TheSammamishWerners: Opening Day

Just a quick post on our fun on Tuesday at Opening Day for the Mariners. I took the day off and brough Jackson to the game while Mackenzie and Steph had a shopping day and visited friends in Seattle.

This was a very special day, for many reasons. First, any day where a parent gets to spend the whole day one on one with one of their kids is priceless. There was just something so intimate about getting to spend the day with Jackson, each of us getting each other's undivided attention for the whole day.

Secondly, for both of us baseball is a favorite interest, especially the Mariners. For me personally, I am incredibly excited that Ken Griffey Jr is back with the Mariners, as it is a great shared connection between us, as my favorite baseball memories are of the glory years in the 90's watching Griffey's sweet swing with the M's. Now Jackson gets to experience it first hand, instead of just hearing his dad talking about it. So Tuesday was especially cool, getting to see Griffey back in a Mariners uniform for the first time together.

Lastly, Jackson's passion for baseball has become nearly fanatical. He has always had a strong love for the game, to the extent that we have never left a game early, and we've been going to games since he was 2 months old. But this year he has really gained an understanding of the game that I think is pretty amazing for a 4 year old. He recognizes every regular Mariners player, even the new ones. He intently watches EVERY pitch, not only saying whether it is a ball or strike, but if it's a ball he'll say "outside" or "low", etc. Yesterday he recognized and was ecstatic over a well executed bunt that moved the players from 1st and 2nd base to 2nd and 3rd. He got no help from dad. Anyway, it is very fun to watch, and a constant source of entertainment for us.

The game itself was a blast... the roof was open, Ichiro got his gold glove from last season, Griffey made his debut, and the Mariners won in extra innings. Just a perfect day for father and son!

Some more images of our day...

Jackson getting a quick study in Mariners history