National Nite Out

I'll say this for the Town of Canton. When it comes to families with young children, it is stepping up its game in a MAJOR way, and I am so grateful. This was reiterated to me at tonite's fantastic "National Night Out" event.

For the second year in a row, we hauled the boys out, thinking they'd be beside themselves to get up close and personal with many of the town's vehicles and public servants. When we got there last year, Freddie was somewhat excited; Jones, on the other hand, was terrified. He'd get nowhere near any of the vehicles - or the jump houses, for that matter - and we ended up leaving not long after we'd gotten there, because of one of his atomic fits over something I can't quite recall. The fit, however, I remember VIVIDLY.  In fact, I partially dreaded tonite, knowing the potential for a reprise existed.

Jones very quickly proved me totally wrong, though. He still wanted nothing to do with the jump houses (neither did Freddie, though he loved them last year), but there wasn't anything else he didn't do - from climbing in cab of the street sweeper (probably the boys' favorite) to climbing on top of a ridable tiger.

Freddie, of course, was the first to jump in every driver's seat available to him. It was in a driver's seat that, while playing with the CB of a Canton police officer, Freddie laid on the horn of the police car, causing everyone in the area to look up, startled. Later, the Waynesville Police Chief, who's a friend of Jeremy's (of course), teased Freddie about it.

We may not have a Target, Y'all, but there are MANY benefits to small town life. I'm realizing that more and more every day.

When the time came to go, we all headed back to "Daddy's New Beeg Car" without so much as a whine or a whimper. It was a GREAT reminder that Jones has come a LONG, LONG way - and a GREAT encouragement that, maybe, our upcoming trips to Thomas Land and Disney World will be the spectacular successes that I'm dreaming they'll be.

Fingers crossed and all that.

I told Jones this was for when he runs for mayor. 

I told Freck this had better be the last time he's
in the back of a squad car. 

Both boys took off like rockets on
these things. We asked the owner to
put them in the slower gear, so they
didn't kill someone! Also, at one point,
Freddie said to me, "I can't back up."
Boy has gotten spoiled with the reverse
gear on his "Alligator."