Dixie Classic Fair

For the people of Winston Salem the Dixie Classic Fair is as much a tradition as Christmas, but for the transplants from Idaho it is quite a dreaded experience. The best way to describe it (for those who know and understand) is to imagine the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot, remember the smoke and food and dirt and crazy people, now imagine that and multiply it by 100 and that would be the Dixie Classic Fair. Scott was here visiting a couple of years ago and so we went during the day when it was a little less crazy (probably more like the Blackfoot Fair times 50) and I will never forget being in line for the carousel behind an 8 month pregnant woman pushing a two year old in a stroller, smoking a cigarette. I couldn't believe it. I know I live in cigarette country, but come on. Well after that experience I really had no desire to go back, and luckily we somehow managed to miss it last year, but the girls are now old enough that they realize that everyone in their class is going and they really, really, really wanted to go. Jaynie's girl scout troop also set up a booth and took first place so we had to go see that. Of course we caved and of course we had a great time. It was still loud and dirty and smokey, but just watching the girls faces light up at every turn was well worth it. Plus we got to watch a demolition derby and eat food that you can only eat at the fair. Things like candy covered apples (Lillie's treat of choice), cotton candy (Eliza's treat of choice), an elephant ear (Jaynie's treat of choice) and an ice cream cone for Addie only because she was screaming that she didn't have the candy covered apple. By the way I don't remember this at the Blackfoot fair, but did you know you can deep fry just about anything. They deep fry oreos, twinkies, candybars, all of this I have tried thanks to Mitch, but this year they introduced deep fried butter. They actually put a cube of butter on a stick cover it in batter and fry it. I know unbelievable right well I took a picture of the sign so that I would have proof and I actually talked to a woman at a weight watchers meeting of all places that ate it. The entire thing she said, except for the little piece of butter at the end of the stick that didn't get batter on it. Well at least she didn't eat that part right? I am pretty sure that is a heart attack waiting to happen.

Yes I live in the South!!!!

The animals were probably our favorite part of the whole fair. We saw horses that were a foot taller than me at their back. We also thought the 1200 pound pumpkin was pretty cool.

Jaynie wasn't tall enough for the bumper cars when we went two years ago so she was very excited to ride the bumper cars this year.

This is Jaynie's Brownie Booth that took first place.

All-A-Flutter

Jaynie's Brownie Troop was able to go to a butterfly farm in September. They were working on a bug badge. This place was so great. We got to go inside the Monarch Butterfly habitat and see them in all their stages. They had milkweed plants covered in eggs and tiny to big caterpillars and then you were surrounded by hundreds of beautiful butterflies. Jaynie could not have been more excited.

She wanted me to put a flower in her hair so that maybe a butterfly would land on it. Too cute!

This is a moth cocoon. The green girl represents the butterflies chrysalis. Moths make cocoons. Butterflies make chrysalis. There is your science lesson for the day.
After the farm their leader treated them to snow cones at a local honey festival. Each girl also got to bring home their own little jar of honey.

I wanna be like you....

One night my girls decided they wanted to wear my t-shirts to bed (I am sure it was because all of their pj's were dirty, but I would never admit to that). Of course they had to take a picture to show everyone that they can be like mom. Eliza was especially excited that she got a running shirt and had to put on my running shoes and race around the house. Pretty cute girls.

YEE HAW!!!

For playgroup I was able to take Eliza and Adeline to ride horses. They were both very excited and we dressed in our cowgirl best (cowgirl best for Eliza includes a skirt and cowboy boots) and headed out. Eliza loved the horses and I thought Adeline might too, because she seemed so excited. But once it was her turn to ride and we got near the horse she didn't want anything to do with it. Oh well Eliza had a blast.

Happy Birthday Eliza

Eliza turned 4 on September 15th and she wanted to have a princess pajama party. So on the Saturday before her birthday she invited her best friend Raelyn over and we had Jane and Kate come down so Kim and Duane could go out and we had a pajama bash. The most exciting part of her birthday was her cake. Whit used to work with a girl who decorates cakes and she asked him to make a board for her and in exchange she would make a cake for one of the girls and Eliza was the lucky one with the next birthday. We told her what kind of party she was having and this is what she came up with. Isn't it adorable. Look closely and she even put hardwood floors and E's on the pillow cases. How cute is that.

For the party Eliza really wanted to roast marshmallows and make smore's but they were too interested in the Barbie princess movie to do and I didn't push it because they had already loaded up on the cake and it was close to bed time. But I couldn't disappoint her and not make smore's so for her actually birthday that was what we had for her birthday treat.

For her birthday Eliza got new dance clothes and two Cinderella dolls from Grandma. Eliza's passion for Cinderella has lasted over a year. She is still her favorite princess and she still loves all things blue. Luckily her phase of wearing only blue dresses has passed, but she still loves dresses and skirts and prefers them over anything else. She will wear leggings and long shirts so we are lucky that is in style. Jeans are pretty much out of the question unless we are going somewhere that I tell her she could get dirty like the fair and camping. When the girls started school I decided that Eliza needed a little something special since she wasn't going to school so I put her in dance class. Her friends Raelyn and Grace are in her same class and she loves it. When I found the blue dance outfit I just knew it was made for Eliza. She really is a princess. She still has her spit fire personality that although tries my patience often is really one of the reasons I love her so much. How can you not love my Eliza? She really has us wrapped around her pretty little finger just where she wants us. Eliza we hope you had a great birthday and we all love you so much.