There was a time when I cared about basketball. There was a time when I cared about the Pacers. That time could be referred to as Before Players Started Beating Up the Fans, or Before Everybody Forgot How to Play Team Offense. I think both things sort of happened simultaneously. Regardless, while I once eagerly awaited Thanksgiving weekend's customary trek to watch a basketball game, I have now passed that eagerness on to Alexis.

She could not wait to go. "Is it time for basketball yet? How about now? Now? NOW?" was the soundtrack of our day. The kid just plain loves sporting events. Period.

To demonstrate that we are all-around insane when it comes to sports, this was the crew we escorted to the game:

I'm sure if the Mavs had known we were coming, they wouldn't have bothered to show up. Bigfoot (the monster truck) saw us coming and shrunk in fear:

The good news is that the adults outnumbered the kids. The really good news is that all of the kids were pretty good. It helps that they sort of like each other:

Also helpful, the fact that the Pacers hired Santa to make balloon creatures for the kids:

Even if it was the big kids who ended up stealing the balloon things:

Just don't steal Alexis' butterfly because she will cut you:

Down on the court, there was something that vaguely resembled basketball:

And I do mean VAGUELY:

I think the moral of the story is that we should have let the five kids go down on the court because they probably would have played better than the Pacers.