The Family *roll

We saw camels.

And tortoises.

Even a miniature donkey.

Eleanor, Dan, Cati (and baby F-H in utero) and I visited the Rice County Fair last Friday in Faribault, our County Seat (home to the best high kick dance team ever). There was a petting zoo filled with miniature, baby (and even some miniature baby) animals. Baby human and baby animals – together at last! Watching Eleanor walk up to the cages, bend down and say a breathy “hi” to each animal was one of the happiest moments of my life.

I needed that happy memory to stop myself from becoming too sad about Lonesome Ron, the Rice County State Fair’s under-appreciated yodler.

In other, unrelated news, Dan is away in PEI for a couple of days and Eleanor and I are on our own. Things are going well and we’re enjoying each other’s company. School is out so I don’t have to worry about doing anything but keeping both of us happy. In order to give some structure to our days, however, I have decided to teach her how to hug and how to find her bellybutton. Things are going well on both fronts. I sort of regret trying to teach her to hug because it is a little disheartening when she spurns my requests.  I get her back, though. She’s almost 100% with the bellybutton finding and when I want revenge I ask her to find it when she is wearing a onesie. Good luck with that one, kiddo.