an old fashioned good time

today the weather beckoned that wonderful feeling that autumn is here...

our neighborhood had a community yardsale (no, i didn't participate--i generally have better luck selling things for juuuuust about what i pay for them on craigslist...but that's another post, now isn't it?), the air was crisp, and good lawd, THE FAIR'S IN TOWN!

i simply LOVE the fair... the food, the smell, the rides, the people-watching... i don't miss a year... there are years where i've averaged going more than once/day... and there was one particular year where dad picked me up from school and we just went for dinner. come hell or high water--i always go.

as you must with any rambunctious toddler, i meticulously planned our outing for wednesday... we were going early to not encounter those "people" (i use quotes because i'm not entirely sure they're human--i only see them walk the earth during the fair)... and going during a weekday lessens just about everything except the excitement. shorter lines, closer parking, less walking (since you park closer...duh.). and all of that combined means you can do more with an impatient little person.

just as nershi gets a little frisky this time of year (it takes almost an act of congress to get him inside!)... i felt a little like that today too...

we spontaneously decided to go to the fair! me, dad, and eden....

on a saturday

with gorgeous weather

with a bagillion other people. that's NOT an exaggeration.

i kept audibly encouraging myself "we can do this..."

y'all... there was a TON of people there... i can't wait to see the news--it HAD to be a record setting crowd we were smack in the middle of.

eden loved EVERY SECOND OF IT...

the food (al's french fries, orangeade, ham biscuits, chocolate milk, etc. etc. etc...), the people, the side shows (with the puppets), the LIVESTOCK... oh my word. she's in love. we need to visit a farm asap!, the dancing (who DOESN'T love those cute little girls clogging on that stage?), the games (we managed to NOT play any...but they're fun to watch)

the LIVESTOCK? well, it was definitely a highlight. most of the exhibits went something like this:
we spot a cow...
eden: "COW! MOO MOO MOO!!!"
me/dad: "oh, eden... you see the cow? what does he say?"
eden: "meow... ruff ruff... meooooowwwww"

eden: "DOGGGGGGIEEEEEE"
me/dad: "oh, that's a donkey! he says HEE HAW!"
eden: [big laughter] "HEE HAW HEEEEEE HAWWWWWW"

eden: "quack quack"
me/dad: "yes, the ducks"
eden: [turns around] "HEEEEE HAWWWWWW DOGGIE"

...you know, thinking back NOW, i didn't realize how close "donkey" and "doggie" sound alike... oh well.

overstimulated? maybe. but she had a blast!! before we left each exhibit, i could sense a potential meltdown because we "were leaving"... but i reminded her we were going to see more animals... only then would she slowly release her white-knuckled grasp from the safety bars separating us from old macdonald's residents.

and although the little amateur photographer who lives inside of me is disappointed she couldn't take advantage of the fantastic, marvelously exhausting (you only associate those two words when you have a toddler, right?) day... i enjoyed every second of it with eden and dad... the old fashioned way--just enjoying it and not trying to recreate the whole day in pictures for everyone else. what you're about to see below is the only picture i took today...

she loved the piglets... they were SO playful!!

what a fun day!!! thanks, dad... we had a wonderful time... what a fun fair tradition!! :-D