Camping Queens

We had a quick November camping trip at Woods Valley Kampground in Valley Center, outside of Escondido. We camped with the Saylor family, and it was so relaxing! We napped regularly, played poker, walked to the campground fishin' pond and petting zoo, and let the ladies ride their bikes and scooters around.

The campground petting zoo was touted on the internet as something worth seeing, featuring a pig, a goose named "Silly Goose", some goats, chickens, and ponies. Unfortunately, only the ponies lived up to the website's description! The pig was a GIANT FILTHY BEAST, lying in a mud pit between some wire fencing. It got up once, and was the size of a small horse with squinty eyes and a mud-caked hide. When Sophie (our pug) saw the pig, she threw up! (Probably not in disgust, but rather from eating stuff the kids dropped...but still pretty dang funny!) Silly Goose, we found out, met her maker last year when she was eaten by some coyotes. (We told the girls that the goose flew south for the winter.) The goats had to live lodged between the stinky pig pen and the chicken house. Overall, yuck!

When we got home yesterday, Grace was still talking about washing the stinky pig, and Emma was cracking up that the pig was so stinky it made our dog barf!

A Fancy Evening

The girls, Jeff and I, along with some friends, went to see a performance of Riverdance at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. We got MIGHTY dressed up (using our Christmas outfits more than once this year!) and went out to dinner beforehand.

I thought Riverdance would be cheesy... some crazy dude in an oversized white shirt showing too much chest kicking his legs up in the air a million times.

It was not what I expected! Yes, there were Irish dancers, but there were also a lot of musical arrangements (probably one musical arrangement for each dance). Jeff and I love Irish music, so we were very suprised! There was also an entire number where two modern tap dancers were contrasted with the Irish dancers...sort of a "competition". It was awesome.

Emma watched very contently, and got a little bit bored midway, but Grace was literally on the edge of her seat (my lap) the entire show. Every time there was applause, Grace clapped loudly. She shimmied and boogied in her chair, and then came home wanting to call Grandma's house to give details. My little performer...I know a stage awaits her!