Oh, I remember this day. The kids were so small and cute. Still at that age where they would fall asleep during the car ride home. Looking back on this now (adding this little intro in March 2026) it does remind me of how precious these memories are and frankly why I started and why I continue this blog. Such a great way of documenting things.
This trip was also the start of something bigger. Somewhere along the way this turned into a family objective: see a game at all 30 MLB ballparks together. As I write this we're 8 parks in, and re-reading this post reminds me we need to keep the pedal down on the fun stuff. Amy's family always did big fun things together growing up, and I love that we've built our own version of that. It's the traditions that stick.
And, as far as the Padres go, maybe this is our year! To be a Padres fan requires a lot of faith. Go Pads!!
Encinitas Little League & The Hooks
My son Gage's first ever Little League team was The Hooks. This team is named after the minor league team in Corpus Christi Texas. This season we went 8-0! Or, 0-8 depending on how you decide to keep score. At this age we really don't track such details as outs and runs.
Although only a few families from our team were able to make the trip down to the ballpark, the stadium was filled to the brim with little leaguers all dressed up in there baseball outfits and gloves at the ready for stray balls.
Looking back (2026): This was Little League Day at Petco, not just for Encinitas Little League, but for leagues all over. We went down with our ELL crew, and that league will always hold fond memories for me since Gage played there all the way through. The funniest part about kids at that age is that they don't really talk to each other. They just sit next to each other in their matching jerseys, perfectly content, like they haven't figured out what teammates are supposed to say yet.
Lemon Ice, The Craze Begins
Looking back (2026), forgot to add this in 2018! I can't remember exactly how it started, but this was the beginning of a full-blown family institution. Every ballpark we've been to since, the mission is the same: find the lemon icy. The kids are 14 and 10 (in 2026) now and they STILL hunt them down at every park. Are they loaded with sugar? Yes. Is it an awesome habit? Probably not. But who doesn't love a lemon icy? I truly hope this one continues forever.
Compadres Kids and Waiting in A Tunnel
Thank goodness we found the Compadres kids! This is a free club that the kids can join and it gets them and the accompanying parents access to the field post game. Notice the many pictures I took from the field. The best part is that the kids can run the bases! How cool is that. Despite the full level 5 melt-down that occurred as we were walking off the field and the long wait in the tunnel for the game to finish, this experience was WELL worth it!
Note: The meltdown was triggered when Gage saw a "treasure" and wanted to stop in the middle of the stampede and pick it up. It was some sorta' shinny wrapper (very cool I'm sure). I of course didn't want the kid to get crushed so kept dragging him along.
Looking back (2026): Some context on the "treasure." At this point in his life, Gage was fascinated with what he called treasures — little sparkly things he'd find at the playground, gems, shiny bits of who-knows-what. We kept them all in a little jar at home. So when he spotted one on the field at Petco Park, of all places, stopping to grab it was non-negotiable in his mind. Problem was, we were in a moving river of little leaguers rounding the bases, holding hands, no stopping allowed. So I kept pulling, and he was FURIOUS with me. I basically dragged him off the field. In hindsight? I should have just let him stop and pick up the little piece of junk. Lesson learned, buddy.
Go Padres! Well, not today, we got CRUSHED.