Maddie is 5!

My niece turned 5 yesterday, so we hung out for part of the day. Here's some pics from the Indiana State Fair and a mini photo shoot with balloons.

The birthday girl!



The little sister, whom I caught in a rare moment of standing still.

Where'd Lily go? There she is.

Sophia loves balloons. Maybe that's all I'll get her for her birthday. Which reminds me of a little einsteins episode, where that's all Annie gets for her birthday.

The Indiana State Fair was fun...full of sights...and crazy food....




Anybody up for Deep fried dough injected with pepsi? Or Chocolate covered bacon? Or my funnel cakes booth? If I did own that booth, I think I could die happy. Because you know I'd be rich, charging people 5 bucks for a funnel cake...

Speaking of rich, I was appalled to find fair rides so expensive. If I wanted an all night pass, I'd pretty much pay the same amount to get into an amusement park. And those have REAL rides. Don't tell your kids about the rides, then they won't know what they're missing. Stick to the fun stuff, like animals.

Little Hands on the Farm was fun, educational, and got their wiggles out. Do you think my neighbors would mind if I got some plastic animals like this for my front yard?

Or if I painted my mini barn with cow spots? Here are the girls planting, picking, and riding a tractor all around...



Last but not least, we brushed a dairy cow, talked to a sheep, stared an oxen in the eye, and rode a tractor. It was a long day, but worth it.