Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts

Lil Ron Rallies

As I was sitting in the school carpool line Tuesday afternoon, my cell phone rang. It was the Rangers again.

Yep, the Rangers have my number. Let's just pause and let that soak in....

"Hi, Ami. Have you all had a chance to settle down," Cherie (with Promotions) asked.

"Today has felt somewhat normal," I said.

"Well, that may change again," she continued. "Because the Rangers' coaches and players felt that Lil Ron was such an integral part of the World Series, they would like to feature him at our rally tomorrow night. The whole family can come this time. Would you all be available?"

"Wow, we had no idea this would continue! Yes, I'm sure we can come," I responded.

As soon as we got to the Ballpark, we tried for another Christmas card picture. It's not quite what I'm wanting though.
I won't quit until I'm satisfied.

Anyway....

Liam was recognized immediately, even though we arrived two hours before the rally began and the crowds were small. Immediately, his picture was taken by more people than I could count.

We'll pretend that this next picture was not taken inside a beer truck. It was a cute truck, okay!
Liam and I were quickly weary of all the picture taking. Thankfully, a Rangers' rep approached me and asked if we needed to be rescued. I responded with a quick "YES!", and he took us behind the fences. Fans could still take Lil Ron's picture, but at least there was space between us.

There was plenty of waiting, but the boys brought baseballs and were pretty content.
Remember when I said that deciding to take Garrett to the World Series game was an easy decision because he can sit through a game without falling out of his chair? Shortly after this picture was taken:
Jackson fell out of his chair in front of thousands of fans. Yep, he did.

We were interviewed by KRLD, Fox 4, Fox Sports Southwest, NBC 5, and probably someone else that I've since forgotten about. Radio and television interviews all run together after a while.

Now, there's a statement I thought I'd never make.

CBS 11 wanted to interview Rick this time. It's funny that he gets more nervous in front of the camera than I do. He's the extrovert in this relationship, yet he stumbles over his first few words when a reporter is asking the questions.
That sweet lady in the background with the red jacket is Cherie, the Rangers' rep that took such great care of us at the World Series. She feels like family now. Mom, I think we should set an extra place for her at our Thanksgiving table.

The rally began at 6pm. The coaches and many of the players were introduced and seated on the stage, while we stayed in the "family" seating.

All owners and coaches were present. A lot of the players have already gone home, but all of the big names were there. Kinsler, Hamilton, Murphy, Feliz, Andrus, Young, Oliver to name a few.

When Ian Kinsler was interviewed, he said, "I don't see that stadium over there, 'cuz this is where all the action is!"

He was referring to the Cowboys' stadium across the street, which is gigantic. But considering how horrible the Cowgirls are this year, his statement was hilarious! Kinsler got laughter from 10,000 fans and a high five from Emily Jones.
I won't bore you with picture after picture of the players on stage, but I will post another picture of my fave, David Murphy. Every time this guy sees my boy, he stops to acknowledge him. There's something very genuine about him.
When it was time for Chuck Morgan to introduce Ron Washington, Lil Ron was brought forward instead of Wash. The crowd cheered and laughed.
Wash found it hysterical, too.

Chuck asked Liam, "Wash, what do you have to say tonight?" Liam said, "That's the way baseball go!" And the fans cheered.

Coaches and players continually thanked the fans for their support throughout the season. And they all promised a winning World Series next year. I can't wait!

The players and coaches split pretty quickly at the end of the rally. I can't blame them. Their off season is very short.

But Captain stayed long enough to play with my boys and to bite my head.
I'm sorry; there's not a photo of him biting my head. I was a bit taken aback and didn't think quickly enough to take a picture.

How do you like those World Series jackets? Cherie gave one to each boy. But because they're too big on the boys, guess who scored herself a World Series jacket?!

The family with the antlers:
My mom was able to go with us, and we got a cute picture of her and the boys.
I owe her BIG time after this whole ordeal. She was a huge help to me during the many interviews! She watched the little boys so that I could focus on reporters, and she took behind-the-scenes photos. She even brought us a lasagna for dinner the night after the big game. She knew I was worn out. Thank you, Mom!

