#ks watches young royals

[infiniteseriesofhalfways]

I watched the first season of Young Royals today and oh boy. I am having Emotions.

[myladyofmercy]

young royals rewatch

episode 6

i love this opening montage so much

right until the credits come up over wille screaming

wish we got that scream scene without the credits for edits tho

the little girl looks at simon as if she personally has seen the video

it must be so weird to see your face on a magazine cover. i wonder what the article says

he's wearing purple (in solidarity with simon)

you have nothing to apologize for wille baby

did simon go to the police tho?

love the little detail of clothes we seen on the show already laying folded up on the washing machine

is the floor of the library so clean that they can lie and sit on it? aren't there any chairs?

august just listening to the theories like the little bitch he is

I'm calling the cops if you don't leave

i love stellas clothing style so much

sara putting 1 and 2 together

rosh and ayub are back!!!

i have not seen kim ks sex tape and i don't intend to watch it

I really hope simon doesn't change schools in s2. I'm with rosh on that one

why is the sky so yellow? light pollution?

willes pajama pants from ep 2 are back

august you little shit stop spitting live lessons and spill the truth

fish scene flashback

the looney tunes shirt is back

first kiss fit

yellow tshirt, yellow shirt, yellow backpack. i know you're the center of willes universe but do you really have to look like the sun?

footsies

wille matches the blue background but simon sticks out like a sore thumb

this scene is so poweful even without a kiss

oh no i know what's coming

sara pls don't do this

she's wearing purple (in solidarity with simon)

wilhelm doesn't have everything he has nothing you piece of shit

and he will lose simon because of you too

oh doobidoo i wanna be like you u u

why does sara look kinda sad when august kisses her neck tho?

as someone who rarely sits at the dining table for dinner and watches tv during 99% of meals i relate to simon and his mom

how does felice dress fit sara so well tho?

simon you are not her father

linda you are her mother. pls act like that more often or i will have to rewoke your best mom card

the star behind simons head looks very pretty

simon saying annan and dum in this conversation makes me think of certain songs by a certain artist

sara and wilhelm both called simon fin

why do felice and maddie have their own bathroom and wille the crown prince has to share with the other guys on his floor?

the mirror shot of them on the floor

i don't think simon really believes wille will tell the truth

it's their last kiss and it breaks my heart

the sad scarf is back

why do the subtitles say how do you do??? simon says good day. that is way more formal than how do you do! simon isn't joey from friends

this car conversation is so frustratingly sad

love how many words i understand bc they sound so similar to the german word in this conversation

let wille and simon have sex in his royal bed in s2 petition

willes tie looks very yellow (simon anyone?)

why is rosh never included in eriksson family time?

poor simon

(love his sweater tho)

who put the name joakim for willes second bodyguard out there? is it canon?

i hate this scene so much

simon did the right thing even though it breaks his (and willes AND MY) heart

hemlighet

love how we see simon leaving blurry in the background

felice being the best detective

also she calls the guy she asks where willes room is edvin

why isn't there a bodyguard in front of willes room?

willes little flinch when he sees simon on the screen

yes the confrontation scene!!!

august is working out again. of course.

why didn't wille mention erik in this scene tho? something like erik told me i could trust you

edvins acting is so good in this scene. rising star award winner indeed.

this phone call hurts so much

love how him hanging up stops the background music and we are left with silence until the match strikes and the choir begins singing

wille and simon are wearing so much more hair product than they did during the whole rest of the season

god jul

the sad scarf is back again

is simon talking with sime choir kids?

falling

we are falling now

förlåt

jag älskar dig

hoppas du fan en fin jul

tack simon

running with a crown on your head

he wants to run bad so badly

city's on fire but it's beautiful

chills literal chills

i hope they continue with the 4th wall breaks in s2

i love this show

i hate this show

[fangedregret]

( Barış Arduç, 27/1000+, cismale, he/him) Well if it isn't IBRAHIM ASLAN. Rumor is that they’re a VAMPIRE from TVD/TWILIGHT and they found their way to Devil Hills, KS 26 DAYS AGO. They can be a bit EXORBITANT & CALLOUS, but some of that is made up by their tendency to be MOTIVATED & PERCEPTIVE. One of their top played songs is THE UNFORGIVEN by METALLICA. Some sights and sounds that embody them are BLOOD IN ORNATE GOLDEN CHALICES, CRISP SUITS, AND THE BEST OF ANYTHING MONEY CAN BUY. Hopefully they pick the right side of things or stay out of the way.

biography.

ibrahim aslan was born in turkey in the middle ages. born into poverty, the boy didn’t agree with how those around him accepted the fates they were born into. rather, he organized an uprising at the age of fourteen. surprisingly, those that helped him overthrow the tyrants fell into line nicely for him. he ruled over his own home city, making sure that his people would continue to eat and prosper rathan than suffer. word of the young and ambitious leader made its way back to elijah mikaelson who then made it his mission to recruit him to the strix.

