Clara's ESPN and FSN Debut

 

This week we had the pleasure of spending some time with our friends the Kreisels.  On Thursday we had a fun day planned, including making breakfast, a tour of the Anheuser Busch brewery, and a Cardinal's game.
Unfortunately, Murphy's Law seemed to reign.
Fortunately, our long string of mishaps became comical by the end of the day.

• It all began when the power went out in the morning.  Clayton is in the shower at the time which left him in an unfamiliar bathroom in the pitch black.  This made our elaborate breakfast plan impossible, so we eat cereal --a let down that we all handle with optimism.  
• The power eventually comes back on and we move forward with our plans for the day. We have a successful lunch
• It rains during the brewery tour.  Thankfully Clara is in her stroller, but Zoe had less protection
• Clayton's sandal brakes as we were leaving.
• It begins POURING rain as Mitch leads our little caravan to a nearby Family Dollar (in a barred window area) in an attempt to find Clayton a shoe
• We all huddle in our cars as Clayton sloshes in, dangling the broken shoe from his right foot in an attempt to continue wearing it.
• Family Dollar doesn't sell sandals
• We then go several miles out of our way to Target for a shoe (thank you "Gary" the Garmin!) 
• Both babies have become very upset by this point... especially Zoe, who has a particularly strong set of lungs.  It's hard to be confined in a car in a storm with a crying baby.
• Kreisels get separated from us in the heavy rainfall and miss a highway interchange.  It takes them quite a while to get turned around (thank you cell phones!)
• While we're waiting for the Kreisels at Target, we learn that this storm will be around, with large hail, for quite and while, and that the Cards game will delayed and possibly postponed
• Target doesn't sell size 13 shoes. Clayton settles for size 12.
• We decide to go to dinner at Cyrano's to wait and see what would happen.  Clayton and Mitch don't want to give up on the game but no one wants the babies out in the rain.
• When we get to the restaurant the Kreisel car seat won't fit in the high chair
• Some of us are a bit stressed out by this point
• Eventually the Cards game is played, but we don't discover until they were already started
• We get to the game in the third inning. Some people are sitting in our seats.
• After three innings it starts raining heavily.  The game is delayed another 50 minutes.
• We stick it out and end up getting better seats because so many people leave early
• We, especially Clayton, are excited about catching a home run ball.  It comes tantalizingly close, hitting the guy just below Clayton.  Unfortunately, it was a home run for the opposing team, which led the their eventual victory over the Cards.
• Clara is doing great sleeping in the baby carrier until a du-du-du-du-dut-du charge! lady whistler joins us two rows down.  She whistles so loud that poor, tired Clara wakes up and begins crying.  She then proceeds to stay awake the rest of the evening until we arrive back at home.
• That was at 12:30am, Clara's latest night ever.

And yes, we did make the highlights on both ESPN and FSN due to our home run proximity.

At Cyrano's

Hanging out at Cyrano's for dinner.
We're still not sure how we feel about this experience.

Mitch set a fast pace walking to the game.
He doesn't like to be late!

Finally at the Cardinal's game!

Mitch and Clara and I are having fun

Before Clara was awoken by the lady whistler.

When it was all said and done we had a great day.  And the babies handled it all better than anyone else!