August

Despite the recent lack of posts and what the below pictures might lead you to believe, we haven't fled the state to join a carnival. We also haven't purchased a petting zoo. Or a goat. If we start to seriously consider any of the above, I'll let you know in advance so you can buy stock in hand sanitizer and guarantee yourself an early retirement.

August was spent keeping Tyson entertained by letting him pet random animals. Dirty animals are like crack for a toddler. Honestly, if we would have let him, he could have stayed in any of the below places for hours. Possibly days. Next time we need a babysitter, I'm considering hiring a cow.

Our first stop was the MN Zoo. In the past, we've only taken Tyson to the Como Zoo-it's free, a bit smaller and easier to maneuver with a toddler, and oh, did I mention it's free? While the Como Zoo is nice, we were well aware of the difference the price of admission can make after spending the afternoon at the MN Zoo. The animals there didn't look sad (big plus for me). They also had interactive exhibits that allowed Tyson to pet barn animals and touch sharks. REALLY, we were able to TOUCH sharks. Daddy and I were equally as impressed as Tyson was.

Next, we visited the petting zoo at Woodbury Days. Petting zoos are odd. And kind of gross. Tyson was able to pet a chicken, a turtle, a goat, a cow, a lama, and a sheep. A few items to note about the petting zoo; the chicken and the turtle shared a coop/cage, the lama looked like it might not make it to the next stop, and the cow was "sleeping" for a really long period of time.

Finally, we made our annual mecca to the State Fair. The State Fair with an almost 2 year old was SO much more fun than the State Fair was with an almost 1 year old. Tyson was so enamored by everything we saw. And ate. He loved the cinnamon rolls for breakfast as much as he loved counting the pigs in the barn. And his smiley face chicken fingers were just about as much as watching the horsies run.

We have no future plans that involve goats, horses, or pigs. Tyson is a bit depressed. I'm breathing a sigh of relief and packing away the Purrell for awhile. Hopefully the down time will help me to be more timely with blogging. We've got a birthday approaching and I need to make sure the cuteness of this time is appropriately documented.