We Braved the Stadium

The answer to last week's question was yes.  We got up Tuesday morning, I saw a post from a friend that said "Parade??? I hope so."  So we went.  All it took was your small urging LaJuan!!  The parade was supposed to start at 11:15 at City Hall and end at the stadium with free activities there.  So by the time we all got up and got dressed, we got to the light rail station at 9:30.  That's when I knew we were in for trouble.  The entire parking lot at the Timonium light rail station was full.  I don't ride it often, but I have never had to look for a spot to park.  We did find a spot, but then saw a crazy long line at the platform.  All in all we stood on the platform for over an hour (it took us 45 min. just to get to the ticket machine to purchase our tickets)  Then every train that came through was so full no one could get on.  People were crossing over to get on north-bound trains and ride all the way up to Hunt Valley so they could stay on and make it south.  Finally they sent an extra empty train up to Timonium, which we completely filled up and made no other stops all the way to Camden Yards. The conductor announced that everything had been backed up 30 min. to allow more people to get downtown because of all the public transportation problems that morning.   It was pretty crazy.  We were crammed on and Gwyn and I had to stand up.  Two lovely college girls sat in each other's lap so that Celee could sit down and Lyla sat in her lap.    After all that, I really didn't know where exactly to go to "see" the parade.  Also by this time we heard people saying that the stadium was so packed they had closed the gates and wouldn't let anyone else in.  I was still expecting a "parade" so we searched for somewhere to see it.  It was not to be.  There were so many people that we couldn't see anything and there was no where to go to get a better view.  We knew the parade started because people started screaming, but we couldn't see it.  I took turns picking each girl up on my shoulders for a little while so that they could at least see what was going on.  I paid for that the next day too.  Anyway, it wasn't a real parade, just the players and one band.

After that was over, I still didn't really know where to go.  (Keep in mind that I don't really know where anything is in Baltimore yet and had no idea what to expect from this event in any case)  So we followed the enormous crowd of people toward the stadium.  We knew the gates were closed, but people packed around them as if they might open so we headed for the gates.  I kept telling the girls, "If this starts to look scary or people are being inappropriate, we will have to leave."  They were pretty disappointed when it was clear that no one was going to get into the stadium.  We could hear the program going on, and I could see it on a tv screen over people's heads, but the girls couldn't see anything.  I think they had secretly held on to some hope that they would get to meet Ray Lewis (the one player whose name they know), but alas, it was not to be.  I decided that we had come this far, and it was certain to take us a long time to get back home, so we might as well wait it out and get into the stadium when the program was over.  When else are we going to get to go on the field in Ravens' Stadium?  I doubt we'll ever even get to go to a game, because Lord knows I'm not paying that kind of money to watch a football game.  Finally, it was over and yes!  the gates did open.  We went in even thought one of the stadium people was shouting for everyone to just go home, that it was all over.  Um, no.  We came that far, we were at least going to go in.  So we went in and the girls did get to go on the field.  They even got their picture with Natty Boh in a Ravens uniform.  By this time it was 2oclock and we hadn't eaten lunch.  (Lyla chose to tell me when we were at the gates that she forgot to eat breakfast)  So we again followed the crowd to the Harbor to try to get something to eat.  This all took a very long time.  I heard it said that some 200,000 people were downtown for the festivities, and apparently no one, public transportation or restaurants, were prepared for it.  Thankfully the police were everywhere.  I never did fell unsafe, and people were much more well-behaved that I had expected.  So yes, it was crazy, and no we did not see a parade, or a Raven, but we did have fun and now the girls have at least been in the stadium.  

Compared to that day, the rest of the week was cake.  We did a cool science experiment about skunk/otter fur and blubber.  The girls got to wear an otter glove (baggies stuffed with shortening) and stick their hands in ice water.  We all agree.  If I'm ever to swim in cold water, I would prefer to have thick fur and a layer of fat to keep me warn like an otter.  As an aside, I never knew that skunks eat bees and wasps.  Their fur is so thick that the stings don't hurt them.

We went back to the Sweet Air gym and got to play soccer with some other kids.  That was fun.  Even the mom's got to play.  Unfortunately, I was the only mom not to make a goal.  I got awful close several times though, I even hit the frame of the net, and earned an honorary .5 points.  It was fun for the girls to play a team sport like that again.  Now Lyla and Celee have decided they are interested in playing soccer again in the future, so I think that's kind of cool.

 I got to go to breakfast on Saturday with the ladies from our small group.  We went to Miss Shirley's in Baltimore.  It was pricey-er than I usually go for, but it was oh so yummy.  I had the blackened shrimp over grits and fried green tomatoes.  Ooh, it was good.  And it was good to have adult conversation over a meal.
I didn't forget about Jason though - he ate my leftovers as soon as I got home.

 
I did take the girls swimming today at the gym.  They have a family swim on the weekends.  We had a lot of fun.  I especially like it that the therapy pool is open to play in and is warmer than the lap pool.  The girls even ran into another girl they know and were having fun with her.  Lyla has gotten over her fears and remembered that she can totally swim on her own.  So they were holding noodles for each other and taking turns jumping into the pool over or onto the noodles.  They did this for no lie, at least 45 min.  There were lots of noodles, and the girls had 5 or 6 - but there were also 5 or 6 kids playing the game at one time.  Still these little boys kept coming over and snatching the noodle out of the hands of whoever was holding them.  I thought that was rude, but just boys trying to aggravate girls.  Then a dad came over and took a noodle out of Gwyn's hands!  No asking for one or anything!  We were determined to let this slide.  Then this little girl tried to take one from Lyla and because I was right next to her, I told her to just ask for it, but not to snatch it.  Then I realized that these kids and the dad were all together.  Later the dad actually grabbed Gwyn's foot and pulled her away from a spout of water where his kids were playing.  I wish I had seen it when it happened.  I don't think I would go dance mom on anybody, but I would at least say something about how you do not touch other people's kids.  And you should just ask someone to move if they're in your way or have something you want.  As it was, I did not know this happened until Gwyn came and told me, by which time the guy had moved on to another area.  Now this is all pretty crappy behavior, but to top it off after we changed and were leaving, the same man was sitting waiting for his wife and kids and actually made an ugly face at Celee and Gwyn!  What a moron!  We said an out loud prayer for him as we went out into the parking lot.  Again, crappy behavior, but thanks rude man for prompting discussion with my kids about rude behavior and how we should treat people.  And how to react when other people aren't being nice.  Lord help us all.  At least we had a funny-after-the-fact story to tell Jason when we got home.