the PNE in Vancouver

On Wednesday we went to the Pacific National Exhibition, or PNE, an annual summer exhibition and fair in Vancouver. It's huge - tons of rides, games, musical events, and an agricultural exhibition. We had a lark. The kids loved the little rides - carousel, cars, mini-train - and Liesl loved seeing all the farm animals. They both went on pony rides. We watched a pair of pig races, which were surprisingly entertaining. And then we ate some greasy food, watched some Hawaiian dancing, and worked our way slowly back to the exit, battling demands for one more ride or one more game!

But the highlight of our PNE visit came right at the beginning. In my dad's telling:

Immediately upon entering at 11 a.m., Bri spotted a kiosk where a guy had to guess your age within three years one way or the other, or you won a stuffed animal. (Of course, you paid $5 for the guess and probably the animal cost less than that, but hey, the fair is designed to take your money.)

Anyway, Bri and I looked at each other and nodded in the direction of BigMamaSzeching. A sure bet, we agreed.

So, with mild protests from our Most Valuable Asset, we paraded BMSc to the booth. 

The man looked her over and wrote a number on a piece of paper. He obviously worried she might be offended by his guess, and he said, "Now, this is a high number....."

And he held up the number 64!!!!!

Not even close. Like taking candy from a baby.

We picked out a cute stuffed horse for Liesl. Bri and I slapped high-fives. 

Three hours later, as we went to exit thru the same gate, we looked over to see if the same man was at the kiosk. Pity. Same guy. Otherwise, we'd have snagged another animal.

Today we did some gardening - picking raspberries and beans - and then spent the rest of the morning on Crescent Beach. The kids were super happy to dig in the sand and get perfectly messy and wet. They've asked to return tomorrow. :)