Alden and I are heading home today. Apparently, Robbi misses us.

To celebrate our last night in Kansas City, we headed to Kauffman Stadium to see the hometown Royals play the Minnesota Twins.

Because we are incredibly fancy people, we traveled by golf cart.

It took a while, but we got there eventually.

The first order of business? Not finding our seats, not steeping in the ballpark atmosphere.

Alas, no. As if she had built-in sensors, Alden made a beeline for the cotton candy and gave me those eyes.

I think you know the eyes I’m referring to.

I took a minute to steep in the ballpark atmosphere. The stadium, also known as “The K,” has beautiful fountains in the outfield, out by the statue of Royal legend George Brett.

It is pretty much a ballpark rule that you must be photographed standing next to them.

We sat up high.

But we had a fabulous view of the field.

Not that we watched the actual game for long.

The K has a kid wonderland beyond the outfield, complete with batting cages and mini golf and carousel.

We watched an inning or so from just beyond the fountains.

And then we walked down to the expensive seats along the first-base line and watched from there for a while.

Suddenly, Alden grasped the enormity of the situation. Baseball was happening. Baseball, she realized, was just an elaborate metaphor for life. The layout of the field, the intricate rules, the meaning of “home.” She took it all in. She was one with the moment.

And then she asked for more cotton candy.

It was a beautiful night at the ballpark, a wonderful week in Kansas City.

But now we head home: to see the boys, to ready ourselves for August, to see what Robbi has been up to in the mean time.

But we’ll be back soon, I know. It may not be home any more, but this place is still very much part of me.