When I was a kid, we moved around a lot.
OH. SC. NC. MO. SC.
One of the constants of my vagabond childhood, however, was the way we'd take regular trips back to where it all began - in our beautiful, beloved, old Kentucky home.
Even now, as if prompted by some kind of biological clock, I get a tick to go back to the Bluegrass State several times a year - most of them, admittedly, come during basketball season, but I want my boys (who saw the Cats play in Rupp last Winter) to know "the finer side" of Kentucky life, too, so we planned a visit to where the ponies play. No weekend spent at Keeneland's Fall Meet is complete unless it's served up with a side of Wildcat football.
This was that weekend.
It began with Mom and me picking the boys up from school and celebrating Friesday. After that, we headed on to Lexington and a trip that could best be described as "made agonizing by Freddie's INCESSANT whines from the back seat." UUUGGGGGHHHHH.
Daddy met us at the Hyatt, where we stayed (Jeremy drove up after work that nite). The next morning, the boys and I were up and off to Breakfast at the Works at Keeneland. Remarkably, Jones agreed to have his face painted. Not only did he have it done, he LOVED it! We toured Lexington a little bit before taking naps and heading out to watch the Cat Walk before UK played Mizzou at the freshly-dubbed Kroger Field.
Sunday started with a visit to the horse farm owned by the man who is the major shareholder in Daddy's company. It was pouring the rain, but we still got to walk through his amazing stables and get closer to clydesdales than my boys have ever been before.
Soon after that, it was time to head to the track. We had ZERO luck in the races, but the boys LOVED the "suite life" of having run of an entire corporate box. We got home well after bedtime, but the boys did great. Well, Jones did great. He was invited to ride home with Mayme and Pop. Given that whole "four hours of whining" episode I alluded to above, Freddie was not (when we loaded them up, Jones matter of factly said, "You guys take the little child; Maybe and Pop will take his big brother").
Freddie stuck with us, which was harder on him than we'd expected it'd be. See for yourself.
Here are some more highlights of what was a wonderful weekend.
1) For dinner Friday, Mom, Daddy, and I just took the boys to Arby's. It was convenient to the hotel and allowed us to get them in the bed on time. Plus, they love to go "where the pirates eat" ("Aaarrrggghhhh-bys").
Freddie'd finished most of his, but Jones still had about a quarter of his left. "Eat that sandwich," I said, trying to spur him on. Before I could blink, he'd spit crammed his mouth full and thrown the wadded up, silver wrapper on the table. I was instantly suspicious that my slower eater could do anything so quickly. On a hunch, I unwrapped the paper. What did I find but all of the beef, hidden like that time Eugene Morris Jerome covered his livers with his mashed potatoes.
2) We had lunch at Chick-fil-A on Saturday. Before going in, we were talking about the playground
when Jones told Daddy he was too big for the playground. "Look in a mirror!" he exclaimed, reminding us all of that time Camden told Daddy he was "full of air."
3) Before we went down to breakfast, the boys were looking at each other in the full-length mirror in the hotel room. This, of course, led to the usual fisticuffs, and Freddie's overreacting to Jones's looking at him the wrong way. I made Freddie go sit on his bed, after which Jones looked at himself in the mirror, his Kentucky blue foam finger on one hand, and said, "I got him good," as if he'd planned the whole thing.
4) At breakfast, Freddie had a mess of yogurt on his face. Daddy said, "You've got a mustache!" Freddie comically looked around, saying, "Where? Where?"
5) I asked Jones why he and Freddie can't sleep in the same room, assuming he'd know the answer and say, "We might talk." Instead, he had a different answer.
ME: Jones, why can't y'all sleep together?
JONES: Because I don't like him.
Fair enough.
6) Jones played magic tricks in the box at Keeneland. He'd use the black straw as his magic wand. He told me one time that he would make a Coke disappear, "Put this napkin on your head," he told me. After I'd covered my face, he poured the Coke from one cup into another and, when he was done, said, "Now, take it off."
Sure thing.
It was a great weekend in one of my favorite places on the planet.
Freddie stuck with us, which was harder on him than we'd expected it'd be. See for yourself.
Here are some more highlights of what was a wonderful weekend.
 |
| To look so angelic, they sure were a handful on this nite. |
Freddie'd finished most of his, but Jones still had about a quarter of his left. "Eat that sandwich," I said, trying to spur him on. Before I could blink, he'd spit crammed his mouth full and thrown the wadded up, silver wrapper on the table. I was instantly suspicious that my slower eater could do anything so quickly. On a hunch, I unwrapped the paper. What did I find but all of the beef, hidden like that time Eugene Morris Jerome covered his livers with his mashed potatoes.
2) We had lunch at Chick-fil-A on Saturday. Before going in, we were talking about the playground when Jones told Daddy he was too big for the playground. "Look in a mirror!" he exclaimed, reminding us all of that time Camden told Daddy he was "full of air."
3) Before we went down to breakfast, the boys were looking at each other in the full-length mirror in the hotel room. This, of course, led to the usual fisticuffs, and Freddie's overreacting to Jones's looking at him the wrong way. I made Freddie go sit on his bed, after which Jones looked at himself in the mirror, his Kentucky blue foam finger on one hand, and said, "I got him good," as if he'd planned the whole thing.
4) At breakfast, Freddie had a mess of yogurt on his face. Daddy said, "You've got a mustache!" Freddie comically looked around, saying, "Where? Where?"
5) I asked Jones why he and Freddie can't sleep in the same room, assuming he'd know the answer and say, "We might talk." Instead, he had a different answer.ME: Jones, why can't y'all sleep together?
JONES: Because I don't like him.
Fair enough.
6) Jones played magic tricks in the box at Keeneland. He'd use the black straw as his magic wand. He told me one time that he would make a Coke disappear, "Put this napkin on your head," he told me. After I'd covered my face, he poured the Coke from one cup into another and, when he was done, said, "Now, take it off."
Sure thing.
It was a great weekend in one of my favorite places on the planet.
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