Supermoon and Sunshine

WEEKEND REWIND: This weekend brought some much welcomed sun, and we made the most of it.

Saturday evening we took advantage of CJ & Annabelle's Mariners Kids Club vouchers, which scored us tickets for them to the game for just $1 apiece. Christian and I had to buy our way in at full price, but we got cheap seats, so it wasn't too big a hit overall.

Since we knew we'd be sitting up high, I suggested to Christian that he go ahead and get the very top row in the stadium on the west side. I like sitting there because not only can you see the field, but you also have a great view of the Space Needle, downtown, Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. Not bad for cheap seats, eh?

In case you're wondering, the little circular lights over the Space Needle (above) and hovering over Puget Sound (below) are reflections of the stadium lights in the glass I was shooting through.

Before the game started, there was a quick award ceremony. A local kid was a winner in a national essay contest with the theme: “2012 Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life.” Jackie Robinson's daughter Sharon Robinson was on hand to present the award. CJ got a thrill out of that, because he's a big Jackie Robinson fan.

Here's a taken from really far away shot of Ms. Robinson with the essayist, McCrae Leith, and Chone Figgins of the Mariners.

Now that we know about the annual MLB Breaking Barriers essay contest, we can keep it on our radar for next year.

King Felix was pitching Saturday evening, so we were hoping for the best, and FINALLY we got to see the Mariners win. It honestly feels like forever since we've been at a game that they won. The game went relatively quickly - Felix only gave up one hit and not a single run. Meanwhile the Mariners scored 7, so it was fun to watch them romp around the bases for a change.

We made a quick exit in the ninth and on our way home we passed tiny Ursula Judkins Park at the west end of the Magnolia Bridge. The scene there was jaw dropping - it was a circus of cars parked every which way and more tripods than I've ever seen in one spot. I immediately said, "That's right! It's supermoon," the  once-a-year chance to see the moon as it reaches its closest spot to the Earth at the same time its in its full phase. 

I asked Christian to zip up to hilltop Ella Bailey Park, which also has a good Space Needle vista. We weren't there more than two minutes when the big, orange full moon made its appearance.

We were lucky to see it at all - there were many clouds in the sky, but the supermoon revealed itself for just a minute or two between bands of clouds. It was quite a sight to see!

SUNNY SUNDAY: Though we worked around the house most of the day we did escape for a waterfront dinner - $4.99 worth of fried chicken and some strawberries. Cheaper than most waterfront dining experiences, to be sure. Our driftwood seats weren't the most comfortable, but it was hard to beat the view - sailboats, ferries, cargo ships and more passing by.

Dining al fresco isn't without its perils, however. One dog owner decided her dog was the exception to the "No Dogs" sign at the park, and apparently her dog was also not subject to that silly little leash law thing, either. And so, her dog (predictably) came to join us for dinner. Have I mentioned her dog was about a 90-pound pit bull? So, so great to see that dog heading for Annabelle and her plate of food. Equally awesome to see Christian wrestling the dog for Annabelle's dinner. (Frankly, I would have LET the dog have the chicken!)

Fortunately no one would up with wounds or stitches. I must say, I don't blame the dog AT ALL. In fact, as soon as we sat down and I spotted the off leash dog, I said to Christian, "We're going to be getting a visit." I mean, what dog doesn't want chicken? Too bad the dog has such an irresponsible owner. 

IN CONCRETE: Today, the pad for our new carport 'floor' was poured. Christian explained some of the goings on to the kids. (Nice paint job on the cement truck's drum, BTW.)

 Naturally, before it set up too much, CeeJ and Bee had to carve their initials into it.

CRAMMING: Tomorrow CJ has to take the MSP, short for Measurement of Student Progress, a standardized test all kids grade 3-8 have to take. We had some sample questions to study with. CJ had no problem with the math and reading involved, which was good to see. The only hiccoughs came with the weird wording of some of the questions. I told him that part of taking any standardized test will always involve trying to figure out what it is, exactly, is being asked of you.

We talked about test taking strategies  and things like process of elimination, best guesses, pacing, making sure you don't skip any questions, and so on. It's going to be a loooong day for him. Testing is from 9:30 to 2:30. Obviously, that's a pretty normal school day for most kids, but CJ isn't normal. ;)

That said, I'm sure he'll find a way to muddle through.