August

In keeping with the rest of the year, August seemed to pass by in a blink. A busy blink, but a blink none the less. For us, the highlight of the month is the Iowa State Fair.

Miss M continued the family tradition of entering something at the Fair. She entered a planter with three plant varieties in the Junior Floriculture division, and was thrilled to receive a third place ribbon. (Note the other chicken planter behind hers. What are the chances that there would be two chicken planters in the same class?)

N also loves the Fair. The pictures below are a small representation of what would be his perfect day at the Fair. He could do this all day. Seriously. From the moment we parked the truck until we are leaving, this is what he wants to do.

Red tractors, blue tractors, green tractors, he sat on them all. And would still be sitting there if he had his way. Some implement dealer is really missing out on a money making opportunity. Fence in your tractors, hire some child development specialists and run a day care during the Fair. There's a market for it. I was not the only parent spotted dragging a screaming child from a tractor (several times) in order to see the rest of the Fair.

And there is so much more to see and do at the Fair. We spent a great deal of time at the 4-H building looking at projects and doing working exhibits. 4-H er's are an amazing bunch. We also spent a great deal of time in the various animal barns. The big boar and big bull are favorites, especially of Miss M.

The Little Hands on the Farm exhibit is a must-do on our list every year, and almost every day that we attend. The kids love the opportunity to "be a farmer." The best part is selling their crops and receiving the dollar which they can then spend at the general store. N most always buys an apple, Miss M a bomb pop.

Here, M, N & Grandma are finishing up planting their seeds. The love of the Fair is truly in the family, and we're lucky to have so many people to share the experience with. My aunt, my cousin and her two daughters joined us the first day. We spent the next evening there with Grandpa & Grandma Z. My sister Mary flew in from Colorado for a few days, then my other sister Lynn finally arrived for the last weekend. (Perhaps as this blogging thing takes a stronger presence in my life, I'll remember to take pictures of these special people when our paths cross.)

Aside from one rainy day, the weather was beautiful (translation: not hot nor humid), and attendance records were broken. It was a good Fair all around, and we hated to see it come to a close.

We have a tree in our backyard that always drops it's first leaves of the fall the day after the Fair ends. This year was no different.

Two days after it ended, the school bus pulled up to the end of our driveway and Miss M was off to first grade. Again, where has the time gone?

She was excited to be back and see her friends and get back to the business of learning. It's fun to hear about her days and experiences, even though I still miss her riding down to daycare with N & I.

I'll leave you with some shots of the kids on their bikes. This has been a bit of a challenge, so it's so fun to watch them go.