Help Kickin' the Habit ~

Sure - I know Soda/Pop (whatever you want to call it) isn't good for you -
But...I like it...

We like to keep a small variety of cans on hand for a caffeine fix or a special treat every now and again...

Turns out old man winter is helping us kick the habit!

These were in our garage overnight - temps dropped to something ridiculous below zero...

Oh well - at least I didn't leave it in my car this time...I've done THAT before!



***Using the Verizon Razr 4g to capture all of life's moments, including the above photos for this post! Lightning fast so I don't miss a thing!

Minnesota Right of Passage ~ The Minnesota State Fair

It feels sort of wrong to be posting this so late...
but every time I go to put this post together and embed my YouTube Videos...

It crashed the blog post and I lose everything...
then I start over...
and do it all again...
only for the same thing to happen!

What gives?

I will try links instead...so if you want to see the video...and you know you do...

You'll have to click out to YouTube...

So ANYWAY...It's only been 3 weeks...so whatever...

After heading out to the Minnesota State Fair LAST year...
I wasn't sure we'd go again for a few years...but the commercials, the Facebook posts and tweets...
Well, how could we stay away?

I mean really?

And who doesn't love the Dairy Barn first thing in the morning!
Princess Kay carved out of butter anyone?

And fresh Chocolate Milkshakes for breakfast?
Best. Mom. EVER!


It's not the Minnesota State Fair without a stop at the Miracle of Birth Center ~

But I always have mixed feelings about it...

I mean, who doesn't want to see these adorable newborn animals?



But I feel badly for the Mama's in labor with eleventy million people watching.

We hit the butterfly house again this year - worth, in my opinion, the $3 admission fees (per person)...

But someone else might want her $3.00 admission fee back...

We are raisers of butterflies around here...we easily saw off 4 dozen Monarchs this season...

She however, did not care for these one bit...

My poor baby girl!

What good Mommy doesn't grab a quick picture or a quick 18 second video when their kid is freaking out?

Click HERE to see how it all unfolded...

This little peanut wore butterflies like giant ears and was no worse for wear ~

And this lady...

Well, yes...this lady...

ANYHOO ~

He's been growing like a weed...

and JUST made it!


That's right folks...the Big Slide...all by himself!

We went down all at the same time - Five of our friends, D on his own gunny sack and H on my lap...

I of course wanted to take some quick video with the HTC Thunderbolt 4g phone I had on loan from Verizon Wireless...but the fair workers rushed me down the slide too fast.
BOO!


The kids took time out to build some projects with the Home Depot...


And then...,oh my and THEN!
I would love love love love loooove to get D his very own little mini quad...

Oh sure, he has one...
A powerwheels one...

But look at the powerwheels on THIS ONE!'
($600 - seriously, how can I not?)


It's actually amazing that we didn't come home with it...

Daddy didn't come with us and I was at the Minnesota State Fair alone with the kids - except for the short time we met up with friends and their three kiddos...

I mean really...

All the money I wasn't spending on food and drink being there alone with the kids...
I probably saved $600 -

Could easily put it to good use on one of those things right?

SANTA?
It's not the state fair if you don't eat something crazy...

but again, being alone with the kiddos...

That makes it tougher to buy up one of everything...

and eat one of everything...


But I do have one adventurous boy on my hands...

And he and I shared some Deep Fried Pickles...




Ah, the Great Minnesota Get Together...

Going first thing on a Friday morning was much better than mid morning on a Saturday like we did last year...

But any zen I got from the lesser crowds I used up on taking the kiddos alone...

We still had a great time though!

It was fun having the HTC Thunderbolt along for the ride ~ still pictures (all from this post taken with the phone! YAY!) and lots of little (4G) video snippets to boot!

I was really really bummed when my video camera died last winter - I immediately thought I would need to run out and get a new one, but the overwhelming options and shortage of funds put that on the back burner...

I'm quickly learning that it's ok...

And that having ONE device is so so much better than carting around a camera, and a video camera...and a phone.

All three in one...HELLO lady at the Minnesota State Fair who doesn't want to miss a moment but brought a four and five year old by herself!

::points fingers at self::

The times, they are a changin'!

The (not-so) Great Minnesota Get Together

Well, it was the end of summer & everyone else was doing it...

So we figured why not - we could should do it too!

We typically like to hit the smaller, less crowded venues...like the Dakota County Fair ~ but we weren't able to make that work this year - so we decided to go along with the rest of the state of Minnesota. (And perhaps Wisconsin, Iowa, North and South Dakotas too!)

Seriously you guys.
What. Were. We. Thinking?

Apparently, we weren't.
This shot was taken as we walked inched our way through the crowds...




From our local news:
State Fair Sets Third Attendance Record This Year
If you were at the Minnesota State Fair Saturday it is probably no surprise to you, that it was a record crowd.

The last Saturday of the State Fair is typically the busiest of the fair's ten day run, but this Saturday was busier than all others with 234, 075 people passing through the gates. That is 27,309 more than the same day last year, and 9,135 more than the previous record set in 1995.

Saturday was the third record setting day for attendance so far this year at the State Fair. The first two days of the 2010 Minnesota State Fair also saw record crowds.

Click this picture to enlarge...note to self...IF you are stupid enough to attempt this next year - go on Tuesday!

It wasn't ALL bad -

We had some fun on the Midway...

And this is about as close to eating a carmel apple as we came...

Actually, due to the extremely long lines & lack of personal space outside of .05 inches from your own body - our family of four shared 2 corn dogs, 1 order of fries & 1 root beer float.

Hardly worth going to the Great Minnesota Get Together if THAT is what you comsume!

Shameful!

It's not that we didn't WANT to eat one of everything - the lines were just too long.

And our bank account just to, um, short?

We did pony up the $3 per person to wander into the Butterfly Habitat...

I suppose a decent little add on were it not for the 100,000 other folks in there with us at the same time -

We made it as far as the Kidway...And D enjoyed a few rides...

And when we were out of time, patience, money...and tickets...

Big Sister decided she was finally ready to enjoy herself!

ACK! Lucky for us - we scraped together enough tickets ($5 worth! sheesh!) for her to enjoy this minute long adventure...

I know the Great Minnesota Get Together can be super fun - I actually really do love the State Fair - But I think next time I'll try and go with a few less friends ~ and a few more bucks in my pockets!