Iowa State Fair '16: Super STEM Sunday

Charlotte turned 6 years old on the 18th, so when we went to the last day of the fair, it was the first time we had to pay her admission.

Admission is half price on "Super Sunday," so she only cost us three dollars, but still. It's a sign that things are just going uphill from here. No time to ponder that though, we still had a day at the fair to enjoy.

I don't know how long my pinball hobby will hold my complete interest. I've got a project machine in the garage, but its about 90% complete. Soon I'm going to need something else to work on. The fair had a motorcycle show going on, and I spotted this vintage Kawasaki floating around in a sea of Harley Davidson customs. It reminded me that I've wanted a small, 60s era motorcycle since high school, so maybe I'll try to find a bike from this era for a project.

Speaking of projects, Daphne entered some baking items at the fair. Last year she earned a second place ribbon. We stopped by the Food Center to see if any of her entries made it to the final display case.

Hey! Her cookie made it in the ice cream sandwich contest.

White ribbon!

 How did her 4-layer S'more bars do?

Well, you can't do much better than that.

Imagine Daphne yelling, "Yea!", jumping up and down three times, and clapping her hands at the same time. It was so fun to watch her light up like that. Charlotte was almost as excited as her mom. 

I didn't jump up and down, but I was pretty happy with the loose meat sandwich that I ate a few minutes later. 

We tried the Pride of Iowa Wrap because Kim recommended it. "It boasts a jalapeno cheddar tortilla with pork shoulder, sweet corn salsa, and hickory smoked bacon bits. Layered with cheddar jack cheese, fresh avocado relish, chipotle aioli and crispy tortilla bites for added texture."- ISF website.

There's a lot going on in there, but's it's all good.

Time to pose with the giants pumpkins!

I've yet to have a drink at the Iowa Beer Craft tent. That's because nothing beats an ice cold glass of milk from the Dairy Barn on a hot fair day. Somehow I never get to drink the whole thing, though.

Cotton Candy + Char = A Five-Minute Sugar Rush. She jumps around yelling, "Cot-ton Can-dee" about 100 times in a row in some weird made up accent. Strangers notice... It makes us laugh.

There was also some STEM activities for the kids to watch.  I couldn't hear the presenters as well as I would have liked, but I think this is what happens when you play with liquid nitrogen and gummy bears. Look how thick the smoke gets.

They used compressed air to shoot a ping pong ball through a pop can.

More fun with liquid nitrogen.

Right before the guy in last video got covered in all that stuff, he walked by me, slapped my chest with that back of his hand and said, "That's a sweet shirt." That was cool.

This is probably my favorite thrift store tee to wear to the fair.

It kept me safe on the zip line last year.

Too bad I have to put it away until next August...

First Homework Assignment

It was about a half hour before Char's bedtime when we discovered she had homework. The assignment was to write out the numbers 1 to 120.

It was like pulling teeth at first. Char kept getting frustrated and upset. You can see it in her handwriting and the eraser marks.

She calmed down when the end was in sight, and she was excited with the improvement in her handwriting.

Practice pays off! That's a great lesson to learn.

Now it's time for bed.  That took waaaay longer than we expected.

Star of the Afternoon

Actually, Charlotte loves first grade.

Iowa State Fair '16: Midway Edition

The next time we went to the fair Charlotte got to use her "ride anything you want as many times as you want" wristband. Last year she bonded with a another girl on the first ride, and they were "two hour friends". Like a gambler who hits a jackpot on the first spin, Charlotte is doomed to believe this will happen every time she gets on an amusement ride.

She thought she had a shot with this guy.

But it wasn't to be.

We consoled ourselves with some food on a stick. Guess which stick is mine and which one is Char's.

A cool drink also helped her mood.

Let's try again.

Time to celebrate and cool off with some ice cream nachos.

Expression exercises!

"Look happy."

"Look sad."

"Look mad."

"Look hungry."

"Look even hungrier."

"Look scared."

"More scared!"

Then I said, "Actually, I think it's time to go home now."

Real emotion?

Nah. Kids are born actors, and we went home anyway.

2nd First Day

Today is Charlotte's first day to be a first grader! We went to open house last night to check out her new digs. A desk of your own is quite an upgrade from the kindergarten tables of last year.

Her cubbyhole is bigger this year, too.

I took pictures at home.

It's also the first day of school for Daphne and I, so neither of us could be at Karen Acres when Charlotte went in. Kim, our daycare provider (and more), took pictures for us. Thanks!

Only 2,159 days to go...

(As a footnote, today is my 43rd time to go back to school.)

A McWHAT?

I can do a pretty good job of making Charlotte a simple breakfast to eat before we leave the house, but I can never remember to make a sandwich for myself for lunch.

Last school year I made quite a few trips to McDonald's for lunch, and  after awhile I noticed that although I enjoyed eating the hamburgers, I didn't feel very good later. I didn't get sick, but I just felt not well.

I made a promise to myself to not eat at the golden arches for the entire summer, and I accomplished my goal... except for when we were in Canada. I almost drove the rental car off the road when I spotted this sign.

A McLOBSTER? Oh man, I just had to try that! It was time to turn around and break a promise. Char was also excited because this Micky D's had a big Play Place. Daphne walked in a few steps behind us, and she shared none of our excitement. 

I ate my sandwich while Charlotte climbed up and slid down a tower of plastic and rope. She later told Grandma Maureen that her favorite thing about her trip up north was, "Playing at McDonald's!" That made Daphne cringe. 

Here's the McLOBSTER ($8.99 in Canadian dollars).  Does it say "Gout" at the top of the container?

I was a bit disappointed with the amount of fillings. There's a lot open space in there. But the meat looked like a real lobster claw, and it kinda tasted like a real lobster claw. I'm no expert on sea food, so I'm just glad I took the time to try it. These won't be selling in Iowa any time soon.

When we left, Daphne was finally glad, too.

Iowa State Fair '16: Breakfast!

Cheese Curds at 9 AM? Why not? It's the fair!