Once again, my friend, Christie, and I headed south to visit the Todd family. As always, good times were had by all and I laughed more than I had in many months. Laughter, and friends, are good for the soul. To recap my visit, I've come up with a list of lessons learned. On the final day of the trip, Tracy said, "I haven't brought up the blog post. I'm fine with whatever you write." My, my, she's come a long way.
Always take the Briley Parkway - For those who travel south from above the Tennessee line, you know the fun that is driving through Nashville. You time your departures so as to miss the rush hour traffic and, honestly, hit traffic no matter what time it is. This year, we took a slight detour. We exited on to Briley Parkway and took the scenic route that parallels the highway through Nashville. It's a glorious way to miss traffic and catch the sights, such as Opry Mills and the Opryland Hotel. Of course, Siri had a coronary when we didn't follow her direction, so we turned her off until we got back on her track. She's such a commanding little voice.
Tracy has a soft side - Lest you think Tracy is always hardcore, let me assure you, she has a soft side. And it comes out when Logan is around. Chad proclaimed she had turned soft and I saw it. But, how can you not? Logan with those beautiful eyes and curly hair...it would melt anyone's heart. Especially Momma's. I love the way she loves him. Allison is her twin, and Logan, for sure, has her heart.
It's too soon for Disney World - We took the kids to Chuck-e-Cheese on Friday as their surprise. As we entered the building, we realized Chuck was out and about. Allison is not a fan of Chuck. Oh she loves the place, but that rat can stay backstage for all she cares...and wave from a distance. Chad calmed her down and told her to stay back while he checked things out. I told her Daddy was going to pop Chuck in the nose so no worries and she giggled. Giggles are much better than tears. Daddy came back to report that he was going backstage, which meant we had an hour before his return. We left with just 4 minutes to spare. This is proof it's too soon for Disney World.
Potato Salad is more than just a food - One of the things I love the best is game playing with the Todds. And since their move to Buford, their friends Ted and Christina come and join the party. It's like having two Chad and Tracys! We learned a new card game called "Russian Salad." I won't go into the details here, but it's an amazingly fun game. To make it interesting, Ted changed up a rule and we decided to call it Potato Salad. People need to play more games. It's also good for the soul.
Everyone's last name is Todd - Logan's full name is Logan Robert Todd. When Tracy asks him his name, he proudly states it in full. One day she asked him, "what's Daddy's name?" He said, "Daddy Robert Todd!" Close, but not really. She asked him Allison's name, and he said, "Allison Robert Todd" It's Ruth, so he got the R right. Allison even sounded out "Ra-ra-ra-" to help him guess Ruth. Then Tracy asked what Christie's name was, "Christie Todd!" and my name, according to Logan, is "Rosie Todd!" We'd like to announce that Christie and I are married to the long lost Todd brothers and now a part of the Todd family.
Literal Thinking Reigns - Logan's name begins with "L" which stands for Literal. The kid is a great literal thinker. He always wanted to play "Red Bowling" which is the power throw bowling game on the Wii. Why Red Bowling? Because the kingpin is red. When he wanted a pretzel (shaped in the form of a football), he said, "Can I have a football pretzel?" And when he wanted a Ritz cracker, he'd say "Circle cracker please!" I love a literal thinker. No nonsense. And, most of the time, he comes clean and confesses. When we heard cries from Allison coming from the playroom, Logan came running in and Momma asked what happened. He proceeded to give her the play-by-play. I assured her and Chad that I'm convinced when the kid understands his sinfulness, he'll get saved at a young age.
Love begins at an early age - Ted and Christina have two children - Jack, who is in the second grade, and Kate who is just a bit younger than Logan. Allison is crazy about Jack. You'll find her following him around everywhere and when they are coming over, she talks about him non-stop. You might even catch her cuddling with him on the couch. Kate, who affectionately calls him "Yogan," does the same to Logan. She chases him around and wants to do everything Logan does. In fact, Christina will tell her at home if she doesn't do something, she won't get to play with Logan, and she becomes quickly obedient. Jack is in love with Carrie Underwood (seriously) and Logan is oblivious, but these girls are whooped. I encouraged a double wedding and save them all the heartache.
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