County Fair Recap

Have you been wondering where I've been the past week? {or maybe you haven't noticed!} I haven't been blogging due to living out of a trailer at our local Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma this past week.  I'm back now and here's the fair re-cap..

This year, Bryce was old enough to show a large animal so he entered his sweet little Holstein calf, Jinx.  Fair time is so much fun....caring for large animals at the fair, most people camp out in trailers so they're close to their animals for the purpose of cleaning stalls, caring for them and milking them twice a day if they enter a milking cow.  It almost feels like a different world with the kids all running around, busy with their animals, to and from the trailers, like one big happy fair family that sleeps, drinks and eats fair for five days.

During the middle of the week, Paige and I were also in a good friend's wedding.  Needless to say it was quite challenging going from the dusty fair to a flower girl and bridesmaid dress.  I had my doubts on Friday night while cleaning Paige off before rehearsal dinner, but by wedding day, Saturday, she was in much better spirits....thankfully.  My goal was to wash every spec of dried manure off of her body {and mine}, hair and makeup...all while keeping this 6 year old with attitude, happy.

It worked, for about six hours where she then began negotiating her way back to the fair.  Daddy brought her back and all was well in Paige's world once again.

There's so much prep that goes into showing cows at the fair.  No more than one week prior, the animal needs to be body clipped.  Here Bryce is getting a first hand lesson by our friend {and Dairy Princess}, Frankie Gambonini.

 Creating a dynamic stall display for our Tri Valley 4-H Dairy group is another pre-fair project.

And then it's show time.  Bryce did a great job handling Jinx in the ring for Showmanship, he received a fourth place ribbon.

Paige had a first time experience showing her rabbit, Sweetie, as well.  Here she is showing the judge how to flip her bunny so she can then check her teeth and sex her {showing the judge she knows how to determine the sex of the rabbit}.

Paige was called back from the group of 18 as part of the top nine to be asked more questions and to determine her placing..{7th}.

Ribbon ceremony.

After show day, the kids and parents seemed much more relaxed...Bryce and cousin, Cameron, play some cards while hanging with their calves in the barn.

We had visitors to hang out with at the fair as well....friend, Ella holding Sweetie at the trailer.

And some evening down time with cousins, Gavin and Leila, keeping warm and cozy on sweetheart Emma.

What's your favorite fair time activity?