Unorganized thoughts...

One of our favorite ways to beat the heat this summer is with popsicles.  I get the all-fruit, no added sugar kind...one) because they are healthier and two) because they are the kind I like.  Yes, I will enforce my likes on my children while I still can! 

Even Connor loves a good popsicle...Taylor and I like to say it helps her teeth.  Or lack thereof.

We also went to visit my grandparents over this past weekend.  My aunt & uncle were in town from California, which was supposed to be the reason we were there.  However, the night before they arrived, my Grammie fell down the basement stairs and is pretty beat up.  She doesn't have any broken bones, but her poor face looks like she stole Mike Tyson's tiger.  Connor was a good snuggle buddy though - and this picture is the one I'm ok with posting because it doesn't show much of the damage on Grammie's face. : (

On a lighter note - Sunday, Taylor went to her first big-girl birthday party.  Basically, the first party of a girl from preschool....and where we didn't know the parents.  The party was at Zonkers - which is Chuck E Cheese on steriods.  No mechanical singing animals though.  There was a carousel...

There weren't any belts or anything to hold her on, and I was on the fence of riding with her and holding on.  In the end, I just 'let go'....and she was happy as ever.

There also was a roller coaster and an indoor graviton thing too...those I had to ride with her the first time because she is not four...but after the first time, she and the other little kiddos rode together.  Here's T with another little girl from school, Harper. 

On the way out of the mall (Zonkers is in the mall...maybe I forgot to mention that), we were distracted by the quarter-rides.  I didn't have any quarters, but Taylor still wanted to get in and play.  Here...we are still riding the birthday-cake sugar high and crazy ride rush...

And not a minute later, the buzz is starting to wear off :)  The girl slept HARD on Sunday night. 

County Fair Time!

Growing up, I loved the four days of the Pratt County fair. I could not wait to eat caramel apples and corn dogs, ride one thousand rides, have my fip flopped feet be covered in dust/straw/cow manuer, and to be totally freaked out by at least one carnie. I could play that Horse Racing game for hours, or until my money ran out. And, being friends of 4-H'rs, I would know the best nights to go look at their exhibits...check out what they had sewn, what flower arrangement they put together, or my favorite...their horse or cow or sheep. With all these great memories, I could not wait to get Taylor to the county fair here. Maybe being a parent has jaded my view point of these types of things, or maybe I just have glorified memories of the past. (Probably a little of both)

WOW is it expensive. WOW is it dirty. WOW is it dangerous. WOW are there some reeeeeally sketchy people....and I'm not even talking about the carnies yet. Nonetheless, Taylor was big enough to ride 3 of the rides, and we settled on riding one ride and playing one game.

She Miss America-waved the entire first lap, but I wasn't quick enough on my camera to get her waving until she had passed us. Andy was trying to take video with his phone, and I wasn't going to leave Connor unattended to get another picture (reference afore mentioned sketchy people).

The horns even worked.  She was stoked.

In the right frame of this pic is the super nice carny for this ride.  He was seriously the least creepy, nicest fair person I've ever met working at a fair. I think his only competition would be Navin Johnsnon.

The only game Taylor could play and be guaranteed a prize was the 'Pick Up The Duck' game.  What a ripoff, but it made her happy.  She could pick any of the small blow-up items: a lion, dolphin, monkey, AK47, pink lips, flower.....what did she pick, you ask?

That's right -- a GINORMOUS blowup sword.  Of course.

Poor Connor....her first experience at the fair just left her hot & dirty.  We didn't pony up for a $4.00 hot dog, but instead bailed and had pizza.  We also went through the buildings and the petting zoo.  Glorious memories aside, the Pratt County Fair 4-H'rs would kick the Douglas County Fair 4-Hr's butts.  Who knew I would grow up and be such a snob about flower arrangements, baked goods, and home sewn clothes! 

How We Nap....

This freaked me out when I went to check on her.  After I made sure she could breathe, I took a picture.

Taylor made sure that her puppy & Penelope (the pig) were both tucked in too.