ROUND 'N ROUND AT THE FAIR

We were at the fair for hours tonight and had a great time. The big{ger} kids were ecstatic to be at the fair, and Carter was astonished at all of the lights, sounds and smells. He barely said a word the entire time. His eyes were as big as saucers and he was a perfect angel the whole time.

There were so many people there. Many times we were elbow-to-elbow with total strangers as we made our way through the crowd. I knew that it would be this way and I was nervous that I would lose him in the throngs of people. Before we left on our adventure, I created tags that were taped to the back of Carter's shirt and placed into one of his shoes. The tags stated his name and who to call if he should become lost.

We got to see the tiger and dog shows, as well as a glimpse of the pig races. We went into the Swine, Goat and Sheep barn. Carter called all of the goats "dog-dogs." So funny! He was in "dog-dog heaven." When we got to the cow barn, he slithered under the bar and out of his stroller. He landed on his bum onto the icky barn floor which was covered in dirty hay/manure. Eeewww!!!  At the animal petting barn, Carter was very brave. He wanted to feed and touch all of the animals. (Last year when we went to the Apple Festival, Carter cried when the animals got too close. He's grown up a lot in one year's time.)

Throughout our time at the fair, other families kept giving us their tickets as they were leaving and we got to ride a number of rides. Carter rode with me in the front seat in the Jalopy Race. We also rode the Ferris Wheel. I had his "dog leash/harness" on him with the "tail" wrapped around my wrist. I sat in the center of the Ferris Wheel cab and Carter was standing between my clenched knees. I was not going to lose my baby up there! I also rode the Twirl-A-Whirl, Cobra and the swings. Carter had his first taste of a Funnel Cake. As we were leaving the fair, the sky was illuminated with fireworks. It was the perfect ending to an amazing night.

Update: Last night Carter fell asleep before the car even pulled out of the parking lot. It is 12:00 p.m. on Sunday and he is still sleeping. He has NEVER slept this late. I can hear him making little noises on the baby monitor so I know he's still breathing, lol. He lost one shoe last night and he only had one pair to begin with. Now he has nothing to wear to church or daycare. I guess I'm going to have to his a kid's store today. He'll have to go shoeless until then. 

Second Update: Carter slept today (Sunday) until 3:00 p.m. He's never slept this late - NEVER!!! I had to finally go in there and wake him up because I was starting to freak out that maybe he had died in there or something, lol.

A WACKY TACKY FALL FESTIVAL

Our church had their annual Fall Festival today and the theme was “Wacky Tacky.” There were lots of outdoor games for the little kids to play, a face painting booth and a jumpolene. Carter went on his first hayride and managed to sneak a few handfuls of hay into his mouth before I could stop him. Everyone thought Carter was cute in his mismatched wacky-tacky outfit and they particularly loved his giraffe hat. Carter also had his face painted for the first time. This was done at the request of Hannah who begged me several times to let him get it done. Together we decided to get balloons painted on his cheek. Carter fussed a few times about being held down, but mostly he sat still while Mrs. April painted his face. For supper we had a hot dog cookout and steamy chicken stew. Late in the evening there was a bonfire; however, we didn’t spend much time outside because it was so chilly.

STROLLING DOWN MAIN

Mom, Carter and I went to the pumpkin patch this morning and afterward we went for a stroll down Main Street. Mom and I were interested in window shopping and we had been discussing taking a trip downtown for several weeks. We had a great time strolling down the sidewalk looking at the window displays and stepping inside the various stores for a closer look. 

I think that my favorite store was the candy store.  I had never been in there before and I was really impressed with how nice it was.  It was a lot like an old-timey general store complete with creaky wooden floors, old fashioned toys and handmade candy.  Yum!  Actually, I'm assuming that the candy tasted good because I didn't actually buy any.  I sure did want to though!  Carter also really liked the candy store and he flirted the whole time with the store clerk.  He thought she was so nice and I believe that she thought he was adorable in his giraffe hat and outfit. 

We had lunch in town at a little cafe called Noah's Kitchen and the food was very delicious. Mom had been wanting to eat there for some time and I'm glad that we did.  It was nice to eat in a different restaurant than we normally do and I look forward to going back there again someday.

Later on in the day we walked past the Police Department and a nice officer enthusiastically invited us to come in. He was in charge of the local DARE group and he was very excited to see us (mainly Carter who he thought was very cute). He noticed that I had a camera and he wanted me to take a picture of Carter and the pig statute. (Funny!) The officer was very nice to us and he gave Carter a Junior Police badge before we left. 

THE PUMPK'N PATCH

Mom and I got up early this morning to take Carter to the pumpkin patch at a local farm. He was very cranky throughout the whole trip, but I still managed to get some cute pictures. Farmer Bodenheimer even gave Carter a little pumpkin "just his size." I tried to dress Carter appropriately for these pictures and even put the newsboy hat on him that I just purchased at The Children's Place. After we left the pumpkin patch, we had breakfast at Biscuitville wherein Carter caked himself with a jelly biscuit courtesy of my mother. (Ha! Ha! Thanks Mom! LOL...) Once we finished eating, we went home and cleaned Carter up. Then, we went for a stroll down Main Street for the rest of the afternoon.

A SET OF EARS FOR LITTLE BEAR CUB

Carter has an ear infection and he needed a pair of ears that didn't hurt while his old set is being fixed. So, I dug out these old ears from the back of his closet to tide him over until he starts to feel better. They seem to help his ears when they are so painful. As soon as I put the hat on him, he stopped crying. The hat was working great until the very end when his Tylenol started to wear off. I ended up re-medicating him and putting him to sleep in his swing. He's been so fussy and mean this week. In addition to his ears hurting, he's also been teething. Yikes! Carter has four teeth coming in right now - two on the top and two on the bottom. In the pictures you can see him showing his mean bear teeth, LOL. Poor Little Bear Cub!

I got the idea for the hat from my own childhood. One time when I was a little girl I had a bad ear infection so I put on a knitted baby hat with ear flaps which provided immediate relief. I'm not really sure why it helps, it just does.

The Elephant  

Has a Bad Earache  

The elephant has a bad earache. 

The centipede stubbed all his toes. 

The giraffe has developed a nasty sore throat 

and the rhino can't breathe through his nose. 

The mockingbird has an unclear ache. 

The lion's so hoarse he can't roar. 

The hog cannot eat, as his tummy's upset, 

and the parrot can't talk anymore. 

The doe has a pain in the deer ache. 

Just what should the beast doctor do? 

The duck is so sick she can't possibly float. 

It's a really bad day at the zoo. 

by Denise Rodgers

TURKEY BIRD

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Albuquerque Turkey

(sung to the tune of "Clementine")

Albuquerque is a turkey
And he's feathered and he's fine
And he wobbles and he gobbles
and he's absolutely mine.

He's the best pet that you can get.
Better than a dog or cat.
He's my Albuquerque turkey
And I'm awfully proud of that.

{Author Unknown}

FUSSY WUSSY WAS A BEAR

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MYRTLE BEACH

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CARTER MCKINLEY HAS ARRIVED!

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