Bambino Baseball - Session 1

Last Saturday, Sam and his buddies had their first baseball session. Despite their pee-wee status, they all did really well and paid better attention to their coach then us parents. Figures. The session included:
1) Several trips around the baseball field to establish direction (running the bases = genius)
2) Alligator catching
3) Water breaks
4) More running around the bases (see paranthetical reference in number #1)

Here is our future Hall-of-Fame candidate:

Here he is getting his gear ready...please disregard Brad's sweatshirt. He has some sort of blind allegiance to the A's that no one understands but we all forgive him for it.
In following his father's footsteps, Sam takes apart the tee.
Here is Coach....I can't remember his name at the moment but I'll just call him Coach Genius
Here's Declan, powering up on some carbs before practice:

In an effort to prepare the other boys in the group, Ben proudly wears his Lightning McQueen shirt so that all are aware of his speed:
The Huddle
Running the Bases....

Look at this form! Sam can really catch (ignore the optical illusion of this picture).
Water break!!!!
Ben and Sam, talking strategy with Brad...And they're off!!!!
Our little slugger

A Hose is Not Just Any Other Hose

Did you know that this:


Could also serve as this:

Sam did. He gave that firetruck a good "washing" before we put it away. I think that trip to the fire station really resonated with him. The boy is hilarious.

Morning Defiance

This morning, Sam and Daddy had a rough time getting ready to go to school. Check out the conversation these two had this morning:



Daddy: Hey Sam, it's time to get up buddy.
Sam: No, it's not time to get up.
Daddy: Yes, it is buddy. You have school today. Daddy's taking you to school today.
Sam: No, Daddy, I don't want to go to school today.
Daddy: Today's a school day, buddy. It's time to get up.
Sam: The answer is NO, Daddy.
Daddy: What, Sam?
Sam: I said, "the answer is NO."
Daddy: Up, up, up, Sam.
Sam: The ANSWER is NO.

At this point, Daddy walks out of the room, laughing...hard. I'm feeding Isabella and laughing as well. Daddy is now in the living room and Sam is still in the bedroom and the conversation continues.

Daddy: Up, up, up, Sam.
Sam: I SAID, "the ANSWER is NO." The answer is NO, Daddy. I said, "No."
Daddy: But it's a school day.
Sam: You can go to school. The answer is no. Ok, Dad? The answer is no.
Daddy: Do you want some breakfast?
Sam: The answer is NO.
Daddy: Maybe some cheerios and granola?
Sam: The answer is NO.
Daddy: Well, I'm going to eat breakfast. I'm thinking of eating some LEGOS for breakfast.
Sam: (perking up) You can't eat LEGOS for breakfast, Daddy. The answer is no. I said, "no."
Daddy: I'm going to eat some LEGOS.
Sam: (walking out of the room) The answer is still NO!

And with that, Sam came out, got dressed, had breakfast, and went to school. On a sidenote, Sam got that awesome phrase from Daddy...funny how that comes full circle, no?

Newsflash: Latest Kid Hotspot: Car Dealerships!

On Thursday, Sam and I headed over to the Acura dealer to get new tires for the family car. Our treads had gone 57, 660 miles and I was a little worried we would spin out on the freeway one day because the treads were so thin. In preparation for this approximately three-hour visit to the dealer, I made a couple of strategic choices:



Strategic Choice #1: Go early so that Sam could potentially nap in the afternoon

Strategic Choice #2: Hit up Denny's after drop off to ensure that (a) Sam gets a really "healthy" breakfast and (b) he naps in the afternoon

Strategic Choice #3: Skip the shuttle service opportunity and walk about 1/2 mile to and from our local foo-foo outdoor mall in order to (a) exercise and (b) make sure Sam gets a nap



Now that those strategic choices are "out there," let's recap the events of the day (yes, I said day, not morning).



In a moment of serendipity, Casa de la Tires (aka: the Acura Dealer) turned out to be a very entertaining place. Below is a picture of Sam with none other than Sam, the most-patient-salesman-I-have-ever-met. Sam showed Sam EVERY car on the showroom floor...If Sam asked to see the trunk, he saw the trunk. If Sam wanted to take a peek at the engine, up the hood went. If Sam wanted to sit in a car and push buttons, so it happened.

Of all the cars on the showroom floor, this was Sam's favorite. I don't know what it's called but I do know that Sam was privvy to some high class machinery. Please note that the white paper on the dashboard says "This car not for sale." The child has good taste. I guess I can thank the folks over at Disney/Pixar for their influence in this situation because Cars is Sam's ultimate favorite movie and we've watched it almost every movie night for the past year.

