Rodeo Time

Wednesday morning Jackson and I were picked up by Aunt Midge, and we headed downtown to go to the Rodeo.

We got there early so there were no crowds going through the Live Stock building. 

Jackson and I milking the cow on Fun at the Farm. Jackson was better than me!

Planting a tomato seed

 Jackson got his first experience of pig races. There were 3 different races and each time the announcer asked for a cheerleader from each section. Jackson was disappoint each time the guy didn't pick him. Before the last race, he stood up on the bleachers and raised both arms. He got picked. Thank you, Jesus!

 And, his pig won!
Jackson earned a pig nose and a pack of Oreo cookies. He was beyond excited!

When the carnival first opened, the crowd was still minimal. 

Jackson and Aaron rode several rides. 

The crowd grew and grew. Holding hands were a must!

We had bought value pass tickets online and the boys each had 75 tickets. The rides were all half priced,  and they had quite a few tickets left to spend. The lines were ridiculously long for the rides, so the boys spent the rest of their tickets on games. We found one were you won every time. Needless to say Jackson brought home a lot of stuffed animals and a light savor.

Another fun day with my boy! I am loving this time off.

 We ended our day driving tractors. Jackson could have spent an hour here. He is in heaven when there are tractors or gators around!

Riding the tram back to the car. 

After two days of walking around at Sea World and one day at the Rodeo, this pregnant Momma was apparently exhausted. I fell asleep on the couch at 8:45.

 

But, wouldn't trade the time with my sweet boy for anything!

Tuesday and Wednesday

One of my favorite things about any break is when I can get up, work out, eat breakfast, etc at my own pace. That is what we did Tuesday morning!

We walked over to the park to have a picnic. It sprinkled some, but the rain stayed away.

Jackson had a rough day at the park. While he was eating his lunch a bird pooped on his shirt and shorts. He hates to be dirty, so I thought he was going to freak out. He did surprisingly well. Later when he was chasing a butterfly he stepped in a fire ant hill and had fire ants crawling up his legs. He yelled right away. I got them off quickly, but not before he got a few bites.

Playing with Papa Gary

Swinging with Mommy (I am so blessed!)

Jackson had to wear a green shirt to the park because Garrison and Papa Gary had one on.

We played at the park for about 2 hours before walking home.

After a nap, Jackson tried out his sidewalk paint and showed Papa and Grandma how he rides his bike.

That evening the Ladies (my mom, Katelyn, my aunt, cousins, and me) went out for dinner, while my Dad watched Garrison and Jackson.

Wednesday was RODEO day!

Jackson has been talking about the rodeo the last two weeks, more specifically his Mickey Rodeo (I have no clue)! So, he was beyond excited to actually be going.

We got there around 10:30 and the plan was to leave by 2 in time for Jackson to nap on the way home. That didn't exactly happen.

First, we walked through the expo building and looked at some big cows. Jackson was too scared to pet one on his own. He stepped in a big pile of cow poop and got it all over the seat of the stroller. This he did freak out about!

We got everything and everyone cleaned up and spotted the tractors. Both boys acted like they never have seen or rode on one before. 

Jackson was looking for something he wanted to. When he spotted the ponies he shouted "That's it! That is going to be fun! Let's ride the ponies." We waited a good 30 minutes to ride the ponies, but they all had a great time. Jackson is still talking about the ponies, and if you call then horses he will correct you.

Jackson not quite sure about the size of the Longhorn behind us.

Next, we went through the farm. The kids did some different "jobs" and were paid for their work at the end. Jackson loved carrying his basket around.

 I couldn't believe it was already 1:30 after we finished going through the farm.

We took the kids through the petting zoo. This picture of Jackson makes me laugh. It is like he didn't want to get to close.

We thought it would be fun for the kids to go on some rides before we left. The boys did an obstacle course because it had no line. At one point, Jackson sat down and I thought I was going to have to go up after him but he eventually gained some courage and finished.

Katelyn, Garrison, and Jackson waited about 20 minutes to ride another ride. Jackson wanted to ride in the helicopter badly. As soon as he got in he went to work on the controls and steering it. 

We all went and got something to eat for lunch. By this time Jackson was done and frankly so was I! He was hot, sweaty, and tired. My dad and I left with Katelyn and Jackson. My mom stayed with Aunt Midge, Aaron, and Garrison so they could go to the rodeo.

Jackson came home and gave Brain a recap of our day and seemed to have loved every minute of it! I forgot to mention how much Jackson loved the program book. Anytime we would stop, he would say "Let me read this for a minute. I think I like this."

Maybe next year we will make it longer!