More of Music City

Growing up, I loved our annual trips to Nashville more than just about any other place we went. That's one reason why it thrills me that Jones and Freddie get to spend so much time in Music City. I want them to love it like I did.

The bigger reason I love these trips, though, is that it means my boys are getting to be best buddies with the precious son of one of my best buddies. Brooke and I have planned, since before AJ was born, that our tiny trio would someday share a college apartment at the University of Tennessee. The memories they're making now are the foundation for that plan, and the pictures. Well, just imagine how AMAZING they'll look on the gallery wall of that apartment I mentioned.

And before you start, I acknowledge that most college boys don't have gallery walls of boyhood pictures in their bachelor pads. Still, it's fun for us to dream, and it's even more fun for us to make the memories that come with taking the pictures.

In short, it was another great visit. I really feel like these boys are the best versions of themselves whenever they're together. They are so sweet to each other - fits never ... well, RARELY ... happen. It's kind of astounding, to be honest, how well they do.

Here are a few "must-remembers" from this most recent visit:

1) the advent of the Push Pop - on the way to Nashville, the boys and I stopped at a convenience store, and Freddie emerged with his first-ever Push Pop, which he spent the rest of the day eating. As usual, he was very generous with it - Brooke said she saw him stop the Gator and, without saying a word, turn to A.J., pushing the Pop into A.J.'s unsuspecting mouth. He gave his buddy a couple licks of it at dinner, too.

The next morning, after Brooke took some photos of Jones and Freddie, I took all three boys to a convenience store, so each could have his own Push Pop. I imagine these treats will be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future.

2) Freddie still sleeps in bathrooms almost everywhere we go. He doesn't mind one bit. This time his digs were upgraded, though. Brooke's redone her guest bathroom, and it looks AMAZING.

3) While we were there, Brooke's neighbor brought a leaf blower over for A.J. to play with. The boys took turns playing with it. I imagine we will be buying a couple of leaf blowers before too long.

My favorite Mexican restaurant in America is right down
the street from Brooke's house.

4) Once again, we brought the Gator with us, and once again, the boys had a BALL riding it all over Brooke's amazing backyard. What was incredible was how they'd stop and switch drivers every so often, without having be told to. I was very impressed with how all three took turns.

I was somewhat scared by the way Freddie drove, which is nothing knew. He likes to ride right around the perimeter of the lot. At the back of their property line is a little lip that goes up, like a tiny hill. It's shaded by tree limbs, and this is probably Freddie's favorite place to drive - thankfully, A.J. rolls with it and instinctively leans away from the tree limbs that, let's face it, could maim them both.

It was another awesome visit. The boys had a ball - and have been asking when we can see A.J. again since we hit the road right around nap time today.

Here's some video footage of our little Kings of the Road.

I love seeing these three in a row.

He may still be sleeping in bathrooms,
but no more Pack & Plays!

the infamous Push Pop

sharing the Push Pop

Freddie doesn't ALWAYS make the
best decisions at dinner.
Then again, when baskets of chips
are involved, neither do I!

Yes. He drinks salsa {face palm}.

Freddie was using A.J.'s camera to take a
picture of me, Brooke, and Michael.
Jones stood behind him, doing tricks
to try to get us to smile.
Wonder where he's seen that before?

I am going gray. Fast.

Freddie did NOT want Jones trying to stop
the Gator by pulling on the flatbed.

Insta-Stupendous

I love InstaStories.

No, really.

I LOVE them.

Here's one from today.

Safety First!

This morning, the boys played at the Pressleys', while I went to the gym. Their cousins Evan and Ellery were there, and after seeing Freddie behind the wheel of his alliGator, Evan decided our little Bear needed a license to drive, so he made him one.

"Freddie Pressley
Driver Lisence
Must use Speed 1
unless going straight"

The alliGator, for those who don't know, has two speeds. When he's got it going full throttle, Freddie is some (most of) the time a menace to any and all in his path.

This license, which Evan stored in the driver's side cup holder, is one of the greatest gifts that Fred Pressley has ever been given.

I love it!

Thanks, "E!"

Great or "Gator"?

Well, Freddie ran over Jones with the "alliGator" today.

How's THAT for an opening line?

I'm not sure what happened - Jones was riding, because OF COURSE, Freddie was driving, and then all of a sudden, I looked up, and Jones was being dragged by the Gator, his right leg almost entirely under the (mercifully) plastic tire.

Jones was DEFINITELY afraid but not at all hurt. He didn't even really whine when I picked him up. He just got back on board the Gator and took off with his baby brother.

That was this afternoon - our SECOND trip to the Pressleys' for some ride time today (their huge, flat front yard is a MUCH better place to ride than anywhere at our house). On the first, the boys fought LIKE CRAZY over the Gator. I take that back - FREDDIE fought like crazy. Jones was perfectly content to ride his tractor. Every now and then, he'd ask to drive the Gator, and Freddie would have NONE OF IT.

The transitions went much better this afternoon - mostly because I'd put the fear of God into Freddie that if he DARED to pitch ANY KIND OF FIT, he would never again get on the Gator, so he did fine ... until he didn't.

After an hour or so, I said, "It's Jones's turn," and Freddie shouted, "IT NOT JONES'S TURN." This behavior, by the way, though commonplace for Jones (we're working on it), is VERY uncommon for Freddie, so, as promised, I jerked him up and dealt with his attitude before putting him the car to sit, while Jones and I parked their fleet of John Deeres. Jones did spectacularly well. No fits, no complaining. Thank the good Lord in Heaven above.

By and large, though, they both did really well with two separate tractors. This afternoon was SIGNIFICANTLY better than this morning, but still, I think the arrangement is gonna be a good one. They'd do circles in the front yard, taunting each other with "You can't catch me! You can't catch me!" Then, just before we left the second time, Jones goofily declared, "I'm a John Deere man. Freddie's an alliGator man."

Truer words were never spoken.

In other news, Freddie wants to be Zurg for Halloween. I TOTALLY know this will change a thousand times between now and October, but I hope, hope, hope he ultimately goes with this choice, because it's SO perfect for him. Everytime we watch "Toy Story 2," which, for awhile, was pretty much every day, he sits up, points, and says, "ZUUUUURRRRGGGGG" everytime Buzz's nemesis comes on the screen.  The fact that he conceived this idea in his (not-so-tiny) two year old head makes me about as proud of him as I've ever been.

Jones's current front runner makes me just as proud. He presently wants to be Johnny Strum, a "GEE-tar' playing bandit from the Ballad of Sweet Strings episode of "Sheriff Callie's Wild West." What in the world would make him want to "be like" this guy (He always uses that to describe it: "I want to be like ... [fill in the blank]"), I will never know, but I LOVE getting to see how the wheels are spinning in those little heads, and I'm gonna do all I can to make those little dress up dreams come true.

I'm completely staying out of their costume choices and letting it be whatever their little hearts desire, but in this moment, Mama's heart desires a Zurg and a Johnny Strum - both of which were selected by the boys. I just hope they CONTINUE to select them.

We'll see how this all plays out.

LOVING his hair, as it grows
out on top 

They have gotten very good
at helping carry in grocery bags -
so long as they aren't too heavy.