Thursday Book Rec: Princess Peepers

I am a book addict. It's just that simple. I will steal minutes to read "just one more line" and hide out in strange places (like my closet) to get it in before the kids discover I'm missing. The good thing is, I've got them hooked, too, and believe me, there's no greater feeling than suddenly noticing they're suspiciously quiet, only to happen upon them innocently absorbed in a book on the floor (and your favorite Sharpie is still where you left it).

Here's what we're reading this week:

Google Images

Princess Peepers has glasses. Glasses for dancing, glasses for playing, glasses for everything! Only thing is, the other princesses don't share her sense of style and begin to tease her in a way that makes her want to ditch her specs in favor of her own two little (albeit fuzzy!) eyes. She ventures out around the castle without the clarity of her beloved eyewear and ends up in some very comical and unexpected situations, all the while asserting that she's just fine without them.

I absolutely loved this book for the tons of giggles the girls and I had over it. It felt so good to laugh this hard with them and just be silly. I loved the message it sent about the trouble you can run into by trying to please others too much, while still acknowledging how hard it is to be "different". Princess Peepers works out her own dilemma in the end by gaining the courage to stay true to herself- something which brings the naysayers right on over to her side.

An Evening With the Orioles

Right up there with all the blessings we've stumbled upon in our homeschooling, we were recently invited to spend an evening at the newly updated Camden Yards for a private behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium and to just hang out with blogger friends. 

The view from home plate, Kiddos and nephews

As usual, I was WAAYYY more excited for this than the kids were. I made sure to take lots of pictures so that when they're old enough to appreciate the experience and actually care about it beyond the popcorn, food & treats, they have something to look back on.

As part of the tour, we got to go on the field without interrupting the game or getting arrested, which was a major plus (yeah, the kids didn't get that joke). Then, staff in the communications and media rooms had plenty of smiles and waves for us when we popped in to see where all the behind-the-scenes magic happens.

My impractical heels, by this point, made me ever so grateful to our tour guide for ending the tour here by leading us to our box suite to enjoy the game and mingle.

So much swag!

Mrs. Angela Showalter stopped in to speak to us (how awesome is that!?!?) and field questions about the life of an Oriole's Wife and Mom. I was both touched and super-impressed by her outlook on life and raising her kids to be grounded despite their lifestyle in the spotlight. She also spoke about her incredible charity work helping to place foster children through Kids Peace.

For me, the night was magical and I know it was for the kids, as well. It was great to be able to take them to a real, live game of baseball (their first, EVER!) and not only teach them about the sport, but to give them a glimpse into the players' lives and let them see some of what goes into making the game broadcast possible.

Needless to say, I've got the fever and would love to go back soon. Don't get me wrong- I'm nowhere near being in danger of becoming even a semi-serious sports fan, but I do enjoy a live game like it's nobody's business. Besides, we still have some unfinished business with the resident moon-bounce and playground. 

Told ya there was an on-site moon-bounce...

...and playground.

Our parting view

Stay tuned for a follow-up post in the kids' own words and a cool giveaway!

A special Thank You to Mr. Lovelace and company for all their hard work in making this happen and carrying it all off without a hitch. You and your team are awesome!!!