Baseball and Arizona and hanging in Thomas town....

Just as spring fever had thoroughly infected us, we were able to escape the forlorn 40's of Chicago for the 60's (I'm not complaining... much...but I was dreaming of high 70's) of Arizona. This year, instead of heading right to Tucson, Matt was able to cross off a major item on the bucket list (that will be revisited for sure) which was attending baseball's spring training in Phoenix. Luckily, the Thomas's (and Penko) were all game to hang with us in Phoenix while we had a "ball". Here we are at the hotel-house observing some slop house wrestling (the bean bag is the pig pen and the little ones are leaping from the arm rest into the mud/LoveSac).

 The bean bag was such a hit that Joanne and I investigated the brand, LoveSac, only to discover that this bean bag was apparently the Holy Grail of amorphous furniture according to the listed price. I would like to say that the leaping stopped after gaining this new insight, but it did not.

Thursday morning we had a chance to check out the Phoenix kid's stuff. Arizona ranked the Science Center as the top spot for kids. That may be so, it was fun but I have to say we have been lucky enough to have really gotten in quite the collection of science centers throughout the US. They are now all running together for me, except for this....

  ...a human stomach to slide though and, even better, that makes farting sounds. Needless to say, Grandpa Donut was as entranced as Brock.

 Brock found a group of kids that were very cooperative and communicative (no small feat for this age) and worked together to dam the river.

Nate and Jake and Joanne were here too as well as the Gdonuts. And we all had a lovely time. You wouldn't know it by my limited visual support. I am realizing now how very much I have been dependent on the kindness of other cameras (you know who you are ladies, I am forever indebted as are my archives).

The moment of truth! Spring training game number one - Sox vs. Angels at Angels stadium.

Matt supplied Brock with his first autograph ball!  

 So yeah, a signature feature of spring training is to say hi to the players and maybe get a ball signed or something. Turns out the day we went, the Sox had played an afternoon game and put all of their best players in it leaving the kitchen scrapes to play our evening game. Those players did not really come out to sign, and, according to Matt, that was for the best. No need to soil a perfectly good baseball with such paltry scribe. Except, of course, the one great player of the game, Matt Davidson was signing, but stopped 2 people ahead of Brock. wha wah. How could he pass up such cuteness?

 And here they are! The Chicago White Sux Sox!! Sorry, it's just that they really were the lowest of the low ranked players. But, amazingly, they still won!! Not that we stayed, we pushed little man to the 7th inning and then turned in. It was really fun though, and we had amazing seats and it was great to be right up on the game.

Next day we were on for the noon civil war game Chicago Sox Vs. Chicago Cubs at Sox/Dodgers stadium. Yes, that's right! Matt's two favorite teams together in spring training on the largest and loveliest of all the spring training facilities. 

 Matt, Brock, and the world's current best pitcher (now playing for the Dodgers).

This game was lots of fun. The day was hot, the food good, and we sat on the outfield in the grass with a bunch of Cubs fans. The view was not as good from here as our amazing seats the night before, but the mood was spirited and there was plenty of room to frolic.

And here we are on the outfield on the big screen!! There is Matt ready to catch it if clears the fence, Brock is behind him and I am sitting down.

Here Brock and I am with my favorite baseball player (and grandpa!).

The following day we go for a stroll and are quite enamored of the flowering fruit on the barrel cactus. After a bit of googling we learn they are edible! We forage and head home to give them a sample.

Barrel cactus seed on toast.

delicious fried! I wish we had gotten some more for our omelet breakfast!

The next day we part from the Joanne/Jake/Nate trio (not that you knew they were here based on my selfish shots apparently!) and head to the Ostrich Farm that got rave reviews from Nate and the J's while we were at the ball game a couple days before.

Shoot um up gallery.

tiny horses

A favorite, the goat snack elevator.

pellet schlepper

OMG, maybe the highlight, the Hole in the Wall Gang!

Instructions were posted on how to get smooches from the goats, very complicated, "place pellet in mouth"...

Delicious goat love!

 This is a shot taken by a local PI that Matt hired to follow me. Scandal!

Goat in the wall! Amazing. But here is what is more amazing, note the guy to Matt's right.

Holy moly! That guy to the right is my cousin Dan! and his son Braden is behind him!! What are the chances to meet at an Ostrich Farm in Tucson?! Now, granted, he does live in Tucson, and the Ostrich Farm is quite the place, but stillllll....

So cute. The Ostrich's were Brock's favorite. I am a bit worried how Brock's expression relates to the posted signage.

Baaaaaaaaaah!!

 

So, I am so proud of my resilient little nugget. Brag-o-rama incoming... the lady manning the gate got Brock and another little girl psyched up for a brave contest, as the birds tend to just jump all over you; she was basically giving them a warning to keep their cookies together when this happened. So Brock was ready. But then, son of a gun, that dang old bird bit my sweet pea right on the ear!! hard. I saw the mark and one of them bit me and it did smart. But Brock, he had a yelp and a tear and then bustered up his strength and carried on with the bird chaos. Which was good, because the lorikeets were pretty cool, when they weren't tearing your flesh off.

There is the girl in the brave contest behind him, see how she watches him with approving awe?

I feel like we photoshopped the same "ah!" expression on all of us.

Then whoa, the kicker, pet the sting rays! 

 

We were given squid to feed the little cuties. They were really neat guys. Matt made peace with the species.

Well, sadly, I've no pictures of the wondrous Joanne and few of Jake and Nate, but they were there and it was great to see them and it is always a fun and festive time. Thanks mom and dad for hosting, thanks everyone for coming to Phoenix and crashing with us and till next time!!