Baseball Fans in Training

Eight (eight!!) years ago, we headed to Spring Training in Scottsdale with our friends T and Carrie, took in a few baseball games, bumped into some players at a Scottsdale bar, and even road-tripped to the Grand Canyon, braving icy temperatures for a hike down into the valley.

Here's a peek at us back then, before we had a digital camera -- we used a disposable Kodak camera, and it looks like it was snowing in all of the photos.

We decided to do it all again last week -- minus the Grand Canyon -- with five kids in tow. Let's just say it was a pretty different trip. We juggled babysitting duties, five little ones in water wings or floaties, nap times and bed times, and saw a lot less baseball than we did in 2003. But we were still with great friends, and managed to relax, unwind, and enjoy the Arizona sun!

After an entire day of refusing to put his face in the water, Joey finally remembered his swim lessons from last summer, and he spent a lot of time having "Grace Races," giggling, and flirting with his little girlfriend Grace.

Clara loved her new "flower goggles," and paddled around the pool in a pink flower-shaped floatie until she turned into a prune.

Molly stayed on dry land quite a bit, but loved the water when she was in it.

At Scottsdale Stadium, the Giants played while our kids slept, ate, and monkeyed around.

The two Lincecums critiqued the bullpen.

On the way home, we piled all the "big kids" into their own row at the very back of the plane, and employed some unorthodox methods to keep them quiet: trail mix, fruit snacks, and tape. Tim's parenting guide will be at a bookstore near you soon!