State Fair

Yesterday we went to the Indiana State Fair. I don't recall the California State Fair being this much fun, but that might be because I only went with Dad, and he didn't want to do anything except look at the birds. And in my recollection the weather was gray and rainy.

But not for my kid! No, I had to go when Indiana is in the grips of a record setting heat wave! And I am humongously pregnant and waddling about. So I had a plan. The plan involved making sure we took the Man with us (which only gave us a two day window of a ten day event, since he works weekends), and leaving early in the day, so that we could get in maximum fun with minimum heat.

We left early Monday morning, so that we would have plenty of time to see the Pork Chop Revue, with singing and performing pigs, and took in plenty of other things along the way, like woodworkers, and quilters, and a huge and dangerous looking saw mill, with a team of oxen pulling the logs into place. We saw dairy cows and tiny two day old calves (the Man says he will never participate in "learn how to milk a cow" activities). We saw Border Collie Puppies, and Arabella rode an elephant. I missed the actual boarding of the elephant, but the Man tells me she hopped on with no help and scooted herself right up to the front. That's our girl.

We took a break for lunch (cheeseburger, hot dog, cheese fries) after the pig revue and elephant ride, but Arabella was getting crabby, and we had our meltdown on the day. It was brief, though, and after lunch we went to the water display (from the water dept, or conservation, or something) and let Arabella run around in the sprinkler until she was drenched. That helped her mood a lot. From there we rode the tractor train to the horse barns, and saw Percheron and Clydesdales. We skipped the sheep barns (since I knew they have a yarn and wool store and really didn't want to be tempted), and headed instead through the show ring (Percheron competition) and dairy barn. Then it was the Midway, and the Man and Arabella rode on several rides. Arabella, the fearless one, had a blast on all but the giant slide (the Man kept saying, are you SURE she's OK) where she didn't keep her feet together or in front of her, and came down in a big sideways starfish sprawl. She looked very unhappy, she sobbed as she came off, climbed into Daddy's arms , and said "again, daddy". She begged to go on the giant Ferris Wheel (not that giant, but Mommy don't do Ferris Wheels, pregnant or not), then asked Daddy halfway through, "why are we on this?"

Following the Midway (and burning through $20 in tickets in about 30 minutes) we ate a giant Funnel Cake covered in powdered sugar. I had seen them, but never before eaten one, and was surprised to discover that its a beignet. Except like lace. Then the breeze picked up and splatted the funnel cake into the Man's shirt, leaving powdered sugar all over him and Arabella. We shook ourselves out and headed over to the DNR building to tease the Man's coworkers and look at giant native fish, before heading home for a much deserved long nap.

I had a lady tell me I have a beautiful belly.

Seeing the glee in Arabella's face when she rode a kiddie roller coaster or saw the puppies or rode on her daddy's shoulders made my heart glow. We had a great time.