Best Things in Life are Free

There are things in life you want. Sometimes it's a job, sometimes it's a person, sometimes it's a material object. What I've always wanted though, actually happened to me last weekend.

It may sound corny, but since my boys were born, I've always wanted to do certain things with them. Yes, there are the obligatory wrestling matches, teaching them how to ride bikes and coaching them in sports. I've done all of that. But this past Sunday was different. It was a beautifully perfect fall day in New England. T-shirt and windpants weather, perfect for outdoor sports.

They wanted to ride their bikes to a friends house and when we knew he was home, they took off and I followed behind. When we got there the boys wanted to play football. So it was their friend and his father vs the T of A and me.

And that's when it happened. Here I was in a huddle with my boys drawing up passing routes on my hand like we all did when we were kids. Who doesn't remember "ok, you go to the car and turnaround, you go to the rock and cut across and you just go deep and I'll hit whoever is open"? A wave of emotion came over me for a moment and I had to stop, compose myself and continue telling them where they needed to go for the play.

I had the best time just playing outside with them and their friend. So much so we lost track of time. About 3 hours went by and we realized we needed to start heading home for dinner (the street lights were about to come on).

They say that childhood goes by quickly so you need to take pictures to remember certain events. I don't need a picture of that huddle. I'll never forget it.

Now batting....

It's official!  The Twins of Anarchy have been signed by the Red Sox!!  Well, not the Boston Red Sox unfortunately, the Little League version of the Red Sox..  But hey, still better than being on the Yankees..

And it's so amazing to see them be on the field, taking grounders, catching pop ups, hitting off a tee against the backstop. It seems like just the other day Max was moving the toys away from Mitch because he couldn't crawl and therefore would have no toys to play with.. Now I can just envision them being in the middle of a 6-4-3 double play..

I'm just wondering when this happened... I mean, I throw grounders to them in the yard and we work on pop ups and hitting off a tee. However they never played T-Ball. There's something different when they're actually physically on a baseball diamond, in an infield position fielding ground balls.

Their first practice of the season was on Monday. And here is one of them, with his hat backwards in the ready position to field the ground ball. He watches it into his glove, scoops it up and takes it out and throws it right back into my glove like he had done it a thousand times..  I said "great job, that's the way to field a ground ball" while pointing my glove at him.. He points back with his glove in acknowledgement and starts to jog to the end of the line..

It was one of those moments that makes you proud to be a father.. But it was also kind of scary realizing that they're not always going to be my little boys.. They are going to grow up, and faster that I would like them to. They're already almost 8 which if you've been following this blog and/or just know their story, is an amazing feat in and of itself.

So I'll keep my dream alive of course of watching them at Fenway turning the double play for the Red Sox. But for now, I'll just enjoy pointing gloves at each other and being proud.

Timing is Everything

Let's just say, comedic timing is not Max's forte. Cute kid, pretty good at sports, very good at math, loves to create things.. But he will never, ever be a stand up comedian.  And that's ok..

However, every dog has his day..

We ended up having a bonus Hanukkah night as my parents were away over the holiday. So on Christmas Eve my family, my parents and my sister's family all got together for dinner and to celebrate.

During dinner, Mitchell leans over and says "Dada, are we getting presents tonight?"  So naturally I said "Mitchell, is getting presents the only reason for Hanukkah?"  He answers with "No?" Of course I should have responded with if he was asking me or telling me, but I'll let that go.  I did respond with "Good answer."

After a few seconds go by,  Mitchell leans in again and says "so, are we getting presents"? And as we're all laughing Max chimes in perfectly and says "Well played Mitch. Well played".

The room was in hysterics not only because of the initial laughter of the question and not only from what Max had said but the fact that his timing was impeccable and it was the first time ever he had nailed it.. We were all so proud of him!

It may not seem like much, but to see the interaction of the boys with adults and starting to use more adult phrases that we use is amazing to watch. They are only 7 and I have to keep that in mind, but the difference just between 6 and 7 has been astronomical. They are like real little people now. #ImARealLittleBoy

Experiential Parenting

Parenting is hard work.  There is no way around that. It just is and always will be. And when we take our kids to the playground or on a play date or to an indoor play space, etc we are still tired. So we use this time to relax, catch up on email, social media, etc.. If we're with friends on a play date then our kids play and we relax. Pretty standard stuff.  

However I'm doing my best, when I can to try something new.. It's called Experiential parenting - do what your kids are doing. Now obviously we can't do everything our kids are doing for various reasons. However, when I can, I like to participate. So many times we want to capture what our children are doing on video or pictures that we forget to experience.. Of course there are times we want on video like birthday parties or once in a lifetime opportunities.. But I feel like I want to experience more WITH my children if I can, when I can (and if they'll allow me). So I decided to say what the hell and have some fun.

