Our First Time at the County Fair

Yes, yes, this really was our very first visit to the famed (OK, maybe hyped is more like it), annual Montgomery County Agricultural Fair. Neither Dave nor I had ever been there until today, despite the fact that we've both lived in this county for seven or nine years or so. And lemme tell you, we chose the perfect year to start going--the weather was UNBELIEVABLE! In the seventies, breezy, sunny, all 'round gorgeous. No DC dog days so far this August! And we had a great time.

So I hope you're ready for some pictures, folks. Because I have dozens. (You think I'm kidding.)

Here we are, just starting out. Imagine me saying, "Meg, look at Mommy!" and Meg saying, "NO!" and Dave saying, "I don't think this is working," and you'll enjoy this one much more.


The first area we toured was the goat barn. Matthew was transfixed by the goats. When he first saw their faces poking up over the fence, the sweetest smile spread across his face. I failed to capture that, but this shot was pretty cute too...


I think this was the one that captivated him.


This gal was my favorite by far. She should definitely get a blue ribbon just for those ears.


Dave, Meg, and a sheep being prepared for shearing:


Next we went to see the pigs. As we entered their barn, three of them were having a little dispute, uttering those loud, gutteral squeals that big pigs can make and sort of shoving each other around in the pen. Well, that was enough to make Meg pronounce that "pigs are scary." Honestly, I didn't blame her much. Them suckers was huge!!! Not exactly what Meg sees in the picture books. This photo doesn't even begin to do them justice. They were monsters.

From then on, Meg kept asking to see "the little piggies," as if we were hiding the real specimen from her. Alas, we never found the little piggies.

The sheep proved much more acceptable to Meg...


...especially these woolly lambs.


Woah, here comes my favorite moment of the day. This is Dave and Meg watching the pony rides.

After a moment or two, Meg said, "Meg ride pony too?" Dave and I looked at each other. Was it even worth the effort? Would she panic and scream when they set her on the pony? Would she cry all the way around the corral and make everyone around us miserable? We pressed Meg to be sure that this was something she really wanted to do. She vacillated, then made up her mind. Dave took her to wait in line while Matthew and I manned the camera.

When they first set Meg on the tall, brown pony, it seemed that our fears would be confirmed. She let out a loud wail, and Dave lifted her back down from the horse's back. But next up was a little white pony, which Meg mounted quietly, if nervously. And when her noble steed began to move... a great big smile lit her up! (You probably can't see it because this is so small, but it was there!)


I was so proud of my brave girl for riding her very first pony!


Lunchtime. We headed for the concession wagons, where we purchased a basket of chicken tenders and fries for Meg and a hamburger (mistake! mistake!) for me. When I asked my husband what he would order, he uttered the most memorable quote of the day: "It's the fair. I'm havin' a corn dog!"


Matthew had all of us licked in the nutrition department; he had the only packed lunch! And despite the face he's making here, he happily gobbled all of his sweet potato, collard greens and baby cereal medley!

(The red tent we ate under makes for some nice pictures, eh?)

After breaking bread, we checked out one of the dairy barns.

OK, enough bovine observation for one day! Let's go do some rides!

This is where the day took a turn for the traumatic. As we headed for the carnival rides, Meg once again spotted a blow-up Dora the Explorer that she'd been eyeing all morning. When told that she could not have a Dora, she started a melt-down process which continued off and on for the next hour or so. But apart from the moments when she was sobbing, we still had lots of fun.

First ride: the cars. (Otherwise known as the Jalopy Something... can't remember any of the rides' proper names.) Here's my David, takin' his girl out for a spin.


She loved it. (Silly hat, messing with my pictures.)


He's got her in training for roller coasters.


Next Meg rode the tea cups with Mommy. She loved that too.


After that... a surprise. Meg wanted to ride what she dubbed "the sneaky snake"--sort of a baby roller-coaster thing, shaped like a cobra. (Note: all snakes are "sneaky snakes" right now, because the story of Satan in the Garden of Eden is called that in one of our Bible story books.) We were shocked by her choice, since this a loud and large ride, and many of the smaller rides we had passed Meg had judged as "too scary". Anyway, here are Meg and Dave getting settled on the sneaky snake.


Off they go...


Again, you probably can't see it, but she has a huge grin on her face. Dave says she loved every minute of it.


After a brief and traumatic experience on the big slide (the kind where you sit on a burlap sack), which we will not share at length, there were just enough tickets (and mental energy) left for one more ride. Meg chose the tea cups again--this time, with her hero, Daddy. They ended up in a cup with two other little girls. It was so cute to see Dave with the three of them.


I love Meg's happy face in this one.


This post would not be complete without a brief tribute to Matthew, who earned The Trouper of the Day Award. He rode in his stroller for the full three hours, with no breaks and relatively little attention, through sun and crowds and noisy, rattling rides and screaming big sisters... all with nary a murmur. And this was with no morning nap! He helped make the day a joy for all of us, and we are grateful to God for our sweet boy.


So that's the story of our day at the fair! (In only twenty-four pictures. Told you I had dozens.)