The REAL Demolition Derby!

Tuesday night I met up with a friend of mine and her two kids to take them all to the county fair and the Demolition Derby that was also being held there that night. The wutz was looking forward to the Derby and was already bellowing, "Derby!" back from his carseat as we traveled to the fairgrounds.


However, when we got there all was forgotten once we wove our way through the building where all the booths of vendors hawking their cheap wares were set up and we then arrived at the threshhold to the fair itself. Once the kids saw the lights and the rides the Derby was all but forgotten. So we gleefully tanked the Demolition Derby plans in exchange for $20 armbands for each child in attendance.


My friend and I followed the small tugging hands of each child, first to the flying Dumbo knockoffs. Then we made our way to the race cars that looked much like the vehicles I could hear being destroyed mid-Derby.




After the race cars we stood for about 15 minutes outside of a funhouse that had a plexiglass maze. We laughed so hard our sides hurt from watching each of our oh-so-graceful children bonk their heads repeatedly on the SAME pane of plexiglass each and every time they attempted to wander through the maze.






It was a grand time.

Until little dudes and the diva started getting tired around 10pm. Then we knew it was time to depart. So as we wandered back out the fair we then had to retrace oursteps through the gauntlet of vendors.

While trying to make our escape my friend's son kicked over a fairly large potted plant, sending it toppling onto its side. My friend and I both turned around and looked down at it and then each other, both faces mirroring the "I'm not bending over in these jeans to pick that up." So we all just walked past it and acted like nothing happened.



But then...


A little further down the gauntlet, so close to the end I could see the exit, the wutz walked up to a giant stuffed dog, stared at it for a moment then head butted it so that it went tumbling backward onto the floor. Fortunately a booth worker was there to retrieve it, because I can assure you none of us planned on it. Too much effort, you know.


On we continued toward the grand exit when a small group of teenagers stopped us and one said, "We just have to tell you, you two have the coolest kids EVER. They are awesome!" It was then that we cracked up and laughed all the way back to our cars.


Yes. Our own personal Demolition Derby. We were so very proud.

The Wiz

While in Conneticut we spent an afternoon at a matinee of The Wiz, in which my nephew played the Scarecrow. He did a fabulous job. I got to see a side of him that I had never seen before. I am very proud of him. I had no clue he had such a lovely voice, too! Wow!

Afterward was a Q&A with William F. Brown, the playwright of The Wiz. It was interesting!

Here are some terrible pics snapped from my phone:

Our Conneticut Vacation!

Belated Halloween Pictures

Fall Sampler

We spent yesterday afternoon at a local plantation at their annual Fall Sampler. It is mainly for the kids, with pony rides, Thomas the Train wagon rides, a petting zoo, and all the typical carnival food one could desire. It was a lot of fun, aside from the wutz suffering from a horrid cold. He took it all in stride, which means he pretty much forgot about his illness by the fifth ride on Thomas the Train!

Riding the Train!



Pebble Hill Plantation



One section of the stable. Nice huh? Don't show this picture to my horses, please!



Sign posted by one of the original plantation owners.



Fun in the garden!



Colter hanging out with a hunting hound statue.



Daddy's Glasses

Pretend Puppy

We have seven dogs now. We did have ten but, unfortunately, we lost three this year. I think with that many dogs, we may be doing something wrong with the wutz.

What do you think?

Wutz in a Bucket

I placed a massive order from Jeffers the other day. The items arrived today. It was all supplies for the animals. The largest being four feed buckets for some of the horses. When I placed the order, I thought the buckets looked really small in the pictures, but I took a chance. Turns out the pictures were very very misleading!

School Art and a Tractor House

First, the work that the wutz did at school today:


Later this evening, the wutz insisted we build a tractor house, which basically means a megablock building that he can drive his tractor through once, then crash it by whatever means necessary. He did pause to relax a bit before beginning the destruction, though.

So it begins...

The wutz has been in school for one week. Already we've ordered T-shirts with the school logo on them, purchased the various required supplies, and prepared for Sharing Day and upcoming picture day. And today we participated in his very first birthday party for a classmate. It seems like it has all happened so fast. I've been sucked down into that blackhole of responsible and semi-required parenting of a school aged child.

I have a couple of friends that have children that are the wutz's age. But we are always traveling in different directions and no effort for a playdate, or whatever it is called, is ever made.

However, today during the pool party, I met several new parents that seemed quite nice. I'm definitely no social butterfly but, naturally, talk of get-togethers and playdates were mentioned. I had to secretly wonder if any of it would actually pan out. Probably not.

It was nice to chat with the parents of kids in the wutz's class, though. I hope since they've seen we are normal parents, too, that they won't get extremely angry if my child continues to whack on their children's heads during playtime.

All in all, the pool party was great fun. The wutz is still unsure of water, but he loved the fountain play area. He kept insisting that I join in with him, though. So, I undoubtably looked like a drowned rat by the time the party was over. Oh well. It was fun!



Artwork the wutz did Thursday (8-14-08) at school: