Mild Obsession

On Friday we went to the Home and Flower Show at Lucas Oil Stadium. I went because I for 1.) wanted to smell some fresh mulch and 2.) wanted to see inside the stadium. Hudson went because I for 1.) convinced him it would be super fun and 2.) he had no other options.

It didn't take long for me to figure out that I didn't have any other options other than to stay at the gardens at the front of the exhibition. Major landscape companies created gorgeous model gardens. One used a more dental-friendly ploy than candy to lure in young children: They had two large model train sets mixed in with their flowers and shrubs. Hudson was hooked. Suddenly the flower show was the best place on earth.

Hudson loves trains. (I am pretty sure all little boys do.) Our little town has many train tracks and I do my best to cross them at approximately 10:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. when the two day trains come through. He always asks the same question, "Where are they going, Mama?" I am not sure what to say, so I humor myself by making something witty up. Ever notice how real trains look nothing like those in children's books? Real trains are freaking scary, not the colorful, circus animal filled funships going "clickety clack clickety clack" through his books.

What I don't like is all this Thomas the Train stuff.  We don't need another collection of stuff. I will happily play with our IKEA (aka no name) trainset anyday. It is a full-time job to balance his love for these toys with the licensed apparel, utensils, coloring books, toys, and vacation destinations "Thomas" has his grips on. I suppose I would attempt a similar war on de-princessifying my home if I had a little girl. (I think I got the easier task having a boy.)

At dinner this week Josh and I were talking about work. Josh described something as a "trainwreck". Hudson, quietly eating his meal, looked up and said, "Train not wreck, Dada. Train on tracks. Train go clickety clack." He was really bothered by the idiom. It was cute.

Turns out, after dragging Hudson away from the train, I mean landscape, display we found something we could both love. The $7 admission (free for Hudson) was well-worth it for the multiple two-story escalator rides that we enjoyed before we left the stadium. Little man will tell you, "I lobe escalators." Me too, buddy. Me too.

Think Spring!