Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Well I was much in need of a night out, so Ellery and Bailey and I headed off to a South Bend Silver Hawks game! It was just perfect, and let me tell you...exciting!

DiNnEr

So we started out by having dinner, these girls are so much fun. I LOVE being with my kids. Elle and Bailey both have such strong fun personalities, I have so much fun with them.































TiCkEtS
Then it was off to the game. We had some free tickets, but when we got to the ticket window, the lady said that the "reserved" seating was all full and I would have to pay. I don't know why our "free tickets" weren't just as valid for the lesser seating, but whatever we just wanted to go in so badly and the ticket lady didn't budge.

I thought it was pretty cool because as we walked around to the gate, someone from Silver Hawks management chased me down and gave me my money back and apologized for our "free" seats costing me money. I thought that was very cool...made a fan out of me!

Doin the YMCA

VoLuMe CoNtRoL
So into the game we go. The girls are definitely my daughters, they wanted to understand the game SO badly. It was just like at home, they want to get into the game just like Matt and I. They asked a MiLLiOn questions. What is this, why did he do that, what does that mean, why can't he just always throw a strike, who swings and misses, what if the ump is wrong, can you skip a base, is there any pushing, can you climb the fence, why isn't it called 4th base......all actual questions! Still my favorite was "a ball, of course he threw a ball...duh!"

Bailey was having some major volume control issues and all of these questions were audible to anyone within 50 feet of us! I said, "lets just watch the game for a bit and see if you can start catching on at all." Bailey watched for a minute and then stood up and said so loud "Well, I think it is pretty safe to say that I actually know nothing about baseball!" She was still having fun though!

PaY AtTeNtIoN

There were a ton of foul balls hit right in our area, an old man 2 rows behind us caught a ball right over our head with his old bare hand, just snagged it right above our heads. This was not enough action though...

So we are enjoying the game, its the 6th inning and the kids are still having a blast. The girls were both on my right side and I was turned slightly toward them answering ....that's right a question. When just barely out of the corner of my eye I see something coming our direction. Another foul ball? I didn't hear any crack of the bat. I turned just in time to see and then throw my kids to the ground as the bat...yes the bat comes flying right at us! It nails this lady 4 rows directly in front of us and then flies up over the next rows hitting a little boy in front of me! I am telling you that thing was flying SO fast! The lady had to be taken to the hospital probably to get a million stitches, I felt so bad for her. It was awful! I thought we were toast!

TaNtRuMs

So, the batter, from the other team, comes over to our section wanting his bat back. We were all encouraging the little boy to keep it! The batter wasn't a jerk or anything and he felt bad for the lady you could tell, but he wasn't budging..he wanted that bat. We were all hollering at the kid to keep it and sit down. But the batter was making a fuss and the ushers came over and took the bat. This guy on the 2nd row apparently didn't like this and chucked his drink at the batter, unfortunately not such good aim, he pretty much drenched a 6 year old little boy in front of him. This earned the guy a security escort to the door and some rather loud booing, mostly from me. They did end up bringing the kid in front of us a bat for giving up the flying one without a fight!

Meanwhile as the game continued, the Hawks manager got upset about something and made his opinion known in classic style, yelling and screaming and kicking dirt all over the ump and home plate. Ellery was irritated by his behavior and yelled loudly "Why is that old guy throwing a fit?" He got tossed.

And finally....

MoRmOnS...really, MoRmOnS?

The people in front of us ride Ellery and Bailey's bus with them. So we were chatting through the whole game, especially after Anthony caught the bat. They were really nice, invited to a BBQ. I was getting excited because we really haven't met too many people still, outside of church of course! Anyway, she asked where we moved from and I told her Utah, then after a minute she said "So are you Mormons? Just kidding, I am sure that is all you ever hear and I bet you get tired of people assuming you are Mormons." I laughed and said that we are and she said "Oh, really?" It was funny because then others behind us and next to us were like "Mormons...really, Mormons?" It made me laugh, we were interesting to people.

Too fun, but what...are we strange?

So a great night full of action, maybe we should get season tickets!