Over the weekend I took the Twinado to Launch in Norwood. This is a place totally outfitted with trampolines everywhere. I've heard great things about it and to be honest, it looked like a lot of fun. There are so many play spaces around now with inflatable bounce houses, etc that just weren't around when I was a kid. I feel like I totally missed out on something that I would have really enjoyed. So yeah, I got a ticket for myself. And I am glad I did.

It was awesome..  We jumped, played trampoline basketball (and yes I dunked), trampolined into a foam pit, which is much harder to get out of than these kids make it out to be.. In 3 minutes I was only able to jump in twice. It's common sense that when you jump in feet first your feet are under all the foam blocks. But when you try to pick them up so you can get out the foam blocks stick to your socks and the socks fall off. So you have to then grab the sock and continue to try to get out. It was pretty discouraging really. And then we played a few games of trampoline dodge ball which is about as much fun as it sounds.. 

However I know my limitations (I'm not a huge fan of roller coasters, big drops, etc), but these kids have no fear.. Flips and all.. The boys were even jumping on to the wall, which of course was also a trampoline and it looked like they were stopping or pausing while their feet were on the wall and then they'd just jump off back onto the trampoline like they had done it a million times.. I'm pretty sure one of my kids is going to take up Parkour pretty soon.. If you don't know what that is, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihBoqdOsQOo 

And they are also obsessed with American Ninja Warrior, which is a really cool show if you've never seen it.

It was fun to watch them but also fun to be in the middle of it with them.. And when we were waiting in line they asked if I was going to jump with them. I said yes and they were overjoyed.. I love making them happy.. And it makes me happy to know they enjoy spending time with me too..

So if you are able, the next time your kids are experiencing something new or are at a place where parents can participate, do me a favor: Put down the phone and experience WITH your kids.. It's a whole new perspective.. And even though we know parenting is and always will be hard work, it doesn't mean we can't have fun too.

I Got This..

It's a simple phrase really..  I got this.. It could mean many things..  It could mean someone taking care of a meal.. It could mean someone grabbing a round of beers.. Or it could mean that you'll handle something and don't worry about it..  All relatively common uses for the phrase, but when it comes out of your six year old, time to step on the brakes and pull a George Costanza:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d0uUFw5ggM

So recently we had another common occurrence, a separated birthday party..  Meaning, one twin was invited because it was a classmate of his and the other was not invited because more than likely the birthday girl doesn't even know he has a brother, much less a twin. And we're totally fine with this. In fact, we even like it. The reason is because it gives us a rare opportunity to have some one on one time.

It's at the movies and is a drop off birthday party (a whole new world for us). Mitch is the only boy out of about 10 girls. As my wife relayed the story to me, his parting words were "Don't worry mom; I got this".

Oh crap..

My 6 year old is telling my wife "I got this"? I'm not ready for this..  Granted this is the child that is much more independent. Although he still doesn't like to go upstairs when no one is up there, he's much more apt to play alone than need someone to play with him. And he's getting better..

But if at 6 he feels no fear heading into a birthday party full of 10 girls, what else will he feel no fear about?

First day of Junior High, the beginning of potentially the most awkward 2 years of any boys' life?  Don't worry, I got this.

First day of High School?  Don't worry, I got this.

That big game?  Don't worry coach, I got this.

First day of college?  Don't worry, I got this.

First big presentation at work? Don't worry boss, I got this.

We overtly want our children to be independent so they do not have to rely on us for everything.. However, we covertly wish they would stay young and innocent forever. Maybe that way we wouldn't have to hear the words "Don't worry, I got this". As Dr. Seuss so aptly put it, "Kid, you'll move mountains!"

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

Well, technically it was Saturday, Saturday, Saturday.. A seemingly innocuous ritual for little kids is going to see the monster trucks.. Somehow this ritual seemed to have eluded me in my childhood, but not to fear, I have 2 boys!  So off we went to see the Monster Trucks on Saturday.

Our seats were great, however it was so loud! Of course the boys had noise canceling headphones, but it was still loud.. I wish I had a pair! It was cool for the boys to see the monster trucks they  had essentially come to life, but I think the better response was with the Motocross bikers doing tricks, flips, etc..

Overall, it was very cool and a lot of fun, especially when a marriage proposal on the jumbotron captured the Kraken and me sitting right next to them (across the aisle)! http://instagram.com/p/kc4ruCj_Ww/

But the Kraken had had enough towards the end.. It was just too loud for him.. So we went out to the concourse where while it wasn't as loud, it was still pretty loud.. Loud enough that he kept his headphones on. While on the concourse I ran in to my friend Josh Hoch who was with his two little ones and his brother in law. We talked for a bit and both commented on how loud it was. I said I couldn't believe how many kids in there, especially little ones that didn't have ear protection. And he said it should be mandatory. Hmm..

