The Carvival The Zoo and the Yardwork

This week the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company Carnival took place. We went a total of 3 different times. On Tuesday the kids got their all you can ride bracelets and rode all they could.

Kiernan rode all anyone could. If he was tall enough her rode it twice! I thought Megan would be really into it as she is the bolder of the two but no. I am afraid that I scared her either by being so nervous around rides myself or by foolishly joking that the scrambler would turn people into scrambled eggs.

I was afraid that I had ruined everything for her.

Then she saw the Wiggly Worm. 

She rode the Wiggly worm as it fled from hungry chicks. She rode it twice with Nana and then once with me (even though I had no ticket and really didn't want to ride it) and then twice with daddy.

Then she rode it again for good measure.

Before David came she would only even try one other thing (antique cars) but after he got there she attached herself to his knee and became a brave daddies girl. They did the Carousel as Megan's last ride for the night and then Megan and Nana and I went home. The guys stayed out for an extra hour of manly pursuit and ice cream cones.

I took the plunge and gave into my cowardice this year. I didn't get any tickets or any all you can ride bracelets. Mom was very kind and rode with the kids until David got there. At which point she rode with the kids some more.

We said good bye for the night and cheered out good fortune.

On Wednesday evening Mom and I went back. Mom was accommodating enough to allow me to enter her into the karaoke competition.

There was a huge thunderstorm just before hand. I thought for sure it would be canceled but people just dove for cover and bounced back out after the storm passed.

Mom sang Blue Bayou and gave up her Bobbie Maggee pick to another woman who wanted to dedicate it to her husband. For her 2nd song she did Did I Shave my Legs for This? and got quite a good audience reaction for both. She did not make the top 3, which surprised me very much and of course disappointed us both. I hope she will do it again next year. I love seeing her up on the stage and she has a terrific voice.

A lady stopped us on the way out and told mom that she couldn't believe the judges hadn't picked her. Apparently the woman's husband thought so too. I thought so myself.

On Thursday the town parade took place. Kiernan was on the Four County Little League float. The chaos started at an elementary school and ended at the parade grounds.

David rode with Kiernan and Nana took Megan to a good viewing area and I ran back and forth placing escape cars and catching candy for the kids.

On Saturday we went to the Zoo with Uncle Chris and Aunt Pammy and Cousin Kaleb.

We went early to fit in Megan's nap time. We had a picnic breakfast to the sound of lion roars.

We saw sea lions from inside a cave.

Kiernan said that he and daddy were cavemen.

Kaleb tried out the tidal pool

Kiernan and Megan did too. It was very fun. A good break for a hot day and a surprising delight with occasional rushing 'waves'.

Megan found her Wolf sister.

Then we saw the big cats and headed home.

After naps (during which time David and I went out to a cheap theater and watched Maleficent) we spent a quiet evening in recovery.

On Sunday morning David fixed the ceiling fan.

That thing hasn't worked since pretty much when we moved in. All winter we had a lamp in there for dinner time. Now it is up and running and lighting.

We mowed the lawn. Do you see David at the top of the hill?

That hill is just mean.

Then we fixed the picnic table and made a new shade garden bed and picked a few fresh green beans and readied ourselves for a cookout.

It got hot.

We moved inside and I made sage roasted butternut squash quesadilas and David fixed the way too brightness of Megan's room by replacing the cheap plastic blinds with much more expensive plastic blinds.

They looked great and came with a bit of crown molding and made the room much darker.

I woke up at about 330 in the morning with a panic attack. That put a bit of a damper on my enthusiasm but over all I must admit it was a fabulous weekend.