If you grow up as a Jewish baseball fan...that is, a Jewish person who is also a fan of baseball, not a fan of Jewish baseball, though they are not mutually exclusive, I suppose...OK....back to what I was saying: If you grow up as a Jewish baseball fan in a largely Asian neighborhood in the United States, you get ample opportunities to celebrate the new year: in the fall for Jewish New Year, with everyone else in the country (and most of the world) on January 1st, in the late winter for Chinese/Lunar New Year, and again in the spring for baseball's Opening Day! And if you're the kind of baseball fan who slips into that most awful of afflictions, Off-seasonal Affective Disorder, then you start celebrating those new years as often as you can. This year we marked when pitchers and catchers reported to both Giants and A's camps, the first Spring Training game of both clubs, the first regular season game of both, and, finally this weekend, finally, the Giants' home opener. Whew!
For me, going back to the ballpark (thanks to Tom and Carla and my mom, and her friend Larry, and cousin Julie for all their babysitting to make it happen, by the way) was like a family reunion of sorts. There are a lot of people I haven't seen since long before the babies were born - other Giants staffers, folks from the press box, and fans who sit in my section. I got to catch up with a bunch of people and flash adorable Salvateenie pictures at them -- whether or not they wanted to see them.
Among the folks I saw was Chelsea and her new baby Hartley, whom I got to hold. Hartley is three months younger than the Salvateenies, but she is roughly the same weight as Caroline, so it was funny holding her and feeling how squishy she still is. The 'teenies are all muscly now - holding up their necks and torsos, and I realized how much my babies really have grown when I tried to remember back to when they were all smushy and soft like that.
Usually after working my first game of the season, I come home tired and sore all over. This year, though, I wasn't sore at all. I think part of it might have been all the adrenaline of seeing everyone. And part of it might be that I am just so tired all the time. So, who cares that the Giants lost on Sunday? That's OK. Giants fans know you can always get them next time.
This weekend also saw visits from the Sigalas and the Linerts:
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| Caroline finally fits into her skirt outfit from Aunt Laya! |
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| Three-fourths of the Sigala kids (Lala, Nicolas, and Sofia) team up to feed Max |
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| While mom Martha feeds Caroline (who seems to have found her toe!) |
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| Isabela "Lala" Sigala stole my birthday (she was born a few years after I was, but on the same day) |
I think my favorite moment of the Sigalas' visit was when Alicia said, "This is fun - we're not doing anything, but it's still fun." Predictably, about 10 minutes later she was bored and soon the family toddled off to the beach to enjoy the sun while I got the babies to take their nap.
After nap time, new visitors came:
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| Anjali fed Daniel |
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| And Daniel thanked her by tugging on her hair a little - she needed a hair cut anyway! |
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| Max enjoyed the attention - but when he squealed, Ajay said he was "too loud" |
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| Anjali taught Daniel how to relax on the couch |
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| but Max did not want to join in |
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| Anjali and Caroline played peek-a-boo |
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| Caroline was not fooled - she knew just where Anjali was! |
