When James found out there was going to be a Nascar race the weekend after T's birthday we knew that tickets to this event would be the PERFECT present to give him. We registered him for a free kid's club called Lefty's and I'm not kidding, he thinks he is a part of the most exclusive club in the country! We also lucked out and Talmage was chosen to be one of only 100 kids that got to meet three famous race car drivers and get their autograph. For T, that was as good as meeting royalty. And as if the day could possibly get better from there, T was also able to play in the Kid Zone for a couple of hours before watching a solid FIVE HOURS of car racing. without moving. or maybe breathing! He scored a whole swag bag full of gear and I let him splurge on a few new die cast cars after the race because as he said, "Mom, at the last minute Austin Dillon won and so I think I really need to get his car so that I can race him at home against my Kyle Busch car--you know, like a rematch!" The logic there was sound so I said what the heck, you might as well throw in a batman car while you're at it!
James and T were supposed to go to the race together but at the last minute something came up at work so I took Talmage to Fontana while James manned the other kid's activities and got some work done. I know I'm an emotional person anyways, and this pregnancy has made me even more so, but as the black and white checkered flag waved and I saw T's eyes light up as the cars zoomed past the starting line I couldn't help but feel so deeply grateful to be at the race track, to be alive, to be hanging out with my oldest baby and carrying another and to be present enough to realize how much of a gift moments like this really are. OK, and I might have shed a tear or two! Am I the only one that gets emotional at the starting line? Probably. And that's alright!
These race drivers smiling and signing autographs and talking to my boy just about made his day, and mine. I'm always so impressed when people with so much talent are also kind and giving with their time. They didn't have to do this but because they did T felt like a star! Those autographs and his huge race poster are now proudly hung on the wall above his bed.
All of the fun pictures above are from the Kid's Club. Talmage loved all of the activities (especially the hamster ball) but near the end he was getting concerned that we wouldn't see enough racing because, you know, the race started in like 2 1/2 hours and it hurt him to think he'd miss any of the preliminary fun! So many people worked so hard to make this place magical for kids, and it worked!
T and that race track. See the empty seats? Yeah, we were that early!!!
T really wanted Kyle Busch to win, and for 149 1/2 laps of the 150 lap race he was in 1st place. And then wouldn't you believe it, straight out of the movie Cars, Kyle got a flat tire and came in 2nd to Austin Dillon on the VERY LAST TURN. It all happened so fast and yet it seemed like slow motion because I was so concerned that this would ruin T's whole race experience (I mean, look at that kid's sign!) But of course it didn't, that kid is Captain Sunshine! He loved the drama of it all and was so excited to get new cars from the top three and race them on his Hot Wheel track.
You can see this kid's focus on the back of his head! This was my view for FIVE WHOLE HOURS. Yes, T did not move from that spot for the whole race and most of the preliminaries. I knew he was really into it when popcorn, ice cream and cotton candy salesmen walked right by his face and he didn't flinch. I literally had to hand-feed him his lunch because he wouldn't take his eyes off the track. Mr. T is almost never still so this moment was one for the books (and maybe one I'd like to recreate!)
After the race James had a little more work to do so I picked up Ever Knight and we went to 7-11 for the BYOC (bring your own cup) event. A HUGE bowl of slurpee was like $1, how could we pass that up? T told Ever all about the race, Ever told T all about his baseball game and Easter egg hunt, and I told both of them to stop hogging the slurpee. I mean, I told them I love them! ;)
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