Soooo I really haven’t kept my promise from New Years to blog more often (obviously)! Here it is August already! But my dad said I really ought to blog about our day so…here we go!
My parents came up last night (their 39th wedding anniversary!) so that we could all get up early this morning to go to the Iowa State Fair! Sarah and Violet had attempted to stay also, but Violet just had some immunizations and exposure to a virus and was acting sick and cranky so Sarah gave up her shot at a foot-long corn dog and took Violet home. We left Elise to spend the day with friends but the rest of us arrived at the fair right on time for the boys to perform their partner dance routines on the AE Stage at 830am. They both did great despite the unfamiliar surroundings and we stayed to watch all the performers from our studio. When that hour was up, we let the kids go to the nearby playground while we talked about what to try to see next and waited for the AE market samples to begin at 10. We decided to take a walk though the Cultural Center building–at least most of us did. Elena was feeling angry and stubborn and took off in an opposite direction and before anyone could go after her she dissappeared behind a row of port-a-potties, not to be seen again! SERIOUSLY! The remaining 6 of us paired off with cell phones looking for her EVERYWHERE! After probably 15-20 minutes with NO sight of her, we were just beginning to regroup and look at the map to find the security/lost child area when a Security Guard on a golf cart came rolling down the hill at us with Elena riding shotgun! I don’t think I’ve been so relieved and so pissed off at the same time! Elena, of course, seemed no worse for wear–Mom thought she looked awfully somber riding down the hill looking for us, but by the time she could see us and knew we saw her, she was outright smirking! She wouldn’t tell her story at first, but what we eventually got out of her was that she wanted to leave the fair and had in fact reached the exit gates and gotten stamped on the hand and left! Went about about 10 paces or so, turned around and came back in. Apparently that seemed odd to the girl who stamped her (not the fact that she was ALONE!?!) and she asked Elena if she was lost and brought over the security guard who said that Elena was able to very calmly and clearly give her name, my name, and directions to where she had left me! Which is where they found us. So. With everyone accounted for, we split up again. Mom and Dad went to listen to some live music so we went back to do the AE taste testing and then went into the Agriculture building. We found a miracle cleaning product, some beautiful floral arrangements, the butter sculptures, GIANT produce, and got some popcorn for the kids to snack on. Then we went out into the flower gardens and Mom got a giant smoked turkey leg. The kids played in a water fountain then we went looking for the beef sundaes we’d been told we should try. It took a little while, and along the way Josh got his “Pork Chop on-a-stick” but we did eventually find them. And I forgot to photograph them. The day was warm and beginning to get to us (probably mostly to Josh who had been trying to appease the smaller children by giving them alternating turns riding on his shoulders all day long!) We got the kids a funnel cake and looked a few more places, walked through the Varied Industries building, found Josh a hairbrush, and Dad got himself some miracle tools. At this point kids were threatening to stop walking again and we talked of leaving, but I hadn’t eaten any real fair food yet so we started to head back but stopped to get deep fried Snickers, Twinkies, and Oreos! Jacob preffered the Snickers while Cameron favored the Twinkie and I thought the Oreos were best. Elena really just liked the powdered sugar and Mom and Dad had some cheese and cherry tomatoes that mom found in her purse. We found some seating in the shade where we sat to share our fried snacks which happened to be at a place where they were about to start a butter carving competition. Mom and Dad sat to watch a bit of carving and later told us they also saw a one-man band, while we continued on toward the exit to see the rabbits. On our way we ran into Jason and Elise with their kids. We chatted a few minutes, but they were just getting in and we were on our way out, so we went on to the rabbits. (With a couple more stops for a corn-brat on a stick, and some wooden weapons.) Finally, the rabbits! They’re so cute! Then the last of our cash donated to the Shriners for a golf cart ride back to our parked van. Best deal of the day! So, that was our day at the fair. Wanna see some pictures? Here are a few anyway 
