2007 Drew County Fair

This picture of Kenny was taken last weekend at the Winterville Mounds State Historical Site just north of Greenville, Mississippi. Kenny is stand on the highest of the mounds, probably 60 or 70 feet above the surrounding plaza.

I am writing this blog Saturday morning to fill in some time before I have to go and pick up Kenny. Last night, he had his first sleep-over at a friend's house. Given that we got no phone calls, I'll assume that he handled it better than his mom, who felt his conspicuous absence. Kenny stayed at his friend Maclain's house last night. I don't think any of you have met Maclain--he is the son of some friends of ours who teach ceramics and pottery at UAM. The boys also got to share another first-time experience this last week--their first ride as participants in a parade float. The picture below is of Kenny (Thing 2) and Maclain (Thing 1) who were part of a Cat in the Hat float sponsored by some other friends of ours (don't worry--the blue hair dye washed right out!).

Kenny, of course, thrived in the limelight, and had a good time in this parade (unfortunately, I was out of town on a business trip). Hope also found another picture of the boys on the online version of our local paper (http://www.monticellonews.net/news/2007/0919/NEWS/). Parades are a staple of small town southern living--Monticello has probably 4 to 6 per year, consisting of emergency vehicles with their lights and sirens blaring, floats, local school bands, and any possible group or organization that wants to participate. These are a charming piece of Americana, and really help to foster a sense of community.

Beth wasn't in any of the floats in this parade, but she enjoyed watching her brother. On Thursday evening, we went out to the fairgrounds and walked around the remaining exhibits. The kids liked the animals, especially the chickens, some of which had laid eggs in their cages. We had thought to get some of the carnival food delicacies that accompany these fairs, but we were too early, and had to pass. Instead, we went to our favorite local Mexican restaurant and had our anniversary supper a day early--the next day (Friday, September 21) was our 11th wedding anniversary.

Our youngest trooper, Stephen, slept through most of the parade and county fair activities. He is doing well, except we're treating him for some clogged tear ducts in his eyes (the other kids had this, too). Last night he decided to party most of the night, and kept his momma awake more than she'd care to admit. He's sleeping for longer periods now, but he's not necessarily doing it at night, so we've got to get him more in tune with the rest of us.

Well, I'd better go pick Kenny up. We're planning to go to Little Rock today to do some shopping, and if we want to beat the football crowds (the University of Arkansas is playing the University of Kentucky this afternoon in Little Rock), we need to leave soon.