Cavs Game - LeBron James' historic feat

The boy's first Cleveland Cavs game!   I bought tickets, finally.  I'm assuming LeBron will not be staying in Cleveland this time, and I feel like the boys need to see him at least once in their lives.   So why not now?!?! 


They were amazing, the boys had so much fun, cheered the whole game, chanted Defense each time the other team had the ball, (then changed it to offense when the Cavs got it, haha), screamed when the jumbo tron told them to scream.   Randomly, Atlas, with his tiny high pitched voice would yell "Go Cavaliers!!!"


The Cavs won, the boys got to see LeBron James play (only the greatest player in the world), and they even got to see LeBron become the first ever player to have 30,000 points AND 8,000 assists.


They also got along amazingly well.  

 

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

So which order do we go in?  


Do we start with the CLEVELAND freakin' INDIANS?!!?  Yes, I will.   This city is ALIVE!  Last night, the Cavs received their rings, the banner was raised, and they won their opening game for the 2016-2017 season.  The city went crazy!!! OH!! and, at the exact same time, the Cleveland Indians, less than 100 yards away (for the first time in our history) hosted game 1 of THE WORLD SERIES!   I mean, what-the-what?!?!  Oh, and BOTH teams won!!!   The excitement was amazing.  I mean, it's the Cubs vs Indians, Combined, some 176 years of World Series Championship drought between the two teams.  Tickets in Cleveland are going for close to $5K! (That's each, not for a pair.)  Nearly double that in Chicago!  (Naturally, I mean, our cost of living is lower, we don't' have that $10k to throw around, but that also means, LOTS of Chicago-ians are buying up our tickets, because they're cheaper - but they all left sad last night!)   It's awesome how together this city is, even after the Cavs won the first championship for the city. Everyone is wearing either championship Cavs or Indians gear everywhere.  Oh, and the Monsters won last night too (their game was away).     And the Browns didn't lose!!!  *Because they didn't play, they did lose on Sunday, to be a lovely 0-7 team.   http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/17889262/cleveland-indians-cavaliers-host-renaissance-mirrors-modern-cleveland  I hope that story is available for years to come.  It's the truth.


The bad - well, we're still having a rough go at it with Ares.  To the point, that we're currently looking for a good psychiatrist.  One that works with parents too.  I can't seem to keep my calm around him.  He's so negative about everything, including himself, but he's SO DISRESPECTFUL to me.  I find myself being very sarcastic with him.  He constantly says that no one likes him, or he's a bad person, and in the first breath I tell him that he's not a bad person, that he just has been acting like a bad person lately, and in the next breath I tell him that maybe his friends would like him again if he stopped having temper tantrums and would start respecting his friends again.  I know, good job mom.  But I can only be told that I am mean (for him seeing a crock pot) and I disrespect him (for picking him up at the EXACT time he asked me to from daycare) and that I don't like him (for taking him to his indoor soccer practice, which I asked him 30x before I paid for it if he wanted to play or not) so many times before I want to throttle him.   Hopefully the psychiatrist we find can do some parent training as well, because, well, while I love him to death, and I get upset when I see him sad, and I cherish his cuddly moments (he does still have those from time to time, it's a switch that clicks on and off), I honestly do not want to be around him.  This month, we had 7 horrible days (where I could have easily not seen him all week and been ok with it), followed by 7 of the best days, and we're back to 3 (so far) bad days.  I have been told not to make a crock pot meal today, and to pick him up at 6pm exactly.  I walk on eggshells all day long around him, so simple requests like this I try and do.  I mean, go home after work and take a nap, or go shopping for some Halloween treats I need to pick up for classroom parties?   Either way, no kids.  Thankfully, for sanity purposes, Atlas is ALWAYS happy.  Loves to give hugs and kisses, say 'I love you' a million times a day, play with his 'baby' (a random and different 'so cute' stuffed animal each day).  Honestly, he's keeping me sane these last few weeks.  


and the ugly - me, when I yell or get frustrated, which seems to be pretty often as of late.  Plus, I've been sick, which doesn't help matters even a little bit. 


I'm going to end this with a GO TRIBE rally call, since tonight is Game 2  (of the WORLD SERIES!!!) 

PARADE of CHAMPIONS!

