Fair 2010

Ah, the fair.

We..fortunately, or unfortunately live right down the street from the fair. The girls squeal from the backseat of our car as we drive past the big trucks unloading carnival equipment, making plans, and saying, "remember when, and last year...?" and whining that the fair isn't year-round. Then, when the fair does open, they just assume that we will live at the fair and sell all our belongings and become carnies. They just assume. They don't even ask us!

This year, we spent a whole day getting our fill of the fair. The girls waited till dark to go on the rides so that they could see the lights. I love the dusky night sky as the backdrop for the ferris wheel.



Reese looks up to her sisters already and knew she was missing out on the rides: Just 16 more inches to go, baby!



The girls had fun with the tractor pull again this year. Check out the fierceness displayed here by Miss Holland:


Seriously--check it out! I love this girl!


Brian is never too busy, or too big, to color with our girls:



The girls entered some of their projects into the fair this year. They were so proud to bring them to the exhibition table (this was taken a week before the Fair opened):



Several days later, when we were at the fair, we sought out their projects in the Expo center. The girls were so excited to see their projects displayed. We hadn't ever even talked about the chance at getting prizes.

So you can see in Liv's face here, her utter shock at getting first place for her scooter. Liv's idea for this project began when Holland wanted a scooter. Liv graciously gave her own scooter to Holland, and set to work making her own out of the same wood previously used for the baby cradle she slept in! During the making of the scooter, Liv learned how to use a drill and even wrote her address on the foot board. She later painted over it with hearts. She then took it out on the greenbelt and it worked wonderfully! She was so excited to get a blue ribbon.



Holland entered some monster zucchini from our yard. We really had to lug it in...it was heavy!


Holland also entered her Fifi brownies (andes mint brownies). She really wanted to eat them, but I told her they had to be kept on display for the people look at.


Holland was overjoyed to get First place for her watercolor. She is our family's little artist. She has an eye for color, has a very "light" hand when it comes to painting, drawing, and coloring, and is very purposeful in what she decides to create and the choosing of the colors. This painting has been hanging in our living room. I love it!


Liv got 3rd place for her artichoke painting. She used a real artichoke to guide her as she drew the shape with a pencil. It gave her lots of grief but she learned some lessons in breaking down the object by focusing on familiar shapes.


The sweet dress Liv made for Reese got 4th place. I can't wait for Reese to wear it. Liv would like to thank Grandma for all her help with the sewing machine.


The girls pose with their prize money and returned projects. Yes, that would be my daughter eating a 13-day-old brownie. A brownie that had been exposed to the open fair air, with wafting swirls of manure, prodding fingers and tracked-in carny dust. I promise you, I did my best at discouraging her from eating this brownie. But I tell you...getting to eat this brownie was the best prize of all, in her eyes.


The girls were blissfully happy at the night's end and are already talking about going next year.