A Savage visit rich with history.....

The Savage Tribe came to visit us and we told them to hold on to their cowboy hats because we were taking them to the Morgan County Fair.  I had the pleasure of signing Trent and Chad up for the annual pie eating contest.  I think Chad was less than thrilled to participate, but he was a good sport.

Trent's biggest competition was the guy sitting next to him in the blue shirt (Mark Libby).  Trent had a great showing and easily took 2nd place. 

After a couple of bites into his pie, Chad started dry heaving so he decided he better stop.  Thank you, Chad.

 I also had the pleasure of signing Chad and Trent up to compete in the "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" challenge (pictured above).  Chad was a little nervous because he didn't want to get up in front of everyone and look stupid.  I talked to the organizer of the event and she said if Chad and Trent started to shame their families, the D.J. would help them out.  :) So once again, Chad took one for the team and he and Trent ROCKED it!  As I was sitting with the girls doing a craft one lady said to me, "Are you the lady married to the smart guy?"  :) 

 After this event, I decided to compete with other children in a paper clip challenge.  The grand prize was a scooter.  Chad thought it was a little embarrassing to be competing with other children, but I told him it wouldn't be so embarrassing when I walked away with the scooter.  :)  Brady, Anthony and I went to the Paper Clip Challenge Competition Tent and I surveyed my opponents.  Nobody was taller than five feet, so I knew I had it in the bag.  As we were about to start, another mother showed up with the same intentions I had.............to win the blasted scooter!  I looked at her and thought, "Game on, sister!"  So there I was sitting with my needle nose pliers (which I had smuggled into my purse) in 100 degree heat competing against children............and a mother.  I twisted and turned my paper clips into unimaginable shapes.  In our allotted 45 minutes, I created the Morgan Mountain complete with the "M", a sun, a cloud and a bird.  I made a 4H building.  I made a 3D roping arena adorned with a cowboy roping a steer with a lasso.  I made a cursive sign that said "The Fair" with a smiley face nearby signifying the joy that comes from the blessed event.  I looked at my creation and I thought, "Yeah.  Game over peeps."  We walked away from our paper clip creations and Anthony said to me, "Mom, can I have the first ride on the scooter?"  With a proud, happy look I patted him on the shoulder and said something like, "Sure thing son, sure thing."  :)  The judges came and went and it was time for the presentation of the coveted prize.  Guess who won?  THE OTHER MOTHER!!!!!!!  I silently gasped when they announced her name and as I glanced over at her paper clip creation I realized that there was no bending, no cursive lettering, no buildings, no lassoing cowboy, no 3D nothing!  She basically laid out her paper clips in a flat design to create a cowgirl.  I am a little bitter because I will never get that hour of my life back.  I left my nursing baby and my company from out of town to sit in 100 degree heat for nothing.  After the competition, I met Chad and the Savages at Steph's Restaurant for dinner.  I had to take the walk of shame past the big windows without my (for sure it's mine) scooter in hand.  :)  This "other mother" went on to win the puzzle challenge and one other competition at the fair.  She walked away with 3 SCOOTERS that day!   Sometimes the fair isn't fair.  :)

The Greenwood's came up near the end of the day to go to the Morgan Rodeo with us.  Chad and I dropped Brady and Anthony off at the rodeo a little early so we could come home and get a few things ready.  Earlier that day, Brady lovingly threw a wet, rolled up diaper at Anthony and it hit him in the nose.  Anthony's nose started bleeding at home but he got it under control before the rodeo.  As Chad started driving back to the rodeo grounds, he received a call from Brady.  Brady told Chad that Anthony was in the ambulance at the rodeo.  Anthony's nose AND EYE had started bleeding profusely at the rodeo and he couldn't get it to stop.  He was taken to the ambulance for assistance.  They helped to control it and then Chad brought Anthony home.  His nose didn't stop bleeding until about 10 o'clock that night.  I think Chad and I really left our mark at the fair this year.  The people of Morgan are going to remember us for dry heaving at the pie eating contest, awkwardly competing against small children for a prize and dropping our kids off at a rodeo unsupervised.  Yep, we are parents of the year.  :)

We figured between us, the Savages and the Greenwood's, we had 13 kids in the foam pit.  Whew!

Trent, Jamie, Sydney, Tate and Emmy.  Thanks for the fun visit guys!  It was rich with history (that's for you, Jamie).  Jamie is always fun to have around.  I loved watching her jump in the foam pit--she was giggling like a little girl.  However, it is really difficult to get out of "the foam pit of despair".  I think you get more exercise getting out of the foam pit than you do from climbing the rock wall above it.  It is hard to get out of the pit under the best of circumstances, but Jamie had to try and get out of the pit while being attacked by a munchkin.  You can see the video of it below (I apologize for my obnoxious giggle in the background).