Think Spring

This is the very hardest time of year in the Pacific Northwest. The holidays are past but the days are still very dark, and the weather is constantly gloomy. Saturday was yet another cold, wet and blustery day but we couldn't bear to stay indoors all day. We had the faintest glimmer of the brighter days on the horizon. No phrase warms my heart quite like "pitchers and cachers report to spring training". Woo hoo - if baseball is coming, spring can't be far behind.

There is one prelude to the coming spring training here in Seattle however and that is the Seattle Mariners' Fanfest. Basically it is an open house at the Mariners' ballpark, Safeco Field. Well, not quite an open house (adults $10, children $5) but you do get a chance to roam around the park, see areas you wouldn't otherwise see and do things you wouldn't otherwise be able to do. Together with the Button family, we headed for the park.

They had free face painting for the kids... thank goodness it was free. Would you have paid for somebody to do this!?

Yikes! While most kids were content to get a tiny shimmering star or baseball on a cheek. Josh elected to go for the whole facial and then spent the rest of the afternoon frightning old women and small children. Actually, I guess some folks pay would pay to see people like that. Perhaps Josh has a future in Vegas.

When we took this stuff off at home it only "kinda" came off. He spent Sunday in church with a greenish hue. Looked ready to hurl at any moment. Josh is so wierd.

I think he was just trying to upstage Sarah who also went for a semi-extreme treatment.

Sarah ready to audition for KISS

The highlight of Josh's day was his chance to ask a question of his very favorite Mariner J.J. Putz. Josh asked him if it was fun to be a foot... er... baseball player. J.J.'s answer "It's a blast".

Grilling J.J.

It was very cool to have access to the actual playing field. The kids loved it and it helps them to build a connection to the place they will be seeing 81 times this year in crystal clear HD.

Ben Rounds Second Base
Litterally chilling in the dugout It was also a lot of fun to get to play catch out on the field. The kids would try to catch the balls as I threw out near homeruns. They would try to climb the wall (like Ichiro) and make the grab. Not as easy as the pros make it look. If you look closely behind Sarah in this picture you can see Valerie and Ben sitting in the stands while Aunt Keri and little Andrew head down the stairs.

It is good to have fans Sarah and Josh also took their turns at this cool batting thing they had set up. A whiffle ball floats on a stream of air and you swing away. Not as easy as it sounds. The ball was bobbing up and down.

At least we feel now like spring is on the way. GO MARINERS!