How to eat your way through a baseball game

It was one of those perfect days. It was sunny and mild here in Chicago, and it was Tuesday morning. My husband was preparing to leave on an out-of-town business trip. I was wrestling with Jake to get him dressed for the day when Mike walked in and announced "I have some news".

"Oh no" was my immediate reply. Then he continued to tell me that his trip was cancelled, but he had access to 4 cubs tickets if we wanted them. YEAH!!!!! Not only was Mike NOT going out of town but he was taking his family to Wrigley Field! We talked it up to the boys, who love to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballpark". It was a 1:20 game so after a full morning at a local petting zoo, we picked up Dad and headed to Downtown Chicago-Wrigley Field! We had lunch in the car (McDonald's, of course) and made it by the middle of the first inning. The boys seemed very jazzed by the crowd and the cheers. We picked up a ballpark-sized bag of cotton candy on our way up to our seats. As soon as we got to our seats the boys dug into the bag of cotton candy. That lasted through the second inning. Max was having a great time yelling "Go Cubs Go!", while Jake seemed mostly fascinated with the stadium chairs, you know-you push the seat down and then it folds back up again. By the beginning of the third inning Max was ready for his hot dog and soda. So Mike took Max for some more food (did I mention the McDonald's). Jake tried to climb up after them but them settled for sitting in Max's seat and pushing dad's seat up and down, up and down. The boys came back with the food and everyone sat down for our second greasy meal of the afternoon, but who goes to the ballpark and skips the hot dog? Well, they were delicious and we were thirsty and passed around water and Pepsi. No Coca-Cola, darn-it. Max pointed out , several times, that the gentleman behind us was throwing his peanut shells on the ground. During the fifth inning we flagged down the peanut vendor and got ourselves a bag. Max was highly entertained with cracking the shells and throwing them on the ground. I noticed he wasn't eating anything. So I made a deal with him-crack the shells, and give me the peanuts. It was a highly functioning, working relationship. Mike and Jake had come to the same agreement, only Mike was the one doing the cracking and Jake doing the eating! Wow, the game was really flying by, the Cubs weren't scoring much so not too much jumping and screaming going on. By the sixth inning the guy with the Cracker Jacks finally came by, and the boys chose the long licorice rope over the Cracker Jacks. I guess they had enough peanuts already. So we opened up the "Super Rope", which judging from its taste and texture was purchased in bulk the same year Wrigley Field was opened (1914) and is stored underground season after season. Max and Jake loved it, though. I then took Jake and Max to the bathroom and it was time for the seventh inning stretch. For those unfamiliar with Wrigley Field, this is one of the greatest traditions, the standing and singing of "Take me Out to the Ballpark". Max and his dad sang as loudly as they could, and Mike said Max was grinning ear to ear and really got into the "1-2-3 strikes your out!" part. Sadly, Jake was still in the bathroom getting a diaper change, but we made it out to the aisle for the ending so Jake could sing a little bit. And since there was no more food left in Wrigley Field we called it a day. And in the nick of time, too. Both boys fell asleep almost as soon as pulled out of our overpriced parking spot.