Let’s Go To The Ex!!!

Last weekend was our annual trip to the Canadian National Exhibition with Uncle Dave, Auntie Trish, Makenna and Kallen.

When we enter the gates of the Ex there is only one destination….Tiny Tom Donuts!   Baked fresh, scooped into the bag when they’re still piping hot and doused in icing sugar!  Mmmm!  Love traditions and this is a great one I remember from when I was a little girl!!

The kids asked to go to the farm building first and it was a great choice as we could enjoy things before it got busy.  We were front of the line to ride the ‘horses’ which was Hannah’s number 1 request for the day.  I think that smile says the ride lived up to her expectations! 

There was lots to do in the farm building and many animals to see but most of my pictures are of horses.  Kallen rode this adorable little ride intended for toddlers. 

Makenna and Hannah rode bicycle horses.  (As they were getting ready to ride Hannah looked at Makenna with a serious face and said, ‘Have fun Makenna and make this a great memory!  Next year we’re going to be too tall to ride.’  LOL!  Too funny!  She had me in splits!) 

The kids also enjoyed a pretend farm where they gathered fruit, veggies, eggs, milk, fish and more and put them in their buckets.  There was an inflatable corn maze and we watched cows being milked.  There were lots of sweet little piggies too.  Hmmm…think they might have smelled a bit?  I couldn’t smell it but my girl seems to have!

Hannah and Makenna are just 4 months apart in age and are the best of friends!  Hannah tells me often how thankful she is for her cousins!!  Here they posed with baby piggies who were just a few days old!

All the kids enjoyed the opportunity to try out their fishing skills.  Kallen and Daddy almost caught one but it got off the line.  He sure was cute trying though!!

Love seeing my brother being an awesome dad!!

Great choice kiddos!  Hanging out at the farm with you was the very best way to start our day!

By now it was early afternoon and our tummies told us it was time for lunch.  Trish and I had noticed people with these Thanksgiving waffles after we’d eaten last year and vowed we’d try and find them this year.  It was well worth the year wait!  Trish and I shared this delicious waffle made of stuffing that was filled with turkey, peas, cranberry sauce and gravy.  Deeelicious!

After lunch I think I went into a turkey coma and forgot to pull out my camera.  Oops!  While Kallen napped the girls rode a couple of rides and we browsed through the craft building.  We hoped to watch the dog show but unfortunately it was full by the time we got there. 

It was now early evening so we decided to leave the Ex, head to a neighbouring area of the city to go to an ice cream parlour Dave and Trish had discovered the week before.  The lines at this place stretch down the block.  To pass the time Uncle Dave took the kids for a walk to see some wall murals.

When we got close the girls (and Auntie Trish) wanted to see what flavours were available as they change daily.  They have neat flavours like London Fog (Earl Gray), Fruity Loops, Cinnamon and more. 

Their specialty is homemade ice cream sandwiches.  I think it’s safe to say we all enjoyed them!

Hannah and I are blessed over and over to have an amazing family and I love the time we spend with Dave and his family!! That’s a really good thing too as we’re down to single digits counting down to…….

       

Let’s Go To The Ex!!

The Canadian National Exhibition is held the last 2 1/2 weeks of August.  Sadly it also signifies the end of summer as the kids go back to school the day after the fair ends Labour Day Monday.  (Our school holidays are the months of July and August.)

My SIL Trish and I decided to take her 2 youngest and Hannah to the fair on August 23rd and we had such fun together!  The adventures began first thing when we boarded the train for the ride to the fair.  Kallen found a way for him to enjoy the scenery racing by.

2 excited little girls.  Hannah often asks when she can see Makenna as the two of them are best friends as well as cousins!

Our traditional first stop is at Tiny Tom doughnuts.  Mmmm….delicious little morsels of yumminess covered in icing sugar.  They were deeelicious – I think!  One difference since becoming a Mommy is that I got 1 1/2 and happily gave the rest of them to my sweet girl.  She enjoyed sharing them with Kallen.

 

While Kallen napped the girls enjoyed a few rides in the kiddie midway.

They had lots of fun playing in the Mickey Mouse jumping area!

As we wandered around there was a comedy show that we stopped to watch.  Before I knew it Hannah was in the show!  She later told me she didn’t like it but if you watch carefully at the beginning of the video she looks back with a smile and gave me a little finger wave so I didn’t realize she wasn’t having fun.  Thankfully it was only seconds long.  At Disney she always tries to be chosen to participate in shows so I thought it was the same this time.  Oops, lesson learned.  She was awfully cute!

We went into the farm building and it ended up being our favourite time of the entire Ex!  So many activities for the girls to do and they thoroughly enjoyed it!  Milking a cow.

The girls were rewarded with these cute little horse headbands at the end of their farming adventure where they milked a cow, gathered eggs, picked fruit from trees and more.

They were also able to try out their horse riding skills a couple of different ways.

Hannah loved this!  I have a feeling she’ll be asking for horse back riding lessons when she gets older.  I love listening to her giggle while she rides!!

After lunch we checked out the arts and crafts building.  Doesn’t she look adorable!  Kinda kicking myself that I didn’t buy her this hat!

The girls enjoyed when we visited a booth where they could decorate face masks.

Kallen in turn enjoyed ripping his mask apart as quick as his mommy gave it to him!

The girls waited patiently ALL DAY for a candy apple.  Each time we saw them they reminded us that we were getting one as we were leaving.  Finally around 8pm we re ready to catch the train home so we stopped to buy them their longed for candy apples.

They ate them for about 5 mins before both declared that they didn’t really like candy apples after all!  LOL!  Isn’t that they way??

Trish, we enjoyed a great day with you and are super excited that all of us plus Uncle Dave will be headed to Disney together in just 19 more sleeps.  Woo hoo!!!  °o°