World Series Game 3

Saturday evening Jack announced:

“World Series tonight and I’m watching the whoooooole game.”

Shani started to hem and haw, but I jumped in.

“Come on – I think that’s fine.”

She agreed. Alex promptly announced:

“I’m staying up too.”

“The game starts at 8:00 – they’ll be in bed by 11:00,” I said with confidence.

But that confidence was foolish. I had not calculated that they cram the World Series with a full hour of extra commercials. By the end of the night all three of us were reciting the goddam Chevy “No Man’s Land” spot and the AT&T spot where that guy interviews the kids.

Up til midnight.

The game according to Jack:

Jack watched every pitch. In fact, for the first 4 innings, he swung at every pitch. Jack watches baseball with a pen in his hands. He mimics the plate approach of each batter and swings as they swing. It’s a highly active style of viewership.

Somewhere in the 5^th inning, Jack demanded I scoot over on the couch and make room for him. We both mushed in there next to each other, which was super sweet, except when the Cardinals got a hit.

“Yeah!” Jack would scream. He would slam his hands into my chest to leap up and cheer.

“Dammit, Jack! Stop hitting me! All right, Cardinals, beat that no good Red Sox mooks!”

By the 8^th inning, Jack curled up and actually turned away from the TV like he was going to fall asleep.

“Jack,” I’d say, “are you sure…”

“Do you see the score?” he’d speak sternly. “I am not going to bed until the end of this game. No. Way.”

By the final 2 innings he was so tired he was actually making these disgusting slurping sounds. But when the Cards did finally win it in a bizarrely confusing walk-off in the bottom of the 9th, Jack sprang up, climbed over me (stomping on my balls in the process), and began jumping around the room.

The game according to Alex:

Alex put on headphones and watched instructional videos for the Rainbow Loom. He ran my phone, our iPad, and my work computer out of juice over the course of the game.

Candy Corn — “I don’t think the shape came out so good, but I like the color.”

Witches Hat — “I’m going to hang this on the light switch in the bathroom.”

Ghost — “I’m pretty much the best at Rainbow Loom in my whole school.”

Jack O’ Lantern — “This looks the same on both sides, but I like this side better.”

Goblin — “I’ll put this on the bedroom lights switch in Mom’s bedroom and she’ll be so scared.”

Christmas Tree — “Do you think we could hang this on the tree this year?”

Candy Cane — “Ooh. Candy.”

Christmas Wreath — This is supposed to be an earring, but I don’t have posts and I don’t have ears that are pierced.”

Cardinals win it, 5-4. The good guys are up by a game. Boom!