Spanky has an obvious connection with the King

On the way up to Ohio, we made a detour to one of the more famous houses in Memphis, really the world---Graceland. 

We made it to Graceland early on a very cold Sunday morning. We thought it wouldn't be too crowded. We didn't know Graceland is always crowded.

Now if you've been to Graceland, you know they pass out headphones with audio for the tour. There's something cool and eerie about hearing Elvis' voice as you stare at his kitchen, the stove where the red-eye gravy was made, his three TVs side by side in the basement. And of course neither Dino or Spanky was allowed the audio pack. 

Dino got to share an audio set with daddy but the second his headphones told him to press the red button, he was hysterical because he could not. Not wanting to be enemy #1 of the rest of the group, esp. the family that traveled from Japan for this tour (wow!), I handed my entire audio pack to Dino and continued the journey is silence.

Well not really silence. Remember Spanky got no audio either so he filled in his own. With screams. And 'no' and 'go away' to any guards who came near.

Spanky who apparently yearned for a close 'Elvis' moment, decided to walk under the velvet ropes of each special room. Yes, Spanky ran into the rooms only a select few entered. And I got to run too. He wanted to touch each and every glass, table and chair Elvis and his family used. I quickly mastered the art of swooping him up and out of the room without breaking anything (thank goodness, I enjoy shelter and clothing).

Spanky's favorite was the Jungle Room, decked out for Christmas and full of toys Lisa Marie got from her Christmases there with Daddy. I think he liked the giant stuffed something. I wish I remembered what the stuffed thing was but I was too busy constantly pulling Spanky back behind the rope. I would hold him. He would kick and scream until I had to put him down and he would run like the wind into the room. I am thinking this happened 3 times at least.

At the end of the tour as we viewed the graves of Elvis and his family, Spanky got quiet and then again burst into tears. An onlooker would say my little Texan was bothered by the cold. But I'm not so sure. Perhaps Spanky made a connection only a toddler and king would understand.

I'm sorry there are no pics of Spanky running into the rooms. I was truly more concerned about getting him out of the closed off rooms that to capture the moment. In hindsight, I wish I got just one :(