So Cleveland doesn't really know how to put on a parade - for 1.3 MILION people.  That number is a pretty big deal, seeing as if you include all the Cleveland Suburbs, there are only 2.1 million people.  More than half of the city/area called off of work on Wednesday, to attend this parade to celebrate the Cavaliers bringing the first championship to Cleveland since 1954 - it's been 52 years.  No wonder all of the adults were crying!  Right?!?!
Aunt Cindy/Mike, and our family each got a hotel room in a questionable - yet perfectly good hotel (for a night like this, not good for wedding or fancy things).  A shuttle took us from the hotel at 7:30am to E12th and Lakeside, and we walked to E9th and Lakeside to watch the parade.  We actually got a good spot, and at no time were we ever squished or felt in danger.   Eventually, people completely filled up the streets, and if there were cars (not semi's) coming through in the parade, we didn't see them at all, but it was still tons of fun. Oh yeah, and we brought the boys  - we were told by TONS of people that we were crazy to bring them  - but  NOPE, they were both amazing.  I mean, we sat or stood in a 6'x4' area, for 9 straight hours.   (We had chalk, bubbles, silly string, snacks, confetti, etc)



People climbed up ANYWHERE they could possibly get.  The Free Stamp was first,
THen the street signs/walk signs, the bus stop was a good idea, until it collapsed.=(

The Lake Erie Monsters also won a championship this year, but it's minor league hockey, so apparently it doesn't count

look at the # of people!!! 

Tyronn Leu (Cavs Coach) in the corner

Kyrie Irving  =)  Amazing point guard, couldn't have won without his awesome games

Lebron is in the yellow hat here,
More people on the stamp (quadruple this amount, and that's how it ended up)

Richard Jefferson, Frye, and others holding the (replica) trophy. 

Cleveland Cavaliers #ALLIN #216 #champions

Adam cannot actually watch the game,
or they lose, he can only glance occasionally.
 He stayed on the tablet most of the time
 and watched the last 10 seconds. 

Our first glimpse at the new Championship hat.
 Insane.  Just Insane.  

Cleveland Cavaliers  #ALLIN #216 champions 

Atlas needed to wear these PJ's to bed. 

They won all 4 when he wore these. 
Apparently star wars and avengers were
 bad luck for this game.  Ares

wore his Lebron James jersey.  

The official locker room edition t-shirts we bought
at 2am from Dicks, immediately after they won.  =) 

We woke Atlas up to take a family photo
immediately after they won.

Tears of Joy - Shock - Awe....  it came down to the last 10.6 seconds.  Tie game.   Kyrie hit a 3 point over Stephen Curry to put the Cavs up by 3.   Lebron blocked a layup from another player, then Golden State fouled the hell out of  him and we thought Lebron broke his wrist.   He misses the first foul shot - nerves in CLE were out of control,  pacing, sweating, the thought "is this going to be another "THE____" moment?  (The Shot, The Drive, The Bottom of the 9th, The ______).   more pacing, hands rubbing together, Ares asking if I'm ok.   Golden State time out, time in, ball in, 1 foul to give.  Use it.   Thinking:  Shit, if they go for a 3, get it, and we foul them, we're tied again.  Shit Shit Shit.   Pacing.  they inbound the ball, 3 point attempt, missed, another attempt, miss!!!  CAVS WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP!!! Tears, happy tears.  We jump up and down, ecstatic.  Adam went to wake Atlas up, who wasn't thrilled, until he sees the excitement on TV.  I called dad to make sure he didn't have a heart attack. (I wanted to call, but Adam MADE me call.)  Then we decide all 4 of us (at 11pm) are going to Dicks to get some championship clothing.  We got there and waited in line waiting for the business to open.   About 5 minutes.  Adam takes Atlas to Walmart quickly to see what they have (nothing).  Doors open, and people SHOVE/PUSH through.  (I'm a rock concert gal, this was NOTHING  compared to that.)   I put Ares on my shoulders, and he was a rockstar child.  Amazing.  We got everything we wanted, with Adam's help on the other side of the store, and then waited in line, with 2 young children, until 1:40. 

Drove 2 shirts to my parents' house. 1 to surprise dad on his steering wheel (Happy Father's Day) and one for my mom.  

WHAT.A.NIGHT!  

the kids went to bed at 2.  I was up until 3:30.  Worth it!!  

Amazing, amazing, amazing.   I will remember this forever.  






About 15 minutes after they officially won the game.  
There were more people behind me in line than in front of me.



these people are all behind us, there were WAAAY more people behind us in line than in front of us.   Getting the shirts was like being in a mosh pit.  People helped each other out, but so much pushing.   I had Ares on my shoulders.