Thursday, May 8, 2008

Newspaper Magnets




My oldest son Michael emailed me an article from his local paper in Pennsylvania today. I can't convert the file to post it here. His email topic was 'We always make the newspapers' & below that was a picture of my grandson Jack at some newly opened play-gym of some sort.

Mike is right - Our boys always made the papers - mostly for sports, not the police blotter. This one time they 'made the paper' was a biggie - pictures above. It's from the Philadelphia Daily News, opening day for the Phillies in 2000 & there were fights & all kinds of nonsense going on in the stands that led to several arrests. The picture shows the infamous 700 level at the old Vet Stadium where this took place. My kids didn't join in the fisticuffs or bottle tossing, thankfully.

I always bought the Daily News in the morning along with a large coffee (& cigarettes - but I've quit them). What I immediately noticed, when I scanned the headlines, were my sons smack dab in the middle of the front page. NO I did not have coffee gushing from my nose!!!

The younger one (Chris, on the left) is pouring beer for the older one (Mike in my blue jacket on the right). Christopher was born in 1980, in other words, too young to buy beer legally. Nabbed again.

It's always been a source of annoyance for Mike that little bro' (4 years younger) looks older. It seems Mike (born in '76) forgot his ID that night & couldn't purchase alcohol. No problemo, lil' brother bought the beer. He didn't even get 'carded'.

We laugh about stuff like this now, but it wasn't amusing at the time. We were never dumb enough to say 'Not Our Kids' & we didn't (& don't) condone underage drinking.

The joy of parenthood. We survived it.

I had to add to this post - if I can stop laughing long enough... Deb just told me this a few minutes ago. Mike & Chris went to the Phillies game this past Saturday. They took Jack along - his first big league game! Mike (now 31) had to show ID to buy a beer - little brother Chris - didn't. Some things never change.