being turned into a vampire was a welcome change in rahim’s life because it gave him more power than he could ever imagine. rather than compulsion, he found that he had the power to affect gravity. focusing on any given area nearby, rahim was able to severely increase the force of gravity in that area. his power hindered those in the area to be unable to move or move extremely slow and the earth can begin to crack open in the area if he focused hard enough. he felt loyalty to elijah for giving him this power and he did the original vampire’s bidding.

word of his power got to the volturi and garnered their interest, causing them to reach out a few times but rahim always politely declined. that was until mikael was planning on killing his children and elijah compelled some of his own to believe they were the mikaelsons so he could escape. watching tristan turn the organization into something sinister thereafter and the threat of the mikaelsons always over their heads, rahim and his mate decided to accept the volturi’s offer and moved to italy, leaving their organization behind completely.

life among the volturi was well for a few hundred years. slowly over time, rahim was turned into something more ruthless himself. it was inevitable in keeping the secret of vampires safe at all costs as well as the way that the volturi insisted on getting their blood. a misunderstanding with his mate a few centuries into his place among the guard caused aro to order the death of rahim’s mate despite rahim’s begging. watching her die before his own eyes enraged him, but he was smart enough to know that taking on the volturi would only result in his death and she wouldn’t have wanted that.

so, in the early 1400s rahim left the castle and resumed life in europe for a while, finding every way possible to profit off of the stupidity of humans. he inserted himself into many royal families in various countries and toppled the economy or stole money before vanishing. rahim wanted to remain financially independent and worked hard to amass immeasurable wealth over the span of about 200 years. without the heart of gold he had once had, he then decided that getting back into the good graces of the strix would be his best power move.

it took a lot of convincing, but he soon was welcomed back into the good graces of tristan de martel. rahim decided that humanity would always see his kind as the villains and rather than put on the false mask of a hero like the volturi did that he would embrace the villain that he was. over the years he has become more trusted by tristan and gain more power within the strix, but he wouldn’t consider himself to have any strong personal relationships. he does admire tristan for his intelligence and ability to lead, but he believes that growing to care for others will ultimately get in the way of him enjoying his existence.

personality.

rahim can appear kind, especially when he wants something from you, but his humanity left long ago with the death of his mate. focused on keeping allies and a good name among the strix, he isn’t interested in connections beyond that. this mindset has left him rather lonely, but he rarely has time to dwell on it. his possessions and glamor are very important to him and he is often busied with keeping his personal finances as well as those of the strix as a whole growing. largely he abhors humanity as he knows that most of them and those of his own kind would kill him no matter what he did, so he decided he will fully take advantage of the benefits of being a vampire. his actions are never thought through with how they affect others.

wanted connections.

more strix ocs, those of the volturi can decide how they feel about him. if anyone wants to play his mate escaped from purgatory i would be game for that and left information about her vague purposefully. we could also have him form alliances for different reasons since he’s been in town. also the romanian coven would probably hit rahim up after his departure from the volturi?? interesting

[kansascityhappenings]

Joe’s Weather Blog: A spring week ahead…in time for the Royals (SUN-3/24)

Good afternoon…not too bad out there right now with a mixture of sun and clouds in the region…overall the weather will be pretty good through Wednesday and increasingly warmer too! As a matter of fact the warmest weather of the somewhat young year will be at hand for Wednesday and Thursday…before changes and a colder air mass moves into the region to finish off the week.

My apologies yesterday about not getting a blog out. I talked to about 100 people at the Central Jackson County Emergency Management seminar yesterday and it sort of through my afternoon off before heading back to work.

Forecast:

Tonight: Variable clouds and seasonable with lows around 40-45°

Monday: Mostly cloudy and cool with highs near 50° or so.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy and seasonable with highs well into the 50s

Wednesday: Warmer with highs approaching 70°.

Discussion:

If you attended the session yesterday where I was talking about fun websites to go to for weather information…all those links will be at the end of the blog.

As far as our weather goes…not bad today.

Temperatures are cooler to the north and warmer to the south with KC sort of slotted in between. The satellite picture shows clouds swirling around the region because of a storm across the Plains.

It is VERY apparent on the latest satellite images…

Pretty interesting storm.

Well ahead of the storm towards the far SE part of MO where there are breaks in the clouds…the atmosphere is getting more unstable and there is an increasing risk of some severe weather developing today.

  Winds and hail are the main threats.

As the low spins by…the cooler and moist air to the north of the KC area will flow southwards tonight and especially tomorrow…so hence the reason for the clouds expected. The midday weather map shows 40s (and a lot of them) across NE and IA.

That cool and damp air will be with us tomorrow. So we may start out OK from a temperature standpoint…near or above 40�� but it may be a real struggle tomorrow to go anywhere assuming we stay cloudy all day. The GFS is warmer by almost 10° tomorrow…but that may be too optimistic.

We should be closer to average Tuesday and then warmer than average Wednesday.

The warm-up will be in direct result of off the western part of the USA this afternoon. You can see it off the coastline in the afternoon water vapor loops. These pictures enhance and show the upper level moisture in the atmosphere.

