Riverfest 2013

Last weekend was Port Neches Riverfest and Friday night Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers Band were playing a show.  They are two of my favorite Texas Country Music guys that I don't think I've ever seen in person.  They were just getting started or getting big as we were leaving A&M, so I'm pretty sure I didn't ever see them in College Station.  Anyways, we could hear Wade Bowen from our  backyard (we're only about 4 miles as the crow flies from the river) and decided to do something spontaneous for a change.  Trust me.  It's been a LONG time since anything spontaneous has happened at our house.  It was 9ish and Carson was already in his jammies (and should have already been asleep but was snuggling with me in my bed playing iPad).  We asked him if he wanted to go hear the music at the festival and he was PUMPED.  So, we redressed him, left whatever clothes we had on (SO past the days of getting dressed to "go out"), threw him in the car, and drove over to Port Neches Park.  While most people with strollers were on their way OUT, we were headed IN.  Parents of the Year??

Having fun rockin' out with Mommy!

All 3 of us!  I think he looks Happy, Happy, Happy!

1st Concert

He'd stay up on Daddy's shoulders all night!

 

He had an audience... Dancing Machine!  Everyone that walked by just laughed and smiled and commented on how much fun he must be having.  Yep, that's about right!

 

Totally worth it to watch him having so much fun!

 

We had to get a funnel cake... OF COURSE!

 

After church on Sunday, we went back over to Riverfest to check out the boat races and carnival.

 

He was pretty pumped about the little train ride from the parking lot to the festival!

 

Every kid loves a punch balloon!! 

 

 

Again, Happy, Happy, Happy!!

(Daddy getting repeatedly bonked in the face... not so much.)

 

 The boat races were CRAZY!!!  NASCAR looks sane and elementary compared to these guys.  They are nuts!  I was totally hooked (and so was Carson)!  He kept saying "WHOA" and talking about how "FAST" they were.

 

Little Carney Man (this kid loves him some cheesy carnival rides). 

 

 

 

 

One of the kids was letting people ride for free, but insisted that the parent's go too.... I think it was his entertainment for the day seeing adults trying to get in some of the little trucks.  I didn't care... let's go (especially for free)!

 

I felt like the worst mom ever (and Andrew agreed) when we let him go on the "train"... the small Chinese Dragon roller coaster.  He wanted to go really bad.  It had a minimum height of 36", which he easily cleared.  I walked up to the operator and asked how much for me to go with him and he said, "Oh, he's fine."  Based on his tone, I took that as he'd be {emotionally} fine on it, lots of kids his age go.  What I realized afterwards was that I think he just meant I didn't HAVE to go, he was tall enough.  Carson was pumped to get on the ride, but looked terrified while it was going.  He was just wedged in the corner of his seat, holding on for dear life.  I felt AWFUL.  I wanted it to be over so bad but it seemed like the longest ride ever.  When it was finally over and he got off, Carson excitedly said, "I did it!"  But then he told me he was scared and he cried.  I didn't see him cry, and he clearly wasn't that traumatized, because he said a couple times that he "did it!", but I still felt terrible.  I will NOT let him go on that one again without me (or ever really... those rides are so shady!).

 

Good times!  See ya next year at Riverfest 2014!