Rodeo!

We took the whole fam to the rodeo last Friday! I wanted to put up a video of Alexander learning to throw a lariat at the kids' corral before the official rodeo started, but the video was too large to upload. So... you can see more pictures (and some shorter videos) on our family blog.

Numbers Round Up Rodeo

One day Amanda surprised us with a special invitation to a Number Round Up Rodeo to be held the next day at the Bald Eagle Ranch (the Amakasu's house). At the rodeo the kids "competed" in lots of fun cowhand events to help them learn their numbers better (particularly 10-20).

Even Lincoln participated. Here he's moving numbered cattle from one corral (wall) to another.


Alexander is "cutting" the calves from the rest of the herd (in the bowl)


Peter and the bucking bronco


Owen shows off his bronco-busting skills


Owen "branded" this cow with the number ten

Alexander tries his hand at rope-throwing


Here the kids are making bracelets from foam barnyard animals.


What roundup wouldn't be complete without biscuits from the chuckwagon? These are sweetened up with brown sugar and cinnamon.


The boys at the awards ceremony. They received beautiful hand-painted medals from Amanda.


Alexander recieved the "Best Round-up Rookie" award


Peter got "Best Cow Hand"


Owen got the "Best Bronco Buster" award


Next we took cowboy pictures like the real cowboys often did at the end of a long cattle drive. Here's lincoln. He's holding his belt buckle instead of wearing it.


Cowboy Pete. He's got his rope ready for any runaway steers.


This cowboy doesn't mess around. Owen poses with serious cowboy scowl.


Alexander wouldn't pose, so I Photoshopped a video still from his bronc ride.

P.S. I've been trying to post this for over a week, but the videos keep failing. I guess Alexander just won't get his lassoing featured because this is dragging on too much.

Wild West Show

11/5/08

As part of Heber City's Cowboy Poetry Gathering this week they had a Wild West Show. Besides being way overpriced, the show was awesome. The best part for me was when, at the beginning of the show, a group of cowboys came out on horseback driving a herd of real longhorn cattle. I was amazed. It was perfect, since we're learning about the cattle roundups right now. Alexander's favorite part was at the end of the show when they had the fake shoot out at the O.K. Corral and several people "pretend died." Lincoln's favorite part was probably when his dad took him off to the side to bounce him.

 
Alexander, Lincoln and me in front of one of the cowboy performers.

And the best news of all...Alexander is writing! Yesterday he wrote his first word, "HORSE." Today he wrote several words. Here's a picture:


Alexander is writing in his adventure log about the big show. He wanted to write "WILD WILD WEST SHOW." I helped him sound out the words to determine which letter came next (in this case, H) and he wrote the letters himself. To the left of Alexander is a notepad where he wrote his second word, "WILD" and then his third, "HORSE" (again). I'm so proud of my boy. I practically go to tears when I see those cute little words in his own sweet handwriting.

P.S. Alexander typed the title of this post and his name at the beginning of this sentence.