Once the crowds thinned out, we made our way to the car. Liam's picture was taken a few more times, until he finally said, "No more pictures. I've taken like a billion tonight!"

With that being said, we've made sure there are no more photos, and we've turned down interviews. We told him all along that we would make it all stop as soon as he got tired of it.

Lil Ron woke up early the next morning, so we pulled out the clippers. He was ready to be Liam again.
I missed that cute head.
All good things must come to an end.
But what a wonderful time it was!

Lil Ron

I'm awake early for a Saturday morning. My mind is spinning with the reality of what has surrounded my family's little world the past few days.

On Thursday, I woke up as the mom of Liam, Jack and Garrett. But 48 hours later, I am the mom of Lil Ron, Jack and Garrett.

Lil Ron's photos and interviews have gone "viral", and suddenly, nearly everyone in the U.S., perhaps around the world, knows the face of my eldest son with a mustache and a balding head.

I shake my head in amazement.

Truly, we did not set out to dress Liam like Ron Washington to gain any notoriety. Liam wanted to be an "old man" for Halloween, and that included shaving his head, wearing a bow tie, and carrying a cane. But when his school announced they wanted kids to dress for career day instead of Halloween, we knew we needed to tweak Liam's costume.

Rick suggested Ron Washington, and we laughed at how much Liam might actually look like our Texas Rangers' manager. Liam loved the idea, so the deal was set. It was a simple costume that made us laugh and has apparently made a few other Americans chuckle.

I cannot tell you how many times my cell phone has rung. I have no idea how some reporters even find my number; I guess I'm sheltered/innocent in that way. We can't leave our house without being spotted by someone who recognizes Lil Ron. I now understand why celebrities try to disguise themselves when going out for coffee.

The 5 of us, plus my mom, went to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant last night. People all over the restaurant pointed and whispered to one another, "Is that him?" As we sat at our table, Liam noticed people smiling and pointing, and he loved it. As long as he enjoys it, we'll roll with it.

The interview requests continue to pour in. Even as I got up this morning, there was a voice mail with another invitation to a live show this afternoon. I'm not sure if we'll make that one, as Liam has a game this afternoon. He might just want to be a Dirtbag today. We'll let him decide.

The biggest news of all is this: we're going to game 4 of the World Series on Halloween night!!! The Rangers promotion office called me yesterday and asked if I could please sit down. "Lil Ron's picture has reached the top executive level here. We all love him. If you're available, we would like for Lil Ron to have two tickets to Halloween night's game!"

'If we're available...'

"YES! Yes, we're available! Oh my goodness, I can't believe this," I shouted.

"And," she continued. "We'd like him to say 'Play ball!' at the beginning of the game. Do you think he could do that?"

Oh my word! Yes, I'm sure he can say that. We'll practice it with enthusiasm all weekend!

So...y'all be sure to watch Sunday night's game. I'm not sure if that portion of the pregame will be live, but if it's not, maybe they'll replay it.

As a sidenote, Rick and I were going to have to duke it out to figure out which one of us "deserve" to take Lil Ron to the World Series. But my man was able to buy two more nose-bleed tickets, so Lil Ron will take his parents and lil bro, Garrett. (Jack won't last that long at a game, so he will stay with my parents.)

Can I just tell you HOW EXCITED WE ARE?! I'M SO EXCITED I COULDN'T EVEN SLEEP LAST NIGHT! AND NOW I'M SHOUTING AT YOU!

Sorry.

Yes, we're enjoying Liam's "fifteen minutes of fame". It is extremely unexpected, but we are grateful for the outpouring of positive support we are receiving from so, so many people.

When all of this dies down and life goes back to normal, Liam will still be Liam. And I'll still be proud to be his Mommy. I've had the privilege to kiss him good night for 7 1/2 years, and that will continue for as long as he will allow.

If you're interested, I'll post some links to some of the interviews and online articles where Lil Ron has appeared thus far:
Channel 11 news (CBS) This was Liam's best interview so far! He was his typically nutty self.
NY Times
Dallas Morning News He is the Fan of the Day.
Sports Illustrated Scroll down to the section titled "WASHINGTON'S LITTLE LOOKALIKE".

