Raisin' Em Up Right

Ya know... I love watchin' youngins play with their toys. Girls with their dolls... little boys with their cars or their action figures (which JAC maintains are dolls). But... anyone care to guess what Jeb's current favorites are?

Other little boys are fascinated with Rescue Heros. Not my boy. Nope. He plays with John Deere toys. Johnny Tractor... Barney Backhoe... Allie Gator.... Tony Track Tractor... and the best of all... Corey Combine.

Corey has replaced Thomas the Train in Jeb's bed. This is big stuff man.

For you uninitiated these are smallish personified versions of various John Deere implements. They have eyes and smile. Kids love 'em. Currently all of them but Corey are resting... lined up painstakingly... just so... beneath my vice cabinet... which the boy calls the barn.

I know of little boys who've learned their colors by associating them with various tractor brands. That is a good sign of a well raised boy.

Then again... My boy's only three... and he can point out the differences in a John Deere Model B, and a John Deere Model D. He knows nicknames like "Poppin' John", and "Spoker D" but he preffers to use the older name.. "Johnny Popper."

It's of course occured to me that its time to start tractor shoppin'. When discussing this with JAC the other day... he mentioned the new Farm Alls.

JAC clearly doesn't realize how much damage this would do to my son's perception of his father. It would be like... your dad tellin' you all about the f-350 he was fixin' to buy... and then seein' him drive up in a new minivan. I simply don't think I'd be the same in the boy's eyes. At least not for a long time.

I always dreamed of buyin' a Deere... and it looks like now I'm gonna go with the 27hp 790... but I always figured I'd start out with a Kubota. Hey.. its a lot of tractor for the money... but now?

Nope. Can't chance it. I'll push mow 6 acres if I have to. I'll save up to buy the Deere dammit. Seein' that boy's face when its delivered would be worth it.