See the swirl off of the coast of N CA? It will go through a few gyrations and eventually come ashore later Wednesday. From there it will sort of reorganize into the western Rockies on Friday and come out into the Plains. Ahead of this feature we should see a dramatic warm up with the typical and gusty spring winds blowing from the south. These winds will be increasing Wednesday into Thursday and are typically in the 25-40 MPH gust range from the south mostly.

So what’s to the south? 1) warmer temperatures and 2) gulf moisture. Both will come northbound. #1 on Wednesday and #2 on Wednesday night into Thursday. Typically when #2 arrives we get scattered showers/storms flying through the region at warp speed and that’s what we’ve been expecting for several days now. That remains the case.

Let’s shift towards Thursday AM…here is the GFS forecast with a developing surface storm in the western Plains…

You can see the area of low pressure in NW KS and here comes some higher dew points too…although not crazy high.

Remember the higher the surface dew points…the higher the surface moisture levels. Near 50° aren’t overly high for March but look at the GFS forecast for later Thursday PM…

60° and higher towards the west of KC…now you sort of have my attention…assuming this verifies (it might or it might be a bit too extreme) but I’m paying attention.

So you have a developing surface storm out there…you have increasing moisture…you have a cold front slicing through KS…and it’s spring time…yup…instability. Here are the CAPES off the GFS model…bullish and over 2500 in spots out there…seems like a recipe for storms.

The above maps are via pivotalweather.com

Now there are some things that aren’t as aligned for storms out there BUT it’s something to watch because what forms out there would be moving towards the east north east.

There are questions on the timing of the front coming this way…does it move in Friday AM…PM..later? Can we sneak in another warm and windy day Friday? Will there be stronger storms Friday with a delayed frontal passage Severe weather? All things to be figured out over the next few days.

As far as the game goes…a delay in the arrival of the actual front may be a bit more problematic because this could delay the onset of that typical first round of fast moving storms that travel from the SW to the NE through the region. I’m hoping this occurs during the 1st part of the day on Thursday and then we’re good (but windy) for the game that afternoon. I don’t like the slower arrival of the main storm because this could bring that 1st wave in more towards the afternoon with calmer weather at night. It’s still several days away but it’s something to pay attention too…

Oh and on the far NW side of the storm…yup…snow is possible. Not here but up in the flooded areas of NE/IA especially. That would be one of those wet sloppy snows too…

Some of that may be a bit overdone in southern IA especially but it’s worth monitoring.

Last a climate note regarding March 2019 so far…top 30 for coldness and the 2nd coldest since 2000.

For this century…

Finally yesterday I did a fun web sites talk about getting weather information. I like this talk because it’s more casual and for all of you who have a passion for weather there is a lot of easy stuff to go and find. Some of these sites you have to poke around but I do show a lot of them on this blog often…so here are those sites again. IF you were at that talk yesterday you know what this is all about.

– weather.cod.edu/satrad/ – weather.cod.edu/satrad/exper/?parms=cenplains-02-24-0-100 – star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES/GOES16_CONUS.php

– radar.weather.gov/ridge/Conus/Loop/uppermissvly_loop.gif – radar.weather.gov/ridge/lite/N0R/EAX_loop.gif – wunderground.com/weather-radar/united-states/mo/kansas-city/eax/?region=jef – grlevelx.com/grlevel3_2/

– weather.rap.ucar.edu/surface/ – wrh.noaa.gov/zoa/mwmap2.php?map=kansascity

– weather.cod.edu/forecast/ – mp1.met.psu.edu/~fxg1/ewall.html – pivotalweather.com/

– twitter.com/fox4wx – fox4kc.com/joesblog – xmacis.rcc-acis.org/# – hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?map=ACISClimateMaps

– spc.noaa.gov – spc.noaa.gov/exper/mesoanalysis/

– radarscope.io/ – weatherbell.com – weather.us

Hope you enjoyed the talk and hope you enjoy the blog.

Our feature photo is from all the flooding that is ongoing (but slowly receding) along the MO River via Mary Jo Seever

Joe

  from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/03/24/joes-weather-blog-a-spring-week-ahead-in-time-for-the-royals-sun-3-24/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/03/24/joes-weather-blog-a-spring-week-aheadin-time-for-the-royals-sun-3-24/

[placetobenation]

Welcome to the May 2019 edition of the MLB Power Rankings, Nation! With baseball season in full swing, and more to come, let’s take a peek at how the season is moving forward thus far.

While many of the expected teams have been right on, a few surprises and disappointments have emerged. But, one the best things about this sport is that momentum is a team’s best friend, and fortunes can turn around quickly.

With that said, let’s dive in!

All stats and records as of Saturday, May 4, 2019.

At 6-0 with a 1.47 ERA, Tyler Glasnow is a huge reason the Rays claim our top spot, the best record in the American League, and a team ERA under 3.00.

Tampa Bay Rays (21-12). With Glasnow pitching like an ace, and Charlie Morton (2.52, 11.0 K/9) not far behind, the Rays are great traditional pitching to back up the “opener” strategy, along with strong defense, and great early offense from rookies Austin Meadows, Brandon Lowe, as well as Tommy Pham and Yandy Diaz.

