You ever go through one of those things so many times that
it really takes the specialness out of it? Either because you know exactly what
to expect or maybe because it wasn't near as good as you remembered? For me,
the Missouri State Fair represents exactly that. I went every year when I was
growing up, but now I find myself slightly bored by it at times as a result.
Don't get me wrong as I still enjoy going but the Fair, for the most part,
really hasn't changed much in thirty years.
And that dear readers, is exactly what I would have said if I
had been asked about my thoughts on the Missouri State Fair before this
weekend. If you're wondering what exactly changed over a course of a weekend,
I'll tell you. Simply put, this weekend marked the first time Bethany and I had
taken Ellie to the Missouri State Fair. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a
special experience being able to witness it all through her little eyes.
The second that we exited the car in Sedalia, little Ellie
was thrust into a wonderland of barnyard life, large machinery, fried foods,
endless shopping, and token rednecks. With both Bethany and I having a farm
background, the first thing we did was to find a cattle show to watch for a
while. We thought it pretty much certain Ellie would fall asleep in her
stroller while watching since she had fought sleep with every fiber of her
being for the two hour journey.
After carrying the stroller up a set of eight (or so)
stairs, we sat down on the wooden bleachers to watch the proceedings. That didn't
last long as once Ellie caught sight of the cattle, her excitement couldn't
contain itself. She immediately held her arms straight out and started
passionately yelling at the cattle before her. At this point, history taught us
that a baby screaming during a cattle show is not a good thing. It doesn't
matter whether or not it's out of pure exuberance. After trying in vain to calm
her, we finally picked up the stroller and hightailed it out of the building
accompanied by the disapproving glances of several curmudgeons.
After that, it was time to change up our approach slightly
as cattle shows were probably not in the cards for young Ellie. However, there
was a place in which her cheering would not be seen as detrimental. That place
was the pig races.
For the unenlightened, pig racing is exactly what it sounds
like. Four pigs with pun-tastic pop culture names race each other around a
small track, all for the prize of an Oreo cookie. The audience is assigned pigs
to cheer for based upon their section of the stands. With our seats in turn 3,
we had the blessing of cheering for hogs such as Jean Pig Van Damme, Piggy
Cyrus, and Elvis Pigsley.
From her first class seat on our laps, Ellie would stand up
and scream loudly every time four new pigs would make their way to the starting
gate. Before too long, our neighbors in the stands were looking at us, not with
curmudgeonly glances, but instead with approving smiles. After the final pig
races reached its completion, we extricated ourselves from our third row seat
in the bleachers and headed off to explore more fun-filled fair adventures.
Although Ellie did have an amazing, fun-filled day of
adventure, I would say nothing compared to those opening moments. She saw
sheep, horses, and chickens, in addition to more exotic offerings in a petting
zoo. She also survived shopping escapades, a daunting walk through the midway,
and breathtaking glances at homemade jams, pies, and quilts. There was a cozy
nap within the confines of her stroller during the horse and cart show. She even
consumed part of a BBQ beef sandwich, fries, and shared a bowl of Mizzou Tiger
Stripe ice cream with her mommy. She even met a guy dressed as a cartoon bull
which was met with nothing but confusion. Still nothing would compare to those
initial moments.
The only thing that came close was a pair (yes, a pair) of
trips through the Charolais barn where a gentlemanly farmer graciously allowed
Ellie to pet his show bull. Who would have known that the only thing Ellie
needed to be happy was seeing livestock. I guess my mom's right; Ellie does
have some farm girl in her blood. #DaddyWrite
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