In keeping with Strategic Choice #2, Sam and I walked over to the mall. I thought he might want to play in the children's area or have a snack but, no, he didn't. He grabbed a chair, sat down, and watched this custodian clean the gum off of the concrete.
Apparently, he couldn't see very well so he got a little closer so as to really absorb all that was going on....
After our time with the custodian, I decided I needed to get some flip flops. We headed over to J. Crew and I proceeded to survey my options. While I was at the counter about to pay, I noticed Sam was not next to me anymore. I decided to not freak out and instead of walking all over the store in a "I've lost my child" manic-like way, I just yelled his name out. This worked instantly and as I was walking over to hug him, I discovered he had found a new friend:

Sam, never one to be bashful, got a little closer:

Strategic Choice #2 was still in effect and I was celebrating (in my head) the nap he would take later that afternoon. Our adventure continued and Sam met a few more people along the way. Here he is with the very nice window washer man who explained to him how his pole worked:

After a lengthy conversation about apparatuses, we had some bamboo play:

While still at the mall, Sam made friends with the guy from the MAC shop. I think, however, that this relationship was forged because the guy had a hammer and was clammerin' away as we neared him. Sam, quick to notice what was going on, shimmied right up to him and told him how to safely "hammer" the "thingy" he was using. This guy explained the intricacies of hammering as well as balancing stools so people could sit on them.

At 12:30, Sam and I headed back tot he dealer to pick up our car. Premusedly, it was ready. Factually, it wasn't.

So, what did we do? We headed back to the showroom where, Ramin, the second "most patient salesman in the world" showed Sam all the showroom cars AGAIN. This time, however, there was an Acura movie involved and Sam got to mess with all of the gadgets.



All in all, our excursion lasted four and a half hours. At the end of it all, I had spent:

$1200 on new tires

$70 at J. Crew

$8 at Starbucks

$15 at Denny's

$10 at Giggle (a baby store)

...and Sam did NOT nap that afternoon. So much for strategic planning.

Don't Call These Guys

On Saturday morning, the Marsh family along with the Resnick and Farmer families headed over to the San Rafael Fire Station for a tour of the fire station. The boys had the opportunity to check out the trucks, play with the gear, and cause overall havoc with the other kids in the station. They ran around excitedly, pushed buttons they weren't supposed to, and were given a fire hat and a sticker as their "get outta here" prize.

Innocent picture #1 with said fire hat
Innocent picture #2 -Ben and Sam...they have that "Don't we look cute?" face

Innocent Picture #3

Innocent Picture #4Nothing captures the attention of boys faster than "tools" that could be dangerous. This poor fireman had some kind of special shovel. Notice how the boys are at the very front paying extra close attention. This man also had to endure Sam's question asking...Any of you who know Sam know all about his question-asking...'tis relentless

The three amigos after they had bounced all over the the cab of the firetruck.

In typical Sam fashion, he goes on a "private" tour to check out the rest of the station.

In the spirit of their Montessori education, Ben is explaining to Declan the intricacies of the ambulance.

Sam and Ben - marking their territory or showing disapproval?
...in the ambulance

Firemen friends

As mentioned before, the day ended with some souvenirs. I feel like this shot could be used as an album cover in the future. Also, if you were to superimpose my face on Ben's face and Brad's face on Sam's face, you'd get a pretty accurate picture of Brad and I "having conversation."

Got Teeth?

You do, do ya? So does Isabella. Two of them, as a matter of fact. Pretty soon, she's going to be ready to eat some Cuban steak, black beans, rice, and plantains. The picture isn't the greatest but you can see the teeth breaking through if you click on it an enlarge it....kinda.

Sam's Stats

I took Sam for his 4-year check up on Tuesday. He is in wonderful health. We're very lucky parents. His check-up included a weigh-in (39lbs.), height check (42 in), blood pressure check, vision check, and vaccinations. Sam liked everything except the poking aspect of the vaccinations but we don't want our kid to get polio so there you go....

There were two things Sam truly enjoyed from his visit to the doctor. I will do my best to recreate the dialogue for you below. Please note: NK stands for Nurse Karen; SM stands for Sam; TQ stands for moi, The Queen:

Conversation #1

NK: Hey Sam! How are you? I haven't seen you in a long time!
SM: Yeah, I know.
NK: You ready for your check up today? I can't believe you turned four! It's so cool!
SM: Yeah, I know (laughter ensues)
NK: You're so silly. Hey, did you pee at home before you got here?
SM: Yeah (but, really, he didn't because I knew what was coming)
NK: Really? Cause I needed you to pee in a cup.
SM: Oh, yeah! I like to pee in a cup. Mami, let's go pee in a cup (and off we go)

Change of scene. We are now in a bathroom and Sam is laughing hysterically about peeing in a cup

