Wisconsin State Fair

The girls and I drove down to Milwaukee to meet my parents who were already visiting AJ and Anna Banana. Today was one of the last days of the State Fair which is something that has become important for me to share with the girls and my dad. It started with Kyra when she was about six and since then we have gone to as many fairs and farm breakfasts as we can possibly fit it. He loves to cart the girls around and teach them about the different animals. Not only the different species and types but their special qualities that make them show worthy. I think it brings him back to showing cattle and all the fond memories from his time on the farm, in college and in his early years and Wisconsin Public Service. We stopped in to see the bunnies, ducks and chickens first not only because they were the closest but because that's what the little girls wanted to see. Bella was dying to see the pigs but forgot that at the fair they are much bigger than those that she is used to seeing... no little piglets at this one. Which was a little disappointing--- that was until she found the metal sculpture in one of the flower beds that she could swing around--- then it was all good.

After we toured the smaller animals we stopped into he various cow barns so Dad could educate us on the various points of interest... I wish I would have given him more credit when I was a kid because he actually knows alot (key point to remember as the girls get old--- eventually they will realize parents are not all smoke and mirrors). The girls even got to get right up next to a cow and pet it! And by girls I mean, Katie, Via, Kyra and even Anna. After a few hours the whole group was starving so we stopped and got some famous State fair creme puffs- man were they good. This was followed by deep fried cookie dough for Kyra and roughly a million Little wienies (FREE!!!) from the wiener-mobile... and as I am sure you can imagine a tummy ache.

By this time it was going on mid afternoon and the itty bitties still hadn't fallen asleep. I guess this was in part to all the sugar we were pumping them full of- silly Grammie. So we stuck the little crabby pants in their separate strollers and tried to bounce them to sleep... it didn't work. On the way into the park I had told Kyra that if she wanted to go on a ride on the way out I would definitely do that with her. It was this giant swing set that towered above the whole park--- think high and then double that--- it was HUGE. Aj and Anna were up to the challenge as well so after a 10 minute wait and some serious chest bumping in line we were at the front gate. You could go in pairs (which I know kyra appreciated... and Anna- that silly goose) and so we got buckled in and headed for the clouds. The first tier was fine- the second tier was OK- but the third tier was a bit much even for me. The wind was so strong up there and after examining the only restraint on us was a lap belt--- I may have reconsidered this one. Lucky for me I didn't even have to do that because when we got to the tippy top we just sat there--- WTF? They brought us all the way down again and AJ and I were betting there was something wrong with the ride. (coincidentally this same ride was stalled at the top recently at six flags in Texas FYI) but as it turns out there was a young girl that was pulling on the wires (dumb) and so they had to scold her before they could start the ride. Going back up the 2nd time was terrifying though... I really didn't want to do it again especially seeing I was fairly certain there was going to be a girl at some point plummeting to her death... but I was wrong. It went fine thank God and my faith in elevated swing thrill rides is restored just in time for the last few weekends of Bay Beach being open- I can wipe the sweat from my brow on that one--- wheew!