I majorly failed. I'm typically a very thorough planner, but figured I would relax & things would fall into place. Whoops. On non-game days, the Red Sox have tours of the ballpark from 9-4 (& it was a non-game day). After getting stuck in traffic & getting a little lost, we got to Fenway at 11:20 & went to buy tickets for the tour. Unfortunately Bruce Springstein was perfroming that night & the last tour started at 11:00. I was so bummed. Nonnie has never been in Fenway & Papi has never been on the green Monster. After some serious retail therapy at the Yawkey Way Store (probably the most expensive & coolest place to get Red Sox gear), we ate lunch at Remy's. Papi looked at me & said, "that sure was a long drive just for lunch." Augh. I was determined to show them a fun time, & we decided to go on a Duck Tour. The tours are half on land & half on water in a vehicle that is half boat & half truck (a DUCW). It was a blast. You were thrilled when you got to drive the boat. The driver asked you what you wanted to be when you grow up, & you said a sheep. You had the whole boat laughing. After our truck/boat tour of the city, we headed to the Children's Museum. You loved riding the subway. We got there at 4:33 & found out the museum closed at 5 (which shocked me, even the Providence Children's Museum is open later than that). Bummer. We had less than 30 minutes to go through 3 floors of fun. Whoops. We just made the most of our time & planned to go again soon. On the way back to the car we grabbed some dinner & ice cream. I realized I had parked in a different parking garage than we typically do & the one we parked in was way more expensive. sigh, the whole day wasn't exactly what we planned, but we still had so much fun with Daddy, Nonnie, & Papi. Plus, now we can take Nonnie & Papi to Boston next year for a tour of Fenway & fun at the Children's Museum (after better planning, of course).

A visit from our favorite Buckeyes:

It's so fun to watch you becoming friends with my best friend's little one. It's so crazy how much you kids have grown since we were last together in March, it was so nice to be together again. For Baby T's frist trip to Rhode Island, we wanted to show him everything. We went to URI & got you both some URI gear. We went to Galilee for fresh lobsters. We played at the beach. You were so sweet with Baby T. At one point he was crying. You ran into the room & said, "it's ok sweetie, I'm here."

Steak & Lobstah Dinnah:

Every year there is a fair across the street from our neighborhood. We typically have a big get together, & people can walk over to the fair from our house. This year was just so busy. Daddy had a golf tournament & other friends already had BBQs planned. So we had a few people over on Friday night instead of Saturday. Rather than cook hotdogs & hamburgers, we made steak & lobster (correction, Nonnie & Papi made the lobster & then cracked mine open & got the meat out for me). It was the yummiest get together I think we've ever had.

Vermont Get-Away:

While you were away in North Carolina & we were desperately missing you, your daddy & I decided to make the most of it & go on a little get-away. We headed up to Stowe, Vermont. I don't think we realized how much we needed the alone time until we got there. It was an amazing weekend of biking, kayaking, yummy food, a Ben & Jerry's tour, & relaxing on a hammock together with some wine & amazing mountain views. I think Stowe might be one of our new favorite places. It is such a cute town that is so biker & activity friendly. We can't wait to go back & someday bring you.

So, that was our summer. After our Stowe trip, we were back on the road to North Carolina to reunite with you & spend some amazing time with my family (which I'll talk about next week) for Labor Day weekend. Sigh, I think the summer goes by quicker every year. I loved Summer 2012, but I'm ready for Fall 2012 & all the amazing apple & pumpkin smells & activities that come with it.

I love you so,

Mommy

take me out to the ball game...

Dear Em,
Baseball season is back! Well, it's been back for over a week now, but this past Friday was the RedSox home opener at Fenway. We dressed in our RedSox best to celebrate.

We had been waiting all winter for baseball to come back & prepared you for it by teaching you to sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game.

You prefer "peanuts & crackers" to "peanuts & cracker jacks", & of course, we "root root root for the RedSox!"

Yesterday your daddy & I enjoyed a warm & sunny day with friends at Fenway. It felt like we were coming home as we walked down Yawkey Way & saw the sea of people in RedSox shirts. It was so great to sing Sweet Caroline with the whole stadium. The last time I was at a RedSox game, I was seven months pregnant. It wasn't the most comfortable game of my life. Technically, it was your first game.

I didn't realize how much I had missed it until I was back. Your daddy & I day dream about your first real RedSox game. The tickets are not cheap. So, we've decided we want to wait until you're old enough to really enjoy it. We're hoping to make it a whole big weekend, just the three of us. We'll get a hotel room, order room service, & take you to one of the most amazing places on earth...Fenway Park. I really can't wait.

Fenway is one of the oldest baseball stadiums in the country & has always seemed like such a magical place to me. It brings absolute strangers together. So many people come together in this park with great hopes. These people root together, cry together, & sing together. It's an amazing thing to see so many people living & dying (figuratively, of course) by the placement of a pitch & the sound of a bat smacking a ball. Baseball is America's pastime, & you can feel the history at Fenway. I feel so linked to the generations of the past, present, & future.

For this year, we're going to start by taking you to your first PawSox game. It's a beautiful stadium that includes a grassy area to sit on. That's where we hope you'll enjoy the your first baseball game this summer. I mean, you sit on the couch & watch the RedSox with Daddy, yelling at the TV screen the whole time. I think you're really going to like seeing a game in person.

I feel like we've already passed something down to you: being a RedSox fan. It's something that our parents passed down to your daddy & I, with all the good & bad that comes with it. We couldn't be prouder & more excited about our little RedSox fan & the all experiences being a fan will bring you in the future.

I love you so,

Mommy