Take Me Out To The Ball Game

    So, last night we took our kids to their very first "live" baseball game.  We happen to live very close to a minor league baseball stadium and thanks to the awesome lunch deal at Subway this month we managed to score four box seats on the first base line for only six dollars.  As a family we are avid Red Sox fans- the kids sit and watch the games on television with us so we thought it was time for them to see a ball game up close and personal.
   Our neighbors grabbed up their own Subway special and together we all headed out to the ballpark, gloves in hand.
    Did anybody know that cotton candy- air blown sugar- is $4.00 a bag?  Never mind the $3.75 for hot pretzels, $6.00 for hot dogs and $4.50 for a soda!  But, we agreed before we went that since this was our vacation we would allow the boys to have the true ball park experience and eat expensive junk food and get sick to their little stomachs as they stay up way too late! 
   It was worth every single penny.
   Watching the wonder on my five year old's face as he saw the stands and the giant light poles and the brightly lit scoreboard for the first time was truely priceless.  Having my eight year old tell me that he really loves baseball and wants to finally play a team sport was also priceless.
    I like baseball games- always have.  When I was young and my dad sort of hoped his first born might have been a boy or at least a "tom boy", we sat for hour after hour watching the poor NY Mets struggle to save face and not lose EVERY game.  As a teenager I often attended minor league games in Rochester, NY with my summer camp.  And now, I have officially bonded over stadium food in a brightly lit ballpark with my own boys. 
    Taking the time to explain to them the game the same way my father did for me was one of those never forget bonding moments.        
    All in all, it was a completely awesome experience.
    I am actually excited that they have both chosen to play little league this fall despite the fact that it will mean one heck of a crazy schedule for me for two months.
   Today we went school clothes shopping to take advantage of Virginia's tax free weekend.  While I stood outside the changing room as my boys tried on each article of clothing (they don't need me in the changing room any more!) I chatted with another mother who had two little girls that were also trying things on.  As usual I was experiencing the sharp sense of nostalgia over the fact that we were trying on jeans and polo shirts instead of cute little skirts and dresses. 
   And then I thought of the joy and excitement on my boys' faces the night before as they experienced something every little boy should experience at least once and I realized that I was exactly where I was meant to be, mother of the two little boys I was meant to raise.