Los Angeles Dodgers (22-13). Despite AJ Pollock hitting the injured list, this team is so loaded, it won’t miss him. Cody Bellinger is an early MVP favorite (.415/.489/.847) while Joc Pederson (10 homers) and Alex Verdugo (.346/.376/.605) are transforming into beasts as well. Oh, and that Kershaw guy is back (2.77 ERA, 27 Ks in 26 innings).

Houston Astros (19-14). The 2017 champs still look really strong; leading the bigs in OPS+ (121) while sitting fifth in team ERA (3.57). Alex Bregman is a star (154 OPS+), while Carlos Correa also looks healthy (.892 OPS, 10 doubles). On the mound, Justin Verlander (10.8 K/9) and Gerrit Cole (13.5 K/9) keep dominating.

St. Louis Cardinals (20-13). A strong bullpen fronted by Jordan Hicks (2.13 ERA), John Gant (0.86), and John Brebbia (0.93), along with good offense up-and-down the lineup—Marcell Ozuna has 10 home runs, Paul Goldschmidt has nine, and Paul DeJong is carrying a 152 OPS+—has the Redbirds on top of baseball’s most intriguing division.

Minnesota Twins (20-11). The pitching is not that grand (4.14 team mark), but the offense—56 homers, 66 doubles, a team 115 OPS+—has the Twinkies driving the AL Central. With Cleveland’s injury woes and penny-pinching, it may not matter if the Twins come down to Earth a bit.

On an offense-first Twins team, righty Jose Berrios (2.91 ERA, 46 Ks in 46 innings) has emerged as the strikeout ace this team needs.

6. Philadelphia Phillies (18-14). While the $330-million man, Bryce Harper gets on base (.380 OBP) and plays a progressively worse right field, his signing did help the Phils realign their overall defense for the better. But he’s nowhere to be found on the team’s Baseball Reference WAR leaderboard top ten. Hmm…maybe huge contracts aren’t the be-all, end-all of constructing a winner. Enjoy your record contract, overachiever. You “earned” it.

7. New York Yankees (18-14). Despite running a veritable M*A*S*H unit, this team is still second in the AL East. It’s a damn scary thought when/if everyone gets healthy…

8. Arizona Diamondbacks (20-13). Christian Walker (13 doubles, 7 homers, 152 OPS+) looks like a nice successor to Goldschmidt, while Ketel Marte (126 OPS+) has become a nice utilityman, and the pitching—Zack Greinke, Luke Weaver, and Robbie Ray in particular—has been exceptional.

The things you can’t un-see…

9. Chicago Cubs (18-12). This could be the streakiest team in the top ten. Overcoming a 1-6 start to sit in second place is pretty good. Of course, a few guys are playing over their heads right now (174 OPS+ from Willson Contreras, 138 from Jason Heyward), but the hope is that Javier Baez (157) and Anthony Rizzo (135) keep it up, while Kris Bryan (108, but just 45 total bases) and Yu Darvish (5.79 ERA) figure themselves out soon.

10. San Diego Padres (18-16). Shortstop Fernando Tatis, Jr. looks legit (145 OPS+, .360 OBP) and Manny Machado has been good-not-great (8 homers, .790 OPS). The rest of the offense has ranged from useful to putrid. Young pitchers Chris Paddack (1.91 ERA), Matt Strahm (3.03) have been good, as so has the bullpen overall. But, what happens when those young arms hit innings limits? While the Padres are improving, don’t count on them being this high next month.

11. Atlanta Braves (17-16). A lot of scuttlebutt and rabble was made about Ozzie Albies’ crazy team-friendly contract, but let’s be honest, the kid saw a chance to set his family up for generations to come and he took it. Good for him. A lot of people talk about “fair market value” and “leaving money on the table” and “earnings for future players”. Fuck that noise. Players earning the MINIMUM still earn six figures—yes, I have issues with that in a different sense, too—and most are able to live a much better retirement than anyone reading this can even dream about. The kid took the money and he’s happy. Good. Oh, also, Ronald Acuna, Jr. is fantastic.

12. Milwaukee Brewers (19-16). Christian Yelich is currently with a 222 OPS+ and just screaming for an MVP repeat. Meanwhile, the Brew Crew’s pitching is really, really bad (4.87, 24th in MLB). I don’t think they would solve everything, but Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel are still out there…

13. Cleveland Indians (18-13) A Mickey-Mouse, Little-League level offense (team OPS+ of 71 — wow!) and pitching injuries to Carlos Carrasco and Corey Kluber, plus a bad bullpen and a worrisome start for Jose Ramirez (.188/.278/.282). It makes me wonder what’s worse: Rooting for a team that you KNOW will be bad or watching a team that COULD/SHOULD be good be bad.

Full disclosure: Chris Sale is one of my least-favorite players. I can’t stand his red-ass way of going about things. That being said, he seems to be turning a corner after a brutal start to the season. I still think the Sox will ultimately regret his 5-year contract, though.

