August 2 = Vacation Day 3

We started off our last day of vacation by going to the Buffalo Zoo.  It started off okay... We took pictures in these cutouts:

But the good moods didn't last for long.  I love the zoo.  So.  Much.  But it just doesn't usually work out for us- which is why I went by myself when Zachary and I went down to Jacksonville for the Navy/Notre Dame game.

Thankfully, they napped in the car as we headed to Cooperstown, NY.  We stopped at this adorable diner before we headed to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

By this time in the day, we weren't expecting a lot out of the kids so we just went with an open mind and hoped to be able to read a few things.  That made things go pretty well!

Then one of the funniest stories ever happened.  We were on our way either home or to a hotel, depending on how we felt... when we stopped for gas.  Zachary was on the phone with his dad and pumping gas.  I ran inside to get a bottle of water and take a quick bathroom break.  I came out of the convenience store and the van was nowhere to be found.  I walked around the building... I looked up and down the street- we were in the middle of nowhere so it wasn't like he ran to a fast food place real quick and was coming right back.  I stood outside for a while thinking of any other explanation besides- my husband just abandoned me at a gas station.  So I went inside and asked to use their phone- I had left mine in the car... and explained what happened.  They looked at me with the saddest eyes when I told them I'm sure he just didn't notice I wasn't in the car.  Well- Zachary doesn't typically answer phone calls from unknown numbers so he didn't take my call.  So I called back twice in a row to make him maybe consider this was a call he should take. Well he was finishing up his conversation with his dad so he wasn't paying attention to the multitude of rings coming in.  He got off the phone and was telling me that his dad really was encouraging him to stop at a hotel and even offered to pay for it.  When he didn't get a response from me he did a double take and realized I was not in the car.  He made a quick u-turn and called the number that had called him several times.  It took about fifteen minutes but I was eventually rescued from the gas station.  I think the attendants in the convenience store were relieved he came back- I don't think they were convinced he would.

But back to pictures- here's one of Miss Kayleigh at the hotel we did end up stopping at:

It was a good call because the kids did go to sleep and we all got a good night's rest!

April 18 = Marathon Day

Warning: there are a lot of pictures in this post.

First- I thought this bottle was really cool.  I was talking to a girl at MOPS today (two weeks after the marathon) and her brother lives in Boston and his Birthday is April 18 and sometimes falls on marathon day.  When it does, he doesn't have to work on his birthday because as she said, Boston shuts down for the marathon.  It's so awesome.

Zachary got up really early to head over.  I was really hoping for everyone's sake that I'd be able to handle the kids by myself "last night."  I like to pretend I'm writing the blog post on the actual day the pictures were taken so as Jen Hatmaker said in her book that I blogged about "yesterday," give me this victory.  However, I couldn't.  Grandma graciously came and slept with Liam and I slept with Malia.  It wasn't great but we survived. Malia finally fell asleep around 4 something so here she is at 7, sleeping like an angel:

I hated to do it but I had to wake her up because it was time to go!  She had breakfast with Pops:

and here's Liam and Pops on the way to the car to grab the strollers.. and then we got on the hotel shuttle to the aiport.

Here's some pictures from the shuttle:

Then we got on the metro- no pictures from there because it was all hands on deck with strollers and toddlers and handrails and crowds.  I mentioned "yesterday" that I packed while under the fog of a migraine so I did forget to bring tennis shoes... instead, I wore my Sanuk flipflops.  I was nervous but they were great and we didn't have to walk very much at all!

So a few days ago, we discovered that while Zachary thought the Red Sox game that he bought tickets to was after the marathon, it was during the marathon.  He was so upset that he was going to miss the game but insisted we go see the game instead of trying to see him run without any guarantees of even a glimpse of him.  We got in the park and learned we had to check the strollers- there wasn't enough room for them under the seats like we had read the night before.  The check-in was next to this:

We started out with high hopes all in our seats at the game.

 

But that didn't last long.  Malia's lack of sleep got to her quick and Liam was determined to get out of the confines of the seats somehow, even if it meant crawling under the seats of the people in front of us.