Thank you to the many, many friends and family and even strangers who have passed Liam's picture along!

Lil Ron Washington *UPDATED*

When I stepped out of the gym at 10:30 this morning, my son was famous. It was all because of this photo:
Liam wanted to be Ron Washington for Halloween. It was a super easy costume. He already had the brown skin and glasses. He wore his baseball uniform with a Rangers tee. I only had to find him a mustache, since he can't grow his own quite yet. And his hair...yes, that is his hair shaved with a bald spot.

Lil Washington made his debut at our church's fall festival last night, and Liam was followed around like the paparazzi. Everyone wanted to take his picture and give him a high five.

Rick and I both posted the above photo on our Facebook pages last night. When we woke up this morning, we had no idea what was about to take place as a result of that simple pic. Rick went to work. I took the boys to school and went to the gym; it was a normal Thursday.

But by the time I finished my workout, Rick was frantically trying to call me. Fox 4 News wanted to interview Liam!!!

And interview him, they did.
He was nervous and quiet at first. Of all times to be shy! There's not a shy bone in his body, but the camera made him nearly mute.

Until we pulled out the sunflower seeds.
Then, he was his goofy self while I was interviewed. Who me? Nervous? Umm, yes!
Liam really enjoyed showing off his do.
And the claw.
You can see our interview here.

We're also appearing live on Good Day at 8:20 in the morning. Fox Sports Southwest wants to see us on Monday. As if three interviews isn't mind-blowing enough, Liam's picture has been plastered all over blogs and websites all day long. Seriously...Yahoo sports, Fox Sports, ESPN, DMagazine, Texas A&M, and the list goes on.... This is amazing!

Never in a million years would I have guessed that a Halloween costume would go "viral" online, but we are all enjoying Liam's fifteen minutes of fame.

Now, if our Rangers could only pull a win in this World Series.

*UPDATED*
Today's live interview at Good Day can be seen here.

Former Fan

My last post's title is a key phrase from my former favorite TV show. I have watched Jon & Kate Plus 8 faithfully since its debut. For me, watching the show was fun because the craziness of their home made my house seem utterly peaceful. Their 8 kids running around made my 3 boys seem calm.

However, last season was certainly not as enjoyable, as I grew weary of all the freebies they received. I got tired of watching them go from one fun place to another. Do they ever stay home and just be?

Plus, was it just me or was Kate growing less patient with her family by the minute? Well, it's obviously not just me.

Unless you're living under a rock, you're aware that both Jon and Kate have been recently accused of extra marital affairs, and she has filed for divorce this week. Yes, I admit that I watched Monday's episode along with a few other Americans. But I am now done!

Watching the show has not set well with my spirit over the past several months. I couldn't quite put my finger on why I felt so uncomfortable watching it. Besides the fact that I hate watching a woman belittle her husband and children. That's bad enough.

But then I ran across this post written by Walt Mueller, a blogger who is a former neighbor of the Gosselins. And he has opened my eyes to help me further understand why I have to stop watching this family self-destruct. If you're a Jon & Kate follower, do yourself a favor and read that post.

This especially struck a chord with me:

Think too about the fact that when the cameras are on, we usually put on our best smiles and best behavior. . . and then think - long and hard - about what that best behavior has been on this particular show. Then, imagine what life is like and how people act when the cameras aren't rolling. After taking that all into consideration, we shouldn't be surprised by the train wreck that's taken the world by storm.

(I cannot get the italics to stop! The rest of this post is written by me.)

If Jon and especially Kate are putting on their best behavior for the cameras, then I shutter at the thought of what goes on when the cameras are packed away. My heart has always hurt for children who live in less-than-ideal circumstances. Obviously, the Gosselin twins and sextuplets are living in less-than-ideal circumstances, and I must do something. As Mueller wisely suggests, I'm going to stop watching and get busy praying for this family of my former favorite "reality" show.

Retro Factory

Do you remember this shirt?
And how I asked where I can find another? Now that warm weather is here and summer is around the corner, that shirt has been retired. Garrett and I shed a few tears as I put it away.

