phinally!

Life's tough being a Philadelphia sports fan. Let's take the Eagles: they've never won a Super Bowl (as my friend Brian, a Steelers fan, never ceases to remind me). Or the Flyers: they haven't won a Stanley cup since the Broadstreet Bullies days circa 1974. Not being a Sixer (or basketball in general) fan, I can't really comment on their past performance or potential, but do I know it's been at least 25 years since a title of any kind came to the city of brotherly love.

But the Phillies did it! They gave a much needed shot in the arm to a diehard, but desperate, sports town.

Now, I don't claim to be much of a baseball fan. In fact, I find it rather boring unless I'm at the park with a beer in one hand and a dog in the other. But as a child, the Phillies were the team I grew up with. I remember clearly my grandpa sitting on the front porch every summer night listening to games on a little transistor radio. I wasn't much interested in the score---just how soon the ice cream truck was coming---but the crackly sound of the announcer's voice is what sticks with me. That, and the Phillies Phanatic, whom every kid loved:

Watching the games this past week, I was glad to see the Phanatic hasn't changed a bit. (It also occurred to me that he was probably the model for the Capitol City Goofball on The Simpsons.)

If there's one thing about Philly sports fans, it's that they're never surprised when their team loses. In fact, we're only surprised when they win. Maybe that all changed this week. It's possible my Dad even knew something the rest of us didn't way back in May when he gave Sadie this cheerleader uniform:


Hooray, Phillies!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Notice something else about this picture? Sadie can now reach the kitchen countertops. And stove knobs. Time to put away the knives!)

hugs & kisses

There's just no denying how cute Sadie and Sophie are together.

with no further ado

I've been trying to capture the ABC song on camera for at least a month. Finally...here it is for your listening pleasure:



She used to sing the final verse, too ("now I know my ABCs....") but it has gradually morphed into just one, long, continuous ode to the alphabet, over and over and over....

what up, cuz?

We spent four short but fun-filled days in Charlotte last week visiting my sister, bro-in-law Ted, and new (but already two months old!) nephew Bergen. Considering she now has to share the attention and affections of Malu and the rest of the family, Sadie was as nurturing as could be expected for a toddler. She even cuddled and gave kisses:

"pssst---you're cute and all, kid...but I'm still number one around here."

Timing-wise, the visit couldn't have been more perfect. We got to celebrate Ted's and Greg's (and Reid's, early) birthdays, and hit the legendary Waldhorn restaurant for an authentic-style Oktoberfest.

"Prost, kleinkind!"

And these photos are just the tip of the iceberg...for now, off to the pumpkin patch!

only in philly

Not once throughout this whole satire of an election year have I been tempted to write about politics here on this blog.  All of that changed last night, in what I can easily call my proudest moment as a Philadelphia sports fan:

In case you can't hear it over the deafening chorus of boos, that's VP-nominee-self-proclaimed-hockey-mom-insult-to-women-everywhere Sarah Palin being introduced for the ceremonial puck drop.   

GO FLYERS!!!!!

(Read the full article here.)