The Fair Part Two

The fair was actually a lot of fun yesterday. We went in and looked around at all the exhibits while the kids said "Can we PLEASE go ride some rides NOW??" and "I really want to ride RIDES, Mommy!" and "I'm just going to DIE if I have to look at any more crafts!"

Finally just before the kids actually died from cross stitching overload we got them their little ride bracelets and spent the next hour or so standing on the ground looking up at them and waving and smiling, defending their positions in line against other children, and measuring them up against sticks that would tell us if they were tall enough (or short enough) to ride.

We then walked through a livestock tent where a picture of a pig was hanging with all it's parts labeled as types of meat. Yeah... We pet dairy cows, oohed and aahed at baby goats, poked fuzzy bunnies to feel how soft they were, walked into the poultry tent (sponsored by Kentucky Fried Chicken) where Goober had a total relapse of his absolute terror of birds so we quickly exited, and then visited the petting zoo. We pet camels, llamas, goats, some exotic creature that resembled a ram, and then attempted to wash all five pairs of hands in an outdoor sink that required us to pump water with our feet. Then came the food.

It was an overload. Being a vegetarian doesn't hinder me at all when it comes to the fair. I indulged in roasted corn, a bloomin onion, macaroni and cheese, french fries, cotton candy, and a cinnamon sprinkled elephant ear. Munchkin has recently decided that she, too, would not like to eat animals and has joined me on this quest. Did you know that the average vegetarian saves the lives of 95 animals each year? It's probably less for six year olds but maybe we're saving the lives of 150 animals every year together. That gives me a warm and squishy feeling inside. :)

Besides, I still can't figure out how the boys in my family can go directly from the tent housing the pigs and all the little piglets to the place where they order a rack of ribs.

But I digress. We watched a beautiful cirque style show and an entertaining alligator show and walked through Yesteryear village where houses and stores that stood in our area around the end of the 19th century stand restored and furnished just as they were at that time. I think this might be my favorite part of the fair, actually, as it's a calm and peaceful spot that truly does transform you back into what it must have been like in South Florida back then. I bought A Land Remembered at the General store there and read 15 chapters of it last night. I couldn't put it down until 3 AM when The Man finally just plain demanded I stop it. It's an amazing book so far and even more so since the land it is talking about is my home.

I want to go read it right now, in fact, but I absolutely HAVE to do some housework. It's really getting ridiculous in here. The Man has left to go help his aunt with some computer stuff and will be gone most of the day so I'll be folding laundry while watching Lifetime. Sweet.