We went on a super fun outing with our bestest friends Zach and Mama Owley. Ally is a kindred spirit. We both come from the other side of the country. We miss the trees and fresh fruits and vegetables. We grew up in more rural settings and want those experiences for our kids too. Farm animals and swimming in lakes, all that good simple living stuff. We find ourselves teaming up to do things that our husbands would prefer not to. This particular day we took on the State Fair, a thing we both have fond memories of, but the boys do not. Ally is fearless. I'm not as good at independent as she is so I was glad to have a friend along for something I may not have done without one. It was so fun and the kids had a great time.
There was a fantastic exhibit where the kids went through their own farming experience. They first gathered grain to feed a cow (a fake one.)
They took their tiny bucket of corn and put it in the cow's feed trough.
They were really grown up little kids. Next came milking a cow.
They turned in the milk for seeds and planted them in a little garden.
And then came harvesting .
It wouldn't be a farm experience without a turn on a tiny tractor.
Eva was content to sit on her pink tractor parked next to a bale of straw.
Baron was a sweetie. All smiles and so cute in those little overalls. After the tractors, they brushed sheep for wool, gathered eggs, and turned in their produce for a tiny farm buck. They went to the general store and Eva bought herself a granola bar. It was a really great little adventure.
Of course we saw a lot of other things at the fair too. Eva loved the livestock farms. Seeing the cows get baths and a sheep being sheared were highlights. Baron was particularly fond of a goat who was trying to eat his stroller. He wasn't sure at first with these large beasts, but he warmed up and was wide eyed, taking it all in. We had fresh doughnut holes in all their cinnamony sugar goodness. And we stuffed ourselves on carni food that left my stomach pretty unstable the rest of the day. It was so worth it.
You came to us as such a big boy! All 9lbs 12oz of you were sweet right from the beginning.
We adore you more now than ever and that's really saying a lot because the adoration was pretty consuming from the get go.
You can get pretty grumpy and when it happens you're relentless, but those times are few and far between. You're really happy and easy going most of the time.
You make us laugh with your expressions and the things you do. What a little man.
You can really dish it out and put Eva in a tizzy. You like to take whatever she is playing with. You also just like being near her and touching her because you love her so much. However, she sees it more as harassment.
But you're awfully good at taking it too. She really puts you through your paces with the dressing up and the taking of your toys.
You're handsome and no one can dispute that. Even after eating a fist full of dirt.
You love bath time! We've had to change our routine so that both of you are taken out at the same time, if not you'll dive back in, jammies and all.
You're a real good buddy. You love to play and if we're not around, you'll roam the house looking for us to have some fun.
Happy First Birthday Buddy Son! You're such a good boy and we love you!
