The Hoosier State

By day nine of the Great Road Trip Adventure of 2010, we were in my home state of Indiana.  It had been two years since I'd visited, and I was SO EXCITED.  And I think it's safe to say that the kiddos were excited to get out of the car!

Once we got to my parents' house, the real fun began!  "Grammie and Grandpa" were ready to play all weekend, and we had BIG plans!  First thing on the list?  A trip to Arni's, the BEST pizza joint ever, then to my dad's high school for a Friday night football game.

Next, a relaxing day swimming and playing in the pool.  To be out of the ridiculous Texas heat and instead in "normal" heat (90 instead of 105) was a great change!  I'm proud to report that Mason finally learned to swim by himself over the weekend, which was awesome!  Go, Mason!

Of course, we couldn't imagine leaving Indiana without a stop by the Frozen Custard for a fruit drink.  I'm sure that place also has delicious custard, but I can never bring myself to order anything other than a good ole' fruit drink.  Yum!  While we drank the refreshing delights, we walked around the little zoo at Columbian Park, which was free, clean, and a great way to end our day!  Although Brody Boo wasn't too thrilled about the petting zoo. . .

The last thing we HAD to do before leaving Indiana was go to Barb and Eric's.  They have been family friends for 25 years, and Barb has always been a special person to me. . .kind of like a bonus mom.  They live on a farm, so there's a ton of fun stuff for the kiddos to do there.  Eric took us all for a ride on the Ranger, and Barb made her "famous" Cowboy Cookies.  MMMMMMMmmmm.  My favorite for the last 25 years. 



At the end of our first four days in Indiana, we started thinking about leaving on our return trip.  Ugh.  We were almost two weeks into our big road trip adventure, and the next leg of the trip was all about getting back to Texas.  Via Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and then home to Dallas.  I hated the idea, and kind of dreaded returning to an empty "husband-less" home, but Mason needed to start Kindergarten, so we had to get on the road soon.  



"I Wanna be a Cowboy. . ."

(Okay, honestly, I want to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, but I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen. . .unless they're looking for middle-aged moms with zero dance experience, zero flexibility, and jiggly thighs. Don't think they are.)

However, Mason really does want to be a member of the Dallas Cowboys. He regularly tells us he's going to "Dallas Cowboys College" rather than the suggested Purdue or Texas A&M. I hope he does, indeed, get accepted to that prestigious college. That would solve any lingering fears I have about our retirement funds.

Wow, I'm all over the place.

Here's the point of this post. . .Rip scored four fabulous tickets to the Cowboys game; we took my dad and Mason, and had a blast. For one quarter. Then Mason started climbing on our laps, playing on the floor, and asking for a foam finger. And begging us to play "Rock, Paper, Scissors" instead of watching the game. His "fun-meter" maxed out, I guess. We left just before halftime, but were all so impressed by the new stadium.

Everything was amazing. . .soft cushy seats, a 50 yard long television screen, Tony Romo, the shops and food venues, and watching Mason's first NFL experience. And, of course, the cheerleaders.

(So, if I can't be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, at least I can get an answer to this very pressing question: "How do they flip their long, fabulous hair around like that, and have it still look amazing? What's the trick? Seriously?")