So. Tired

[przed]

It's been a whirlwind weekend.

We swept up to my mom's straight after work on Friday, spent Saturday doing assorted errands for my mom (the Sweetie and Ros put in valiant effort raking my mom's rather large yard; I did some grocery shopping and topped up the fluids in her car) and assorted shopping for ourselves (the Sweetie found much-needed winter boots and a jacket for himself, I found awesome if expensive gloves for myself that I'd better not lose).

Then this morning it was up at six, drive home, and then I took Ros straight to the Royal Winter Fair. (The Sweetie hates the fair and did nothing but bitch about it the one time he came with us, so he is banned from attending until further notice.)

It was an awesome day, with much feeding of farm animals, watching of horses, and eating of awesome if quesitonable foods. (I wait each year for the baked apple dumplings with ice cream and the potato rosti.) Ros was a trooper, which is awesome considering we were there from 1:30 to 7:30. But she completely passed out five seconds after I got the car started. (She was all "Mommy! I'm going to sing along with Take That! ::starts singing Shine:: ::passes out:: Zzzzzzzzz.)

I got some great photographic evidence, which I shall share before I pass out myself.

In past years, Ros loved the petting zoo, but she always talked me into feeding the animals for her. This year, she was totally into feeding them herself. (She would have blown all our money on animal food if I'd let her.)


Ros sitting on the fake horse in the kids' equestrian safety exhibit. Considering there is no way we could afford to have her ride, I shouldn't be encouraging her love of horses, but I can't help myself. (I was a horse-mad kid myself, so I sympathize.)


Ros in jockey gear.

Comments

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

How adorable your girl is! Although I must admit I'm not a big fair goer. :)

[przed.livejournal.com]

She is adorable.

And I can't help but love fairs. I grew up going to them, and The Royal is the granddaddy of all fairs. The horse show gets all the big international jumpers. Once Ros is old enough to justify the cost, I'm totally getting tickets to the horse show.

[przed.livejournal.com]

We think so. *g*

[gritsinmisery.livejournal.com]

That girl just keeps getting cuter!

[przed.livejournal.com]

That she does. *g*

[sooguy.livejournal.com]

Awww, cute pictures.

I have to side with the Sweetie though. I went once to the Royal Winter Fair at the behest of my Grandmother and was bored to tears.

[przed.livejournal.com]

You're both philistines. Or whatever you call those who don't appreciate The Royal. (I once hid the fact that I had a fever of 104 from my parents because we had tickets to the international jumping finals at the Royal. I would literally have killed to make sure I got to that show.)

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

If we lived closer, I could have sent MG to the fair with you. :D

He loves them too and grew up going to them being from farming stock.

It sounds like you had fun though and your extremely cute daughter is obviously loving it.

[przed.livejournal.com]

It's probably something you grow up loving, or you just don't get. (Before we got Ros, it had been years since I'd been to The Royal, and I really missed it.) Now I'm just dying for Ros to be old enough to go to the horse shows.

[zebra363.livejournal.com]

I guess there is nowhere near you that offers riding lessons at a reasonable cost? My parents made it very clear they were never going to buy me or my sister a horse, but they took us to Sunday morning riding lesson for years. It was $12 a lesson in the early 80s!

[przed.livejournal.com]

Alas, no. I checked into it last year when Ros started getting into horses, and even the city run stable is nearly $100 a lesson.

BTW, the petting zoo at the fair had alpacas, and I thought of you.

[zebra363.livejournal.com]

Yikes. I'm pretty sure that's a lot more than it would cost here.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it wouldn't be nearly so bad if we weren't smack in the middle of the city. I'm tempted to look at some of the horse farms and stables outside the city, but they're all at least an hour's drive away, and that's not on either.

[zebra363.livejournal.com]

Unless the place has a lot of land, the horses in city stables tend to lead battery-hen lives, so it's probably better to support one outside the city anyway. Anywhere I'd recommend around the city I'm closest to would be at least an hour out of town, too.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Well, the one city-run stable in Toronto (10 minutes from our house) is smack in the middle of one of our big parks. The horses have plenty of room there, so it's not a bad situation for them. But expensive for the people. ;-)

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

Glad I friended you in time to see these pics!! My parents used to take me to all the big fairs in Yorkshire (we call them Shows, here) when I was a child but somehow I haven't got to one since - apart from air shows, which I cordially dislike and Mr. Moth adores.

The look on Ros's face is like sunshine. It would be so good if you could find reasonably priced riding lessons. I took my daughter and joined her - I had always hankered after horses and my parents had never let me anywhere near them. Riding is a good 'workout' - as good as or better than a gym, so it isn't just a luxury.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Shows in Yorkshire just sounds so lovely. I'm so happy I've had the opportunity to go again. (I have to admit, I'm also an air show junkie. I spent much of my teenage years getting absolutely sunburnt whilst watching the big air shows in our area.)

I'd love to be able to let Ros take riding (and ride myself!) but the lessons here run about a hundred bucks a shot which I just can't justify. I may look into the occasional trail ride, though.

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

That's just.....!!!!! And of course trail rides aren't as pleasurable if you don't have a little bit of tuition first.

Once upon a time I liked the airshows. But I had an aneurysm which affected my eyes - I can't look upwards and make sense of the world because my right eye is 'frozen'. Aircraft don't make for comfortable viewing! Horses are much better...

