Cardinals, Ankees

Guillermo, Will showing off their Cardinals gear

A young Maya getting in the spirit.

Guillermo's new Cardinals hat

Guillermo and I were chasing each other around the living room today while we listened to our daily dose of "Here Comes the Power Rangers," which ranks Number 1 on Guillermo's Greatest Hits these days. I needed a break and just happened to spot a pretty bird through the window. 

"Guillermo, look at the red bird," I said. 

"There's another Cardinal bird," he said, pointing to a different red bird nearby. 

Then he spotted another bird, this one blue. "Uh oh. There's an Ankee bird," he said. 

"A what?"

"An Ankee bird," he said. 

I knew he meant Yankee. 

"Where did you learn that word?" I asked, wondering if someone had called my son a Yankee and then almost immediately wondering why I cared if someone called him a Yankee. (Though to be truthful, he's not a Yankee. He's a Texan!)

"There are the Cardinal birds and there is the Ankee bird," he said, ignoring my question. 

It then occurred to me. Cardinals, as in St. Louis Cardinals, as in my family's favorite baseball team. And, Yankees, as in New York Yankees, as in Will's parents' favorite baseball team. One year they gave him both a Rodriguez and a Jeter jersey. He's since outgrown them and they'll be headed to my nephew, where in his family, they are fans of the Detroit Tigers, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Colorado Rockies. 

Will will cheer for the Yankees if  the Cardinals are out of the picture. But first and foremost, my husband, the baseball lover, is a Cardinals' fan and he wants Guillermo to love the team too. 

To be sure, the Easter bunny brought Guillermo a St. Louis Cardinals baseball hat.  He'll be wearing it, no doubt, for the Cardinals' season opener against the Rockies on Monday.