3 years, 4 months.

Dear Jack,

Last Friday my friend Scott asked me about my plans for the weekend. When I told him, he replied, “Nick, sorry, but you just don’t seem like someone who would be into monster trucks.”

I smiled, then gave him a reasonable explanation: “I have a 3 year-old son who is into monster trucks, therefore, I am into monster trucks.”

Mommy and I had been wanting to take you to see the monster trucks for quite a while now. We actually were considering taking you last year, but back then at age 2, we figured you might not be ready for something so big and… epic.

And then back in January, Monster Jam came through Nashville where we live, but the show was too late in the afternoon so it would have disrupted your all-important bedtime schedule.

So as crazy as it sounds, we decided to drive nearly an hour and a half to Huntsville, AL to see a daytime Monster Jam show.

Do I even need to come out and say, that you loved it!?

Probably not. It’s a given.

We arrived early enough to be there for the pit party; where we had the opportunity to check out the monster trucks up close, as well as a chance to meet the drivers.

I thought it was funny how happy you were to meet the mascot forJack’srestaurant (a Southern burger joint chain); you thought it was the red M&M! I didn’t tell you otherwise.

Leading up to the trip, I had three different people warn/remind me to buy you ear plugs for the show. Good thing, because I definitely wouldn’t have thought of that on my own.

At one point, you used two Monster Jam trucks as earplugs over your actual earplugs.

But earplugs are the price to pay to actually see these toys come to life. There were some fun ones there too- like Higher Education (the school bus) and Monster Mutt (the dog).

I was for certain that for a souvenir, you’d pick Monster Mutt, but I was wrong- you chose Mechanical Mischief, a gray monster truck. I think you chose him mainly because you recently learned how to say “gray” in Spanish… gris.

A lot of the letters I write to you are a way of preserving memories from your firsts. Well, this first of seeing a monster truck show was a first for Mommy and me as well.

And for the record, I’m not into monster trucks simply because of you, but I definitely have a valid excuse now!

Love,

Daddy

Note: Tickets for this story were provided courtesy of Monster Jam.