A Night at the Rodeo

One thing I am really enjoying about motherhood is the opportunity to try all sorts of new things with my children. Last year it was going to a small town dirt track race (and discovering it was actually very fun!) Tonight it was a bull riding event, another first that I found suprisingly enjoyable!

Several months ago while flipping channels, the children and I caught part of a bullriding event on ESPN. K immediately announced that when she grew up she wanted to be 'in da radio.' We have been looking for an opportunity to attend a rodeo ever since.

Tonight we met some friends for dinner, then ventured to the arena for a bullriding competition. To say the children were excited in an understatement. Here they are square dancing outside the restaurant after I decided they could no longer be contained indoors.

Once we arrived at the arena, we discovered the children could ride on a mechanical bull. K got her chance to ride, but may not actually be interested in fulfilling her 'radio' dream anymore. Maybe it was her ear infection, but my normally brazen girl was timid.There are no photos of P on the bull because he jumped off each time it started moving. He was far more interested in bouncing on the inflatable ring surrounding the mechanical bull. It also seemed to have a bit to do with the laughter that kept erupting from bystanders. Our little ham may be in line for a career with the rodeo--as a clown! R, on the other hand, rode the bull like a champ--beaming with one hand in the air the entire time. The fact that, L, an older friend that he adores was watching certainly raised the stakes.
With smiles like these dominating the evening, our outing was a true success!