On a much less soap-boxy note...

This weekend the boys and I went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (just can't get enough Texas this week apparently!). It comes around once a year for about a month and it's a really big deal here. This is actually my first year going. Technically, we just went to the livestock show and the carnival on the grounds outside the rodeo. Maybe next year I'll add the actual rodeo to the fun.

First up we went to the livestock show. We saw newborn chicks and calves and piglets and lambs (one that had been born that morning - so cute). We also went to the petting zoo area, which was definitely a gesture of mommy love because I am not the biggest fan of those things (they gross me out, especially since Noah gets all excited about feeding the animals but then wants me to do it first; eww). Sam decided to sit it out with my girlfriend; I was jealous.

Here are some pictures of Noah and my friend's son with the animals:






Next up was the mechanical bull-riding! Noah was a total champ and had so much fun (Sam decided to sit this one out too):


We spent the rest of the day eating lots of delicious fried food. I think Houston's dubious award of Fattest City in America is a direct result of the Rodeo. I had fried zucchini with ranch, fried banana, fried oreos and fried Snickers (Oh. My. YUM).

We did take some time out from our fried feasting to play lots of games and ride lots of rides:




This was our last ride of the day (the kid's roller coaster which was actually very fun for me too!). Sam was such a sweetheart; he cuddled up to me on the ride and laughed up a storm and then about half way through he turned to me and said, "Mommy, this one scares me!"

I will leave you with a video of Noah on the mechanical bull. Nevermind the crazy "Yee-Haw!" lady in the background (that would be me).