SM: Mami, I want to get ALL of the pee in the cup.
TQ: I don't think that's necessary, Sam. Nurse Karen only needs a little bit.
SM: No, she needs a lot. She said so (another fib on his part)
TQ: Really? I don't remember that.
SM: Yes, you do remember. Oh, Mami, get he cup...let's pee in it. You have to put it close, Mami..like right-on- my- penis. Let me show you.
TQ: Well, I was thinking I would just catch it because it might splatter everywhere.
SM: No, Mami, it won't splatter if you put it right on my penis (more hysterical laughter)
TQ: I don't think that's a good idea.
SM: It IS a good idea...let's try , Mami.
TQ: Ok, fine. Let's try it.
SM: Haha, Mami, I'm gonna pee in a cup. Oh, look, it's going in and it's not splashing, mami. It's not splashing. I did a good job.
TQ: You sure did, Sam. Let's give this to Nurse Karen...

We then transitioned back to Nurse Karen who happily took the Dixie cup with Sam's pee in it and proceeded with the rest of the visit. Here he is outside of the office and going through some of the standard tests (I've ommitted the bathroom scene for obvious reasons):

Since Sam was given two vaccinations, he was allowed to pick a special prize from the "You were poked" box. This box contains way better condolence prizes than the "Just came for a regular visit" box. Here's the play-by-play with a nurse whose name I don't know:

SM: Hey, I get to pick something out of the special box because I got a "vak-uh-nay-shon"

N: That's right! Let me get the box.

SM: Yeah, you get it so I can pick.

N: Ok, Sam, I'll get it. Here it is..go ahead and pick something.

SM: Well, not something. I get TWO things because I got poked twice.

N: Oh, that's right. I'm glad you told me.

SM: Yeah, I'm glad I told you too because I get two prizes. Silly girl.

Below is what he picked....

He ran around the house with these all day, trying to make them "go." As a result, he ended up with this:

He ran into the entertainment center and, by sheer luck, managed not to knock over Daddy's precious 52" Sony Bravia 1080(?) HD TV. Phew.

Hook, Line, and Sinker

Part I

A few weeks ago, Isabella and I visited our local foo-foo shopping mall to find her an Easter outfit. We walked in several stores and she was not really satisfied with anything. I know this because she would smile if she approved and frown if she didn't. She's a genius already and has incredible fashion sense. As I decided to give up and take us back home, I saw "it"...not just "it"...but several "its" that would serve as the "Easter Outfit of ALL Time."

I went in and perused all the options. The first one was a silky number with tule that was gorgeous. It cost $180. Scratch that one. The next was a soft light green number with delicate lace flowers....$120 bucks. That one was out too. The third was a beautiful blue dress with soft roses as its print. This one was $88...still too much but now we're being a little more reasonable. I mean, it's Easter, right? Everyone dresses nicely for Easter! I hung that one on the handle of my stroller. "I'm going to think about it," I thought to myself. As I kept looking around, I saw "the one." It cost $120. Damn. In addition to this, I saw the matching sweater which cost $40, the shoes were $20, the tights were $16 and the little bow that matched was $12. I started calculating all of this in my head and realized two things:

(1) If I buy this, Brad could potentially kill me and
(2) girl clothes are a scam

So I did what any reasonable mother-of-a-newborn-whose-lookining-for-an-outfit-for-her-daughter would do....I put it on hold, walked away, and came back the next day to purchase it after deciding that I "really" wanted it.

Let it be known that all I bought was the dress, the tights, and the sweater. You do the Math since I teach English. In addition, I happened to have received a coupon for the store. I also had a credit from a previous purchase. Grand total...$100. Still too much but Isabella is going to wear it again for Tio Brandon's law school graduation. Shazam.

Part II

After purchasing "the one," the girl asks me the following: "Would you like to sign up for a free 8 x 10 photo of your daughter? We have a session available next Wednesday." And I, without hesitation, said "Sign me up...I have the perfect outfit." So the following Wednesday we went and took the pictures. Isabella loved it and so did some of the customers coming into the store. One lady remarked, "She could start paying your bills soon." To which I quickly replied with, "Sounds good to me because I don't think I can afford her future outfits." We had to wait a week to see the pictures and here is where I fell for scam #2. After viewing her pictures, I decided I loved all of them. The saleswoman, smelling this, said "We can burn a CD for you and you'd have all of them." So what I did I do? I bought all of them and I am not disclosing the amount. Suffice it to say that Brad had a series of mini-convulsions but did think the pictures were nice. So there. Below are just a few from her "Glamour Shot" session in her way-to-expense Easter dress. If you want to see the entire ensemble, scroll down to the post titled "Welcome back, Jesus"