Fair Play

We went to the fair! The Wisconsin State Fair is here in Milwaukee, but it's a hassle with the little ones and their strollers and the crowds and parking, so we decided to hit the little county fair about 20 minutes from our house.

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Patrick and Luke really lit up when the began recognizing animals that they had seen in books but were now able to touch. They kept saying the animal or their sound over and over again. Eg, "Seep, seep! Bah. Bah," or "Pig! (snort) (snort) Pig!" The cutest thing about this picture is that the pig was just as interested in them. She stuck her nose outside of the pen and started oinking. This, of course, terrified the twins. No one was quite brave enough to touch the pig, especially once she made some noise.

Joe, however, took the opportunity to inspect his next strip of bacon (pre cooked)

My mini cowboys climbing on the gate to get a better look at the little calf in the show barn.

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These next two pictures are just for my dad:

Yes, Papa, that's your little grandson riding a toy "Farmall." Wouldn't great-grandpa be proud?
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And, here's Patrick riding a John Deere, although having a shot of Joe on it would have been more appropriate. Joe may have been the youngest (part) owner of the John Deere Company. Papa bought him some shares when he was a few weeks old.
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Another really fun thing about this fair was a kids' stage. Every few hours, they invited kids up to play instruments and sing. Joe was the first volunteer.

He played those bongo drums like a pro (must be from all of that practice in the bathtub)
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Next, he was offered "The Turtle" - an old (empty) turtle shell with a drumstick. Very interesting percussion instruments...

Finally, it's our darling Joe singing his heart out. It was his FAVORITE song, very special between he and mommy - "You Are My Sunshine"

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Joe also got to go on a ride - the race cars, no less - and he got a balloon from the clown. It was a fantastic day for all of us.