Let’s Chat With Carl Van Horn- Monster Truck Driver of Grave Digger

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Let’s Chat With Carl Van Horn- Monster Truck Driver of Grave Digger

Interview Between Carl Van Horn(Grave Digger) and Diane Sullivan

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Carl Van Horn

Monster Jam is one of our absolute family fun favs. It’s a bunch of fun for the entire family, all ages. Monster Jam is at Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ January 30th and 31st. There is still time to buy tickets and enjoy the fun! Check out more about Monster Jam here and purchase tickets if you’d like to: http://www.monsterjam.com/ In the meantime, I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my favorite drivers- Carl Van Horn- Grave Digger driver. Yes, please! For years I have been sitting in the stands and thinking up questions I would love to have asked him. Now I finally had the chance. Total Awesomeness!

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My boys taking a ride in Grave Digger during the summer Monster Jam.

Diane: Tell me about driving Grave Digger. It’s a definite fan favorite.

Carl Van Horn:Grave Digger is the most popular truck in the world! The fans push me to drive has hard as I can every weekend.

 

Diane: How do you get motivated before a Monster Jam event?

Carl: It seems like when I first started I had two or three things, but now it’s more that I just strap in and go. I mean, I set all the belts up loose in a certain way because we get in and out of the Monster Jam trucks so fast that I can just jump in, tighten the belts and go. I don’t like to be rushed because it feels like I’ve forgotten something. My biggest thing is just having everything set up prior to a run, so that I can belt in a lot faster and be ready to go.

 

Diane: What’s your scariest moment?

Carl: I’m pretty fearless in my Monster Jam truck. There isn’t anything I haven’t tried.

 

Diane: Besides driving Grave Digger, what do you for fun?

Carl: Spend time with my family as much as possible. And I like to play electric and acoustic guitar. I also enjoy writing my own country music as well.

 

Diane: What’s your future goal in driving Monster trucks?

Carl: Everyone’s goal is to get to the Monster Jam World Finals every March!

 

Diane: What’s your personal favorite- freestyle? Or technique?

Carl: Definitely freestyle – it’s when I can pull out all my tricks!

 

Thanks Carl, I can speak for our family. We definitely cheer for you every time! You are my son’s favorite and mine, too! You certainly have given us some awesome Monster Jam moments! Drive On! We will be there cheering you into the future and hoping to see you in the Monster Jam World Finals!

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Disclosure: Diane Sullivan is a Feld Entertainment Ambassador Blogger. Interview opp provided by Monster Jam. Special thanks to Carl Van Horn for taking out time from his busy schedule to interview with me. It was very appreciated. Contact me at 3decades3kids@gmail.com and everywhere else at @3decades3kids.

Review: The Wiggles 20th Birthday Tour! Be The 5th Wiggle!

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Review:The Wiggles
20th Birthday Tour!
You Can Be The 5th Wiggle!
When I think back on my life as a mom and the fun times I have had and still do with the children, I can’t help but think of The Wiggles! Our family has spent many a day singing and dancing to The Wiggles songs as well as watching the show for years and years. Since my oldest son is 20 and my youngest daughter 4, it seems like The Wiggles have always been a part of our house!
When were were invited to The Wiggles 20th Birthday Tour you can’t even imagine how happy we were.
The Wiggles Live is quite an experience and different in many ways than other live shows I have been to. The Wiggles are extremely audience friendly, which is a big plus to anyone that wants the best live show experience. Murray had no problem at all coming off the stage when the little boy in a wheelchair seated behind me held up a sign that said, “Come over and check out my Big Red Car!”. The smile on that little guy’s face was priceless as he grinned from ear to ear.
When my middle son waved to Murry on his way back, he had absolutely no problem stopping for a photo! I was in awe of the respect that The Wiggles had for the families watching the show. Greg also graced the audience reading each and every handmade sign that he could see! How special did that make the children feel?
I did find out something else, too. If you are planning to go to see The Wiggles Live, bring along a bone for Wags the Dog, and a rose for Dorothy the Dinosaur! Each and every bone and flower was collected by a member of The Wiggles! Wow! I wish I knew that in advance.
Besides all of the audience interaction, there was an over abundance of fun to be had by everyone. Many old songs and some new ones! We sang and danced to “Hot Potato”, “Big Red Car”, “Rockabye Your Bear”, and plenty of others.
My daughter said it was the best day ever as Henry the Octopus, Wags the Dog, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword and the Wiggly Dancers sang song after song! All I can say is WOW!
The best part of all: The Wiggles are in search of The 5th Wiggle in a city near you. The Wiggles are looking for someone in each city to sing along with them to “Fruit Salad”, it could be you! For your chance click here:  Be The 5th Wiggle! Good Luck!
For more information on TheWiggles.com
See You At The Wiggles 20th Birthday Party!
PS: We were saddened to hear that Jeff would not be a part of the show due to heart problems. But, it was handled beautifully by Murray and a helper was on the scene.
3decades3kids at The Wiggles
Disclosure: Review tickets were provided by The Wiggles but had no influence on this review post.
All opinions are that of 3decades3kids.blogspot.com.


