It's Spurs and a Latigo*

So I mentioned on Sunday that I'm a little overwhelmed at work. I have my first testimony coming up and it is literally haunting my dreams. My AD told me yesterday, "aren't you so glad you're here? you probably wouldn't even be in the room for this testimony, or at best you'd be sitting in the corner, if you were still at the firm!" At that moment, sitting in the corner sounded fantastic.

 

But, one thing that I'm clearly thankful for in my new position is that yesterday, right in the middle of a crazy week, I skipped out of the office at 1 p.m. to take the kids to the rodeo. My boss even rescheduled a call he had on a different matter so that we could do our prep meeting in the morning before I had to go. So skip to the rodeo I did, boots on and JP and the kiddos in toe.

 

I don't know if you know this (I did not), but the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is a BIG. DEAL. It's an actual show, in an arena, with assigned not-inexpensive seats. Luckily, several weeks ago Groupon had an offer for $9 tickets (it usually costs $10/person just to enter the fairgrounds, and 20-something to go in the arena) and I thought it would be a fun treat for our little family. At the time I didn't know I'd have testimony coming up, but again, that's part of why I made the switch to this job- family time wins pretty much regardless of whatever else is going on.

 

The kids were SO excited. JP picked them up early from school and then swung by to get me from my office. We let them pick out one treat and Landon's arm immediately shot up with the cotton candy man came by. He held the bag in his hands like it was precious gold and then offered his first tear to Claire. That kid, he's a keeper.

 

The lights dimmed for the show to begin and when they came back up after the opening salvos, I looked over to find Claire in her daddy's lap. She made that move stealthily and fast.

 

There was calf roping and bronco bucking and some fancy trick roping in between.

 

At one moment I looked over at Landon, concerned that he might be concerned for the cowboys on the back of the wildly kicking horses, and he had a look of fierce concentration on his face. I asked him if he was okay and he said, "you know, I don't think those are peanuts." And I remembered that 15 minutes prior, I'd told him the things the man with the white and red boxes was selling were peanuts. He'd been focused on them every since.

 

Meanwhile, this was happening before him:

 

After about an hour, Landon turned to me and said, "um, when will the horses be done?" And so, we left a little early and headed out to the fair.

 

Claire had her purse, of course, and was wildly enthusiastic about riding the rides with Landon (who was wildly enthusiastic about EVERYTHING).

 

But then her dragon took flight, and suddenly it wasn't all fun and games.

 

She survived, but if you ask her, it was just barely.

 

She took a break to watch daddy and Landon hurtle down a giant slide.

 

Daddy won. Mostly because of his vast skill at slide racing, but also maybe a little bit because he outweighs Landon by 160 lbs.

 

Claire was still recovering from her near death experience on the flying dragons, so Landon and I took a turn on the biggest roller coaster he's ever been allowed to ride on.

 

He loved it, of course.

 

Claire took a turn on some slow moving alligators. It would have been better if Landon went with her, but we were out of tickets and she put on her brave face (sort of):

 

That's our Bear- independent, but snuggly, brave, but wary, feisty, but shy. And that's Landon- happy about everything, wanting to share, loving it all.

 

It was a great afternoon. It was a cool, grey Tuesday, so we had the fairgrounds almost entirely to ourselves, and it was so fun to walk among the cowboys and steers and the occasional prize winning bunny.

 

We grabbed burgers for dinner at our favorite place and then JP and the kids dropped me back off at the office where I worked until 9. This morning I have a red, swollen throat and can't swallow, so I'm off to deal with that at the doctor while fighting stress dreams about how much I need to re-work my outline, but at least yesterday was lovely.

* a frequently mis-sung lyric of Garth Brooks' "Rodeo," song 11 on the greatest hits tape I used to have in my mom's old blue volvo, a lyric I sung wrong for years before a high school boy scout friend with his horsemanship badge corrected me. A latigo is a long strap on a saddletree of a western saddle to adjust the cinch. Fun fact for the day. And now, off to get tested for strep!