Gypsum October Festival

The girls and I attended the 2008 Gypsum October Festival this year. I haven’t been back for the decades-old tradition since I graduated from high school, when our high school band director forced me to march with my trombone in the band (Yeah, he hated me :) ).

I grew up in the little Saline County town of Gypsum, population 400-something, if even that. I always loved the October Festival, included dressing up for the parade (I’ve been everything from Wonder Woman and Snoopy in a float, to the Red Baron and a pioneer on a covered wagon. I always won, too!).

Now, maybe the girls can enjoy it a little bit. At least, they liked the suckers all the politicians and others threw out.

Here are a few of the pictures from this year.

My dad, Gary Bickel, and his 1948 John Deere B.

We used to decorate it at Christmas. It was awesome. Now he doesn't do that as much. Probably because I'm not around to help and beg him to decorate it.

Dad, and the B.

OK, I'm not the best picture taker. But here is the backside of Rep. Josh Svaty, who was throwing candy. I doubt he'd read this, but if he did, I'd like to tell him I'm impressed with how long he stayed at the festival and mingled and hung around. Most politicans aren't that considerate. Anyway, he was there a good six or seven hours, and I don't think he was even hanging out with anyone.

My mom and Brett. Brett loves cows (one of her first words was cow and moo), and for some reason, kept calling the horses cows. At least she is a beef eater, like her mother.

Like I said, Brett loves the horses, or as she puts it, Cows. Aunt Lori needs to take her to her farm to see their stockers. She'd be ecstatic.

The girls sitting at the Gypsum gazebo. This is a rare moment of them sitting still.

Brett, my sister, Lori, Kaci, my nephew Jason and my brother-in-law Randy Hahn. They're watching the parade going down Main Street Gypsum.

Lori and Kaci watch the parade.

Grandma Karen and Brett.

Daddy's football team

The weather is colder. I love sweatshirt weather and watching football. Sadly, however, the football season is coming to an end.

I guess.

My husband coaches high school football. I usually go to the home games, at least for a little while.

With two girls, however, this proves to be a little difficult.

They won't sit in the stands. They won't stand on the sideline.

They want to run, run and run some more.

So, we walk. Around the track. For several miles.

We eat Fig Newtons and Cheerios and Teddy Grahams. And drink milk.

But when the food runs out, so do the girls.

They are home and in bed by half time.

Leash or no leash

Kaci is into everything.
I swore growing up I wouldn't be one of those parents who leased their kid.

It looks inhumane, for one. Words like pathetic, trashy, terrible come to mind.

That is, until I met Kaci.

This weekend, the family is going to the lake for the first-ever mini "vacation" away from home. With two girls to watch, and one who is hyped up on life, runs everywhere she goes and is as smart as she is quick, I fear finding her a the bottom of the lake.

And I don't care what anyone says about leashes. I love my little girl too much.

So this weekend, she'll be leashed. I'll feel better despite the scorn of uppity folk look down on me.

And we'll hopefully never have to leash up our child again.