14. Boston Red Sox (16-18). An ugly, ugly start to the year for the defending champs put a lot of players under the microscope. The team still has concerns—black hole offense from Eduardo Nunez, Jackie Bradley, Jr, and most of the bench; bad pitching from Rick Porcello and Eduardo Nunez; and a bullpen that was, of course, “built” by Dave Dombrowski. Chris Sale seems to be righting his ship, but it’s lucky the Sox didn’t get totally buried by this start.

15. New York Mets (16-17). After Jacob deGrom’s transcendent 2018 campaign, some regression was expected (3.82 ERA, 13.4 K/9). He and Steven Matz (3.86 ERA) have been fine, but the rest of the rotation has been a dumpster fire. As for the offense, there are some nice pieces there, but it seems inconsistent and without a real threat behind rookie Pete Alonso (.289/.374/.620 with 10 homers).

Editor’s Note: I can continue writing comments for 15 teams and push the boundaries of insanity (see above) or I can rank them and then enjoy my Sunday evening.

16. Cincinnati Reds (14-19).

17. Pittsburgh Pirates (15-15).

18. Toronto Blue Jays (15-18).

19. Seattle Mariners (18-17).

20. Oakland A’s (15-20).

21. Colorado Rockies (15-19).

22. Texas Rangers (15-16).

23. Washington Nationals (14-18).

24. Chicago White Sox (14-17).

25. San Francisco Giants (14-19).

26. Los Angeles Angels (15-18).

27. Detroit Tigers (14-16).

28. Baltimore Orioles (12-22).

29. Kansas City Royals (12-22).

30. Miami Marlins (9-23).

[kansascitywatch]

10 Fun Things to do in Kansas City & the ‘Burbs with Kids

Looking for some fun things to do in Kansas City with the kids? Check out this list:

Kansas City is more than just tornadoes, the Chiefs, and the best burnt ends in the world. For those who live in this beautiful part of middle-America, it’s a well kept secret that the Kansas City area is also a fun place to visit, raise kids, and plant roots. With the KC Royals bringing home the World Series pennant this past year, Kansas City is quickly becoming a tourist destination not just for sports fans but for families eager for a bit of friendly Midwest hospitality. Here are our family’s 10 favorite things to do in Kansas City and the ‘burbs with kids.

Fun things to do in KANSAS CITY, MO

1. Hallmark Kaleidoscope

Kansas City is the world headquarters of Hallmark Cards, located downtown in the aptly named Crown Center. More than just the answer to a trivia question, this little factoid plays a major part of a fun and FREE family activity in downtown KC.

Hallmark Kaleidoscope is a kid’s center dedicated completely to creative play and artistic fun for all children. Hallmark sends all the leftover material from their manufacturing and printing processes here so kids can turn them into unique and personal art projects to take home. If your kids love art, enjoy doing crafts, or just being creative, and you don’t mind them being covered in a little glitter or glue, you won’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind experience. We love it so much that it’s the number one thing we tell people to visit when they ask us about things to do in Kansas City with kids.

Just make sure to check Hallmark Kaleidoscope’s calendar before visiting, as their availability for Family Art Sessions is based on area school schedules. Tickets for admission are only handed out the day of and are given on a first come basis. And don’t forget to keep in mind that sessions fill up quickly, so if you find yourself with some extra time before or after your session starts, head around the corner to the Hallmark Visitors Center.

The Hallmark Kaleidoscope is also wheelchair accessible, and if desired, you can call ahead to discuss your child’s circumstances to help determine the session that will result in your child’s experience being the most successful.

2. Hallmark Visitors Center

The Hallmark Visitors Center offers a free Hallmark tour that gives visitors an exclusive peek into Hallmark’s rich past, its current greeting cards and products, and the company’s creative future. Not only does the visitors center offer interactive displays and fun exhibits, it also makes for a great learning experience for everyone. Our family always combines our Family Art Session at Kaleidoscope with the free Hallmark tour, as my kids LOVE the Bow Machine, hence the purple gift wrap bow on top of my daughter’s head in the image above.

3. LEGOLAND Discovery Center

Another of our favorite downtown stops is the LEGOLAND Discovery Center, also in the Crown Center. With over 3 million LEGO Bricks, this model builder’s haven is suited specifically for little fingers belonging to kids ages 3-10. Our girls love the LEGO Factory Tour, where they learn all about how bricks are made. From ground plastic and molding to mixing and painting, this tour will excite kids while giving adults a reason to second-think sucking the little plastic pieces up with their vacuum hose.

Aside from the Factory Tour, attractions like MINILAND, LEGO Racers: Build and Test, and the LEGO City Play Zone ensure that kids of all abilities, interests and ages have fun. And don’t worry, LEGOLAND isn’t just for boys or older kids with great dexterity. Our girls squeal with delight at the sight of Heartlake City, home to their five LEGO Friends and a building area where cupcakes, microphones, and life as a pop star abounds.

