The Unforgettable Fair - Part 2

Please feel free to sing "Food, Glorious Food" while you read this post.

T & I sometimes take some heat about eating too healthy because we're vegetarians. Well today is a great example of just how wrong those people are. And maybe also what bad parents we are.

Exhibit one: CORN

Here's V working on her first piece of buttery goodness.

And her 2nd piece!



Exhibit two: FRIED MAC & CHEESE

She loves mac & cheese from a box...how about frying it into triangles??? Love at first site! Someone should win an award for thinking of frying up such a treat.



Exhibit three: FRIED PICKLES

We asked her what she wanted. She replied:


What could we do but indulge her? She ate a whole spear.



Exhibit four: FRIED EGGROLL

She insisted! Really.


Exhibit five: FUNNEL CAKE with SUGAR

OK, she took one bite and then refused any more. Her mother and father? We devoured the whole thing.

So now we know, she's definitely a Bruce because she LOVES fair food. But she's definitely got some Shackelford in her because she wasn't immediately sick after eating it. That's my girl :)

The Unforgettable Fair - Part 1

Today was a perfect Fall day, cool bordering on cold, slightly windy but perfectly sunny and gorgeous. I had to work until 4 (Those of you in the Triangle, you must come see Phantom, it is a tremendous show. Love it.) and then we decided to head over to the fair for some people watching and supper.

For the life of us, T & I can't remember if we took V last year. If we did, she was still too little to get it. Today she GOT IT! She made up her own fair song and sung it all the way there and screamed at everything she saw.

One the way home we asked her what her favorite part was. Her response? "Chickens! Baby chickens." I actually let her touch some of the baby chicks and ducks they had out. If she gets the Avian Bird Flu I'll never forgive myself but I felt it was worth the risk. She was also quite taken with the mama pig and 8, yes 8, piglets all nursing at once. Quite a sight.

Other memorable moments:

Strawberry Ride

Swing

Giant Slide

There is no way to explain how much V loved the fair except to say that she pointed and squealed like nobody's business. At everything.

Halloween = Child Abuse?

There's something about Halloween for the very young that I think may be borderline abusive. You dress a small child up in something ill-fitting and uncomfortable for a few minutes of begging neighbors for candy, which in V's case, she can't even eat most likely. It's definitely more for the parents than for the kids!

Last year, T picked the costume and she was Princess Leia. Here's what she thought about it:

I'm pretty sure she's screaming either "I LOVE HALLOWEEN" or "I'M GOING TO GET YOU FOR THIS DADDY!" I can't remember which.

This year I drug an almost 2 year old to 4 stores to "pick her own" costume and watched as she said "NO" to the approximately 75 costumes I offered up (even Wonder Woman! Who doesn't want to be Wonder Woman?) Finally, we stopped in a kids consignment shop and I found the greatest costume of all time- a PEGASUS.

Thick and uncomfortable with an awkwardly fitting hood head.

Perfect! Or perfectly abusive?

October fun has officially begun!

We had what may go down as the "best weekend ever" last weekend. Mix together grandparents and a pumpkin farm and you get tons o fun!

T's parents came into town from Virginia and we headed to Vollmer Farm in Bunn, NC. It was about a 45 minute drive from Raleigh and was well worth the drive and the $15 admission to the "back 40" playground extravaganza. I don't think I stopped smiling all day. Here is a slideshow of our morning of fun.

It was a great end to a great week that included T's 33rd birthday on the 7th. He was lucky to have V around to help him open all his presents. At not quite 2 she's already developed a healthy appreciation for presents and cake so she was happy to be a part of the festivities.

Let's hope this week can compete with all the fun of last week!

Rainy Friday

We finally got some rain last Friday and V left no puddle un-stomped around the house. She just HAD to test out her new rain boots.


Thanks Queenie!

School days!

V went to "school" (known to everyone else as Parents Morning Out) for the first time today and LOVED it. It runs from 9-12 Monday and Wednesday is a trial run for a longer day in daycare starting after the first of the year.

She was ready to go by 8 a.m. even though she didn't have to be there until 9.



V's parents were not so sure...it was the first time we'd left her anywhere remotely "institutional" and while we both knew she'd be fine and that it was a good thing for her, when we left we both had red, puffy eyes.

Here are a few shots from the morning:

Hanging with Daddy and her favorite stuffed animal "Misti"** in the parking lot.

Outside the door of her new classroom. She's on the lookout for other kids or buddies as she calls them.

Checking out her new cubby and the plethora of toys underneath.

Discovering the indoor slide!

Hoarding all the good toys before anyone else arrives.

Meeting a new buddy whose name I have already forgotten. We were a little overwhelmed, OK? Better luck next week.


She had a great time and was very happy to see her Queenie at noon. She had her finger up her nose and told Queenie that something was in there and that it was "driving her crazy!" Crassly adorable, right? She also said she sat down to eat her snack, played on the playground and sang lots of songs. What a perfect day!

** Misti is named after my 1st cousin Misti that came through town 2 weeks ago on her way to NYC. V fell madly in love with her and the Saturday after she left we bought her the dog and she promptly named her Misti.