Save $10 off tickets for The Wiggles at IZOD Center!

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The Wiggles Big Birthday!
There’s Still time to Enjoy The Wiggles and SAVE $10 per ticket with our great discount code.
This code is great!
Don’t miss The Wiggles in Concert
Sunday July 17th
at
IZOD Center!

SAVE $10 with code UKULELE!*
IZOD Center – East Rutherford
Sunday, July 17
12:30 & 4:00 PM


Tickets on sale NOW! Starting as low as $15.50!
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Reach Out and Read






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The Fab Four from down under are back with this year’s most anticipated family event. It’s time for a party…The Wiggles Big Birthday party! Come along and “Sound Your Funky Horn,” “Clap Your Hands With Dorothy,” and do the “Hot Potato.” Join The Wiggles, Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, Wags the Dog and all the Wiggly Dancers as they celebrate their Big Birthday in your hometown!






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*Discount valid through 10 pm July 16 on $28.50 & $42.50 tickets only.






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Are You Fully Charged? Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Circus!

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Are You Fully Charged? 
Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Celebrates the 141st Edition!
When I think of some of my favorite memories as a child and many of my favorite times with my three children, I cannot help but think of going to the circus! Every year as soon as we begin to see circus commercials the buzz in our house automatically goes to “Circus Talk”! Remember when the clown put the funny nose on? Remember the parade? The music? 
Everyone in our house has a different “favorite part” of the circus, but everyone  agrees that going to the circus is a must! The circus is something that appeals to every age! I would know, since my children are 20, 11, and 4! There are never any complaints when we hit the Greatest Show On Earth!
 I would have to definitely say, we are Fully Charged!

Don’t miss Fully ChargedSM, the all-new surge of circus entertainment fromRingling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®where megawatts of thrills explode off of the arena floor with breathtaking dare-devilry, superhuman stunts and never-before-seen performances that energize Children of All Ages!
The most electrifying edition ever ofRingling Bros.®celebrates performance power that boosts circus-goers excitement. The amazing acts, which can only be seen at The Greatest Show On Earth®, include Tabayara, a dynamic animal trainer whose rare ability to communicate with animals allows him to ride rearing stallions at a fully charged gallop and orchestratemajestic four-ton Asian Elephants in a symphony of dance. When he stands inside a cage, eye to eye with twelve ferocious tigers, Tabayara sees family where others see danger.
Audiences will feel the earth shake when the Ukrainian strongman duo ofDmitry Nadolinkskiy and Ruslan Gilmulin, who are as wide as they are tall, enter the arena.  The brawny twosome give the word manpower a whole new meaning as they lift large cumbersome telephone poles, which weigh up to half-a-ton, and twirl them above their heads while acrobats balance atop.
The Fearless Fernandez Brothers dial up the thrills as they perform daring feats of athleticism on the Twin Turbines of Steel, including, extreme jumps and twists inside the moving wheels! Audiences will crackle with excitement as they watch Guillermo perform a three hundred sixty degree flying forward somersault, three stories in air, a feat so difficult it has only been attempted by one other person in the 141-year history of Ringling Bros.The Human Fuse, Brian Miser, sets the arena sky ablaze as he rockets through the air from his self-made human crossbow.  Don’t blink as he flashes across the sky in less than a second, and travels 80 feet at 65 miles per hour.
Ever wonder how many clowns it takes to change a light bulb? The hilarious hoopla continues to flow as the clowns from the world-famous Ringling Bros.®clown-alley, charge-up the audiences’ funny bones with hysterical silly antics and clownish comedy.
You can only experience this current of excitement at Ringling Bros. Fully Charged! Get your ticket for high-voltage fun today!

Don’t miss the All Access Power Up Pre-show Party!
Arrive an hour before show time and step onto the arena floor to meet our performers and animals.  It’s your chance to learn skills from the stars of the show and discover how to be CircusFit®. This action packed  event will get you Fully Charged and ready for the show to begin. Plus, watch one of our incredible Asian  elephants paint a masterpiece, and enter for a chance to win your very own pachyderm painting. The fun starts an hour before show time, and it’s free with your ticket!

 ARE YOU FULLY CHARGED?
 is a unique initiative in which we’re encouraging everyone everywhere to check their smoke detector batteries to make sure they’re (wait for it) — Fully Charged. As a mom and a former teacher, I cannot begin to tell you how many lives I have seen changed and saved by “working/charged” smoke detectors! Hats off to Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus for their great cause!
Please: Check your smoke detector and please LIKE Fully Charged on FB! 
Yes, there’s a Facebook page ––Like Are You Fully Charged? On Facebook! Click Here 🙂. please help spread the word — you might also help save a life.

Use code BLOGGER saves $5 on all non-VIP tickets to all shows (except opening nights) for the IZOD Center (Mar. 2-13) and Nassau Coliseum (Mar. 16-20).There is also a special $12 ticket for kids ages 2 through 12 available for all evening performances.

The code BLOGGER is good on all performances at both locations, except for opening nights.