With the roads as they were Saturday night, I did not think about it during our 3 hour trip back from Worcester that should have normally taken about 1 hour. However for the rest of the weekend I did think about it. I'm not a big "mandatory" or "force things on people" kind of person, but when you think about how children are still developing everything at this young age, ear protection at an event like this would be the intelligent thing to do. It can't be up to the child as they are not old enough know for the most part. If it is within their control, it is the parent's responsibility to ensure their child is protected.

I recently took the Twinado ice skating for the first time. Now I grew up in the 80s where not only did we not wear bike helmets, but our parents had no idea where the hell we were for a good 10 hours during the day. They said go play outside and I'll yell for you to come home for dinner. If we came home for lunch then we came home for lunch.. Otherwise, when you heard your mom's very distinctive yell or saw the street lights come on, you knew it was time to go home.. And you went home. If you fell off your bike and skinned your knee, elbow, etc you could go home for some treatment. Then it was right back out there. I also had very large backyard when I was growing up and part of it was woods, so in the winter we would go skating. Lots of downed trees and ponds on the property. We never wore helmets and we didn't even wear skates. Just sneakers. Did we fall down sometimes?  Yup. And did we even fall in sometimes? Yup.

All of that aside however, I did not hesitate one second to make sure I put their bike helmets in the car so I wouldn't forget to bring them skating. They had no issues wearing them as they just think this is what you do. And man am I glad they had them on. Within 5 minutes of skating, the Kraken took a spill and hit his head on the ice. With the helmet, he's back up and skating within 30 seconds.. Without the helmet, we're more than likely at the ER facing a concussion, possible stitches and who knows what else. And later, this little shit thinking he's the next NHL star (which he won't be because he fell more than we did) totally takes us out as we're all holding hands skating.. So again, the helmet saved them. For those curious, no I did not fall.  :)

I am curious though what people think about this topic. What do people think about helmets in general? Should they be mandatory for everyone riding a bike, ice skating, etc or just kids?  If just kids, for what ages?  Under 18? 13? What would be the cut off? What about the headphones or at the very least something to cover their ears while at an event such as the Monster Trucks? Should those be mandatory for everyone? Just kids? Should they be maybe included in the price of the ticket and given out at the event?

Let me know your thoughts. Post them on my FaceBook at www.facebook.com/ben.thaler.9 and on Twitter @bdthaler or @TwinsOfAnarchy

Nail Biter

Not what you think.. I'm actually ADVOCATING for my children to be nail biters.. Well, not so much finger nails, but toe nails..  Yes, I know, gross..

But have you ever tried to cut a child's toe nails?  Not the easiest task is it? Now try to cut that child's toe nails when he's on steroids?!  And not figuratively, literally on the juice. Yeah, whole different ball game.. (no pun intended). Ok, pun intended.

The trick seems to be sitting on the off leg, as well as some of the 2nd leg while holding the foot of the nails you want to cut. Also, letting them smack you in the butt seems to be a good way of distracting them while you cut their nails. Plus, they think it's funny and concentrate less on you clipping. Trust me, whatever works.

Either way, I will be super happy when the day comes that they can cut their own nails. And shower. And wipe. And tie their shoes. And brush their teeth. And..

Let's Go Bruins!

So I try to get my boys to a Bruins game at least once a year. And hopefully they won't be scared this time like at the Worcester Sharks game where it might have been thought the mascot was a real shark. Yeah, I know..

But this year was interesting because of the lockout. They kept asking me if we were going to go to a Bruins game this year. Knowing they have no idea when the season starts or how long it is, I just kept saying that the season hadn't started yet, hoping to God the season started really soon because I was starting to really miss it. (And the questions were getting annoying)

I was able to get tickets to the game on February 9th. Yes, the day of the Super Blizzard. Alas, we did not get to go. We were all pretty disappointed so I said I would try to get tickets for another game. Thankfully, I was able to come through and my boys were very excited.

Saturday morning they got up and immediately put on their David Krecji jerseys and were very excited. Even though the game was at 1p and we were going to leave around 1115a, I told them they should take a nap in the car.

To one half of the Twinado I said "may I remind you what happened at Disney on Ice? I told you to take a nap and what did you say?" He replies with "NEVER"!!
"Yes, and what happened?"
"I was whiny and cranky and had to be taken out of the show."

Exactly..  I was NOT going to let that happen at an event I actually wanted to be at. Thankfully, they both did take naps and were well rested by the time we got to the Garden to pay $34 to park. Yes, that's right. $34.  By contrast it was $10 at Disney on Ice. Same venue. Different 3rd party running the parking.

