Our State Fair...

...is a great state fair. Well, that thought isn't universally felt in our family, but Lilly and I like the fair. Bryan, not so much. Every year when I mention going to the fair he makes this horrible face and rolls his eyes. No doubt he is thinking of the heat, the expense and the indigestion that comes along with the state fair. But every year I am proud of Bryan because one day during the almost three week stint that the fair is here (which happens to be the hottest three weeks of the year) he will suck it up. He comes home a little early from work, pastes on a smile and takes Lilly and I to the fair.
This year he seemed to like it more than ever. I think this reaction was in direct correlation to Lilly being old enough to start enjoying the fair. By the time Bryan got home from work I had Lilly so pumped about the fair that only a daddy with a heart of stone wouldn't be excited too and he was eager to do everything the fair could offer a two year old.
Lilly rode a pony. Well, it was more of a miniature donkey, but she was just as happy as if it were a thoroughbred.
She did the 'Little Hands on the Farm' activity. This may be her and Bryan's favorite part. You walk around a path 'harvesting' several things to put in your little basket: little bags of corn and soy beans, an egg, wool, milk, and a vegetable. Then you feed the corn to some animals and sell your other items, you are given a dollar and corralled into a store where you buy an edible farm product: milk, applesauce, etc.
Here is Lilly doing the 'plowing' part. You are supposed to peddle the tractor around the track, but Lilly opted to be pushed around the track on the tractor.

Milking the cow.

Next, we made our way around and passed the midway. We couldn't resist but to treat Lilly to a ride on the world's biggest slide. She loves to slide more than anything else, but this may have been a little fast for her. As they came down the look on her face was pure terror, but as soon as her feet were on solid ground she asked to do it again.

Of course, it wouldn't be the state fair without stopping to see the World's Largest Boar. Unfortunately, the World' Largest Boar also has the world's largest testicles that he insists on proudly displaying against the fence. So, we moved right along to the Grand Champion sow with her litter of piglets before Lilly could ask any questions.

To end our day at the fair we grabbed an ice cream (which turned out to be Lilly's dinner because it was the only thing she ate all evening...yes, I have cleared off a shelf for my 'mother of the year' award) and made our way to the rodeo. It was the best deal at the whole fair...free. The rodeo was lots of fun and all three of us enjoyed it. That is until Lilly's diaper leaked...while she was sitting on my lap.

We had to go, because while Lilly fit right in at the fair with no pants on, I would not.