Adventure!

Lilly is getting in three upper teeth all that same time. It makes for one grumpy baby. This was Lilly tonight at the Salem Riverfront Carousel.

It seems like every weekend Jen comes over and we just sit around the house and do nothing. Tonight I decided we needed an adventure. Cindy, Jen and Lilly hadn't been to the carousel, so we buzzed down there and got a punch card and took a bunch of rides on the cool hand-carved horses.

This week Violet has NOMAD -- the dog from her class that goes home with different kids. I think last year I posted a video clip of Star Trek and the NOMAD probe, but not this year. You have to get a picture of NOMAD doing things with Violet and then write a story. What's better than a dog chasing horses in a circle to a pipe organ?

Violet likes a horse called "Little Joe" at the carousel. It's a baby horse (what do they call those?) and it doesn't move up or down. She usually rides that over and over watching all the other kids on the big horses that move. Last time we went I had her ride a big horse during our last ride -- she was shaking like a leaf. I felt bad about it, so we rode again on "Little Joe."

This time, she rode "Little Joe" once or twice and then I asked her if she wanted to do a big one with daddy. She agreed, so we strapped her on a big one, and off we went.

IMPORTANT CAROUSEL SAFETY TIP: If you are standing next to your daughter, who is going up and down on a horse, there are a couple of very important things you need to keep in mind. First, little kids have feet that sometimes stick out -- and catch you right in the... um... well... unmentionables. Secondly, and also important, don't look at the center of the carousel the whole time -- you get dizzy. By the time the darn thing stopped I was hunched over and staggering about.

Jen had her ride again on a big one, and of course that time she wasn't scared at all. The mighty power of Jen! She rode one last time with Mommy in one of the chuck wagons.

After that we were going to go to Olive Garden for dinner. We pulled up and there was a line out the door, it was cold, and Lilly was fussing. So we opted for Subway instead. Cheaper, faster, and hey, who doesn't like a dry bread sandwich on a Saturday night.

Of course now I crave pasta. Oh well. Today marks my 24th day without a Coke. I did have some Vanilla pudding today, but while the girls were narfing cookies at Subway I didn't have any. I am trying to be good. I have no idea if I am losing weight, but I do feel better.

Well, off to bed.

Pat