Labor Day Weekend

Andrew started the day off with a snack. 

Meanwhile, Pete took off with the camera.  

Andrew finished his bottle and spent some time trying to grab the camera. 

We had a few minutes to spare before our Tram ride, so Pete gave Andrew a mini music lesson. 

The music lesson ran a few minutes over, so we ended up being one of the last ones to board the tram.  We sat next to a very nice couple who were with their grandkids.  Check out the couple behind us though.  The parents didn’t appear to be thrilled to be on the ride.  Or maybe they weren’t thrilled to be with the red-haired child with them.  During the hour long ride, the young boy made many comments such as “Mom, I love nature so much that I want to move to Alaska”, “This is the most beautiful grass ever”, and “Look at that barn! We should go get some paints and come back to paint a picture of it!”.  His commentary was often more interesting than that of the tram driver!

After the ride, Andrew was ready for a nap.  We forgot a blanket, so we made do with my sweatshirt.

The nap lasted long enough for Pete and I to enjoy a lunch free of interruptions.  Then Andrew  was up again and ready for the next thing. 

More pictures…

a ride from Dad…

and more pictures.  It was a great day!  We are looking forward to going back again in the fall!

Sunday’s challenge: attend the State Fair with two 8 month olds.  I was very hesitant about this.  I used to go to the Fair every summer.  We would go with my uncle who is on the Fair board and have pancakes at 6am and then he would give us loads of tickets for the midway and the giant yellow slide.  This was along time ago though and I probably haven’t been there since 2004.  Our good friends, the Gundry’s, talked us into it.  Actually, Megan, wrote me an e-mail that said that they were going to go so we were going, too.  Then, she said that I would have to just suck it up for a couple of hours so that we could show Andrew and Jake the best that Minnesota has to offer.  Hard to argue with that.  

Luckily, one of the first things we saw were the Dairy Princesses getting their faces carved into butter.  Very cool, but made us wonder what they do with all that butter after the Fair?  Can you freeze butter?

Next, we made it into the Miracle of Life building.  We were told that this would be hard to get into because the demand to see animals actually give birth is quite the attraction.  Let’s be honest though.  Anyone who has grown up on a farm has probably experienced the “miracle of life” plenty of times.  I don’t see what the big draw is.  However, my husband does.  I took the lead and tried to navigate the strollers through the crowds and into open air.  When we got outside we looked around to make sure everyone was there.  We were short one.  Pete.  I rolled my eyes and headed back in.  

Found him!  Amazing how pigs give birth like that.  Let’s take some pictures!

After I lectured about the importance of staying together, we were on our way again.

The boys were yet to be impressed and Andrew started eating his toys so we decided it was time for some food.

First up, some cheese curds.  Who knew cheese curds could be so good with ketchup? 

Next, it was time for the boys to try out some tractors.  

Andrew picked out what he wants for his 1st birthday.  

It started to get kind of warm with all of the walking around in the sun, so we tested the sprinklers out.  Andrew could have stayed there all day. 

This is a family picture.  And this is also about the time that we started to see all of these kids running around with green foam John Deere hats and we decided that Andrew and Jake needed them.  We wrongfully assumed that they were being handed out where all of the John Deere machinery was.  Nope.  The guy there said that he was selling them for $1.  I said, “Great, I’ll take 2”.  He said, “Ummmm no.  I only have these three left and I’m going to keep them.  But you can go to Little Farm Hands and get them”.  Right.  So, we debate whether or not to continue our quest.  We realized we weren’t far from it, so we keep going.  

We get there and it was then that we realized that in order to get the green foam John Deere hat you had to do an obstacle course.  The first obstacle was called “Leave Your Fancy Stroller at the Door and Carry Your 22 Pound Bundle of Joy Around”.  Great.  Then, only to make it harder, they make you hold buckets full of corn!  Luckily, we got through the entrance without having to put aprons put on.  

Then, Andrew and Jake had to put their heads through this wall and pretend that they were dairy farmers.  Strong and gentle ones. 

They did great.

The next challenge was called “Set 2 Babies on Some Prickly Straw with a Fake Chicken and Try to Make Them Look at the Camera”.

After much snapping, clapping, and whistling, the boys looked up at the same time and the judges decided that was good enough.  

The boys were getting frustrated and both of them threw their buckets of corn on the sidewalk which earned us glares from the other parents because we were unable to control our own.  We came to one more wall and this picture speaks for itself.  The boys were about to have mega meltdowns if they didn’t get their green foam John Deere hats soon.  So, we cut a few lines and ignored the glares from the good parents. 

Here was the result of our hard work.  On top the green foam John Deere hat says “Nothing Runs Like a Deere”.  So true.  So very true.  (I’d post more pictures of the hat, but I’m tired and sick of adding photos.)

We were getting near the end of our time at the fair, but Andrew was still hungry.  We sat down and gave him some bananas (“Andy want nana’s?).  This picture is for Aunt Erin because she loves the way that I open my mouth as Andrew takes a bite.  

Then, Pete made Andrew take a picture with a cardboard cut out of President Reagan.  Andrew totally thought it was the President.  Just look at how serious his face is.  

We had heard about this new food at the fair, but didn’t believe that it existed.  Andrew was the only one brave enough to try it – chocolate covered bacon!

We were ready to leave, but Andrew was begging for just one more treat.  We gave in (and again ignored the glares from the good parents) and bought the kid some Sweet Martha’s cookies in hopes that we wouldn’t have to hear him complain the whole way home.  

We feel successful having conquered the MN State Fair ’08 and are looking forwarded to having a very restful Monday!