Other than keeping the Twinado from climbing the boards onto the ice, the big challenge at this game was going to be security. I don't know about anyone else's kids, but if there aren't snackies readily available for the #Twinado, we're going to have problems. But seeing as I already paid $34 for parking, I didn't have another $34 to feed the boys. So we took the chance of bringing snacks and drinks with us in a backpack. We had no problem getting in to Disney on Ice with it so we were hoping we did not have a problem. We go through the line and they ask my wife to step to the side so they can check her bag. A little nervous because we have had problems at Fenway with bags and also at the Garden previously. Not with snacks, just with bags in general. Thankfully, the guy just looked it at and had no problem and sent us through.. 

We got to our seats and they were very excited that the Bruins were practicing shooting at the net right in front of us. I took some time to explain some basic things to them. They obviously know the point of the game, but they started to understand power plays, the penalty box and were a little excited when the first fight happened. But so were the other 20K fans so I guess it's ok.. The intermissions were hard. They were good sitting there for the action (periodically asking if the Bruins had won and/or if it was over yet), but when there are 15 minutes or so of down time, it's a challenge. So we got up and walked around the arena and I showed them all the historical pictures and memorabilia that is placed around the Garden. That seemed to pass the time well and it also gave them a little glimpse into some Boston sports history, which is also nice.

The other problem with public events had been the noise level. Whether it be a sporting event, movie, etc the PA announcer or anything loud usually bothers them. I don't know if it's something to do with their prematurity that is just taking its time to mature or not, but I brought ear muffs for each of them and that seemed to sufficiently dull the noise so they were ok.

The third period was here and the Bruins were tied 2-2 after being down a quick 2-0. They had already eaten all their snackies as well as chicken fingers and fries and most of my wife's lunch. They were starting to get rambunctious and we were wondering how much longer they were going to be able to stay there. Thankfully they allowed us to separate them and hold them on our laps while we watched because with about 2 minutes left in the game, the Bruins scored and everyone went crazy!!! 

They were very excited, but it was loud and the ear muffs weren't cutting it..  We did stay till the end of the game, but they were extremely happy to leave as they were passed out not long after exiting the garage.

All in all a good day at the Garden. Bruins won and everyone had fun. But the moral of the story is as always, if you're going anywhere with the #TwinsofAnarchy, make sure you bring plenty of snackies or you'll be sorry!

Energy

As in, where do they get it from?

Seriously, remember how much energy you used to have? I used to work all day on a Saturday and then go out. And when I say all day, I mean all day. 8a in the office to 7p. And this was running youth soccer programs so it was on my feet with hardly a break all day, dealing with kids ranging in age from 6 to 15 AND their parents. And then I would go out all night with friends. Now, I hardly have the energy to sit at a desk all day without taking a nap.

I don't know where kids get the energy. But they bounce back so quickly they must stockpile it or something. If I could find a way to bottle it and sell it I would be a gazillionaire!  My house has recently been taken over by some super virus that affected us all (even the dog). Both boys were better somewhere around Thursday.  I swear, for kids it only takes the # of years of their lives in minutes to be at full energy. They could be sitting on the couch looking like they could fall asleep at any moment and then PRESTO!, off they go either down in the playroom, wrestling or just being crazy.

Parents, on the other hand, I believe it takes the # of years of their lives in days, not minutes to be back to full strength, if ever. I'm 36, so therefore it should take around 5 weeks for me to totally be back at 100% full strength. It's been 6 days already and I feel ok, but I just don't have the energy level I used to have. I guess I have about 4 weeks to go. Ugh, to be young again..

Turkey for you..

So, Thanksgiving is over.  I can honestly say I did not over eat.  I guess I did something wrong then. But I did eat. I've been eating differently since my last kidney stone episode, but Thanksgiving is different. It's ok to let yourself go every once in a while.

Something I have always wanted to do as well, I did. I played football outside on Thanksgiving with my son. Daniel and I played for about half an hour and it was so much fun. My brother in law and his two kids were there too and everyone had a great time. Not to mention, the kid has quite an arm! And accurate too, somewhat..  While he did catch a few, we have to work on that.  Maybe he'll just be a quarterback.

But what was missing was my wife and my other son. After the surgery, he needs to recuperate and can't do too much. Being with his brother and his cousins would have been too much stimulation for him. There is no way we would have been able to keep him grounded, literally. He would have been running and jumping and that would have been extremely detrimental to his recovery. So he had to stay home.

It was no fun celebrating Thanksgiving without my entire family. while I don't wish to do that again, I know that they were only 1 hour away. They were not half a world away. Please, everyone let's put our differences aside for just a minute to realize what we have.

Whenever we go to Children's Hospital, it is always the most humbling experience.  Not only is it the best hospital in the world, but it always manages to put things in perspective. You literally are there in the lobby and you look to the left of you and see a child who is worse off than yours. Then you look to the right and you see another child worse off than the other one. Then you look at yours and you don't feel happy, you don't feel sad.  You just feel thankful.

