Xiaoniu 小妞

We piled the whole crew into Sue’s father’s van and headed out to Mass for a trip to the Big E. We skipped all of the local fairs since we were going to the Big E. It has more than enough fair to satisfy us until next year. Fortunately for us we made the entire trip without having to stop. Three kids in the van and four coffee filled adults and no pee stops. Not a bad way to start the day.

Not sure what to do when got to the fair we ended up making our way to the rides. In hind-sight I think this was the best decision. The kids had plenty of energy and had empty stomachs. Perfect conditions for rides. We started off slowly with a ride on the ferris wheel. This was Emelia’s first time and she was completely cool. I don’t think she really knew what was going on because she could not see how high we were. James loved being able to see everything from up highg.

Being up high also gave us a chance to plan out our next stops.

Here is a shot of one ride that James rode twice. I would have went myself and brought Emelia, but she was too small to ride it.

While James and Mike rode the Crazy Mouse ride Grandma and Emelia went on the bumblebee ride together. It was hard to tell who was having more fun, grandma or Emelia.

Grandma and Emelia on Bumblebee ride from xiaoniu on Vimeo.

All set and ready to take off on the kite flying ride. This was border line too small for a person my size to ride. Not to mention I got grease on my pants from this (or maybe the ferris wheel). James really wanted me to go with him so I took the pain and put it into the back of my mind. He really had a good time.

Here is a nice shot of our feet as we fly around.

Emelia just had to ride on the kid swings. These were just perfect, if not a bit too slow for her.

Kiddie Swings from xiaoniu on Vimeo.

James and Mike on the carousel.

James on the Carousel from xiaoniu on Vimeo.

Fly a helicopter together.

Helicopter Ride from xiaoniu on Vimeo.

More swings, only these were much faster than the first one.

Swings from xiaoniu on Vimeo.

The kids also rode motorcycles.

I took James on a crazy tug boat ride that we saw. It’s too bad that Emelia was too small to go on. I think she would have liked it.

Emelia was big enough for the tilt-a-whirl ride though. Grandpa, James, Emelia and I went on this one together. James loved it. Emelia did okay. She looked a bit nervous when we really got a good spin on, but she didn’t freak out or cry. When we got off she was happy. I think it was just her first experience with something like that, but since we were all there she felt safe enough.

We finished off rides for the day by having Grandma and James ride on the Crazy Mouse ride.

I didn’t take any photos after this point, but we also switched over from kid friendly to more parent oriented things. First up was eating. We all had our share of fair food and some of the other tasty treats that you can get at the Big E. We splurged and got Lobster rolls and blueberry crisp. By the end I was stuffed. The giant corn dog and turkey leg were a bit much. My tummy is big, but doesn’t stretch like it used to.

After eating we meandered around and found our way to the animal area. It was packed so we didn’t stay long. We eventually found some cows, took a gander and decided to call it quits. We made our trek back to the entrance, said our good byes and made our way home. The trip home was uneventful as the one in the morning. Everybody except Mike and I were asleep almost immediately. Emelia actually fell asleep on the way back to the van.

Emelia was a bit fussy when we got home, but we all crashed early. By morning she was in good spirits again. She really had a good time and became attached to grandma. Grandpa didn’t get quite so much love, but she is a girl and just as moody as any and very quick to give you the cold shoulder. When we got home we also realized just how much sun we got. I noticed that Amy got some on her chest and I got quite a bit on my face. I’m actually sunburned on the face and on the right side of my neck. Caitlin has some rosiness on her face too, which isn’t good for infants, but we didn’t realize it at the time. All that time in the carrier must have exposed her. Emelia and Sue didn’t show any sign of burns.

We may have to make another trip the Big E, but unless somebody stays back we’ll be travelling in two cars. Four adults and four kids is too much for one van.