Kanin Meets Randy Orton

The last few months Kanin has really gotten into WWE wrestling.  It makes me laugh and smile at how much he is in to it because my sister, cousin, and I used to love WWF just as much.  We would watch it on Saturday mornings, go to the Show-Me Center when it came to town and rent Wrestlemania and the Royal Rumble on VCR tapes.  We would make make-shift rings in our living room and I always pretended like I was Miss Elizabeth with Randy "Macho Man" Savage.

One of Kanin's "guys" is Randy Orton. 

Source

(Interestingly enough, Randy Orton is from St. Louis and actually grew up down the road from Scott's family in the same subdivision.  My nephew graduated high school with him and several people I know, know him.)

Over the weekend Scott and I heard that Randy Orton was going to be signing autographs at local Wal-Mart and we both looked at each other knowing that we would be taking a trip to Wal-Mart.

We decided not to tell Kanin about getting to meet Orton.  I called the Wal-Mart to make sure that we had heard the commercial right and I was told to ensure an autograph you had to have a wristband.  To get a wristband you had to buy the DVD That's What I Am (looks like a really good kid-type movie about acceptance and tolerance).  Only the first 300 people to buy the DVD were guaranteed a ticket and a spot in line so I raced up to the store and bought my DVD.  I was told that he would start autographing at 6:00pm and they would let people start lining up at 4:00pm. 

When Kanin got home I had him change into his RKO shirt and told him we had to go to Wal-Mart.  He was very curious why he had changed, why we were going to Wal-Mart, what we were going to do but we wouldn't tell him.  When we started walking in the store, there were a lot of other people there with wrestling shirts on and I asked Kanin if he knew what was going on?  He said he thought we were going to buy some wrestling toys.  LOL 

We turned the corner and saw a huge line had already formed (it was about 4:45).  Finally, it hit him as to what we were doing there.  He was so excited.

I guess I was just oblivious to how many people would actually show up to meet Orton.  We took Caleb and Gracie, too, (BIG MISTAKE!) because I figured we would go early and be one of the first ones in line so that we could get our autograph/picture and then head out to eat. 

Boy, was I wrong!  There were so many people there.  Honestly, if I had to estimate I would think at least 1,000 people showed up.  We were one of the "lucky" ones to have gotten a ticket ensuring us a picture but there were so many people who didn't realize you had to have a ticket and just showed up anyway.  It was insane.

Fast Forward almost 3 1/2 hours and we finally got up to meet him.  He was friendly and nice to Kanin but it was fast and furious.  He was only supposed to sign autographs from 6-8pm so even with only signing 300 that is less than 30 seconds with each person.  They were shuffling them through the line for sure. 

 

When it was finally Kanin's turn he was so excited.  Scott and I were in meltdown mode by this time and just wanted to get it over with, hit McDonald's, take baths and go to bed but this smile says it all.  (It was 8:20pm and we didn't get home until 9:00!!)

When we were walking out to the car Kanin told us that he would remember this day for the rest of his life so I guess that it was worth it. 

Then . . .he said that he hopes Christian (another wrestler) comes next.  I told him that unless he was old enough to drive himself and stand by himself for another 4 hours that he would not be meeting anymore wrestler anytime soon!!