Mutton Bustin' and Ghostbusting

4/11/2011

Since I didn't have to choke anything down for Project Gastronome this weekend, I had to figure out other ways to keep the kids entertained.  Here's a quick recap of the weekend that was.

FRIDAY - Blake recently found a CD of Peter and the Wolf, and has been listening to it nonstop.  He loves this piece of music.  I'm happy that he's finally requesting something to listen to in the car other than Kidz Bop.  I found a really great stop motion animated version of PATW available to stream instantly on Netflix, and after the kids had dinner and kissed Mommy goodbye for a night of work, we got in pajamas and watched it.  It was a hit!

That night, long after all of them should have been asleep, Ava got up and was crying by her door.  I usually give her a few minutes to work it out, because usually when she wakes up to cry it's because her lip hurts, or she forgot to tell her teacher that she loves her when she said goodbye.  When she was still crying several minutes later, I went to check and found out that it was because she had seen a ghost.  Here was one of those moments where I realized that I could either catch the fish for her (turn on the lights, check under the bed, etc.), or teach her to fish (let her dispel the fear on her own).  I brought her a slotted spoon from the kitchen and told her it was magic - if you slap ghosts with it, they will die!  I gave her a kiss and smoothed her hair, and as I walked away, I heard a grunt, a swish, and a triumphant laugh, and then she went right to sleep.

Here she is the next day, looking intimidating with the magic spoon.
I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts
SATURDAY - Lubbock's arts festival was this weekend, so I took the bambinos and met my sister Kristen and the junior Lewises there.  This event has really grown since I was a kid.  There's so much there now for the children to do, and they had a great time doing different art projects, checking out the model train layouts that the railroaders club set up (not sure what it has to do with the arts, but whatever...), and playing with cousins.  Jack was the only one who I could convince to get within two yards of a guy in a Cat in the Hat costume, and only because he was strapped into a stroller.
His face shows his uncertainty about this whole thing
Linda, one of my coworkers, gave us a very generous invitation for Saturday night.  Her boyfriend, Charlie Thompson, organizes and promotes rodeos, and she often works the door.  She told me that if I wanted to bring the kids, she'd let us in for free, so I took her up on that offer.  The kids have never been to one, and I haven't been to one since grade school, so it was exciting for all of us.  I aked Blake if he'd be interested in trying the Mutton Bustin' event (where young kids ride a sheep), and he excitedly agreed.  Here he is in his self-selected cowboy outfit (cut the kid some slack, we're not really western wear types).
Ava insisted that she needed to change clothes for the rodeo, too, which is why she's wearing different pants above.  Once we got there, the kids were completely fascinated by everything going on.

Then they called the mutton busters down to the arena, and here is where I had another parenting moment.  You guys, Blake is entirely like me.  This makes him both easier for me to read and harder for me to watch, because his hopes and hurts are so much like mine.  He and I both dream a dream all the way, the only difference is that I've learned to temper mine with reality.  Blake walked into that arena fully believing that he'd be walking out as King Of The Rodeo.  Here is his ride.


Considering that the longest ride was about three seconds, I was awfully proud of his 1.5, especially because he had tried something new.  The landing was kind of hard, and he climbed out covered in dirt, a bruise on his back, and tears in his eyes.  He was trying SO HARD not to let those tears come out in front of the cowboys.  I brushed him off, hugged him tight, and told him how much I had enjoyed watching him.  Then I got some popcorn for all three kids to share and let Blake play with the video camera for a while.
 
Ava told me that she reaaaally wanted to talk to one of the cowgirls who competed in the barrel race, so I held her hand and walked over there with her.  The girl was so nice to Ava, asked her name and age, and listened as Ava told her that she thought the cowgirl's shirt was pretty and that Santa had brought her a kitchen for Christmas.
 
As it turns out, Jack also had an eye for cowgirls.  Once we had popcorn, I could not keep him close to me to save my life.  He took his little box of popcorn, found two cute teenagers to sit next to, and offered them popcorn and conversation for like the next ten minutes.  Both of my boys love attention, they just seek it differently, I guess.
 
SUNDAY - After church and naps, my kids were begging me to go to the Texas Tech Museum.  It's been about six months since our last visit (at which time, I just noticed, Blake was again wearing his favorite orange striped shirt).  Usually, the kids are the most interested in the dinosaur exhibit.  This weekend it seemed like they were mostly interested in telling me about all of the nipples they could see in the gallery of African tribal sculptures.
 
There is a temporary exhibit about eugenics called Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race, produced by the Holocaust Memorial Museum.  I fully recognize that this is not funny subject matter, but this picture still makes me laugh.
Blake certainly looks like a "healthy seed" here, doesn't he?
 

7 comments:

Will Meekin said...

ghosts, cowboys & girls!, nipples and nazis. a full weekend indeed. the slotted spoon and the bruised cowpoke's ride: i admire your handiwork.

wm.

Unknown said...

Diving head-first into project gastronome and then some mutton bustin'? Blake really has some cajones on him!

Roy B. said...

Talk about coincidence...without this post I wouldn't have given a second thought to the billboard advertising that "Peter and the Wolf" is being staged here in Lubbock.

Ballet Lubbock, I think? Towards the end of April, maybe?

I said I noticed. I didn't say I took notes to do your whole freaking job for you!

Danny said...

I saw that! It's this coming weekend, and I'd like to take Blake, but we're going to be out of town Friday and Saturday for a wedding, and on Sunday, two of my mom's cousins from California are going to be in town, so we'll be spending the day with them. I think for now, the movie is probably more his speed anyway.

Andrea G said...

In that pic of the 3 kids, I so see the Jersey Shore reference you made about your boy Jack in an earlier Fb post! hee hee!

Ali said...

i would just like to "ditto" all of will's comments. so: ditto.

Danny said...

And I don't think I ever said thanks to Will for his comments, so thank you to Will, and ditto to you, Ali.

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