Bart is a stellar dad to all his kids but I love the relationship he has with his boys. As Aaron has gotten older it's fun to watch them bond over sports, autograph and hard work. When I ask him to do something he baulks, moans and acts like I'm killing him. Yet he will happily work along side Bart for hours. Bart is good at empowering Aaron to feel capable of grown up things and Aaron proudly rises to the task. Aaron the 7 footer in the making has so many of the same physical attributes as his dad. I would love to be able to see some well child stats on Bart to compare but I don't think they gave out these things to parents in his day
Just look at these two cute baseball catchers.
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The last time Bart went solo on an autograph adventure to LA Aaron asked me why he couldn't go with him. I said Oh Aaron you wouldn't want to go and sit in a car for hours waiting for some dumb celebrity. Aaron looked shocked that I would think that of him and said "For someone like Harrison Ford I would".
While in San Diego Bart was pining over going back to LA because he knew that Mike Vitar (Bennie the Jet) from the Sand Lot has a neighborhood garage sale each year. How Bart finds out these things is incredible to me. Anyway there was no way Aaron was staying back when he had a slight chance to meet "Benny the Jet" from one of his favorite movies.
The garage sale was Sat morning so Friday night they were on the look out for Harrison Ford. According to Bart they tracked him down to his private airplane and Harrison was not at all happy to see them sort of trespassing on the private airlines grounds. He brushed them aside and Bart said will you at least sign for my son he is a huge fan of yours. Harrison softened and gave Aaron and stellar autograph.
The next morning Bart got a later start to get to the garage sale but when he got to Mike's house the family wasn't participating in the neighborhood garage sale. Neither his truck or his wife's car were in the driveway but he did see that the garage was open but it wasn't facing the street. He asked Aaron to nonchalantly walk up the steep driveway and peek in to see if their cars were home. Aaron was hesitant to go by himself so Bart decided to go. Just as he was about to climb up the driveway a kid on a bike came barreling down it. Bart assuming it was Mike's kid watched him bike down the street. At the corner Bart saw a black Jeep pull over and talk to this kid. Bart didn't recognize the Jeep but wondered if it might be Mike because who else would stop a kid on the street corner to talk to him. Sure enough it was him and he pulled into the driveway and stopped at the bottom and got out of his jeep. Bart couldn't believe his luck and beckoned Aaron to come get over there quick. He politely called Mike by name and gave him a spill about being from Utah and once living within blocks of the pink house in the movie. He said he wife really wanted him to buy it as well as that I work in a school really close to the baseball diamond in the movie and his son Aaron loves baseball and the movie sand lot.
He saw Aaron and then gave him all the attention asking him if he played baseball and what position and so on. Bart kept the conversation going telling Aaron that Mike is a firefighter. Mike told Aaron how much he loves his job because he gets to help others. Bart then asked him if he could sign a couple of baseballs and then knowing it was now or never nervously (probably doing his shimmy shakes) pulled out all of his Sandlot photos he had that needed him to finish them.
A few years ago when the sandlot was celebrating their 25 anniversary Bart had us all go to the Bees game and wait forever to get all the cast. Mike wasn't there nor does he ever come to things because when he gave up Hollywood he really gave it up. He became a firefighter for the city of L.A. and is impossible to find and get an autograph. It's really rare to see anything from him.
Mike who couldn't have been nicer signed away at all of the photos. When Aaron asked if he could get a picture with him he refused joking that he will barely let his wife take his photo.
They soon left when Mike's wife came out to see what was going on and rather cooly told her husband that she remembered Bart from last year at the garage sale.
Both Aaron and Bart couldn't stop talking about this amazing autograph adventure and how so many stars aligned just right to be able to run into them.
They also tracked down Dr. Dre who apparently is one of the most valuable rappers out there.
Bart calls Aaron his lucky autograph charm. Aaron always beams to be called that and can't wait for the next adventure.
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