Play ball!

Last night we went to an Indianapolis Indians baseball game. This was a special treat because I had been randomly chosen as the "Toyota Fan of the Game," just by signing up for a drawing at the game we went to on Charlie's birthday in June.

So when we arrived at Victory Field, we went to the will call box and checked in for what turned out to be the royal treatment! Laura from the Indians front office met us and took us underground to the corridor where the team locker rooms and groundskeeping staff are. She led us out to the field where we posed for a field-level family picture:

Then we went back inside to pose for a picture with Rowdie and the pile into a Toyota Tundra truck for a ride around the field to our front row seats!

In addition to the free, front-row seats, we were given $20 in gift certificates to spend on concessions -- and it was $1 menu night. $20 buys a whole lot of $1 hot dogs, popcorn and cracker jacks!

In addition to the excitement of the game, we were pulling for the Indians to hit a homerun. Not just any homerun. We wanted one that would hit the red truck behind the outfield fence:

If they did, we would win a new Toyota truck! So nearly every Indians at-bat, my kids were chanting "Hit the truck! Hit the truck!" (I'll admit to tweeting it once...) Annie even turned her baseball hat inside out, rally-cap style, for good luck.

Alas, no truck-smacking homeruns, but there were quite a few foul balls that went into the stands. One was headed straight for us. Mike and Charlie scrambled to catch it, while I covered my head and screamed like a little girl. Guess the volume of my screams changed the ball's trajectory because this little guy ended up with the ball:

We didn't win a truck or snag a foul ball, but we had a terrific -- and basically free -- night. Thanks Indianapolis Indians!