Baseball is Back

Baseball season is back and that makes everyone in this house happy. Jack will be playing this year...the first of many baseball seasons ahead for us. Go TIGERS!

Tigers Game

Friday afternoon Tyson sent me a text from work to see if the kids and I were interested in going to a Tigers game downtown that night. Seemed like fun, so we napped and headed into Detroit. Unfortunately, getting to Detroit from Northville is a nightmare because the highway is completely closed until October. I got a very small taste of Tyson's daily commute...and it was AWFUL! It took me an hour and twenty minutes to get to Comerica Park (that drive is usually 30-40 minutes). 

We watched a few innings, ate some ballpark food, Josie did some stats...

Then we rode the carousel and the ferris wheel. Bought some cotton candy...and called it a night.

It was a fun night at the ballpark. We have limited time for fun summer nights out on the town - so we will enjoy these nights out.

Opening Day in the D!

Yesterday was Opening Day for Detroit Baseball and we were ready! It was also the first really nice day here - so we vowed to play outside as much as we could.

We spent time at the park downtown Northville...and it was about 50% snow free. Luckily we wore our boots.

We strolled around the park and the kids made friends with some dogs - who were taking their owners for a walk.

And then - I decided I didn't want to go home and make lunch, so I braved a local diner by myself with these two (at nap time). Note to self - don't ask Jack to say "CHEESE" with a mouth full of hamburger. Gross.

Of course - before we left Josie knocked a $200 painting off the wall. Awesome. I'm glad it didn't break - I'd rather not spend $200 on an oil painting of pears in a bowl.

Tigers in Florida

Last Tuesday afternoon we loaded the family up (along with Grandpa Jerry) and headed to Lakeland, Florida for a Detroit Tigers Spring Training game. It was HOT. But we weren't complaining. Snow was heading to the Detroit area that day...so we were happy to be in sunshine and warmth.

The game was SOLD OUT. I was shocked at how many Tigers fans were there! I guess we weren't the only ones hoping to escape the Michigan winter! We sat in the outfield - and despite some bugs - had a fun time. Tyson thinks he was able to watch about a half inning of actual baseball...guess that's what we get for dragging the kids along.

We enjoyed some hotdogs, beer (not for me), and popcorn. And everyone around us was talking about the Tigers or our awful winter. Felt like home.

She's still chewing on her hotdog...

Overall, we enjoyed the day! Grandpa Jerry was disappointed the Cubbies weren't playing and his efforts to get Jack to become a Cubs fan were foiled.

Looking forward to Opening Day in Detroit! 

Instagram Pics

If you follow me on Instagram - sorry for the repeats...

On Thursday my kids were literally bouncing off the walls. I was trying to convince them to eat lunch - but they were wired. So Friday, we bundled up and went to a park near our house. It was 26 degrees outside...but that didn't stop Jack. He saw a "baseball field" (actually a softball field) and convinced me that we should play "pretend baseball." So I threw some pretend pitches {think the female version of Justin Verlander} and Jack hit some bombs {think a pint-sized version of Miguel Cabrera}. After 4 innings, I was frozen and declared him the winner. He did a victory lap...and we headed for the car.

Where was Josie? She was tromping around the bases at her own pace {think David Ortiz}.

The other day, while Jack was at school - Josie and I visited Panera for a cinnamon roll the size of our heads. In this picture - she believes she will get to eat the whole thing by herself. But a few minutes later I broke the news we were sharing. If you know or have known a 2 year old, you can imagine how that news was taken. She scowled at me from across the booth as I took bites.

Family Pictures {Not on the Christmas Card}

I won't lie. At the beginning of October I was STRESSING about family pictures. Brooke has always taken pictures for us (when we lived in Michigan) and since she ditched us for Iowa...I was stuck. I started asking around and did some research, but every photographer I looked at was WAY too expensive. Tyson said it best one night when we were discussing how much it would cost. "Kady, we don't look good enough to spend that kind of money." I agreed. And I knew that with two toddlers - we'd have an hour - MAX - for their cooperation. A mortgage payment for an hour of photographs wasn't in the cards. So I started my research.

One night I stumbled upon Craigslist and looked through the "Creative" ads. And to my own surprise...I found a photographer that caught my eye! He had a website, too! So I started talking to him and we agreed on a price (and it was an AWESOME price). We set a date & time...I got outfits together...and candy to bribe my children. It was a GO!

As most of you know, Tyson and I have fallen in love with Detroit. Sure, we live in the suburbs...but we honestly LOVE what the city has to offer. Detroit gets a lot of bad press. We decided we wanted our pictures set in Detroit. Our first stop was Comerica Park.

I have a feeling - over the years - this kid will spend a lot of afternoons at this ballpark!

After Comerica, we headed to Belle Isle for a shot with the Detroit skyline. That huge building to the left of Tyson is the Renaissance Center where he works.

Our final stop was the Heidelberg Project in the heart of the city. It's a really amazing open air art project that has really united the city of Detroit.

Overall, I was SO happy with the way our pictures turned out! It was exactly what we wanted and more! As predicted, our children only lasted an hour. And getting Jack to stand still (at any point) was a HUGE challenge!

Thank you, Brian, for such amazing work! Make sure you check out his site!

Oh, and we will have more pictures...like these, but even better, on the Christmas card!

It's Game 5, people!

We are sporting our Detroit Tigers gear today and hoping it isn't the last time we wear it for a while. Our Tigers are in Game 5 of the ALDS vs the Oakland A's. Come on, Cubs/Reds/Indians/White Sox fans - show us some love! Cubs fans are especially welcome on the Bandwagon...you need a reason to cheer.

Also - one more thing - BEST.TEACHER.GIFT. EVER!

That's a Wine "sippy cup." And it's brilliant. It rarely gets used. Okay, that's a lie. Add one to your Christmas/Hanukkah list...you won't regret it.

GO TIGERS!

Comerica Park

One of the things we have been telling Jack is that you have to use the potty to go to a Tiger's game. It's a white lie. Nevermind that he has been to 3-4 Tigers games as an infant...or that we were willing to bring his baby sister (still in diapers) along... Big boys go potty AND watch baseball. It worked.

So last Thursday Tyson took the day off work and we spent the afternoon at Comerica Park for a Tiger's game. As one would expect - Jack was in heaven.

 We had lunch there and - possibly for the first time EVER - NO BEER. What's that about?

Oh wait...this explains the NO BEER. That foam Tiger Paw cost $15. Did I miss something? When did  ballpark souvenirs get so expensive?? Whatever. Jack loved the game, loved the hotdog, loved the foam paw, and loved using the Men's Restroom while he was there.

It was a fun afternoon and it was great being back in Detroit!

Did you watch THE game last night?

This was from our "photoshoot" last week...

If you didn't - then I'm sorry you missed out.
But here is a re-cap:
- Don Kelly & Delmon Young said "Boo-yah" with a home run each...in the first inning.
- The Yankees panicked and looked like a circus show as they rotated through their entire pitching staff.
- Doug Fister looked hot on the mound...in more ways than one.
- Our hitting left MUCH to be desired - but the Yankees didn't look good either. Phew.
- Papa Grande came in to close out the game...equipped with his "Magic Glasses" (as my friend, Carrie, says)

So far today - as Jack and I watched some Sportscenter - all I've heard about is the Yankees. NEWSFLASH ESPN: they LOST! Build a bridge... Despite what you may think - the world of sports does not center around New York.

The Tigers are Texas bound and we have HIGH hopes for their next series. Lots of room on the bandwagon... Join us!