Taking Toddler to Phillies Baseball Game

I have always been an avid sports fan -- before I moved up north I had season tickets to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Football games, I was part owner in a suite at the Ice Palace where the Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey team played, and I went to all the Tampa Bay Storm games (indoor arena football). My husband is also a big sports fanatic, so we enjoyed traveling to football games, baseball and hockey games together. When I was pregnant with my son, we even went to three baseball games -- breaking in my son to sports while still in the womb.

Once he was born that activity wasn't quite as easy, but I still managed to go to one baseball game when he was seven months old (with him sleeping through half the game) and another baseball game at fourteen months (although we left early). However, yesterday's outing to Philadelphia to see the Phillies play the Angels was not the way I want to go to a game.

I used to love sitting outside, getting some sun, enjoying the ball park, watching the game and relaxing. Yesterday when we got there my husband showed me the seats he had bought....they were phenomenal -- eighth row behind third base, behind the visitor's dugout. I think I got to enjoy the view for the first few minutes when we first arrived there, then for 45 minutes at the beginning of the game before Zacky started squirming and did not want to "sit" any longer and watch the game.

So the rest of the game I was strolling him around, through the crowds, and walking after him in a little more open area, way up on the second floor, where tables and umbrellas were set up -- trying to amuse him in a crowded ball park. It was not fun, it was exhausting, and it was not the way to enjoy going to a game!

I realize that "this too will change" as Zack gets older and will become interested in watching the game -- as he loves baseball. When he was in the seats with us he was excited about the mascot running around on the field, he was yelling when a batter got up and hit the ball into the field, and he loved being at the game (this lasted for 30 minutes before he was ready to go running around).

So for now -- this transition phase when he is an active toddler -- I know that to save my sanity, it is better to put off this activity until both he and I can enjoy the experience!