Oh Happy Day

Today we went to Community Days. I know it's the hokey community carnival thing, but I'm hokey. So it all works out.

I wasn't even paying attention. It stopped seeming so important after high school. Then, it was kinda cool after you had a baby- you could go, see EVERYONE you ever knew, and show off the newby. Or, if you were like me, show off the newest newby. Looking around, that's about all there was going on. Young moms, dressing up their young 'uns- showing them off. Mommy wars. On a small scale, sizing up the kids of the people you went to school with.

I win. :)

Anyway, it wasn't really like that. Just in the wild hallows of my shut-in mind. Really it was more like a typical small town love fest. You say 'hi' to all the people you never talked to in High School, spend way too much money on the rides, pointing out how weird all the "kids these days" are, point out all the kids/ grandkids of people you know/ knew/ heard of, and then FINALLY scurrying off to hide out until the next years celebration.
Daddy-O got the kids all reved up and excited about going this year. It's kinda noce to have a Dad that will hang out and do the "cool stuff" with you. ME? NO, no, no. I am on shortie patrol... with the diaper bag. Dad is the cool one anyway. I make them do homework and eat veggies.
Anyway, the kids are all hyped up and ready to go... like 3 days ago. Then he had to work today. CRAP. Mommas going solo.
We haven't gone in a couple of years, well since JJ was the newest newby. It was a veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrry long day. We skipped 2 years. I think that's about how long it takes to forget how great the experience WASN'T, and want to do it again. Maybe I am mistaken.
Daddy-O says, "Well, I'll just meet you when the parade is over."
Maybe I WASN'T mistaken after all.

So, being MOM, I loaded 'em all up, kids and chairs and blakets and diaper bags and snacks and, and, and...headed to town. An hour and a half early, to sit where we were supposed to meet Daddy-O. It was already full. NICE. On a normal day, it feels like there are maybe 12 people in town... who aren't related to me, but on parade day it's a different story. Where the hell do all these people come from?
We survived. Some of us barely held on, but we pulled through. Daddy-O was spotted about 10 minutes before it finished up... looking all rearing and ready to go. I had just about had enough. So it was very nice to have re-enforcements. :)
The TEEN found his buddies, we saw little of him or the buddies as they did their rounds, other than his hand out for ride tickets- of course!! The Ken was fearless. Sort of. She went on the Big Rides, but closed her eyes and held her breath the whole time. I figured that she would throw up, or pass out- but she did fine. Funny, but fine. The Twinners, are the BIGGEST FLIRTS EVER! They saw "everyone" and talked to ALL of the boys, adn hugged all of the girls, and were just SO excited to see, adn be seen! Girly girls. I see trouble in the very near future!!
TBob was just having the best time. Wanting to ride all the rides, and see everything, and do it all. Man... I want that energy! That "interest." But I think I started to run out of that a long time ago-
JJ wanted to be there, but he like to look a little more than he liked to ride. That'll change. He's just like his Dad- pretty soon he will want to be "cool" and ride the big ones. Just like his pa... who got off of one(not necessairaly BIG, but it was Big to JJ... and it was a spinny one (shudder!), and declared his "coolness" was back, reached for the wallet and went off to buy more tickets.
The cash soon ran out, and all the tickets were spent... the baby was sleeping, the kids (and dad) were starving... and momma was tired. pooped. exhausted. layers of exhaustion. LAYERS AND LAYERS.

So we stopped at The Resturant for lunch. No cooking for Mom!! (oops! Did I say that out loud?) Had a nice lunch and headed home.
All in all it was a pretty good day.
I haven't heard (too many) complaints, so I think the rest of the monkees would agree. It's great to see them, all so different...having fun their own ways..watching, riding, visiting...AND the fact that it's over, until next year anyway, is a plus too!