Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Dora the Explorer

A Fair day

I don’t have to say much. This picture pretty well describes our afternoon at the Carroll County Fair.

We started the day with haircuts, then lunched at Arthur’s Garden Deli, a must for our trips home. Oh, Arthur’s how we miss you when we’re gone. Isabelle ate a bowl of cream of potato soup herself. “I love crackers!” she exclaimed before we ordered her soup.

After lunch, it was off to Milledgeville for the style show. Isabelle’s MeeMaw made her a Dora the Explorer nightgown that she entered in the fair, and Isabelle had to show it off for judging. Paired with Dora slippers and a Boots monkey friend, she was the picture of cute. (Of course, I’m her mother, and I’m biased.) See for yourself.

Her outfit didn’t win. She got a participation ribbon and a package of fruit snacks. (Really, they could have just given her the fruit snacks and she’d have been happy.) But she enjoyed herself and is loving her new friend, Boots. Don’t worry, there’s not Toddlers and Tiaras in our future.

We explored a few more areas of the fair — a kids farm display where Isabelle completed “chores” typical on a farm and got a goodie bag when she was finished; the chicken barn; the cattle barn; and her absolute favorite, the rabbit barn. I’ve never been a big fan of animals beyond cats and dogs as pets, but after a walk through the bunny barn, I can see why some people are bunny people. Awfully cute.

Phil and I wanted to treat Isabelle to a fair-style treat, so she got her first taste of shaved ice. Lemon-lime, once again her choice. Although, she did eat about a third of MeeMaw’s blue raspberry shaved ice. Pretty sure she’d have eaten just about any flavor of shaved ice.

I know Isabelle had a great day because she passed out in the car on the way back to Dixon. That’s her sign of a good day.

Me, I had a great day because she did. The whole county fair thing is still new to me. I went to my first county fair when I was 22 and covering it for the newspaper, so Isabelle has me beat by 20 years. I didn’t grow up on a farm or around farm animals. I’m still learning to appreciate the camaraderie and fun of the county fair. I haven’t really gone to any fairs for fun, always for work purposes.  Not that it wasn’t fun to go, but I’m reminded of deadlines and tracking down stories, trying to make sense of breeds of cattle and chickens and pigs. (Jeannine, if you’re reading this, don’t make fun of me too much!)

I’m glad my daughter gets to experience farm life. She can join 4-H in a few years, and I think she will. My husband had great experiences with it. I never really knew it existed. I’m in new territory, but I think I’ll adapt quickly.

Mommy 911

Moms with 2 or more kids, I need your help. I’m drowning here. I never imagined having 2 kids could be so hard. Maybe because you all make it look so easy?

I feel constantly pulled in two directions. It’s like the kids conspire against me to need something from me at the exact same time. The baby has a full diaper, and Isabelle’s suddenly starving or needs a glass of juice. Or Corban is nursing and Isabelle chooses that moment to want to sit on the potty. Or they’re both ready for lunch at the same time, and I’ve yet to figure out how to nurse and make a sandwich.

I feel like one of them is always getting shortchanged, and maybe that’s OK. I also feel like I’m just surviving and I want to enjoy this. It’s like I’m walking around half-asleep, half-starved and always thirsty, subsisting on whatever I can put in my mouth the fastest and easiest. Cheese, chocolate, granola bars, occasionally something healthy like a banana.

On my worst days — you know, the ones that end in “y” — I’m convinced that Isabelle will still be potty training when she’s 5 and Corban will still be refusing baby food when he’s 2.

Yesterday I talked with a mom whose kids are about the same age as mine and she practically bragged that her baby took two scheduled naps a day and was eating regular baby food meals. I wanted to hate her. Motherhood to two children didn’t seem to faze her. I’m sure she never lets her 2-year-old watch 4 episodes of “Dora” in a row, and I bet they always eat regularly scheduled meals at the kitchen table.

My husband helps when he’s not doing husbandly things — working, meetings, school prep, sleeping, watching sports. OK, that’s a bit unfair. He does help a lot, but he basically told me to get used to this. With two years of seminary left, a “real” job isn’t far off and he won’t be as available to help during the day as he has been.

So, ladies, can you offer any advice? Is it possible to keep two kids happy at the same time? Am I ruining them by denying what seems to be a basic request so I can take care of the other one? How do I do this day in, day out with losing my mind? (I know why they call those housewives on Wisteria Lane “desperate” — they have children!)

And, if there aren’t any good answers to these questions, could you just let me know I’m not alone? That you’ve been there, done that or are there right now?

This mom just needs a little encouragement.