Snips and Snails and Puppydog Tails

Every year our company takes us to Rangers Opening Day at the Ballpark in Arlington. For the price of a ticket, we can also bring family or friends as guests. We even get company time – it’s nice to be paid to watch baseball. 🙂

This year is the first year we took both boys with us. The first two years Bryan and I were together, Jacob went with us, but Caleb was still too little to go; the next two years, Caleb went with us while Bubba was in school doing big boys things. This year, we decided they’d both been doing so well in school and with chores that they both deserved a special treat and all five of us went. Yes, I said five. Zayde (aka Phil, Bryan’s Dad) has gone with us to the game every year. It’s fun to have 3 generations of Daneman boys in the stands with me!

We had a great time at the game. Bryan and the boys got to have their picture taken with one of the all-time great Rangers’ catchers, Jim Sundberg. The game ball was parachuted in by someone I think has to be a true hero – a double amputee paratrooper. The boys thought it was so cool to see him land on the field, fake legs and all. (And, for those of you wondering, yes, I took the opportunity to remind Jacob–Caleb couldn’t hear over the crowd noise–about how if this guy could still parachute with no legs, then NOTHING should be able to stop Jacob from doing what he wants and what he’s capable of.) Thankfully, Bryan didn’t hear Jacob ask who Roger Staubach was when they announced him as throwing the ceremonial first pitch – Jacob might have been disowned right then and there.

The game was moving pretty fast, and not in a good way – it was the 7th inning before the Rangers had a hit. But the boys didn’t care; they were having a good time. Plus, they got lots more junk food than we normally let them have. Between the four of us we consumed 3 hot dogs, nachos, cheese fries, peanuts, a jumbo ice cream sandwich, a lemon chill, a strawberry chill, two waters and two sodas. What’s that, you say? You say that doesn’t sound SO bad for four people? Well, keep in mind that Bryan only had a hot dog and a few cheese fries and a few nachos…the boys and I consumed all the other stuff (though I did have mercy on myself and Bryan and refrain from the peanuts).

Then, in the ninth inning, the game got good – the Rangers were down 4-3; the bases were loaded with one out, and then up came crowd favorite Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The sell-out crowd was chanting “Let’s Go Rangers, Let’s Go!” The entire stadium (probably with the exception of the more than few very pregnant women I saw there, like myself) was on its feet cheering. The boys, like many of the fans, had on their rally caps. (and never cuter rally caps were there, IMO). Salty did NOT disappoint, with a single to deep center field for the walkoff win! The boys were so excited that the Rangers won, 5-4!

Both boys were asleep most of the drive home, and I will admit that I dozed part of the way, too. Hey, I was worn out after walking  Baby D and myself at least a mile to and from the stadium (okay, I could be exaggerating a tad there, but it felt like a loooooooooooooong walk, and yes, I know walking and exercise are good for me, so there). All in all, it was a great day, and one that next year will hopefully be done with 6 of us, instead of just 5!