And our 2-year old loves the farmyard inside the DUPLO Village and building towers with both soft bricks and bigger DUPLOs. If you have younger kids, consider visiting the LEGOLAND Discovery Center on a Tuesday. Every Tuesday is Toddler Tuesday and admission is only $14 for both an adult and a toddler age 4 and younger (additional adults or children over age 4 can purchase tickets for a discounted rate).

Tip: Don’t forget your socks when you visit; they are required for the LEGO City Play Zone.

4. The College Basketball Experience

Connected to the Sprint Center, the College Basketball Experience is home to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and provides a day of sweaty fun that you will never forget. If you have a basketball fan in your life, he or she may think they have died and gone to a 41,000 square foot college basketball laden heaven, as there is no place like this in the world.

Every single facet of the game of basketball has an “experience.” From skills like passing, free-throw shooting and 3-point shooting to rebounding, being heckled, and dunking, this high energy experience immerses fans old and young into the world of college hoops with unparalleled basketball activities and game-day excitement. And if you have little ones who don’t quite understand the importance of March Madness yet, there is a special Kids’ Court for them to practice their ball-handling skills on with equipment perfect for those ages 2-9.

5. Kansas City Zoo

It is suffice to say that our family loves going to the zoo, so much so that I have lost count of the number of zoos we have visited around the world! When we moved to Kansas City, the Kansas City Zoo was the first place we visited, and it has quickly become our go-to spot when we want a fun place to let the kids roam and need something easy to do in Kansas City for the day.

The Kansas City Zoo is the perfect size zoo for a quick day outing and for kids of all ages, especially younger ones who have itty bitty legs and a six-inch stride. The best part of this wonderful zoo is that there is a fantastic KidZone that is complete with the Helzberg Penguin Plaza, Polar Bear Passage, a Discovery Barn, the Peekaboo Tree and the Endangered Species Carousel that elicit oohs, aahs, and ear-to-ear grins from each of our girls every time we visit (and they make for excellent indoor fun when the weather is less than beautiful outside).

With tigers, lions, orangutans, and a polar bear to penguins, red pandas and otters, this zoo has the perfect variety of creatures and critters of every shape and size for your family to enjoy. And coming to the Kansas City Zoo in 2016 is a pair of koalas; you won’t want to miss them!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE KANSAS CITY SUBURBS

6. Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead

Our favorite location for entertaining, educating and getting kids outside is the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead located in Overland Park, KS. Built like a working family farm, there are hundreds of animals to see, feed and pet. Our kids continually talk about how much they love bottle feeding all the kids (baby goats, that is), milking the cows, and riding on the push pedal tractors.

There are also gardens, wagon rides, historic buildings, a fishing pond, pony rides, a play area for kids of all ages, not to mention two playgrounds geared specifically for little ones 7 and under and also 4 and under. This is a great place for kids to run, burn energy, and even learn a little about life in the early 1900s. And if you happen to visit Monday through Thursday, admission is FREE!

7. Kansas City T-Bones and the CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

If you find yourself visiting Kansas City anytime May through September, be sure to check out the Kansas City T-Bones minor league baseball team. They play in a wonderful, cozy stadium that was twice named Field of the Year. Even if you’re not a sports fan, this is a fantastically fun family outing.

With a special kids’ play area nestled down the right-field line, parents can watch both the game and their kids at the same time. My three daughters’ favorite part of the kids’ play area is the special kids-only concession stand. Not only is it kid-sized with much shorter counters, it also boasts lower prices so that the kids can purchase their own treats during the game.

“There are far too many bathrooms,” said no one ever, and this sentiment runs true at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Unlike many sports facilities, there is a disproportionate number of bathrooms to fixed seats, meaning that there is far less time wasted waiting in line. This also translates well to having small kids who say they “have to go” but really “had to go” 10 minutes ago and are now on the verge of Niagara Falls emerging from their tiny pant legs. For those with kids still in diapers, there are even baby changing tables in every single bathroom in the ballpark…amazing, right?

With general admission ticket prices starting at $6.50, the farthest seat in the ballpark being only about 50 feet from the field of play, AND free parking, going to a T-Bones game is a fun and affordable yet amenity filled experience for the whole family.

And for you parents that don’t like baseball or sitting outside in the heat, for that matter; drop the outdoor tolerating or sports loving parent along with the kids at the game while you go wander around Legends Outlet Mall across the street. Although there’s nothing overly unique about Legends, there is plenty to do to keep you busy while the rest of the family is at the ballpark. I could easily spend hours inside the TARDIS-like Nebraska Furniture Mart; with over one million square feet of home furnishings and electronics, it’s a Midwest destination of its own.

Read the full article here

Check back with Kansas City Watch for more info on the KCMO area!

from Kansas City Watch https://kansascitywatch.wordpress.com/2017/07/28/10-fun-things-to-do-in-kansas-city-the-burbs-with-kids/

[3sportsguns]

2017 Fantasy Baseball Catching Catch Can

HG - This is the first in a series of fantasy baseball previews as we start off behind the plate with catchers. Just like second base and short stop, fantasy catching is starting to see an influx of youth but it is not having the same effect as the top options for receivers are the same suspects in most pundit’s top ten lists.

