the belly chronicles

watershed

This could be about Isaiah's big hockey jamboree game, the last game of the year that filled the stands with loving admirers of 4 and 5 year old hockey stars. Or it could be about the fact that finally, a year and a half after my brother gave me my super little Flip video camera, I finally figured out how to upload a video. (Let me know if it doesn't work :)

No, it's not a great video. And you'll have to decide for yourself the entertainment value of little kids in gear on skates. Personally, I think it's even more of a crackup than football or soccer. 

Of course, this is the play after he scored his goal. I messed up recording the goal shot. Isaiah is the one with the red stripe on the side of his pants in the foreground at the beginning of the game shots and stumbling in the middle.

I love...

• hearing his name announced.
• how on the puck most of them are.
• how he raises his fist and stick at the end.
• how much he loves to play.

Don't worry...this won't become bad home movie central.

play ball!

His first sentence: "Go, Crabs, go!"

Isaiah has been waiting these 3 years for this moment . . . his very own baseball team. We've been avid fans of the Humboldt Crabs, the Charleston Riverdogs, and 2 weeks before opening day he's already calling the Rochester Honkers his favorite team, but T-Ball at the Y is his shining moment for now.

From the coaches' first instructions to the batting, running, and catching drills to the all-hands "T-Ball!" cheer at the end, all-American boy has found his spring passion.

(And if you look closely at the bottom picture, you'll see that his is the lower down denim cap in the center of the crush . . . I think we got a future denizen of the middle of group hugs on our hands.)

we are family

Even though my actual time lived there was so short, I have so many deep roots in Pittsburgh, it feels like my first (of many) hometowns. So there was much anticipation, excitement, and rejoicing yesterday, from the pre-game costuming (Mister "Big Ben WaffleBurgers" liked that his namesake was so easy to spot on the field)...

to the giant party bowl of caramel corn that Miel parked herself in front after she polished off the Fritos...

to the rally towel whipping while the Steelers were down...

until, YES, they pulled it out!
I know, it's just corporate sports that distract us from the real issues at hand, but really, isn't that nice sometimes? Just to sit back, see the ads of the moment (unimpressive, weren't they? so many violent movies!), eat junky food, and watch some giants pummel each other.