[przed.livejournal.com]

When I looked up how much riding lesson were, I thought "how much could they be?" The answer was astounding to me.

And no wonder you don't like air shows! That is truly alarming. (I'm getting an MRI next week to check for a possible aneurysm. Shall keep my fingers crossed that it's just an offshoot of my usual irksome migraines.)

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

*fingers crossed for you*

Mine damaged the optic nerve and my right eye muscles don't move - sight isn't affected but refocussing is! Still - it could have been worse!

[przed.livejournal.com]

That's awful, but yes, it could have been worse.

I had a month of awful stabbing pain behind my right eye in the summer. Next week was the first appointment they could get me in for the MRI, which was worrying, but at least the pain finally eased. Still hurts if I sleep on the wrong side, though. :-/

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

Keep us informed!! And good luck!!

[przed.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

God, she just gets cuter - and taller!

[przed.livejournal.com]

She looks tall, but she's still incredibly wee compared to kids her age. She's just dead skinny. Also, dead cute. *g*

[sarren.livejournal.com]

OMG LOOK HOW CUTE SHE IS. And getting so big! I am all nostalgic for that squooshy age, now!

I loved going to the Royal Show when I was growing up - until the heat and crowds started triggering migraines. Kinda took the fun out of it.

I was mad about horses as a kid, was allowed to go to riding camp a few times, and begged and begged my mum for a horse and then (and now I'm a parent I look back and am absolutely gobsmacked) when I was ten my mum bought me the horse I'd ridden the last couple of times I'd been to the camp, I think because he was ten and probably due to be sent to the knackers shortly. And while it was a great experience for ME, I think my mum probably spent way too much of her time having to look after the horse when I was too busy/lazy as a teenager. I certainly laughed and laughed when Bunny went through a stage of begging me for one.

[przed.livejournal.com]

It is a fantastic age. I shall be sorry to see it go.

We don't get the heat for our shows, but the crowds can be overwhelming. But I found out the hard way that the weekends are much better than the weekdays. (All those school groups. Yikes!)

Your mum was clearly a saint. I'd love to get Ros riding, but the cost is crazy here. (A hundred bucks a lesson!) I'll also be laughing if Ros ever starts a campaign for a horse.

[sarren.livejournal.com]

Ha, I'm sure it's just as expensive here now!

[miwahni.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, I LOVE fairs (or agricultural shows, as they're called here) and everything that goes with them, questionable foods and all. And Ros looks like she is having a ball.

My parents sent my sister and I to a riding camp one year when I was eight, and even though I damaged a toenail irrepairably (it's never grown back properly since) I developed a love of horses. I finally, finally bought one of my own when I was in my mid-twenties; ownership cured me forever of that particular desire.
Still love watching the show jumping, though.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I'm glad Ros has been enjoying the fairs as much as I do.

I was cured of wanting to ride when I was about 6. I used to ride with friends who owned a farm, and when I was 6 they decided to let me ride on my own instead of doubling up. Instead of giving me the giant but gentle full-sized horse, they put me on their crazy, headstrong pony. Who promptly realized I didn't know what I was doing and took off across the fields with me bouncing along on top of him. At least I didn't fall off, and the pony finally got bored and stopped, but I never really rode again. But I do love watching show jumping.

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

Is it me, or is your totally gorgeous daughter getting cuter by the day? I mean, just look at that smile... Awwwww!

[przed.livejournal.com]

She is ridiculously cute and the smile is awesome. When she deigns to use it. (We're getting to the stage where she'll sometimes decide she does not want her picture taken. Yesterday was clearly not one of those times.)

[angel-ci5.livejournal.com]

Awww, lovely pics, and Ros is so cute... and she looks a natural in the saddle!

[przed.livejournal.com]

Ros does seem to be a natural in the saddle. She tried out a horse simulator and she was posting up without anyone telling her too. Oh, for infinite money...

[norfolkdumpling.livejournal.com]

Aww! I'm glad you had such a good, if tiring, time! :)

[przed.livejournal.com]

It was fab, if entirely exhausting.

[nsandik.livejournal.com]

Awesome pics! Ros is a treasure! And that smile. Are you totally wrapped around her little fingers? LOL

I'm so glad you had a great time. I bought gloves this weekend, too! Winter is here in Reno. There was snow on the ground yesterday morning. Brrrr!

Hugs to you and yours.

[przed.livejournal.com]

She certainly tried to wrap us around her little finger. ;-)

Wow, you've had snow before us. (We had a small reprieve today. It was actually lovely and warm-ish.)

Hugs back!

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Looks like a wonderful time ♥.

[przed.livejournal.com]

It certainly was!

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

Oh god the *joy* of dressing up in specialized gear when one is a child *g* She looks so happy which is lovely and I naturally approve of the attempt to sing along to Take That to the point of actual collapse *g*

[przed.livejournal.com]

She had a grand time.

I thought you'd appreciate the Take That singalong. She's recently learned the concept of choruses, so on the way to the fair, for every song on Beautiful World she'd ask "Mommy, what's the chorus of this song?"

The disadvantage of hooking her on TT is that Patience is her favourite song by far and she is quite happy to listen to it over and over and over again. I'm trying to get her to branch out. I got her to watch the Clown Medley in The Circus tour and she thought that was great. Although mostly I think she liked Gary riding the bike with training wheels. Probably because it looked like her bike. ;-)