The best option for drafting catching this season is to wait as Buster Posey and Gary Sanchez could both be over drafted. Getting Jonathon Lucroy around the 7th or 8th round is a nice get while you also could snag Contreras, Grandal and Realmuto near the middle to later rounds. Keep in mind former Nat’s catcher Wilson Ramos, who is on the mend for the Rays, will slide because he isn’t expected to start playing until May. He could be sneaky pick as long as you have a functional starter to pair with him until he starts playing.

Top Dozen

1) Buster Posey Giants - Posey’s 2016 was down from his average 2012-15 yearly stats with just 14 long balls and a 287 average, 317 in 2015. The Giant’s backstop did have 33 doubles last season and will be the first catcher off the board just make sure not to over draft Posey.

2) Jonathon Lucroy Rangers - Lucroy bounced back in 2016 and was dealt to Texas in July to finish with 24 long balls, 81 RBI and a 291 average for the year. Last season he hit a dinger every 12.5 at bats at home in Arlington which could be tough for the former Brewer to sustain, but Lucroy might be the best catching option as he could slide to the 6th or 7th round only enhancing his value.

3) Gary Sanchez Yankees - Sanchez came up last August and wowed everybody with 11 homers in 15 games and finished 2016 with 20 long balls and 42 runs knocked in, in just 53 games and 201 at bats. Sanchez will be drafted high, likely gone before the 8th round maybe even ahead of Jonathon Lucroy, but can he replicate his power numbers in such a small sample size for a full MLB season after a quiet September?

4) Salvador Perez Royals - Perez’s power numbers have risen steadily the last five years after banging out 22 last year, a career high. The 26-year-old backstop can be counted upon for 20+ homers, 70 runs knocked in and an average around 255, but his increase of strike outs last season suggest a trend that bears watching.

5) Evan Gattis Astros - Gattis set a career high with 32 dingers last year for the Astros, and with Brian McCann on board he likely moves to DH and can focus upon just hitting. The problem therein is the Carlos Beltran was signed to also play DH and outfield meaning Gattis’ playing time could be compromised thus making what happens at Stros’ camp in Florida that more important to follow for fantasy owners.

6) Wilson Contreras Cubs - Contreras came up for the Cubs last May and was impressive at the plate as he hit 12 home runs, drove in 35 runs for a 281 average in just 252 plate appearances. He is ensconced as Chicago’s everyday backstop with the potential for 20 and 80 with good plate discipline that will garner walks. Contreras hit 10 of 12 long balls off righties while having an OPS of 854 against lefties meaning this youngster is a good young hitter with pop and is a comer.

7) Russell Martin Blue Jays - Martin’s 2016 season was like a sandwich, cool in the end and beginning and but red hot in the middle just like the meat. The former Dodger ended up 20 homers, 70 RBI but just a.230 average and 48 more Ks than 2015 for a strikeout average of 27.7%. Martin plays in a hitters’ park with a good lineup but his increasing tendency to swing and miss is a stat to keep an eye on going into the 2017 season.

8) Wilson Ramos Rays - Ramos was having his best year ever before a late ACL tear ended his season before the MLB playoffs got started. The former Nat hit 307 with 22 home runs with 80 RBI and just 79 strike outs in 482 at bats for Washington. He likely won’t play until sometime in May and this will cause him to slide in all drafts and then will DH allowing himself more time to heal, but Ramos could pay big dividends to an owner who snags in him the draft

9) Yasmani Grandal Dodgers - Grandal had a very slow start to last year but hit 267 with 20 dingers after July 1st to end 2016 with 27 HRs, 72 runs driven in and a 228 average. The former Padre has the talent but has yet to put an entire season together, however knowing he's the man for the Dodgers, and with some luck, 2017 could be the season that propels him up the fantasy rankings.

10) J. T. Realmuto Marlins - Realmuto established himself last year as a bona fide fantasy option behind the plate hitting 302 with 11 long balls, 48 RBI and surprising 12 stolen sacks. He isn’t a sexy option but getting him towards the middle of your draft makes him worth plucking for 2017.

11) Yadier Molina Cardinals - Molina had a slow start to his 2016 which gave some credence to the thought that the 34-year-old receiver could be nearing the end of fantasy relevance, but the veteran got white hot after the All-Star break and hit 365, 398 on base and slugging at 529 to finish 2016 at 307 with just 63 Ks over 534 at bats. 2016 makes Molina worth drafting towards the end of draft just beware he turns 35 this year and the end is coming.

12) Stephen Vogt Athletics - Vogt is an above average catching option who also gets at bats at DH meaning he is likely to get more plate appearances than your average backstop. Last year he jacked 14 balls for 56 RBI with a 251 average and only 83 punch outs in nearly 500 at bats making Vogt a good choice towards the end of your league’s draft.