Let's all take a moment and be thankful for whatever it is you wish to be thankful for. But let's remember that for all our differences and for all its faults, we live in the greatest country that has ever existed. Let's be thankful for that.

GOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!

Well, this past spring the day had finally come for the boys' first soccer practice.. You can't really call it a game as it was more like herding cats than an actual game.. My first thoughts when signing the boys up for soccer were that one kid would kick the ball and then sit down and cry because the ball wasn't passed back to him and the other kid would just go around kicking everyone in the shins..  I'll leave it to you to guess which was which..

In any event, it wasn't so bad.. Although the kids were all over the place (there were about 20 of them) things were relatively contained.  The parents were semi-involved which was good and they kept the kids moving around for the majority of the time, which I guess is the point at the U4 level.

One thing I did notice was that every parent, grandparent, guardian or whomever had a cup of coffee in their hand.  Now, it certainly wasn't balmy out at 10a Sat morning, but it was ok.  Seriously if Dunkin Donuts would just get a mobile van and take it to all the parks around town where kids are playing baseball, soccer, etc they would make a fortune (even more than they already make)!  Fortunately for me I don't drink coffee.  Unfortunately for me, I am always tired.

It will be interesting to see how they progress with soccer and whether or not they want to continue. They're starting to get into things like music and instruments. I definitely want to encourage trying different things.  We're researching possibly signing one of them up for Ju Jitsu, but I just saw a take down of some kid on Tosh.0 last night that makes me re-think that research.

I certainly don't want to restrict them from trying anything, but I also don't want them to get burnt out because of so many activities. Unless one of them develops a 95 mph fastball with a nasty breaking ball.  Then it's on!

Da Dun.. Da Dun..

The boys have been asking to go to a Bruins game since about the middle of last season..  It was about the time when they started really noticing sports, being able to recall logos and such.  While tickets are not as easy to come by as they used to be, I still managed to get us 4 tickets so the boys could go to a Bruins game. However I thought it might be a good idea to take them to a Worcester Sharks game at the DCU Center in Worcester as a primer.  It's not that far from us and this past Sunday just happened to be Pucks and Paws day.  That's right, minor league hockey AND you got to bring your dog!  Half the cost of the dog ticket went towards the Worcester Animal Rescue League so it was for a good cause.  And we got to take Cadi to a hockey game.  How often does that chance come around?

So off we went all bundled up and got into the car.  I had to lift Cadi into the back of Amy's car (not happy about continually having to do that, but that's another blog for another day).  We got to the arena in plenty of time and walked around a bit to see all the different dog-related booths, activities for kids, etc.  So far, so good.  Cadi made some friends with some new dogs as only dogs can (why isn't it that easy for humans I will never know).

We headed down to our seats and they were great!  2nd row from the glass right near the face off circle!  The boys were going to be so excited they were so close to the ice!  They had designated certain sections for dogs only so you were assured not to be bothering people with your dog.  However they said nothing about bothering other people with your children!

We got down to our seats and Max settled right in and was raring to go..  I took Cadi with me, walked around a bit, sniffed some dogs, etc..  As I headed back I see (and hear) Douglas having a meltdown.  He was just beside himself.  Wailing, screaming almost, didn't want to take off his jacket and he wanted to sit on my lap.  So he sat on my lap and then the music came on and he freaked even more!  He covered his ears and at this point was almost inconsolable.  He wanted to go to the top row of the arena.  I told him we could only go as high as this section so he said ok.  We went to those seats and he was still crying and didn't want to be there.  He wanted to go outside (onto the concourse thankfully because it was about 10 degrees out).  So I took him out onto the concourse and as we walked he started to settle down.  We got a frisbee for Cadi (more than likely to be broken the first time she plays with it), some nerds in a box for him and he seemed to be ok.  Amy texted and said Max was requesting a pretzel.  I could have gone for a pretzel too.  So of course as I said this to Mitch, he wanted pizza.  Of course you did.

So there I was trying to juggle 2 pretzels, ketchup (for Daniel) and mustard (for me), 2 waters and a piece of pizza all the while trying to hold Douglas's hand so he didn't run off.. And before you ask, no Amy didn't want anything.  I made sure to ask.. 

We somehow made it back to our seats with everything intact and gave Daniel his pretzel, ketchup and water.  We sat down and we were in our seats no more than 5 seconds before Douglas started up again..  So I took Douglas , my pretzel and mustard along with my water and headed back up to the top row of the section.  This time I needed to know what his deal was.

I asked him, "Mitch are you scared"?  He told me he was and I asked of what?

He said "the sharks".  I said what shar..  Ohhhhh..  For some reason, Douglas was under the impression that there would be REAL sharks on the ice and he was afraid of sharks apparently so he kind of freaked out..  Trying to keep my composure and not laugh out loud (or LOL as the kids say) I told him they aren't real sharks and explained what team nicknames and mascots were.  He seemed to understand and realized they weren't real sharks, but the music and PA announcer were loud anyway so he wanted to walk again.

