Kaden is a good luck magnet.....

Porter doing the "strong man" game.

Kaden doing the "strong man" game. Believe it or not he got the highest of all 3 kids!! Makayla playing the "strong man" game.

The kids with a really nice tree man. The buckets on his legs were there so you could "feed the trees". Can you believe what people do for a buck?

Makayla with a friendly dragon.

Kaden with his new friend Drabbit, Stevie.

Porter on the trampoline bungee jumping ride.

Here are the kids trying to climb up Jacobs ladder. If you make it all the way to the top without falling you win $10.00. But it is very difficult and none of our kids made it.

So yesterday trying to take a nap, getting over a cold that has knocked me on my feet. Not taking anything for it due to being prego. All 3 of my children kept coming into the bedroom where I was attempting my nap to ask me random questions. The usual, Where are the frozen burritos? Have you seen my shoes? What is there to do? How long are you going to nap for?

As if I could.

I decided to get my butt up and take them to do something. Also, where was their dad? Why wasn't he intercepting the children on their way to our bedroom? Ah-hah, found him, napping on the couch. Ugh. I gave him a nudge to tell him I was taking the kids to do something and ask if he wanted to come along.

He mumbled something. I assumed it was no or something about eating. Either way I didn't have the energy to keep bothering him. I decided he could enjoy a few hours without the kids and I could enjoy making a memory with them.

I walked into the game room where the boys were playing video games and Makayla was making her usual huge mess but angelically entertaining herself at the same time. "We're going to do something today" I gave the kids a list of options such as, the zoo, the park, fishing, feeding ducks, the science museum, and the Renaissance festival.

They chose the Renaissance festival. I couldn't believe it could be so easy! They all agreed and there was no fighting or bargaining involved. So, I told them to get ready and went to change. I called my sister Lisa to see if she wanted to come along.

We packed a bag with some snacks and water and met Lisa at the Chevron. Then we all traveled on to the festival.

At the entrance, the man surveying bags and purses made me throw away a box of cheez its and told me that we couldn't bring in snacks but the water was ok. Well, the trick is on him because we had bananas, apples, fruit snacks, cookies, and granola bars underneath the water. He didn't pry so I didn't offer up any information on it. (Seriously the food and drink at the festival is ridiculously expensive, can you blame me for being excited to bring in my food from home?)

Okay, Okay, I know you're wondering why this blog is called "Kaden is a good luck magnet" and promise we're getting to that.

So, we get inside the entrance where I stop the kids to remind them that there will be no bickering, whining, or crying. Everyone will get to do what they want and need to be respectful and patient with all others in our little group or we will leave the festival.

I also give each of the kids a budget knowing that the first shop we stop in I will bombarded with the "Can i haves?" Each child is given $20.00 and told that is all they get, which included their money for any treats they wanted, festival games, and souveniers. I know it sounds like alot but with a small soda costing $2.00 and an ice cream $2.50 you can see how quickly this could go. Plus, I've found if I give them a budget at the get go they aren't so quick to buy the first thing they desire.

I could go on about this day forever but I won't. We had a great day with no squabbling at all!! Makayla bought herself a cute little pair of purple rose earings. Porter spent the majority of his money on the trampoline bungee jumping ride. Kaden had his heart set on a bow and arrow set. We did find one but it was $28.00 and as much as I wanted to give Kaden the extra money, seeing how much he wanted it, we had set a budget and I stuck to it.

There was one other product that caught Kadens fancy and he was determined to get one. The thing he wanted was called a Drabbit. It is a cross between a small mammal and a dragon. And it is a puppet that you can move. Very cute but the cheapest Drabbit is $20.00 and it was the end of our day and Kaden only had $7.00 left. Nonetheless, Kaden knew he had a shot at getting a Drabbit because you could buy a small "dinosaur egg" for $5.00 which the worker at the shop would send a ball rolling to crack and you had the chance to win a bigger prize. Or, a small figurine. Either way you were a winner but Kaden just knew he would win a Drabbit even though the 7 people we stood and watched before him did not win anything but a measly figurine.

I reminded Kaden as he bought his $5.00 egg to not be disappointed if he didn't win. The worker placed his egg at the bottom of the slide and told Kaden to yell at the top of his lungs "Roll ball roll" to which Kaden responded by whispering the phrase. The worker stopped the ball midroll and told Kaden if he yelled at the top of his lungs and she plugged her ears she would triple his prize. This got Kaden, and the crowd watching, yelling at the top of their lungs "Roll ball roll". Meanwhile, I was looking in the figurine box trying to pick out the best figurines in the bunch. None were too great much less something to be proud of. And why would they?

Kaden caught my attention by jumping up and down in surprise and the crowd cheering for him. I walked over to see what he got. Sure enough his slip of paper said he had won a $20.00 Drabbit! This kid has the luck. We let him take his time picking out the perfect new friend and then he walked up to the counter where he exchanged his precious prize winning paper for his Drabbits birth certificate.

Kaden named his Drabbit Stevie and has had a great time mastering its movements. He has also been very good about sharing the puppet with Porter.

What a good day and good memories.

Ps. let me know if you want to borrow Kaden to pick your powerball numbers......you'd have to share the winnings of course ;o) !