Sports and more sports....

Today is Opening Day for the 2009 Major League Baseball Season! It just also happens to be the NCAA Final Four Championship with North Carolina taking on (currently up by 20pts) Michigan State. It also happens to be the first weekday back in the office from a week of the Shell Houston Open where Paul Casey won in a playoff on the 18th hole -- which played as the hardest hole on the tour as a Par4 with players averaging well into the 5.023 for their scores. I am very lucky to have a wife that understands that attending a golf tournament is a form or working (or at least she pretends very well!)

Brady seems to be very much interested in whatever Dad thinks is cool to watch on TV or attend. This weekend Brady watched the final couple of holes of the Shell Open and although Tiger Woods was not playing he continues to yell "Go Tiger" and engage in "Tiger Pumps" (After seeing Tiger at the Bay hill Invitational on TV come back from several strokes down the previous weekend -- Brady and I practiced the "Tiger pump" which is a strong right arm and fist pump into the air!) Brady has taken to playing golf in the living room and he even tosses a club every now and then when he can't hit the ball ALL THE WAY to the front door! Seriously, who can blame him for being upset with not hitting the ball all the way across the house at the age of 2 1/2! That has to be like hitting a 350 yrd drive for him!

Brady and I caught a few basketball games over the month of March (32 to be exact!) and he reminds me every time to "put your hand behind the ball" to shoot! Mom taught him this out in the driveway and he has a memory like a trap. He really has enjoyed the numerous "quiet" times on "Daddy's couch" that include a snack and a quick catch-up on the happenings of March Madness.

We also took out last weekend on Saturday to a Rice vs. Memphis baseball game. Brady got to see his cousin, Chase, and we also went to the Rice Blue/Gray football game with his friend, Wyatt. Brady and I left around 10 AM and returned for dinner -- napping only on the ride home! We had a really good time and tried to let Mom and Cullen get some much needed rest. Brady also ran into his neighbors from across the street, Straton and Taylor, at the Rice Owls baseball game.

Now this morning, Opening Day of MLB, Brady sported his Astros' shirt and baseball shoes to school today -- and he also had his baseball sunglasses and hat. Apparently, he wanted to be incognito the whole day as he didn't take his glasses off all day. Last night, we told Brady a story about a Paci Fairy that would come to his house and trade him a toy for his pacis. He woke up this morning and brought his pacis downstairs put them on the couner and said he wanted a "Orange Hard Football". Now, one might think this is an easy task for the Paci Fairy, but honestly, we can not possibly have a BURNT orange football being thrown around this household -- Not that I wouldn't want my son to become the QB at a school in a town that prides itself in staying weird, but the thought of my Rice Owl cheering son turning on me so soon sent pains through every bone in my body. The Paci Fairy went to several local sporting good stores and found hundreds of Maroon and Burnt Orange balls but after an hour of looking found a trusty Nerf bin that held the perfect Denver Bronco Orange Hard football!!! It was like the sky had opened and sun rays beemed down into the store shelf! So today, Brady had a visitor to his crib and this evening the Paci Fairy could do no wrong -- until right after book reading and right before singing to sleep. Brady cried out for about 5 minutes...."Paci Fairy can bring my paci back and have her present!" So at this point, Brady and Cullen hitting the paci wagon, as both have now gone cold turkey!

Cullen and I have been able to nuzzle a little during the sports mania but Mom keeps saying "Cullen is watching TV, again." So we have been turning off the games and watching Brady run around the house, hitting golf balls, throwing footballs. We have also caught some batting practice in the driveway. Cullen is getting very strong and enjoys standing up and looks like a bobblehead doll when he gets tired...but he really enjoys watching big brother.

Signing off - shay