I said that's fine, but I wanted to finish my pretzel first.  The words weren't even out of mouth before he was stuffing the pretzel into my mouth, making me eat it so we could leave.. I have to admit, the kid is funny..

By now, the 1st period has ended and we have been there for a total of about 1 hour and in my seat for about 5 minutes.  After I got a text from Amy telling me that Daniel was asking when it was going to be over, we decided it was time to pack it up and head home.

While the Pucks and Paws Worcester Sharks game might have been a failed experiment, I'm hoping for a much better result at the Bruins game.  As long as Douglas doesn't find out what a Bruin is..

Behind the Bag

October 25th, 1986.  I had turned 10 that summer and it was a fantastic summer..  I had gone to overnight camp for the first time in a little slice of heaven up in Brookline, NH.  My sister had gone the year before for a month, but she said wasn't for her.  My parents said try it one more time and this time your brother will go too.  After the first month, visiting day came for the kids who stayed all summer and it was changeover day for the kids who only went one month.  When my parents came up to get us, they asked my sister how it was and she said she didn't want to go back.  I then promptly said "can I have her month?"  I loved it so much I wanted to go the entire summer..  I remember vividly waiting not so patiently every morning that July for a counselor or camper to have a Boston Globe (back when people read the Globe) so I could see how the Red Sox did the night before.  My camp saying in the yearbook was actually "So how did the Red Sox do last night?"  I guess I was a little obsessed.

But in 1986, what 10 year old wasn't?  Hell, what 40 year old wasn't?  Boston sports in 1986 was something to witness.  The Celtics had just finished wrapping up their 16th World Championship by dispatching the Houston Rockets in 6 games (FYI, 85-86 Celtics best TEAM ever.  Ever.)  The Patriots had made their impossible run to their first Super Bowl the season prior (let's just say they scored the first 3 points of the game and the last 7.  Who really remembers giving up 46 in between?)  I also had my first beer during that game.  Coors Gold.  Mmm, Coors Gold...  Lastly, the Bruins had unfortunately lost to the hated Habs in 7 games in the Adams Division Semis (back when there were real divisions, none of this Eastern Conference/Western Conference crap.  Wales and Campbell dammit!)

But the Red Sox were different.  Boston was still a baseball town first and the hometown 9 hadn't won a World Series since..  well, you know when, I don't need to say it..  They had come close many times before my time (1946, 1967, 1975).  But this team was great.  Clemens, Hurst, Boggs, Rice, Evans.. 
I mean these guys were so good.  I thought it was over though when they were down 3-1 to the California Angels before they became the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and then became the Anaheim Angels I believe before finally settling on.. oh I don't even know.. I remember hoping Dave Henderson would somehow just get on base in Game 5 to keep the season alive.  He had gone 2 for 4  to that point and my sister and I were chanting "2 for 4 let's make it 3 for 5"..  You're really creative when your 10 and 14, huh?  And then somehow Hendu launched one over the wall and the Sox would go on to win the series and face the Mets in the World Series. (RIP Donnie Moore)

Fast forward to Game 6.  Heading into the 10th the Sox scored 2 runs to make it 5-3.  1 out.  2 outs.  Hell 1 STRIKE AWAY! (wait, I don't have to give that perm-head any royalties for using that do I? Boston folks, you know who I mean) And then, it was like a dam overflowed and the levees broke and it just all fell apart.  For the record, I do not blame Buckner.  Never have.  Well, maybe at that specific moment I did, but once I was old enough to analyze everything, I didn't.  He should have never been in there to begin with.  All playoffs McNamara had put in Dave Stapleton as a defensive replacement.  It's what you do in the playoffs.  Why not now when it means the most?  I didn't get it then and I still don't get it now.  But I digress..

We all know what happened..  Until 2004 when the Red Sox finally won it all (thank you Joe Buck for ruining it) Game 6 was all anybody could talk about regarding the Red Sox, that and that stupid "curse" (more royalties)..  And 2007 thankfully put it all to bed.  But some people still don't forgive Buckner.  I don't get that either.  Would I be this calm if the Sox hadn't won it in 04 and/or 07?  Perhaps not.  But I still wouldn't blame Buckner.  He has made peace with it a lot sooner than some locals have.  He finally got up the nerve to come to Boston and throw out the first pitch at Fenway and received a raucous standing ovation that lasted easily over 5 minutes.  I didn't think he was going to make it to actually throwing the pitch.  He was clearly moved by the ovation and I think it finally hit him that people were over it.

For a while it didn't bother me to watch it.  In fact, there were times after 04 that I would go back and watch it just to prove it didn't bother me anymore.  But after this most recent monumental collapse, the turmoil that is the front office and who knows what to make of the on-field product, it gives me that feeling again. 

