Raising a Redneck

Last weekend, Mark and I surprised Max with a trip to see Monster Jam. We told him the week before that we were taking him on a special trip - just the three of us - while Jillie spent the day with my parents.

For anyone who has spent even a few minutes with Max, his love of all things monster trucks is pretty clear. This kid lives for Gravedigger, Blue Thunder, Maximum Destruction, Avenger...really, the list is at least 30 trucks long. So, when we heard that Monster Jam was coming to the Wilkes-Barre area, we had to get our tickets. We were lucky enough to score tickets for "Party in the Pits", a pre-show opportunity to get up close and personal with the trucks and the drivers themselves.

To my surprise, the event was a pretty wholesome, family friendly event. I was worried it would be a drunk fest, but really there were very few people there without a kid in tow. We stood in line for a chance to see Gravedigger and meet the driver, Randy Brown. He signed a hat, pennant and a truck for Max and took a picture with us. (Max's sweaty fingers erased the autograph on the truck on the way home...but Max still asks to play with the "Gravedigger that the driver colored on".) And while I wasn't exactly expecting diva behavior from a monster truck driver, I did imagine these guys to be more "tough guys" than the "teddy bears" they really are. Not only did they meet with loads of people before the show, there was an announcement made that they would stay and sign autographs after the show until "every last autograph is signed". Try and find that at a Mariah Carey concert.

Max, who is clearly turning into our little redneck, had an absolute blast at the show. It was pretty loud for his little ears, but smart planning by daddy had him pretty well protected. It's been over a week now, and he still hasn't stopped talking about all the trucks he saw...and the jumps...and the wheelies...

So, Redneck Max's love for the big loud trucks is going strong...I'm just hoping he doesn't ask for a mullet anytime soon.