Racetrack birthday party

You start to wonder if you're doing the right thing when a seedy looking, perpetually gambling stranger asks you WHY you would have your daughter's 8th birthday party at the racetrack.
But we had LOTS of FUN, I tell you! The kids had a blast. I don't think I've ever seen such a well behaved bunch of sugared up kids in a public place!

Our baby girl turned 8 Saturday and invited 8 friends to Turfway Park. It is here that I taught the kids that if they chose the right horse that they would win money! Woo-hoo! There was no handicapping involved though (I dont' even know how to do that!) but I'd take the kids over to the windows where we'd look upon the race entries in the paddock saddling area. Hayes, being the birthday girl, chose first then picked cards with her friends names for them to chose next.
Despite a slight chill and, later, some misting rain, the kids wanted to stand on the rail at the finish and scream their horses on. Our winner won $2 in Sacajawea coins. A couple chose the same horse, so they had to split the winnings.
Let me tell you - when a kid gets a buck, they are soooo excited.
After the first race, Turfway Park put this announcement on its tote board

and Hayes got to have her picture with winning jockey Rodney Prescott who handily drove Easy Money to win in this 1-mile claiming race. (I know none of this makes any sense to most of you, but it's a throwback to my sports reporting days.)

In between, we had a sugar cube stacking game. One of our homeschooling families just blew the rest of the field away with this. It makes me wonder what they do in all of their homeschooling lessons, hmmmm?


We ended up having to ban those two kids from the sugar stacking game so somebody else would have a chance.
And Hayes has some really good friends who know how to give a present! One of her favorites was this dry erase board from Lily. Hayes came home and drew this scene on it.

I have to give a shout out to Chooj, who drew a dog on our white board. Well done, little man.

And I have to show you this too. Alex had been battling this stomach virus for a couple of days and look at what he's eating with his dad! Nachos with beans and jalapenos! Will he never learn?