October 25th, 2011.  It was time for a bath.  I had asked the boys numerous times to come upstairs, to no avail (nothing new there).  The bath was ready and the water was starting to get cold.  Finally I come downstairs to turn off Super Hero Squad and what happened to be on was E:60 doing some sort of retrospective of the 25 year anniversary of The Error.  So of course, I had to sit.  Suddenly, I was mesmerized.  It was pre-2004 all over again.  And since the boys love the Red Sox, they were watching.  I said "boys, I hope you never have to go through the agony of what I went through watching this game"..  They had no idea what I was talking about.  And as they show the replay over and over and over and over and over, I was like seriously people!!!  How many times can you show a 5 second clip in 1 minute?  Well the answer evidently is 12..  (for those of you who need a math refresher, get a calculator).

Well, apparently Mitch had had enough as well because he said "daddy, it's time to turn it off now".  Yes Mitch, it certainly is.

I Will Always Remember..

So there is that section in your High School yearbook that says something like, "I Will Always Remember" or something to that effect. It was always something like parties at so and so's house, football games and then a bunch of initials and letters that no one understood except for a select few people.. And I can guarantee you now that not even those select few people remember that they mean.

Well, I Will Always Remember Max and Mitch’s first Red Sox game.  It initially started when we told them we would take them if they started pooping on the potty..  It worked pretty well as Max is 100% trained and Mitch, well Mitch does ok.  A lot of kids regress sometimes during potty training so we’re not too worried.  But he’s done well enough to warrant still going..  (like not taking him was even an option)..

Well after weeks and weeks of  telling them it was coming, the day was finally here.  They wore Red Sox shirts because they were so excited and I brought their Wally shirts for the actual game in case they wanted to change.  After picking them up from school, we headed to the train.  First words out of Max’s mouth, “Are we there yet”?  Ugh, if this is how it’s going to go this is not going to be fun.  We were heading to Alewife and had about a 25 minute or so drive. But thankfully it went quickly..  So when Max asked me again and we actually were there I said, “yes, we are here”..

Max: “Mitch, did you hear that?  We’re here now.”

Mitch: “YEAH, I KNOW”, like Max had been saying it for the past 10 minutes…

Sometimes all you can do is laugh..  They are funny kids.

Anyway, they were very excited to ride the red train.  They were kept busy by Angry Birds and Mitch flirting with a girl on the T.  I swear he would have had a marriage proposal in another 5 minutes if we didn’t have to get off at Park St.  It’s those lashes, they get them every time..  The transfer to the Green train as it is known was pretty easy.  Got right on and got seats. Thankfully I remembered to take the bags of Cheez-Its from their lunches that they didn’t eat so they would have a snack.  I opened a bag for each of them because God forbid they actually share.  Max takes 1 Cheez-It and says I’m done.  Mitch of course does the same.  So now I have 2 open bags of Cheez-Its minus 1 Cheez-It each.  Typical.

But thankfully our stop came and we got out and met their mother, the Yankee fan on Comm Ave. (maybe a little show on CBS can take a cue on exactly how easy it actually is to meet someone's mother). The boys were very excited to go see Wally the Green Monster who lives at Fenway Park.  That’s all they kept talking for weeks.  So we walked through Kenmore Square and up towards Fenway.  Once inside on Yawkey of course we had to go in to the Souvenir Store where we promptly bought the boys green Red Sox hats (Wally color) and little Wally dolls.  Those Wally dolls ended up being life-savers..  On Yawkey Way a woman was very nice and was willing to take pictures of us.. Not that it mattered as Max rarely ever looks at the camera.  So we then went in so I could take the boys up the ramp to get a look at the field for the first time..  We went right down to home plate behind the net so they could see the entire park.  The bad thing about having twins is that there’s always an even ratio.  1 parent for each kid so it’s hard to take pictures..  I would have loved to have gone ahead and taken a picture of the boys’ faces when they saw the park for the first time..  But I guess you can’t have everything..

An usher then told us we couldn’t be down there without tickets, even though it was only 615p and the game wasn’t starting for an hour.  So it was off to the seats as the boys were getting a little restless.  They thought going up the escalator was very cool and loved seeing all the pictures of the Red Sox and the replica plaques of the Hall of Fame members.  Thankfully we were the first ones in the box.  The boys hadn’t even been in the box for 5 seconds before they found the popcorn and pretzels.  They made themselves comfortable on the big stools in front of the window and proceeded to eat everything they could find. Mitch had his first Fenway Frank and Max had his first Fenway Chicken Tender..  Overall they ate Fenway Franks, Chicken Tenders, popcorn, pretzels, pizza, ice cream, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, melon, red grapes, green grapes, orange and watermelon.  Thankfully this wasn’t all in the first 10 minutes.  Combined they only weight about 60 pounds.  I seriously do not know where they put it (or how they kept it all down).

