Lil' Log: (Un)Labor Day

The moms and Lili enjoyed the rare luxury of a four-day weekend this past Labor Day. All three of us! Together! And it was exhausting. Wonderful, playful, fun...but exhausting. Mama and I woke up on Saturday morning, the day after attending The Great Minnesota Get Together feeling like we'd just limped our way through an unsuccessful marathon. Interestingly, cheese curds, milkshakes, and meat on a stick do not significantly improve upon one's energy level. Lili, of course, woke up at her usual exuberance level of Mach 40, having both napped and cruised in the comfort of her pink stroller for most of the previous day. And what better way to recover from the State Fair than heading straight for the Renaissance Festival! For the first of two times! That year! In these parts, we really know how to suck the life out of August. Take that, impending winter.


Obviously, we came home from the Fair with a gigantic blue dolphin. Named Dolphin. To go with the gigantic pink unicorn that Mama purchased last year. Named Sappy.


For some inexplicable reason, french fries always taste better at the State Fair.


My digestive tract is still paying for these puppies, a week later.


Mommy loves her some cowboy hats.


We broke down and did the Skyride this year, which carries you from one end of the fairgrounds to the other in a glorified bucket suspended from a fairly questionable wire. It was fun, albeit brief. Ultimately, probs not worth the $5 per person (with no discount for kids! Boo.)


We did, however, get a sweet view of the grandstand....


the carousel....

and the giant slide!


Sweet Martha's is a State Fair must-do. Lili and I shared a cold glass of milk and a giant cone of warm, gooey, delicious chocolate chip cookies. She agreed that they were pretty much the best cookies she'd ever tasted. Obvs.

The State Fair is slightly less appealing if you happen to be gluten-free. Risotto balls...yum! You *almost* taste like fried food. And that cranberry spritzer? *Almost* like beer.


Ask Mama why she's voting no in November.


Personally, I can't wrap my head around ANYONE not wanting to peruse the Creative Arts Building, but turns out Mama had no interest. Like, zero. Hopefully next year Lili won't sleep through that portion of the State Fair, and I'll have a fabric arts and scrapbooking ally.

Prize winning jams!


Yes. A fun time was had by all.


Sunset on Heritage Square.

Alright. I'm coming out of the closet. I love the Renaissance Festival. Unabashedly and shamelessly. When I first met Mama over ten years ago, one of the first tangible facts I learned about her was that she used to spend her summers as a kid working at Renaissance. With birds of prey. And it was almost a deal breaker. Because I don't care who you are, parachute pants tucked in to knee high leather boots is never hot. Ever. We've been going every year since Lili was born, though, and it's always one of the highlights of our year. Anyplace where Lili can immerse herself in the imaginative world of fairies and mermaids and where I can drink a mug of red wine in public is always worth revisiting.


Flower garland optional (but not really).


We always make a beeline (ha!) for the honey stand. Lili loves the honey sticks, which come in at least twenty different flavors. Mommy recommends clover. Delish.


Friends.

The butterfly swing--another yearly tradition. Also known as "that place where Nana got stung by a bee".

Drunk singers. I'm sure there's a more technical name for their troupe, but really...they're pretty much drunk singers.


This year, Renaissance introduced a new (and brilliant) twist on the success of Twig the Fairy--Mermaid Cove. Here, the girls are learning about the mermaid's beautiful song. They were immediately enraptured.


See that mermaid there? On the rock with the long necklace and jewels? When Lili is playing mermaid at home, she wants you to know that she is, very specifically, this mermaid.

Yep. That one.


Family photo. Basking in the post-Mermaid Cove bliss.

Face painting.

Wand making.

Flags strung from trees. One of my most favorite.


Lili was totally enamored of the pickle guy. Totally and completely. I fear this does not bode well for her potential future choices in men. Everyone knows the pickle guy is trouble.

Finally...after searching and asking about her all day, we (thankfully) encountered Twig on our way out. Lili went back to hug her at least nine times.