Rodeo Days

Just to give y'all fair notice, there will be a million photos in this post.

The Rodeo is BIG time here in TEXAS! The Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show is the world's biggest rodeo. We could not get tickets to any of the big name acts (like the Black Eyed Peas, Rascal Flatts or Selena Gomez) but we did go during the day to see the sights....

Kate talked all year long about her pony ride from last year

(she is wearing the same dress in fact). She loves it!

Harry LOVES the big slide!

Will had to ride the mechanical bull..

He did well for a while and then he went down!

You can just see his sneakers here as he is going down.

Here I am petting a wallabee in the petting zoo. I boycotted this petting zoo for years after a Lllama attacked me and threw me down in 1999! I was seriously injured from that and had a mild phobia of petting zoos for a while.

Look! This smart animal has GREAT taste. It is eating Kate's Matilda Jane dress!!!

After the petting zoo, it was off to the pig races...

Kate clapping along to the country music waiting for the pig races to start. The pig races are one of the highlights of the rodeo each year. (I grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia~so all of this southern rodeo stuff was new to me too;)

The pigs run so fast that I can never get a good shot but here is Swifty the swimming pig;)

Father and son goofing around. Dave was trying to be short so Will looked tall.

Will and Kate getting on a little roller coaster.

Kate did NOT like this ride but big brother Willie kept her safe. Isn't that so sweet?

See that little boy's pig snout? You can buy those at the pig races!

Harry and Will on the cobra with their hands in the air like they just don't care:)

Will climbing the rock wall....

We saw these giant stuffed animals riding the sky ride.

Now a HUGE part of the Rodeo is the food.....

Dave got a skewer of chicken and bacon wrapped jalapenos:)

This is a half loaf of fries.

We even splurge and let Kate get a giant ice cream cone.


Then it was onto the games. Dave and I despise carnival games. We also are not gamblers. We just have a problem with throwing money away. At the rodeo, you can use ride "tickets" (they are on cards) for the games, so the kids often choose to forgo a ride or two to play a few games.

Unfortunately, they won these lovely stuffed animals (another thing I loathe)....

Harry was walking by a game booth and was hit in the stomach by a dart. It actually broke the skin. He is fine though. The lady working the booth gave the boys free turns and BIG prizes. She also begged me not to go to guest services;)

Then it is off to the carousel. They make me so dizzy. So Dave rides with Kate:)




Last stop, the boys favorite....

the BUMPER cars!!! Harry still doesn't reach the pedals. Maybe next year?

Bye bye rodeo....See ya next year!

Last year, Kate got mono right after the rodeo (and Spring Break). I am keeping my fingers crossed and saying LOTS of prayers for her health!!!!