G's birthday at the end of August is always during the MN state fair. We haven't always gone on her birthday though. In fact the last time we were at the fair on her actual birthday she was this age:
This year it worked out that S was able to get her birthday off and it was also the only day that worked for us to go to the fair this year. G, while she LOVES the fair, didn't know if that was how she wanted to spend her whole birthday...but by the end of it she thought it was pretty cool that we got to spend her birthday doing so many fun things at the fair:
*Getting in the fair this year was especially fun for all because we all got in free! The big kids had earned tickets for reading in a library (not our own) summer reading program, and C's name was drawn to win fair tickets in our own library's summer reading program drawing. There was even 2 tickets left over for Uncle L and Auntie J to use the following week. =)
*Going to the fair was especially important this year as well because we had gotten a call from G's art teacher the day the fair opened, and she had submitted a painting that G had done during the school year and it won a 3rd place ribbon! So exciting for G! We were pretty proud too. =)
Three other classmates of G's also won ribbons for paintings so it was really fun for G to find everyone's names and work. We thought this showed some pretty good talent in G's class considering the number of entries from how many different schools in the metro.
*Next on the super important list after finding G's art was the Little Farm Hands, being that we missed it last year. We HAD to get this photo for G (ignore this momma sobbing "oh my sweet baby girl is getting sooooo big!"):
That and the kids just love it. I like to think they inherited a little farming blood from me...
G was particularly happy that the guy running the tractor booth was kind enough to let her drive the little tractors one more year. Because as you can see from the chicken pictures above, she was taller than 4 chickens even with the most impressive slouch she could muster. She pouted pretty good and made a comment about it being her birthday and the guy said, "Well, maybe just this last time." =)
*Next on the B important fair items was food:
-cheeseburger bites (these were new and suprisingly good)
-wild rice cheeseburgers (S & my favorite)
-corn dogs
-waffle fries
*Then onto the horticultural building where the honey bee exhibits and apple exhibits are always great to go through, and S enjoyed the new craft beer exhibit as well.
And more food was consumed! Apple cider freezies and cold apples were a huge treat on such a hot day (well above 90 degrees F!).
H was a big trooper and lasted WAY longer than we expected him to. Some well timed naps in shady spots helped tremendously though. That and he just LOVES being carried by momma and dadda (this was probably one of only 2 times he rode in the stroller).
*Skyride was next! This started last year with one ride so the pregnant momma wouldn't have to walk all the way to the food building, and S and I were thinking it was just a special one year thing, but the kids think it should become a tradition. So S rode with the big ones this year...
*Then came the animal buildings. These are always fabulous with the kids, and also remind me a lot of going to the fair when I was a kid too. We ended the animal barn tour with a fun game of B-E-E-F-O and learned possibly more than we wanted to about what other products have cow in them.
*It was now after 3 and the crowds were getting thicker and the air hotter and the kids crabbier. So we skipped the Miracle of Birth Barn (can't do everything!), and went straight for our other all-time fair must-have, ice cream. Not just any old fair ice cream, but ice cream from the Dairy Goodness Bar located next to the butter sculpture of Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Super creamy ice cream topped with local yummy strawberries is our favorite fair treat. So. Good.
By the time we were done with ice cream and back in the car, we were heading home during prime city traffic. Like driving less than 10 mph for forever traffic. I had kind of anticipated this, so I brought along something special for the birthday girl - a present to open from her aunt and uncle and cousins!
She was super excited for the Clementine books that were inside (and she loved the paper cake and tiny doll, G & K!!! =)...
...and the rest of the time passed quickly with reading.
Is that all the birthday fun a girl can handle? NO! What time is it? Present-time! (2 points for PBS kid show reference =)
...the Little House on the Prairie Books (found the whole set in awesome condition at the used book store)! So looking forward to reading these with her this next year.
So I think it is fair to say that G had a pretty great birthday. =) Happy 7th Birthday to our sweet, loving, caring, enthusiastic, dramatic, happy girl. We love you so much!
2 comments:
Love so many things about this post! Ice cream. Waffle fries (we always had to have curly fries at our fair...they'd cram a fryer basket full, and then empty the whole basket, which still held its shape on the plate). Little House. Want/need/wear/read (did this with E last Christmas).
(Also, I think you asked me about this, but you do have to type in the two nonsense words to post a comment.)
What happened to Grace's eye? I LOVED reading the Little House one the Prairie books when I was young. SOO GOOD! I really like the present idea - smart!
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