BBQ, Baseball and Boys

What a busy couple of weeks we have had! Yikes! Is this what parenthood is all about??
1. BBQ
We had a great time breaking out the BBQ for its first DC use (yes, as Chris always points out, we're actually in Silver Spring, MD, and thus are not DC colonists, but Erica figures, "Close enough!"). Chris had a great time grilling some veggie burgers and kabobs -- not quite the same as steaks and burgers, but a great Father's Day treat nonetheless. We absolutely love our new deck and look forward to lots cookouts in the future. We want visitors!

2. Baseball
After years (okay months) of lamenting that Miri has no baseball stuff, the past couple weeks broke the drought. Miri was a little jealous that her cousin Chase had three baseball gloves when he was six months old and she still didn't have even one, even though her folks are HUGE baseball fans. Well, Grandma Margery came through with a donation of a glove that Uncle Rob and Aunt Vida got at a game. Even better--it is a Washington Nationals glove! Unfortunately, the arrival of the glove did not lead to better luck for the Nationals who have had 87 different lineups in 89 different games. The only team doing worse seems to be Erica's hometown favorite Pads.

We would have been happy with the glove, but that wasn't all the week had in store for us. Miri also received her very own engraved Louisville Slugger bat, compliments of the Costa family. {Many thanks to Gregg for responding to Chris' latest rant about having no baseball stuff. What a lovely gift!} Miri loves playing with her ball and bat. No word yet on whether she'll be a southpaw, but it looks as if she might be headed that direction.



Scrappy ballplayer : The other day, Miri was playing with her baseball on the kitchen floor. Taking advantage of a moment when her parents were engrossed in reading the paper, she rolled backwards and banged her head on the floor. THUD! We looked down to see her on her back, arm stretched high in the air -- still clutching the baseball! Out! Whaddaplaya! She had to be scooped up and carted off the "field," just like many of her cherished Nats ballplayers these days...

3. Boys
The Quigley boys (and their parents) took the Asch household by storm when they came by for a visit yesterday. The boys loved splashing in the nearby Sligo Creek; Harper got into everything (thus providing the valuable service of showing exactly what steps we need to take before Miri becomes mobile). Aidan took great care of Miri, giving her lots of hugs, kisses and attention. What a gentleman! They left behind a great present for Miri, along with a couple of things dropped inadvertently during the visit. With Cousin Pearce stopping by last week, we are now accumulating quite a cache of "lost and found" boys' items!