Marc and I bravely decided to buy tickets to a Dodger game for the entire family. I didn't realize until after we bought the tickets that they were for Friday of Memorial Day weekend. Friday of Memorial Day? Oh my... traffic is going to be a nightmare!  

So, we planned around it. We both had the day off, so we decided we'd head down early to beat the traffic. We left at 3pm and mostly succeeded. Traffic was slightly worse than it would usually be at 3pm, but not awful. We surprised Vinny and Tiana with the Griffith Park trains and ponies. We were standing in line for the train, and Vinny was talking to the woman behind us about getting on the train and she said, "My parents used to take me to ride this train when I was your age."  I smiled, turned to her and said, "Me too!"  I hope someday Vinny will be taking his own children to Griffith Park.  Tiana really loved the train this time -- more than she has in previous trips. She was practically giddy the entire ride. 

After the park, we headed to a restaurant in Silver Lake, right near Dodger Stadium. It is called "Home" and it really did have that feel. I love this place. At the entrance, there are little fountains with Koi and lily pads, which Vinny found very impressive. They had a beautiful little patio, where I would love to eat on a warmer day, but we sat inside. The place has a remarkably cozy, yet refreshing feel. Huge, unique menu.

Then, we were off to Dodger stadium. We arrived early and found it practically empty. Oddly, it didn't really fill up either. I have to say, I am impressed with the changes. I don't know why people are staying away. The reduced parking cost (now only $10) was a pleasant change. The presence of police and private security was quite high. When I set out hunting for something to fill Tiana's cup with, the Dodger stadium staff was all over helping me. A woman pointed me towards the new "Club Marketplace" on the club level, where I found a little store with "healthier" food (which essentially meant I was buying Tiana low fat chocolate milk, but it was better than filling her sippy cup with Sprite). This store is a new development at Dodger stadium, and it is a sign of overall improvements. 

In fact, the vibe overall was healthier. Tiana had a wonderful time. It might of helped that we had a row to ourselves, where she could run up and down and play with the seats, and sit on the ground and color.  She started to get tired around 8:30, but for some reason, she got a second wind around 9pm, which lasted until she completely passed out at 10, at the beginning of the 9th inning. 

The Dodgers lost...   :-(      But it was a good night. We watched the fireworks show from our car. We had gotten lucky and were parked right next to where they launched them. Marc and I thought it was cool. Vinny thought it was terrifying. Haha.