Going Places

I like taking Eli places. It's fun to strap him in his car seat and head off on some new adventure. Even though our "adventures" are often nothing more than a trip to the grocery store for milk, we still have fun. And the real adventure isn’t so much where we’re going but seeing how Eli reacts to new experiences.

Like the time I took him to a Round Rock Express game*. Eli is always hesitant in big crowds so it was no surprise he was holding on to me tightly as we made our way to the grassy hill above left center. As the middle school choir started to sing the National Anthem, Eli let go and stood next to me taking in the stillness of the ballpark during "the twilight's last gleaming." It was a great father-son moment.

Then the bombs burst in the air. The echo from the fireworks that were launched faded away and the the tranquility of the stadium was reestablished. Well, almost. Because the sudden concussion of the fireworks had scared the tar out of Eli and he had let out a wail that was still resounding across the ballpark. As the middle school ensemble attempted to wrest back the crowd's attention I picked up my little howling banshee. They might as well have put us on the jumbotron because I felt (and am pretty sure) everyone was looking at us.

Actually, having Eli on a jumbotron everywhere we went would make for good entertainment because most of the time his reactions aren't negative. I can see him now cracking up on the big screen as he’s throwing food to the ducks at the park (then shoving the food into his mouth when I turn my back).

It's refreshing the way your kids can give you a new appreciation for the experiences you've stopped paying attention to. I'd forgotten how precious the rain is until I watched Eli look up in wonder as the water fell from the sky. Seeing the the moon rising on a walk, or an airplane streak across the sky, or a footprint in the sand are treasures to his little eyes and reminders of life's beauty to mine.

Of course, he also finds things to treasure when we're out that adults ignore for good reason. Trash, dog poop, and chewed gum from the underside of benches come to mind. But that's just the price you pay for taking an almost two-year-old places. And if having chewed gum unexpectedly placed in my hand from time to time is the downside to taking my kid places, I can deal with that. We'll just avoid the firework shows for a while.

*Reader's note: This is part of my shameless attempts to  plug myself as a RR Express fan in an effort to be asked to throw out the first pitch at a future game. To any Express execs reading this: I was the ace pitcher on my Little League all-star team so I know my way around a mound. My cap size is 7 1/4.

Also note, if my editor let this print he is the coolest.