Rodeo Kids

Bill and I have lived in Houston for a while now and we have been lucky enough to attend the rodeo and concerts at least once a season if not more. We always have a great time. Our absolute favorite is to watch the 5 year olds Mutton Bust and it is on the list for Liam for certain! The bull riding is a close second as it is so intense to watch and the crowd goes wild for those who manage to hang on the entire 8 seconds. This year we got to watch Amazing Race's Cord McCoy ride which was an extra treat. And I cannot watch the girls ride barrels without reminiscing about my very own barrel racing experience. I completed the race without falling off and red floppy bow in tact. I always had adventures with Lauren Holmes and I did learn a few things that day:

1. Walking a horse near an open door arena means "Go" to the horse

2. Yelling "Whoa" to a horse only works if you are not digging your heels into their sides holding on for dear life. This only encourages the horse to go faster.

3. Always wear your number while in the arena or the announcer might dis-qualify you whether you are in the race or not

4. Always wear a floppy bow so that Billy and Charla can identify you. They need to contemplate how in the hell they are going to explain this one to your parents.

5. And last, but not least don't agree to walk a stubborn horse unless you are a much more experienced rider! Love you Lauren!

As much as we love the Houston rodeo, we have never actually been to the "livestock" portion of the show and Bill and I got this wild idea to take Liam since he is starting to learn animal sounds. Little did we know we chose kid's night at the Rodeo with Selena to try it out and that experience almost ruined it for us. It was incredibly crowded!

Liam did enjoy practicing his moos for the cow.

Even the big cow with horns got a moo!

Then we went and visited all the new babies that had been born. The momma sheep got a few "Baas" as well.

And we walked up and down the aisles where the show pigs were being held.

You can imagine our hesitation when Carin asked us if we wanted to take the boys to the petting zoo at the livestock show. Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. Never again. Or so we thought. Bill and I discussed it and after realizing it might have been the day and time we chose, decided to give it another go in the name of good friends and fun. Plus, this momma cannot give up another opportunity for cotton candy and roasted corn!

First stop was the incubator with the baby chicks that you could literally watch hatch and enter the world. They were adorable and caught Liam's eye.

Brooks and Liam had a great time pointing out the older chickens. It was a good thing they were behind a cage!

Petting zoo? Why not? We should be a pro at talking with the animals by now. Liam thought that it would be great fun to put his finger in the silly llama's mouth and continued to try until mommy thought it was a great time to move on before having to explain how he lost his finger.

Brooks was not as fond of the llama as he was the goat.

I thought the pot belly pig was the cutest thing I had ever seen, but I guess not as cool as ground wood shavings... gross!

We met up with Noah where the older kids could mimic all the fun things to do at the farm like gather fake eggs, plant and grow produce, milk a cow, etc. I think next year it will be more his speed, but it was perfect for Noah! Brooks even took a turn digging with a plastic shovel.

And what 1 year old boys wouldn't love a big, green tractor?

It was time for lunch and as we pondered where in the world we would be able sit and eat with 6 adults, 3 kids, and 3 strollers an entire picnic table opened up. Now to decide what to feed these hungry little boys. How about an ENTIRE corndog? Needless to say these were added to our freezer for special occasions!

As the boys crashed in their strollers for an after lunch nap, we went on the hunt for cowboy boots for Trey in the indoor shopping area while Ben and Ashley took Noah to the train. Bill signed us up for the signature reading. It was very technical and nailed each one of our personality traits by our John Hancock. Okay, maybe not but it was still fun anyway. We did not leave with Trey's boots, but we did manage to find Bill a pair... I guess you could say Bill left with Trey's boots.

The livestock show redeemed itself and you can be certain that the Robinsons will be adding this to our yearly rodeo experience.

But not without a few friends!

I truly cannot say enough about these two incredible moms. Since my mother doesn't live in the same town these are the women that I turn to when something doesn't look right. If a cough doesn't sound normal. If I am running late to daycare and need someone to pop in and check on my son. I go to them for all sorts of advice and it is always given freely and without judgement. We are all in this together and I do not know what I would do without their friendship. I consider them part of our family and the bond between new moms is amazing. The answer to "Am I crazy?" is always no. Because being a working mom is hard. Trying to navigate through motherhood blindly is difficult and sometimes you need another pair of eyes. No, you are not crazy. You are validated in other moms going through the same things. The same struggles. Battling the same questions and trying to figure out the right answers. Trying to be the very best mommies, free of guilt. And I am lucky to have found two of the very best, new mommies!