Carnival Fun!

So, we just had a really fun thing happen last night. There is a care center for the elderly in our neighborhood, right next to the elementary school. Throughout the year the school and the care center are very involved with each other. They help each other out with fund raisers, the kids do service at the care center, and in return some of the care center residents come and read to the kids or speak to the classes, or help out wherever they can. They invite each other to programs, assemblies, and whatever else they have. It makes the kids have a greater love and understanding for those in the care center, and gives the people in the center an opportunity to interact with the community. It is a really neat thing, and even though Ethan's school is on the other side of town we have still had the opportunity to see the love these kids and adults have for each other. I think it will prove to be a great help as these kids become adults, and go on to influence our world. Anyway, each summer the care center, through the help of a few community benefactors throw a free Kiddie Carnival for the families in the Lake View District. (I know, we live in the lake view area of town, and I knew this before moving here, and still it took me several months to realize "The Lake" was nearby. Don't laugh, you know me...) Anyway, the carnival was last night and we went. It was so much fun! They had food for dinner, cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn. games, rides, and those big blow-up toys that you can jump around in and slide down and whatever. It was awesome for young kids. The whole thing was free, so even better. The kids had so much fun, and all of the adults from the care center who were running the booths seemed to be having just as much fun. And my kids found the treats! Every time I turned around they were snacking on something, or drinking a soda, or getting treats. They were loving life! And it was all done in a really safe environment, so even Troy and I, the overprotective, control-freak parents we are, still felt comfortable letting the kids just run free with their friends. (And Ethan has some little girlfriends who wouldn't let him out of thier sight. Everyone knows Ethan, it's strange...) Even on the drive home they were having fun. Ethan kept asking me to "un-yo" his yo-yo (meaning untangle the giant mess he had made out of his yo-yo string) and talking about the toys he won from the games, and the cotton candy he ate, and the three snow cones he had-Why weren't we monitoring this better? Adia was telling us all about it too, she went down the huge blow up slide about 500 times, and still managed to eat just as much junk as Ethan did. Then as we turned into the driveway, I guess that motion was too much for her little tummy to take, and she announced "Mom, I just threw up!" As I started having a come apart she reassured me. "It was just in my mouth, It's back in my tummy now. We're good." As I helped Ethan out of the car he hugged me around the neck, and when I put him down and he tried to let go his hands stuck to my hair! I thought we should hose them down before we let them go into the house, but they both protested, so we settled for a nice warm bath instead, and they went to bed. I thought with all of that sugar they would never sleep, but I guess it's true, what goes up must come down, because they went to sleep before we even finished bed time prayers. All in all it was a really fun night. I know I say this all the time, but I LOVE LIVING HERE! (please don't cry Mom)