Let's Rodeo!

One of the highlights of living in Houston is the annual livestock show and rodeo.  Every year Texans dress up in their best cowboy boots and Wranglers and trek into the world that is rodeo.  Houston socialites don bedazzled blue jeans and rhinestone belt buckles for a month-long celebration of chuckwagons and cowboys.  Ag students from across the state show off their livestock for a shot at thousands of dollars in scholarship funds.  Needless to say, rodeo is no small event in this town.

When my dad and I decided to take the kids to the rodeo last weekend, I admit I was a bit nervous.  The rodeo is big--and my kids are small.  Like most parents, I worry about one of them wandering off, getting tired and cranky, or falling off the ferris wheel.  Spending ten hours playing zone defense with the three of them is enough to test even the Supernanny's patience. 

So off we went, hoping for the best but secretly preparing for the worst.  Imagine my surprise when eight hours later, these smiles were still there:

The day passed without any major meltdowns, and I don't think I heard "Can we go now?" even once.  Nobody fought over who got to sit next to mommy or who got to hold the lemonade or who got to sit in the front seat of the airplane ride.  Yes, there were bribes of ice cream and cotton candy, but even those were filled with sparks of serendipity. 

Just as Jackbug and I arrived at the cotton candy stand, the national anthem began playing.  Naturally, I stopped to pay respect to our flag and country.  And I waited.  I waited for the tugging on my shirt and for the whiny little voice to remind me that we were here for cotton candy.  I waited for the two-syllable "Mo-om" that drives me so crazy.  But it never came.  Instead I looked down at my three-year-old to find him standing quietly, hand over his heart, looking up at me with (what I like to think) was pride in his eyes.  And my heart smiled. 

Maybe it was because I expected such craziness that the day seemed so successful.  Maybe it was the novelty of seeing bull riding and bronc busting up close and personal.  Maybe it was the carnival rides and cotton candy.

Or maybe--just maybe--the day was such a success because I'm doing something right.