People started to arrive and we went outside to the seats to hear the national anthem and the moment of silence for Mike Flanagan.  I was very proud of Max for being quiet and respectful through both of them.  However the cheering after the anthem proved to be a little loud for him so he went back inside.  watch a bit, go back inside, eat something, etc.. But everyone there was very cool and loved the fact it was their first game. Even the people in the box next to us were nice and interacting with the boys. 

Around the 4^th inning or so, lo and behold, the ice cream cart arrived!!  So needless to say the boys had to have ice cream in a Sox helmet..  I mean, it’s a rite of passage no?  While ice cream at 815p might not have been the best idea we’ve ever had, it certainly did stop them from continuously running into the wall and the door, even for just a short time.

Then, the Green Monster hit.. Literally..  They both said I want to go home.  And that was the end of that.  They had a good run.  Like Loyola Marymount in 1990.  But they needed to go home. The fact that they didn’t have a nap at school, either of them and still made it to 845p was very impressive.  And they didn’t run out onto the field which was even MORE impressive..

I’d say their first game was a rousing success.  They ate, they watched, they had fun.  And other than the Hokey Pokey, isn’t that really what it’s all about?

Unfortunately, they didn’t get to hear Dirty Water, but this is just the first game of many more to come..

It's Just a Game..

When is the right time to really introduce kids to sports on TV?  3?  5?  When will they actually comprehend and remember what they are seeing?  Me, I remember watching the Celtics in 1984 (when I was 8), but really not till 1986, when I was 10 do I remember vividly all 4 local teams..  Maybe it's because the Celtics (NBA Champions), Patriots (Super Bowl runner up), Bruins (made the playoffs, lost to the hated Habs in the 1^st round of the now defunct Adams Division) and the Red Sox (well, let's not go there) were all really good?  I was spoiled.  I thought that's the way it always was and was going to be...  I guess I found out pretty quickly in the 90's that it wasn't the case.

It just so happened that Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final where the Bruins had their first opportunity to win the Cup in almost 40 years fell on the eve of my 35th birthday. Can you think of a better present than watching the Bruins complete the Boston Sports Championship Circle where every major sport in the city would have a championship that I actually watched?  But I digress.. This isn't about me, but it is pretty cool.

Before the game people were asking me if I was going to wake my boys up to watch the end of the game if they were winning.  I thought, wow how cool would that be to possibly watch with my kids the 1st Bruin to hoist the cup since Bobby Orr (which happened 4 years before I was even a sperm)?!  It would be amazing. 

And then, I had a moment of clarity and actually thought about it. So I'm going to put my two 3 and a half year old's to bed around 8p as the game is about to start.  Then, I'm going to wake them up about 2.5 hours later when they are fast asleep, carry them downstairs so they can be miserable, tired, cranky and probably fall back asleep while I get annoyed at them for not paying attention and most likely miss the end of the game? Yeah that’s a big fat no for me thanks.

So I say leave them be. Let them sleep and hopefully have great news for them in the morning.  I mean, the Bruins would get another shot to win the cup soon right?  Right?

This blog was actually written the night of Game 7, but wasn’t posted.  Obviously the tenses have changed from the present to the past and we all know what happened, don’t we?!?!  Stay classy Vancouver…

The reason I post this blog now is because we are taking the boys to their first Red Sox game this Friday.  I told them months ago that if they started pooping in the potty, we would take them to see the Red Sox.  Well they've been doing a great job of that, especially Max.  And to be perfectly honest with you, this is one promise I am perfectly happy to deliver on.

While they are just a hair short of 4 years old, I think that they will remember this.  While they do enjoy sitting and watching the Red Sox sometimes, they have become totally enamored with “Wally the Green Monster who lives at Fenway Park” for a few weeks now.  Ever since my friend Heidi bought them Wally shirts, they have become obsessed.  So we read a book about Fenway Park and they are getting really excited.  I can’t wait to see their reactions when I take them up the ramp so they see the Wall and the field for the first time..  I remember my first game in July of 1983. I went with my family and my cousin and his family.  8 tickets in the left field grandstand that probably cost a total of $50, if that.  The Sox lost 7-6, although I don’t remember who they played.  Probably the Orioles. I’m sure I could look it up.

In any event, since it’s a Friday night and they will have been at school all day, I am sure they will only last until the 4^th or 5^th inning or so..  And even though my rule is always never leave a game early, I guess I could make an exception for this one. Unless the Sox pitcher is throwing a no hitter or a perfect game.  Or the opposing pitcher is throwing a no hitter or perfect game.  Or it’s tied 0-0.  Or it’s really tight.  Oh who am I kidding, they’re staying till the end..