05.31.11 - Scenes from the "bay ball dame"

Maddie's been asking to go to a baseball game all spring so when Uncle Tim called today offering us some free Wingnuts tickets that were given to him, we gladly took them off his hands. We even invited our next door neighbors who have a daughter a year younger than Maddie. Her name is Kenleigh and they're good friends. Maddie calls her "Kennel."


Some golden rim lighting highlights Nate's crazy hair.


The carnival is setting up in the stadium parking lot for the River Festival, which kicks off this weekend. Maddie is fascinated with big trucks and wanted to have her photo taken in front of one. Even though she's dwarfed by this 18-wheeler, she seems so big.

08.06.10 - Royals with the Swearingens

Our friends Brian and Emily, and their boys Cayden and Carter, met up with us in Kansas City last weekend for a Royals game. Here are a few snaps from our seats in the upper deck and hotel. Be sure to check out this photo of Nate watching the fireworks after the game. Check back soon and I'll share some photos of Maddie swimming at the family reunion.

08.04.10 - But Dad ...

Why don't you update my blog anymore!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Actually, she was crying during the Royals game last weekend. Who could blame her? It IS the Royals. And it was hot. And late. Hopefully by this weekend, I'll have time to upload some more photos from our weekend in Kansas City. Despite the look on her face in this photo, we had a pretty good time!

07.10.10 - Keepin' up with Maddie

Or trying, at least! Tonight we took the kids to the Wingnuts game, Nate's first! In the beginning, Maddie was the model fan. She sat attentively and even clapped with everyone else. But, after awhile, just like in church, Maddie grew restless and she was off running 90 miles an hour along Row N.

10.22.09 - We wanna pitcher not a belly itcher!

Maddie plays baseball with Harley while watching Game 5 of the ALCS tonight. While they never really played with each other, we took turns tossing the ball to Maddie and then to Harley, who, at one point bolted up the stairs and had me chase her around the house with it.

Will she really be a lefty?

09.04.09 - Go Royals!

We met up with our good friends Brian and Emily and their son Cayden for the Royals game in KC tonight. It was quite a pitchers' duel until the Royals blew their one-run lead in the eighth inning. Didn't matter; Maddie still had a great time! She rode the carousel in the kids' zone, got a nice stuffed Royals daisy (should have been a pansy?) and a certificate for attending her first Royals game. There were fireworks after the game, though, but she slept right threw them on her mother's shoulder.

Two baseball stadiums down, 28 to go!

07.26.09 - Bark in the Park

Today was a special treat. Not only did we go to a baseball game but Harley got to go, too! The Wingnuts hosted a Bark in the Park event and with the donation of one unopened dog food item to a local rescue group you could bring your pooch to the park. The teams combined to score 13 runs in the first two innings but even in the shade the heat started to get to all of us. Nonetheless, with both my girls on my lap, I was one happy baseball dad!

No Harleys were harmed in the making of this photo.

06.18.09 - Are you kidding me?

Angie, after being gone for two days:"Really? We're going to watch baseball?!!"

Maddie: "Yeah, baseball!"

06.04.09 - Um, Dad?

Mom wants to know if we're trying to watch another baseball game.

Why, yes. Yes we are!

05.23.09 - Rally caps

It was free cap night at the Reds game tonight. Unfortunately, we needed to use them as rally caps, which didn't work, in the Reds' 7-6 loss to the Indians. It was special, nevertheless, as I saw my first Major League game in Cincinnati in 1988 and one day Maddie can say the same about 2009!

05.14.09 - Hey, batta, batta, batta. Suh-wing, batta!

Maddie went to her first Wingnuts game tonight. While she was attentive for the first couple of innings, she ended up spending a majority of her time sucking on her toes, playing with rings or sleeping. As we were leaving, Angie commented that she's going to know everything there is to know about baseball.

She will if I have anything to say about it!

05.06.09 - Yay, baseball!!!

Maddie cheers on the Shockers tonight at her very first baseball game! Despite her enthusiasm, the Shockers fell, 8-3, to KU. Better luck next week at the first Wingnuts game.