If I wait long enough, one of my kids will do something to make me laugh. Case in point, this Saturday morning we were doing some cleaning in Sarah's room. Out of the blue, Sarah said, "Dad, you wait here. I have a surprise for you.'  Then she left the room and went down the hall. When she returned, she was wearing a Star Wars Jedi costume (leftover from a past Halloween) and carrying a lightsaber.  She gave me a serious pose (see below) and then put on an incredible display of lightsaber skills (see even further below).

Over the years. I've been fortunate to visit a fair number of ballparks.  And, even though I have my favorites, there are many redeeming qualities about each ballpark I've visited.  Wait, I take that back.  I can't think of a redeeming quality for the old Vet in Philly.  What a dump!

But other than the Vet, there are many great things that come to mind when I think about each ballpark I've visited.  

• The amazing view of downtown Pittsburgh and the Clemente Bridge from the 3rd base seats of PNC Park
• The friendly rowdiness (drunkenness) of the bleachers in Wrigley
• The narrowness and brick facade of the concourse levels at Fenway 
• The majestic feel of the warehouse at Camden Yards (especially at night)

When Nats Park opened a few years ago, I couldn't be happier.  Before the Nats arrived, the closest MLB team was the Orioles.  While Camden Yards is quite nice, the hike to Baltimore is tough given the afternoon rush-hour traffic and the latenight return home.  

We go to 5 or 6 Nats games a year and every game is a good time.  The DC landmark, Ben's Chili Bowl, has a location on the 3rd base concourse.  The Red Porch bar area in center field is a great place to have a few beers and watch the game.  And, unlike many parks (especially the one just north of us up I-95 (are you listening Orioles?)), the Nats Park ushers don't let people walk up and down the aisle during an at-bat (BEST. IDEA. EVER.)  However, when I've thought about what makes Nats Park truly memorable, nothing really came to mind.  Until this past week when we were arriving for a Wednesday evening Nats game.  

When you hop off the metro, you walk down Half Street to get to the Nats Park Center Field gates.  As you approach the park, you notice people milling around by the entrance gates.  But what grabs your attention are the extremely large heads bobbing amongst the crowd just beyond the gates.  The large heads belong to the Presidents that participate in the Presidents Race that takes place midway through the 4th inning at every Nats home game.  And before every game, the Presidents are hanging out at the Center Field gates to greet the fans. 

What makes the Presidents so memorable to me is the way the fans (especially, Caleb and Sarah) are attracted to them.  The kids absolutely love them and always want to stop for pictures with them before every game. (Full disclosure:  so do I).  I think the Presidents are the perfect combination of friendly, goofy, and slightly aloof (and, uhhh, presidential?).  In addition to high-fiving fans and posing for photos, you can often catch them stepping away from the crowds to do a little dancing.  And if anything is memorable, the sight of a 10-foot costumed version of Abe Lincoln cutting the rug is indeed memorable.

Sarah's favorite is Teddy because as she put it, "He's fast and he won the race once.  And once he was running really fast and the mascot for the Phillies came out and tackled him and Teddy couldn't get up.  And then he was actually in second place because he was running so fast."  Caleb's favorite is as he put it, "Teddy! Teddy! Teddy!"  and he claims allegiance to Teddy because he "roots for the underdog."

So, from now on, when I'm asked what makes Nats Park memorable, I'll mention the attraction my kids have to the Presidents and the Presidential greeting we receive before every game.

Below are our pictures with the Presidents:  George, Tom, Abe, and Teddy.  Oh yeah, we also took a picture with Bryce Harper.

On the way back from his first All-Stars practice on Sunday afternoon, Caleb mentioned that summer vacation had not begun even though Friday was the last day of school.  His rationale was that he's always off from school on Saturdays and Sundays, so summer vacation doesn't officially begin until he is not at school during a day on which he normally attends school.

So following Caleb's logic, Monday, June 17th was the first day of summer vacation for Caleb and Sarah.  To me, things around the house have a different, more relaxed feel when the kids are in "summer vacation mode."  To give you an idea of what I mean, this blog post provides a few examples of the conversations and happenings that took place on the first day of 2013 summer vacation.

Example#1:  
While teleworking on Monday, I overheard the following conversation between Caleb and Sarah as they entered the kitchen for Breakfast.

Caleb (while reading the paper):  Yes, the spurs won last night!
Sarah (with a nonchalant tone):  So how did LeBron James do?
(Editor's note:  The thing that cracks me up about this innocent banter was 7-year-old Sarah's immediate comprehension of who the Spurs were playing, the identification of  the star player on that team, and the curiosity of how that star player performed.  It was like listening to a few elderly guys sitting around talking sports.)

Example#2:  
Also overheard while teleworking:

Sarah:  Mom, I have a question for you.  A cowboy rides into town on Friday, stays for three days, and leaves on Friday.  How is this possible?
Mom:  Friday is his horse.
Sarah:  How did you know?
Mom:  You've told me that joke a few times already.
(Editor's note:  I'll listen to a well-told joke by one of my kids over and over if given the chance.  This "Friday" joke is one example.  You can also put the "pirate walks into a restaurant" joke into that same category.)

Example #3:
During the penultimate episode of "The Voice (Season 4)," the contestants did an ensemble cover of Poison's "Every Rose has its Thorns."  Midway through the first verse, Sarah sprinted out of the room.  About twenty seconds later, she returned with a guitar over her shoulder and played lead guitar for the rest of the song.  When the song ended, she slid the guitar around so that the strap ran across her chest and the guitar was positioned on her back -- just like the guitarists on "The Voice."

Example #4:
After All-Stars practice, Caleb and I stopped by Chipotle for dinner.  Given the fact that he suddenly has an appetite that rivals my own, Caleb ordered a burrito.  About a quarter of the way through the burrito, Caleb paused mid-bite and said to me:  

Man, this is so good.  They really should charge more for this!  Deeeee-licious!  

And then he simply went back to eating as if what he said was a typical dinnertime comment for a ten-year old.

Example #5:
Q.  What do you get when you mix a damp washcloth, some temporary tattoos, a girl named Sarah, and a parent who is slightly preoccupied with getting dinner ready?
A.  See below.

After Father's Day brunch, Caleb and Sarah polled the crowd to check the interest level in swinging by Elevation Burger for some post-brunch shakes. When met with some indecision from those in attendance, Caleb and Sarah attempted to use their charm to help with the decision-making process.

In the end, their charm (yet again) proved effective.

Shakes for all!

Today at the closing ceremony for the 2013 Alexandria-Potomac Little League (APLL) Spring season, they announced the All-Stars for the Minors kid-pitch division. And who made the team, you ask?  None other than Caleb Finamore!

When describing his selection onto the team, Caleb said "I'm so excited. I'm over the top excited!"

The double-elimination All-Stars tourney starts Wednesday with a game against the Fort Hunt Little League All -Stars.

Congratulations, Caleb!  A well deserved honor for a really good season.