So Malia broke first.  I took her out and retrieved the stroller we had to check-in and we went shopping for Red Sox hats for me and Liam.  I picked one out for her but she pushed it away forcefully so I didn't push it.  When I came out, I discovered Grandma and Liam had abandoned the seats as well.  So we took the opportunity to get some more pictures!!

At a certain point I decided I had to see part of the game.  So as Malia was falling asleep, I went back in with Liam determined to make it work.  It didn't.  After a few minutes I handed him off to Pops and after a few minutes, Pops decided to join Grandma and Malia.  I got these pictures from their time together: 

 

So it was the eighth inning when I was childless watching the game.  We had been up 1-0 since the bottom of the second inning.  And by we I mean the Red Sox.  Anyway.  In the top of the eighth, the Blue Jays scored four.  It was sad but we still had hope.  I was also holding out hope that Zachary would make it to see even a second of the game.  We didn't score any in the bottom of the eighth but neither did they (the Blue Jays) in the top of the ninth so it was the bottom of the ninth and we had to score at least three.  So the whole game, Boston fans were upset because David Ortiz aka Big Papi hadn't hit once.  He's lots of Red Sox fans' favorite player.  So it's the bottom of the ninth, we score two and there are two out.  When I saw Big Papi was up next, I knew I had to get a video of him hitting.  He retires at the end of the season and it wasn't looking like Zachary was going to make it in time to see him hit.  So I was about to hit the record button, the crowd is going wild because he's coming up to bat and.... HERE COMES ZACHARY.  I got chills everywhere because he could not have had better timing if he'd tried.  The crowd that was already on their feet and cheering cheered even louder seeing a marathon finisher coming into the stands. It was movie material.  And then Big Papi struck out and we lost.  But still!  Zachary got to see Big Papi in the game and got a lot of accolades for being there after running 26.2 miles in 3:25.  We got someone to take this picture to remember the moment: 

And then we got a few more pictures.  I had not seen the Mickey Mouse figure before so I snapped a few more:

And then we headed to one more store so Zachary could find some stuff- the one in the park was crazy busy after the game.

  

  
We got this picture after our shopping was done- the whole group!

Walking back toward the metro we saw this sign that Zachary must have been super relieved to have seen earlier in the day:  

 

From here it's a blur.  I know we ate and slept but that's all I remember.  It was quite a day and Zachary achieved something he has been dreaming of for a while.  I'm so incredibly proud of him and in awe of his ability!

September 25 = Derek Jeter Day

Zachary is a huge Red Sox fan.  Therefore, I'm assuming Liam will also be a huge Red Sox fan.  On Thursdays, Zachary doesn't get home until around 10:00pm from DC.  So being the cool, hip and sports world informed Mom that I am, I let Liam stay up to watch Derek Jeter's last at bat at Yankee Stadium.  Even as a huge Red Sox fan, Zachary loves watching sports history and this was definitely one for the record books- even if it had been a strike-out or a simple hit.  However- that's not how it went down.  Zachary got home in time to pick Liam up and watch Derek Jeter make history.  Here's the story of what happened:

For one final night, No. 2 was No. 1 in the Bronx.

Fighting back emotions throughout the day, Derek Jeter delivered one last highlight for his Hall of Fame résumé, hitting a walk-off single to lift the Yankees to a 6-5 win in the final home game of his legendary career Thursday night.

As Jeter was mobbed by his teammates in between first and second base, the key players of the 1990s dynasty, including Joe Torre, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Tino Martinez lined up in front of the Yankees dugout to congratulate the Captain.

“We’ve shared a lot of success, a lot of memories together,” Jeter said. “I guess this is one last one we can share together.”

After hugging each of his present and past teammates, Jeter made one last trip out to his home at shortstop, where he squatted down and said a short prayer as is his custom before games.

“I wanted to take one last view from short,” Jeter said. “I was trying to take a last view in the top of the ninth and then they tied it, and I thought I would have to go back out there. I basically just said thank you, because this is all I’ve ever wanted to do, and not too many people get an opportunity to do it. It was above and beyond anything I’d ever dreamt of. I don’t even know what to say. I’ve lived a dream, and part of that dream is over now.”