But one of my readers has saved the day! (Hi, Pat!) She found the Retro Factory. If you love the Beatles and need t-shirts for you and your kids, then let me tell you, you are set!

Or if you prefer Billy Idol or The Cars or whatever classic band, then head on over to the Retro Factory. (Did I just call The Cars classic? Ahem.)

I'm betting this will be Garrett's favorite. And if we ever get a fourth child, he or she will need this.

My mother will protest a baby girl wearing a black Beatles onesie, but guess what? Black is very slimming, and a baby girl will need to learn that important fact early in life.

For all you classic TV lovers, Retro Factory also has shirts for many TV shows. I plan to order this for myself:
This post is not sponsored by Retro Factory, but if they want to sponsor us, we'll take 5 t-shirts. I'll get our sizes to you pronto.

Pearly Whites

Who remembers the "Friends" episode where Ross has his teeth whitened, only his pearly whites end up blinding everyone around him?

Recently, Liam asked me when his "big teeth" will come in. I explained that his baby teeth will fall out in a couple years and that "big teeth like Mommy's" would come in their place. He quickly added, "No, I don't want yellow teeth like Mommy's. I want white teeth." That was the moment that my self-esteem was shattered by a 3 1/2 year-old.

Because I can't take diet Coke intravenously, my caffeine habit must enter my body by way of the mouth. Thus, my teeth aren't exactly white. Now, please give me some credit here, because my self-esteem is wavering upon your support. My teeth are not the most yellow mess I've ever seen, but I am not too keen on their not-so-whiteness. And since my son is obviously bothered by them, I have decided to try a bleaching system purchased from the dentist.

Because this bleach product was purchased from the dentist, I'm hopeful that my teeth will be white soon, only not quite as white as Ross'. I'm thinking there must be a happy medium between their current yellow tint and the blinding fluorescent version seen on "Friends".

While we're on the topic, what is your favorite episode of "Friends"?

Conspiracy Theories

We have been couped up in this house since Friday afternoon. The forecasters had a conspiracy going amongst themselves, according to my husband. The conspiracy was to get all of Dallas/Fort Worth residents to believe that we were to be socked in with 2 inches of ice all weekend. They said that it would begin Friday night and continue through Sunday. So all of D/FW rushed to the grocery store to stock up on food, and then we tucked ourselves into our warm huts.

We got up Saturday morning to nothing, nada, zilch. Okay, it might have spit, I mean sprinkled, slightly during the night, but it was nothing to remain couped up for. As soon as we crawled out of bed, we turned on our television to see what the conspirators were saying. They still plotted that ice was on its way, so we remained indoors and tried to remain sane. I mean, we had a great time playing tents, blocks, play dough, etc. It did rain off and on all day, and it was very cold, but we still didn't have ice on our roadways. But we continued to believe the conspiracy. "We better not go out to eat, because we might get stranded at McDonald's with two inches of ice on the road. God forbid, we get stuck at McDonald's!" No, that would not be good for my sanity!

We planned to skip church, still believing the counterplot. Still no ice when we got up Sunday! Again, we glued ourselves to the screen to see what the confederates, I mean forecasters, might add to the lies. "Folks, it's still coming." Okay, okay, we'll stay home all day. We pulled out the toys from the top of the boys' closets. (You know, the toys that you wish your kids would forget about because of the umpteen-million pieces, but they don't forget, so you keep them out of reach for days such as these.) And Rick and I counted down the hours until nap time and then bedtime. Really, we love our children immensely, but these munchkins can only be so fun when they have been couped up for 48 hours.

At 5:00 pm Sunday, I told Rick, "You should go to Blockbuster and get us a movie. There's probably nothing good left on the shelves, but you should go see anyway." He's such a good man, he did just that. He came home with the first four episodes of 24. That's right, we've never seen 24. Gasp! I know, I know. Many of you have been avid fans since season one, and I've heard so many people rave about their beloved show. So, we joined the 24 conspiracy last night. We watched all 4 episodes back to back, and we loved it! We're hooked! I will go get the next set of episodes as soon as I can get out of this house.

The weather conspirators finally got something right. The roads did ice last night. But all roads were clear and nearly dry by lunch. Since we stayed home all weekend, call us gullible.