Today Emma attended her very FIRST county fair! Though it was a small fair, we still had a blast! It had one of the best petting zoos I have ever been to, and Emma being the animal lover that she is, was absolutely elated to be surrounded by so many different types of animals! The petting zoo was the first place we went and was by far the highlight of the day. For $1.oo we were given a cup of grain to feed the animals. In order to entice them to come to Emma so that she could pet them, I would place a small amount of grain on the tray that is attached to her stroller.
As soon as I placed the grain onto the tray the animals would poke their little heads out of their pens and would immediately begin chomping down on the food giving Emma plenty of time to pet them. She had so much fun looking at the livestock for the very first time and loved being able to touch and explore the many new textures that she was feeling for the first time. The goats and the sheep were the best animals as far as petting was concerned. They were extremely greedy and would befriend anyone who was willing to give them food. They were also very gentle when fed so I did not have to worry about them hurting Emma and was able to allow her to pet them for as long as she wanted. Several of the goats even licked her hand! She loved that! Though most of the animals were in pens, it was still an awesome petting zoo. The pens were low to the ground and had large enough slots to reach in and out with ease. The slots were large enough in fact that the animals were able to get their heads out.
Several of the animals were left out of a pen and were tied up giving visitors a chance to pet and brush them. One of my personal favorites was this adorable little calf in the picture below. He was such a sweet heart and thought nothing of Emma playing with his ears. Along with goats, sheep, and cattle the petting zoo also had what I believe were oxen, a longhorn, geese, pheasants, pot belly pigs (adults and babies), miniature ponies, donkeys, and an amazing animal in which I cannot remember the name of. It looked like a GIANT longhorn. It was massive and had horns which spanned out about TEN feet across! I have never seen anything like it. And guess what? It was also in the petting zoo area! Though I do not remember the name of the animal, I do know that it was from Africa. It was absolutely incredible!
After petting the numerous animals in the petting zoo we decided that it was time to ride a few rides. And yes, Emma actually rode a few rides (with mommy of course)! I first decided to take her on the merry-go-round. Once the ride started and I realized how fast it was going I became worried that Emma would become frightened. Despite my fears she loved it and had a great time! After ridding the merry-go-round we decided to try out the miniature train. Though not as exiting as the merry-go-round Emma seemed to really enjoy this ride as well. She especially liked when the train came around the corners on each end. Each time we turned a corner she smiled and laughed. What a fun day filled with family, fun, and of course my little Emma-Bear! The only thing missing from this equation was her wonderful Daddy. We really missed him today and cannot wait until next year when he is home and can go to the fair with us!
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