Bring on the Funnel Cake

Joe and I didn't tell the girls where we were going, just that we had something really special in store for the day. We put Abby and Ella in the car and drove to the fair that I grew up going to as a little girl. Though they had never been to the fair before, Abby figured it out with ten minutes left in our drive thanks to her impressive directional skills and READING! Even though the area was at least a good forty five minutes from my home town, our curious little detective knew which direction we headed and recognized the area we were in, then put two and two together when she started reading multiple signs for the county fair. Ella took a nap until we got there.

The best part of the surprise was letting them out of the car to see Papa walking toward them! They were both super excited to learn we weren't just going to the fair, but spending the day at the fair with Papa. The first thing the girls saw when we walked through the entrance was a cotton candy stand and within seconds they were asking for some sugary goodness. Since it was lunchtime, I tried to suggest picking a real food option and then getting some cotton candy, but they couldn't get visions of sticky pink and blue fuzz out of their heads. So, Papa stepped in on a mission and made their day.

These are the faces of two excited girls who got cotton candy before lunch. Papa for the win!

 

The girls enjoyed some rides. Abby really wanted a Ferris Wheel experience this summer and got her wish on her first ride at the fair. Ella wanted nothing to do with it!

 

Abby spotted this fun obstacle course when she was up in the air and got Ella on board. I'm pretty sure it was made for older kids, but we decided to let them both try.

Ella kept up with the big kids and even made it to the top of the obstacle course, but while going across the drawbridge the big kids behind her started jumping and shaking the bridge which really scared her. My favorite part of the whole experience was watching Abby make sure Ella was okay and encouraging her along the way. When Abby made it across the bridge and turned around to find Ella a few feet behind her crying and scared, Abby went back to rescue her and get her safely to the platform. Even though Abby helped her get to sturdy ground, Ella was frozen in fear at the top of the three story structure. Superman to the rescue! Daddy hopped in, fought his way through the obstacles and saved the day by rescuing Ella at the top. My dad and I had the best time watching it!

We ate our way through some of the best fair food stands. The girls loved the roasted corn.

Then, it was off to see the animals. Cows, pigs, goats, sheep...the girls pet all of them and asked lots of questions. Papa told them stories about the animals. They learned about cows making milk and sheep making wool. Ella (and her sensitive nose) even persevered through the "stinky" places, but she definitely noted how badly it smelled in each stable.

The girls even milked a pretend cow!

The girls had never made sand art and when Abby saw the table, she insisted it was something she has been hoping to try for "a long time".  Watching them create colorful sand art brought me right back to my fair days as a kid.

Let's be honest. The cows and the pigs are nice, but it was all about the grande finale...funnel cake! Abby and Ella made sure no piece of powdered sugar was left behind. :)

Then, as we were heading toward the exit, Papa ended our fun afternoon the same way it began. He grabbed both girls hands and took them over to get a small cup of ice cream for their walk to the car. We had a really sweet afternoon together (literally and figuratively)! :) Thanks for a great day together, Dad!