Rodeo 2017

The Rodeo.   Oh, the Rodeo.  God, how I hate the Rodeo.    The heat, the noise, the barnyard smells (and those from the stock animals too), the forced chinzy “howdy y’all” we’re-all-cowboys bullshit.     But here’s the rub- you and your brother LOVE the rodeo.   Love it to the point where I can hold it over your heads for an entire year it to get you to eat your dinner to meet the ride height requirements.    You love it for different reasons- Brother is in it for the rides, and only the rides.    If it goes fast, in a circle, and preferably bounces, he’s all in.    And there’s plenty of that.   

All in.

You, despite being a roller coaster-loving daredevil, are all about the prizes.   This year, specifically the Pokemon prizes.   You understand the dismal science of the ticket/rides/games economy, and about half the time we are walking the grounds, you are completely silent, head down, lost in the mental math of how to get your hands on a life size Bulbasaur.   You scout and scheme, side- eyeballing the carny games, gauging odds, figuring angles, trying not to look too interested in case some random person decides to join the game and lowers your chances.  

So when we finally did find a game that would let us win the big prizes with only four people (and one that let us count a 3 year old as a person), we hunkered down as a family.   I could see your pulse rise when another couple sat next to us, right as the shoot-the-water-into-the-clown-mouth game started.    But, don’t worry.   Daddy came through.   Hopefully, those random assholes learned a 10-ticket lesson on being more conscious of not inadvertently screwing little kids out of toys.    You got your Bulbasaur.   As for me, I got a completely unexpected hug, one of the those wordless ones where you lean in and wrap around so hard I can feel your hot little face on my ribs.    So..rodeo was worth it. 

And we did other things too.   This year, you were big enough to ride the medium sized Ferris wheel.    I made you do it with me, because I DO NOT like heights.   

Bulby is not scared, either.   

We did the glass/mirror maze, and watched Brother walk into enough glass panels to give himself brain damage.    We saw some animals.    Brother buried himself in corn.     Fairly normal stuff.  

  I hate the rodeo.    Hate it.    But…because you love it so much, I kind of love the rodeo.   

As good as rodeo gets-leaving with loot.