Like last year, we saved the best Three Musketeers adventure for last: a trip to Gillette Stadium to see our favorite team, the New England Patriots!

It was a day fun, adventure and surprises.

Surprise # 1: the weather.  The game was on Sunday, November 23 – late into the season – and we were ready for crazy weather.  Rain, ice, snow, wind… you name it, anything could happen.  But we were incredibly lucky, getting a sunny day that started cool but soon warmed up into the high 50′s!

Adventure  # 1 – unlike last year when we ate lunch at Five Guys inside Patriot Place, this time I wanted you to experience a classic game day activity: tailgating.  None of you had ever done this before, so we rolled out the red carpet (figuratively speaking, not literally).  We went to our favorite dirt parking lot, set up the table and soon your Dad and Uncle were firing up the stoves and grills.  We had a gourmet feast that included breakfast (bacon, hash browns, eggs, english muffins) and – a little later – the second wave came out featuring luncheon delights like burgers and chips. Yummy!  You guys had a blast.  Emma climbed on the roof of the van, we threw the football around, and the guy next to us kept announcing things over his loudspeaker!

Surprise # 2:  an unexpected goose bump moment.  While we were tailgating and later, walking to Gillette, we couldn’t help but notice a couple “fly-overs” around Gillette – with two supersonic airplanes zipping (and I mean zipping) by high above.  We started speculating:  would we have a flyover before the game?

When we got to the stadium we learned this was “Honor Our Veterans” day at Gillette… and at that moment we put it all together.  The security lines were endlessly long getting in… by the time we made it through there was under 10 minutes to game time.   So I said “We have to run or we’ll miss the flyover!”  So we all bolted as fast as we could up the long stairs and across the huge concourse.  As we walked down the stairs leading to our seats, it was game time, 1PM.  We looked at the big screen and could see the two jets coming in fast… two seconds later they were flying low above Gillette, literally going over 500 miles an hour.  I screamed, “Look up kids!” and there they were.  I’ve seen a lot of cool things in my lifetime, but a fly-over is one of the most exciting of all because of the power, speed and sound.

Adventure # 2:  always expect the unexpected at a Patriot’s game.  Last year, one of the guys in front of us pulled down his pants to show off his Red Sox (??) boxer shorts.  What?!?!  This year, the guy to the right side of our row – close to Ben and Camden – was a wild and fan who insisted on going crazy and giving out a high five after just every positive Patriots play (ppp… that’s called “alliteration” grandkids).  Another Patriot’s first down?  High-fives and screaming.  A great defensive play?  High-fives and screaming.  A touchdown?  Extra high-fives and screaming.  I later heard that a fan behind Ben had a very interesting vocabulary, swearing thorughout the game.  I asked Ben, “did you hear any words you hadn’t heard before?” and Ben said “No, but I’ve never heard so many said so many times.”

Surprise #3:  the Detroit Lions.  The Pat’s opponent came into the game on a five game winning streak and one of the best records in the NFL.  So we were expecting a tough game with lots of scoring.  That wasn’t the case:  Brady and his team played great offensively and defensively.  The final score was even closer than it seemed watching the game… the Pats could have easily put two more touchdowns on the board had a couple more plays gone their way.

Adventure # 3:  making our way to the bathroom at half time!  It’s wall-to-wall, elbow-to-elbow at a Patriots game, so your Dad, Uncle and I carefully stayed together as we ventured out into the concourse.  The lines were long, but we got the job done!  After, I brought you to one of the stores and told you to pick out anything you wanted.  Emma and I had spotted a silly “retro” Patriots hat on the widescreen during the game – a fan was wearing it.  Emma looked at hundreds of items and said “I want that!”  Ben and Camden joined in and said “we want one of those too!”  I bought those and got each of you a Pats wall banner.

Surprise #3:  every fan got a special surprise coming into Gillette, a banner.  You loved unrolling it and holding it up during the game.  You guys tried hard to get on camera, hoping they’d see you and put you up on the big screen.  I told you about the time that happened to me and your Dads.  The game was a day or so before Halloween, so we all wore masks and were noticed because our seats were very close to the field.

Adventure #4:  seeing Tom Brady is an adventure for every one of us.  By the time he retires, Tom Brady will go down in history as the greatest QB.  He’s there already in most of the “best of all time” categories.  What an amazing competitor – he never gives up, never stops learning and tirelessly works out, driving himself to be the best he can be every day of his life.  We can all learn a lesson or two (or a 100) from Tom Brady.  You have seen history:  someday you will tell your own kids ” You know what?  When I was your age I saw Tom Brady, the greatest QB of all time.”

Surprise # 4:  by the time we walked the half hour back to the car, we were all beat.  It had been a long day, the sun had set and it was once again feeling like late November should feel.  The parking lot was jammed and everyone was trying to exit at the same time.  We could have been there for an hour, but our microphone/loudspeaker friend from earlier tail gating jumped in front of the cars and allowed us to back out.  I told you guys “The reason he did that was because we got along with him and his friends.  We talked to them, fooled around, gave them some of our fool and they remembered that.  When you treat people nice, you get nice back.”

End of the day –  the traffic moved slow all the way back – it took us an hour just to re-connect with I-95, the main highway north.  Soon, the back seat of the van was quiet and every one of you was fast asleep. Ben was snoring!  In Lexington, Emma had to go the bathroom so we pulled over.  As we left the parking lot, a loud chant arose from the Three Musketeers:  “We want Fuddruckers, we want Fuddruckers!”  You wouldn’t let up!  You had remembered our visit there after last year’s Pats game.  Soon we were feasting on burgers, fries and shakes… yummy day treat #2.

I hope I can get tickets again next year so we add new surprises and adventures to our memory banks.   I wonder how long it will take before Ainsley and Molly, Jack and Madigan want to join us?  I bet it won’t be long.  Some day we’ll go down there – all 13 of us – and your Mom’s and Grammy will join us too.  Somehow they always stay behind to be with the little ones.

What a fantastic day – get it?   “fan”tastic?