the state fair

Yesterday I took the kids to the Utah State Fair. I bought both girls one treat each at the end. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lydia drop her spoon on the ground. She conscientiously picked it up, blew on it, rubbed it against her shirt vigorously, and blew on it more before using it. I figured that was fine and made no comment.

Mary, on the other hand, dropped her ice cream on the ground while I wasn’t looking. When I was about to buckle her in back the car, I noticed there was a lot of dirt in her ice cream. I tried to clean off all the parts with dirt, and then I took a bite to make sure there wasn’t any left. That was the worst bite of my life! I tasted fair ground dirt for a good thirty minutes afterward. Mary had been eating fair ground dirt for a solid fifteen minutes without my noticing. Ack! I threw out the offending ice cream.

Mary was not happy that I threw out her ice cream. She communicated her unhappiness with the situation repeatedly. Her communication mounted into a full blown, lie-on-the-ground-and-scream tantrum right as we were entering Trader Joe’s. Some nice ladies walked around her joking, “A child screaming in the store–never seen that before!” I was grateful for them.

After Trader Joe’s we went to Kid-to-Kid, after which it took two hours to drive home–such was the I15 traffic. I felt done in after that.

We were supposed to spend the evening going out to dinner with Abe’s work region. I was dreading the drive to Heber after having spent so much of the day in the car already. As it turned out, Abe’s boss called us and told us they had gotten an earlier start than expected. We were too late to catch dinner with the group, so Abe and I ended up going out to eat together at Oregano in Provo.

I went to bed at 10, and Abe stayed up until 12:30 working on an big RFP that is due Tuesday.

While we were in Provo, my mom had an outing to Salt Lake with the empty nesters. They had dinner and then drove to a Tabernacle concert. She said that it was the best concert she had ever attended.

I have pictures of the fair below:

We were the first ones at the pony rides. The girls got to go all by themselves!
We were the first ones at the pony rides. The girls got to go all by themselves!

 

Every time she would pass, Mary would flash me the most beautiful grins. I thought for sure I had gotten better pictures of this, but it turns out I was so enchanted  (and busy smiling and cooing back) that I only managed these fuzzy shots.
Every time she would pass, Mary would flash me the most beautiful grins. I thought for sure I had gotten better pictures of this, but it turns out I was so enchanted (and busy smiling and cooing back) that I only managed these fuzzy shots.

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Ammon watched them the same way one would watch a movie.
Ammon watched them the same way one would watch a movie.
We started off looking at the chickens. I am seriously thinking of building a chicken coop in the back.
We started off looking at the pigeons and birds. I am seriously thinking of building a chicken coop in the back.

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Looking at a glass beehive. I wanted to spend more time there, but as you can see Ammon was busy dismantling the display table. We hightailed it outta there.
Looking at a glass beehive. I wanted to spend more time there, but as you can see Ammon was busy dismantling the display table. We hightailed it outta there.

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Mary's shy, tentative stance is on full display in this shot. She assumes this posture in situations where she wants to do something but is not quite sure how to do it.
Mary’s shy, tentative stance is on full display in this shot. She assumes this posture in situations where she wants to do something but is not quite sure how to do it.

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The girls got to help spin woolen bracelets.
The girls got to help spin woolen bracelets.

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We watched the suckling piglets for a loooong time. Even though I hate pigs, they were (kind of) cute.
We watched the suckling piglets for a loooong time. Even though I hate pigs, they were (kind of) cute.