It’s been an interesting month… we’re in the dog days of summer and one of the main themes is that you both keep catching little illnesses! Being twins, it seems like you definitely pass things back and forth, and it’s getting to be annoying. We’ve had about a 4 week stretch where at least one of you has a bad cough, fever, or sore throat. It’s been tough!
But the real message I want to enter today relates to a fun night we shared this weekend. You both have been talking for as long as I can remember about riding the local transit train, the Metro. So I thought it would be fun to get tickets to the St. Louis Cardinals and take the train…
I decided to give Mom a night off and take you down myself. You woke up with an extra spring in your step from nap and got dressed in your “Cardinal reds.” You were giddy and excited from the get-go.
The plan was to get to the train station right when the game started so we wouldn’t (hopefully) have to stand the whole way downtown, and the plan worked perfectly. We ate dinner at Il Vicino’s in Clayton and then made it to the Forsyth train station right at 6:15pm, which was game time. The train came and we marched on like happy soldiers. You thought it was funny that we were facing “backwards.” You sat like big girls in your own aisle soaking it all in.
We got at the new Busch Stadium right as the 3rd inning was starting and began our journey up the very top section. I called it the nose-bleed section and JiaLi immediately wanted to know why, it was funny. AnMei called it the “nose-bleeds” for the rest of the night and was concerned that we didn’t bring our saline spray.
I expected you to be more impressed by the stadium and crowd but there was only one thing on your mind… cotton candy. After an inning had gone by with no “Cotton Candy Man” coming by your excitement grew into concern. I was beginning to wonder myself if the Cotton Candy vendor came up to the nose-bleeds. But then we saw him a section away and waived him over. I’ve never seen you more enthusiastic in getting someone’s attention. By the time I had paid him for our blue sugary treat, you had already ripped open the bag and dug in. You were happy as can be, and I was too… taking the train with you for the first time and enjoying a Cardinals game with my girls, it couldn’t get much better!
I don’t think either of you got the jist of the game and by the 5th inning (remember, we arrived at the 3rd inning) you were ready for the next adventure… souvenirs. So at the top of the 6th we headed back for train station and hit a souvenir stand on the way out. It was a hot night and you both wisely selected little battery-powered fans, which was perfect.
We hopped on the train headed West and made it home a little after 9pm. You had been super-excited and happy all night. Mommy was waiting for us with big hugs and you told her your one regret… you didn’t get to see Fredbird! We had missed him at the game and agreed that next season we’ll have to look for him at another game… it’s a date!
Riding the MetroLink... your first train ride!
Heading back home.
Swim Lessons this summer!
It was a great experience
Even though this picture is a little grainy,
it shows the glowing smiles that were on your faces
the entire time!!!
Celebrating Grandma's birthday in Cleveland
Chillin' with Grandpa, Grandma, and Carmello
Beautiful Little Girls
Ice cream in the Summer... Yes!
Since our trip to China to complete your adoptions, your mother and I have had a passion and desire to learn more about your birth country. We realized that your Chinese heritage will always be an important part of your identity, and we also realized how much fun it would be to actively pursue a greater understanding and integrate China’s rich traditions within our own family traditions. And that, my dear daughters, is the inspiration for AJ Panda.