[yahoo-roto-arcade-blog]

Price check on American League players in early drafts

Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez appears poised for a strong fantasy year. (Getty Images)

Special to Yahoo Sports

Let’s take a look around the American League at the player on each team who most interests me relative to FantasyPros ADP (at the time of this writing). Next week, we’ll do the same with the National League. And in keeping with the spirit of my By The Numbers work, we’re going to ground our opinions on whether to draft the player at this price in data beyond the obvious fantasy categories. Hopefully, the cited stats will prove to be at least as predictive.

[Sign up for Yahoo Fantasy Baseball | 2017 Player Rankings]

Sean Manaea, SP, Oakland A’s (ADP: 178): In his last 14 starts (out of 24 total): 84.2 IP, 75 Ks, 17 BBs, 2.44 ERA, .102 isolated slugging (slugging average minus batting averaged). I don’t like arbitrary time frames. But I think it’s OK to use samples like this with rookies when you can reasonably argue that there may have been an early adjustment period that masked skills.

C.J. Cron, 1B, Los Angeles Angels (ADP: 216): Struggled vs. lefties as a RHB, which seems flukey. Had a solid well-hit of .170 vs. MLB average of .138., according to MLB stat provider Inside Edge. Cron doesn’t walk but his strikeout percentage isn’t bad, so expect a decent batting average.

Alex Bregman, 3B, Houston Astros (ADP: 78): He tore it up versus the weaker pitchers in September (.323/.344/.629); but still had 2 BBs and 16 Ks in this sample. Seems like this is a guy the industry really wants to be good. His price is too high.

Devon Travis, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays (ADP: 190): The poor man’s Bregman. Maybe a 40% chance he outscores him and look at the disparity in price. Yes, injuries have been troubling but .296 OBP with two strikes shows he’s probably a good hitter (average is .250).

Michael Brantley, OF, Cleveland Indians (ADP: 166): The battle of two drafting ideologies: Once Bitten, Twice Shy vs. No Guts, No Glory. Brantley destroyed many seasons, including mine, last year. But the 160th or so pick can’t wreck your squad. If he’s what he was pre-shoulder injury, he will be a solid piece to a championship puzzle.

Tyler O’Neill, OF, Seattle Mariners (ADP: not drafted): According to the The 2017 Prospect Digest Handbook, O’Neill’s company in posting an adjusted runs created of 150+ in AA age 21 or younger includes Mike Trout, Joc Pederson and Evan Longoria. Either Jared Dyson or Mitch Haniger likely will be benched by June 1, and O’Neill’s enormous power potential is a perfect corner OF fit. Put him on watch lists.

Kevin Gausman, SP, Orioles (ADP: 137): The homers are a huge problem and he is in the wrong park and division. I just don’t see his ERA playing up to his K and BB numbers because normalizing his HR rate given historic problems here seems overly optimistic. His fly-ball rate is about average however, should you choose to disregard my advice.

Nomar Mazara, OF, Rangers (ADP: 188): About exactly the age 21 season that Addison Russell had in 2015. Other age 21 comps (on on-base plus slugging adjusted for league year): Carl Yastrzemski, Delmon Young, Robin Yount, Sammy Sosa. Only Yaz had a mini-breakout at age 22. So Mazara is likely NOT a value above ADP. But he’ll probably be good eventually if you want to take a gamble and catch him if he falls into this range.

Brad Miller, SS, Rays (ADP: 166): The market does not believe 30 homers at ADP 161. He’s in his power prime. But yes, he’ll regress from a .240 ISO to a .190ish ISO but that still means 23-to-25 homers, still very good.

Rick Porcello, SP, Red Sox (ADP: 102): His Ks and BBs were about 75th percentile for him. You even can pay for wins here given the team quality. But remember he’s not moving the needle one bit in Ks and I can’t pay single-digit-round price for that, ever.

Lorenzo Cain, OF, Royals (ADP: 99): The power proved illusory in 2016 and the speed floor we thought we had was a trap door. His well-hit average was just OK, even in 2015. This isn’t enough of a discount for me to roster him again. Pass.

Joe Jimenez, RP, Tigers (ADP: not drafted): Being groomed as a closer on a team with an 89-mph one who is maybe heading off the cliff despite 40-plus saves in 2016. I don’t think Bruce Rondon is the answer given his success last year in a lower-pressure role and historic struggles with control.

Byron Buxton, OF, Twins (ADP: 175): An ISO over .200 but the Ks are out of control. Buxton still has a chance to be an Eric Davis-type of player, but this is an overpay. He still has major adjustments to make at the plate and has an equal chance of never amounting to much in our game.

Tim Anderson, SS, White Sox (ADP: 231): Buxton-like. These guys are nice flyers and at the right price. Anderson is available in the 19th or 20th round and has 20/20 possibilities. Just make sure you cover him for the chance of hitting .250 because the .375 BABIP is not likely to repeat (his well-hit rate, which includes Ks, was a sub-par .117, with average being .138).

Gary Sanchez, C, Yankees (ADP: 67): This one is so easy. He had an .807 on-base-plus-slugging in over 300 plate appearances in AAA last year. So why not just give him that this year in the majors (still a stretch). That makes him a bottom of the top-100 pick even if you want to pay for scarcity.