Of Grandsons and Soccer Boys

My nephew Simon, Mom and me on Monday

I've got a mostly picture post for you here today (can't say "wordless" because when am I truly ever?) as we ramp up for Thanksgiving. No I'm not making a turkey, just some side dishes, but still, Jake has a mere half-day of school today, and we're in for yet another long weekend, so anything I need to get done for ME in the next four days has to be wrapped up today by noon.

So, the hot points of the week in image: Last weekend was the end of soccer, Ethan on Saturday and Jake on Sunday (And I am so grateful that we have wonderful Special Needs divisions of Soccer, Basketball and Baseball here in the city, so Jake can play whatever his brother does, too)...

Ethan played goalie for a quarter

Ethan, proud of his soccer trophy

Jake loves being a part of the game

Jake, proud of his soccer trophy

His favorite part? The spinning ball at the top.

And then, on Monday, my nephew Simon was in town with his girlfriend, Rachel. (Not to be confused with his sister Rachel. If this thing lasts - and I hope it does as she's smart and lovely - it's going to get complicated. Someone will need a nickname.) They live in LA and were doing the East Coast family tour for the holidays.

I drove them out to Long Island to see Mom (his grandmother). She was delighted to see Simon and meet Rachel. We sprung Mom from the home, took her out for lunch at a Japanese restaurant in town - something I like to do whenever I have a chance.

Afterwards, I drove her around town and we parked at the harbor dock so she could see the water and the boats. I love giving her new vistas, something my nature-loving mother gets so little of now that she is effectively immobilized.

Mom, tucking in to her bento box. She was always good with chopsticks.

Mom and her Grandson, Simon

Mom, happy to be with family

I was so happy to see Mom so happy. Can't wait 'til Friday when I bring her to her brother Walter's house for our day-late Thanksgiving Day celebration with all my cousins.

The Harlem Globetrotters are coming to Brooklyn!

Ethan hanging out with the Harlem Globetrotters - how cool is THAT?

People? You know me. I don't do a lot of promoting on my blog. I am not much about the products or the events. I am a writer. Who has a blog.

But when the lovely marketing folks from the Harlem Globetrotters contacted me about being one of their social media moms and promoting their upcoming New York City game on October 7th with a ticket discount code? I jumped at the chance. I may have even done a little jig.

Because my boys? Basketball? The great LOVE of their lives. About the one thing they both agree on. And the Globetrotters? An amazing family-oriented organization that does a whole lot more than just play basketball. They go into communities and make a difference. They inspire.

Also? Super nice folks. I know because I got to meet some of them. And Ethan? He got to PLAY BALL WITH THEM!

Yes, last week there was a small media event in the city for some of us mom and dad bloggers and our kids. Five members of the team took time off from their strenuous pre-season training to come say hello, sign some autographs, and play a little one-on-one with the under-five-foot set.

Ethan got to go toe-to-toe with Buckets, TNT, Slick, Big Easy and Hammer on the lovely basketball courts at The Sports Club/LA – New York on the Upper East Side.
 
He got his jersey signed by the gang, too (now never to be washed!) and we watched a demonstration of their famed "magic circle" where the players show off their neatest tricks.

 

Ethan had a BLAST, as you can plainly see. And I have to tell you these players were as nice as they were talented and funny.

Talking with Big Easy, I mentioned that Ethan had an equally basketball-loving autistic twin brother who couldn't be there that day (due to school transportation issues) and he expressed genuine regret that he didn't get the chance to play ball with him, was happy to hear that Jake would be coming to the game in October and told me he wanted to be sure to meet him then. Just... wow!

(Seems like the Globetrotters regularly work with and have special sensitivity to Special Needs kids on top of everything else. Could they be more perfect?)

So, from everything I have read about them, and then meeting them in person and seeing how roll (and spin and bounce) I can say I am over-the-top excited about going to their game on October 7th. And if you live in (or are visiting) the New York City area and have kids, I strongly encourage you to come join us at the game. It's going to be a great show, a blast, a whole lot of fun.

And as this show also happens to be the GRAND opening of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn (new home of the Brooklyn Nets), you get bragging rights to being one of the first people to see the joint from the inside. Yet more cool.

Now the ticket specifics: The Harlem Globetrotters are coming to play at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Sunday October 7th and I have a discount code for tickets for you all:

Click on the graphic above, or this link: GLOBETROTTERS at BARCLAYS CENTER and then the "Buy Tickets NOW!" link on that page. At the ticketmaster site that brings you to, enter my code: SQUASHED in the "Promotions and Special Offers" ticketing option and you will get $7 off each ticket you purchase. Voila!

Note that this is Columbus Day Weekend - so even though it's Sunday, it's NOT a SCHOOL NIGHT!

I also encourage you to find out more about and connect with the Globetrotters - they're VERY accessible. You can find them on Twitter, here: https://twitter.com/Globies and on Facebook, here: http://www.facebook.com/HarlemGlobetrotters.

Hope to see you at the game! We'll be there. With bells on.
 

**Disclosure: I am being compensated for my promotion of the Globetrotters in two ways. As an associate I will be receiving a small percentage of the money for tickets sold with my discount code. I will also receive tickets to the game for my family. All opinions of the Globetrotters and my experiences with them are unbiased and wholly my own.**

Wordless Wednesday: Cheerful Things

Ethan has taken up Soccer!

I fully realize yesterday's post while lyrical, was also quite melancholic. And though that's just the way I've been rolling lately, I don't want to constantly be bringing you all down with me.

So in an effort to lighten things up around here... may I offer a few pictures of some cheerful things from the past week or so:

I saw THIS while passing the Guggenheim on the 5th Avenue bus. Cool.

Jake went to a birthday party and got a balloon

My latest pedicure: electric metallic blue!

Ethan's soccer shoes: electric metallic blue!

Finally: Ethan playing basketball 1 on 1 with a Globetrotter!

And THIS right here? Much more news tomorrow. The Harlem Globetrotters are AWESOME and you can find out for yourself on October 7th! (Come back tomorrow to hear all about it, or scroll down to the bottom of THIS POST if you just can't wait.)