Showing posts with label state fair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label state fair. Show all posts

Thursday, September 1, 2011

All's Love and War in Fair

Yesterday we rounded out our Mom-Daughter day with an afternoon at the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe. It is a nice, traditional, smaller country fair that we have enjoyed together for several years now. We had a nice time walking the fairgrounds, looking at the animals and chatting.
This big guy prompted a review of the facts of life. Apparently there was a sow who was on the brink of having her piglets, but we didn't get to witness the miracle of birth just yet.
This lovely bird won my prize for best hairdo.
Another excellent coif, ala Elvis.
This one and his pen-mate both had some serious dredlocked bangs. Impressive.
I think my favorite animals to watch were the goats. I was unable to get any good shots of the ones head-butting for king of the bency, but this little fellow pretty much summed up the rest of the action (eating and sleeping). He was sound asleep with his head deep in the food bag.
We did our share of eating. Adelaide chose the shaved ice for her treat. I went with the scone.
We managed to avoid some of the nastier items on offer. The general obesity on display was a good deterrent, though I can't say I was tempted by any of these items.


Monday, September 1, 2008

Rules for Attending the State Fair

Rule #1. Stick your head in every sign with a head-sized hole. Insist on being documented with a photograph.






















Rule #2.
Ogle the baby animals.
Risk loss of fingers to touch cute bunnies.
Contemplate, but resist urge to take home cute baby bunnies.












Rule #3.
Only consume items with
a 30% butter content or greater,
or which have been deep-fried.
Or both.






Rule #4. Experience farm animals on a new scale. As in, these are big!




Rule #5.
Learn about where something comes from. See the transformation of animal into product (don't worry, you won't see it become meat.
They don't let you see that, 'cause you might change your mind about things.).

















Rule #6.
Pay 5 dollars for 3 tries at a toy worth 2 cents. Lose.
Pay 10 dollars for 7 tries at a toy worth 2 dollars. Lose.
Pay 3 dollars to compete against others whacking at pop-up plastic moles to win a prize worth 1 dollar. Lose to smug man who has no children but apparently collects tacky fairground prizes for his swingin' bachelor pad.
Give your child 5 dollars for unlimited tries at a prize you would pay 5 dollars not to have to bring home. After 22 short tries, win!

Rule #7. Have a meaningful conversation on the way home to convey your love and appreciation for your family with whom you experienced these delights. See example, below:

A: When I am a grown-up, what will I do with my snuggly toys?

Me: Well, you might give them to your children.

A: No, I want to keep them for me. I don't want to share them.

Me: They are yours, honey. You can choose what you do with them.

A: I choose to keep them until I die. Then I will give them to someone.

Me: Mm.

A: Mom, who is going to die first, you or me?

Me: Well, it probably will be me, because I am a lot older than you. But neither of us is going to die for a long time. You will probably be a grandma and I will be a great-grandma before I die. In a long, long time from now.

A: Mom, I want to live in our house when I'm a grown-up.

Me: That would be nice. Do you want me to live with you, or do you want to live there by yourself?

A: I want you to live there with me. But I am still going to marry.

Me: So I would live there with you and your husband?

A: Yeah. Will you always live with me?

Me: I will live with you as long as you want me to.

A: I want you to live with me forever.

Me, in my head: I want to remember that you said that to me forever.