Easter Show Adventures

I wasn't planning to head to the Easter Show this year with the kids. It has been a very long time since I last went to the Show and when I did go I wanted it to be for the whole day - like staying for the night shows which is a big memory for me of what makes the show. However, Mum and Dad went to the show and bumped into Uncle Milton who had some cattle in the show. He also had 4 free tickets to enter the show and asked if we would like to use it. James unfortunately had to work, but as we spoke he reminded me that it would be a free day and if it was a disaster I could always be at the show for 1 hour and then head back home, nothing to lose really. Him putting it this way helped me decide that we would give it a go. Then Mum kindly offered to come to the show to be an extra set of hands with the kids as well (considering that we had 4 passes, so I had one spare as Alexander was free). I definitely took her up on the offer. What a legend Mum I have!

So on Wednesday 17th the kids and I headed to the train station to meet up with Mum, had the excitement of 'standing onto of the train' going the other direction

and hopped onto the train to Strathfield.

Our connecting train to the Show was cancelled unfortunately but the kids were pretty good troopers while we waited for the next train, counting down how many minutes left, waving to the other trains that pulled into the platform, etc. 

Eventually it came, we arrived at the Show, lined up with what felt like the rest of Sydney and headed inside. They had a great idea to give the kids a little transport show bag with an activity book inside it but they also gave each kid a wristband which they wrote the parent's phone number on. Fortunately we didn't have to use it but what a great concept to help keep kids safe in quite a busy and crowded place. Nice work guys!

After getting our wristbands we headed over to the Paddock. This was Daniel's highlight from the Show. Woolworths were running a program called Little Kids on the Land. This involved the kids becoming a farmer and completing different activities that led to them getting their income for their work (1 farm dollar) and buying something from the shop (a cup of cut apple). And it was so much fun!

First the kids got their buck with their apron in it (Daniel was the only one who wanted to wear the apron).

Next they had to collect an egg in the chicken shed.

Then they had to pick a strawberry from the garden.

Followed by jumping up and down to grind up the grain to fill and flour bag. This reward was a muesli bar. Very exciting!

Next up they had to milk a cow.

They had a short rest on the cow (being a farmer is hard work!)

They then had to collect honey from the bees (a very cute activity).

They got to pat an alpaca.

They then had to drive a tractor around the farm. They loved this activity and did multiple laps.

Next up ride a horse and when finished give it pretend hay. This activity was so funny because it was a tricky horse to ride (well, bounce on). Eliza was especially funny because each bounce that she did, the horse's head would bounce back into her face. We both laughed a lot at that!

bang!

Lastly they had to hand in all their produce and recieve their payment of $1. They got to keep the muesli bar though!.

They then went into the shop to pay for their apple and got to sit and enjoy it.

Absolutely brilliant! And it was free too which made it even better. Daniel requested that we come back to it again later so we planned to do that at the end.

We headed back around to a Jurassic Park 2 exhibit and as we went the kids liked looking at the terracotta pot people

And the huge size of the tractor!

We then found the entrance to meet some dinosaurs. Daniel was the most interested and engaged with them - poking his tongue out at one to make it roar back at him, pretending to be scared for photos. Alexander and Eliza more enjoyed the park that was in this area.

T-Rex! Ahhhhh

Poking his tongue out at the dinosaur

Alexander preferred the play equipment

Look out behind you!!!

The kids then saw the rides and wanted to go on one. Well, they wanted to go on a few but I told them they could just go on one. We walked around the rides (the Show is very well place with having rides away from the rides section, near the entrance to hook in kids and parents. Same as having show bag stalls near the entrance and exit too. But we didn't end up buying any show bags, which I'm happy about while their little even though that is another big memory I have from the show. That memory can start with the kids when they are older). The kids decided on one ride each so we got the tickets to go on them - 16 tickets.

Daniel was up first. He saw the dodgem cars and immediately wanted to go on them. He asked if I'd go in them with him but I pointed out that these were ones for kids only so it was his turn to drive. He loved it! Not too much driving happened in between all the crashes and bumping as well as spinning around and around in a circle but it was so funny to watch! Let me put it this way, Daniel won't be driving a car any time soon. But he loved it and that is what's important.

Eliza was up next and she changed her mind from the giant slide to the Merry-Go-Round. I think that was the better choice for her. She chose her own horse (encouraged by me to be on the outside) and around she went. She loved it! Big smiles and waves as she went past us each time.

Last up was Alexander. I spotted a Cars ride which I thought was nice and safe - the cars driving automatically around a set circuit - not too fast, not scary, and safe for him to be on by himself. He was keen to go on it. But then when we waited for his turn, we were watching the ride and noticed that the cars actually spun really around around the corner. Darn it! I was preparing for him to be in tears at the first turn but prepped him, pointing out the speed around the corner as we watched the ride before his one. He nodded like he understood and was still keen to go on it. He chose to get into a red car and off he went!

This kid surprised me! He was all smiles (although the first turn was a concerned look but he was ok. No tears and a big wave as he passed me). He loved it. And Daniel and Eliza loved watching him spin around the corners.

We then decided it was lunch time so we headed over to the showground stadium to watch the lunchtime entertainment as we ate. We watched some of the VaultAire which is where gymnasts vault onto a galloping horse and do some gym poses/tricks while it gallops around and then they vault back off. Pretty talented to watch. Eliza liked seeing this. We then saw Murray Wilkinson and His Working Dogs round up some cattle. Such clever animals are working dogs. Then it was the Isuzu D-Max Prevision Driving Team. I was so excited that we got to see them in the day! I have such fond memories of watching them at night when I was little. And I thought that Daniel would love watching them. He did like watching them but I think was a bit overwhelmed by it all too. They did not disappoint me. Doing many of the same tricks as they did 15 odd years ago, they were great!

Watching the cars

Daniel's face when the car went up on 2 wheels

Then we watched the Freestyle MotoX Team. What freaks! My kids are never riding motorbikes but these guys were very impressive with their jumps. This one the kids loved and were so surprised by their jumps. Again, I loved watching Daniel's face when they did the jumps.

Very talented riders.

Next up we headed around to the Pat-a chick section. The chickens were so little and fluffy! The kids were starting to get a little bit tired but I really wanted them to be able to pat a chick.

Just look at Alexander's excitement at holding them next

I had to laugh at the photo that the Steggles people got of the kids. So glad that I got a bit of a nicer one of them.

Next up we headed through the animal nursery on our way to find the horses for Eliza to see. The kids were hesitant to pat the animals and Alexander wanted to be up for most of it. But Eliza and Daniel did get more confident with the goats and lambs that walked past them, Eliza even tried to feed them some of the hay on the ground but they weren't interested. Can't blame them!

Daniel really wanted a photo on his own

We saw a couple of horses but there weren't many in their sheds but fortunately a couple of horses satisfied Eliza. The one that we did stop at blew a raspberry at her which made us giggle. We then decided to feed the hungry kids with a special icecream treat. They had the choice between a Paddle Pop of a Callippo. Daniel and Alexander (and I) chose the Callippo, Eliza chose the Paddle Pop and Nana chose a Magnum. Well earnt ice creams all around! This also included a toilet stop where Alexander was a champ and got out a poo (which was one of my worries that we'd had the same situation from the Martime Museum trip home so I was so happy that he went to the toilet then and that it wasn't painful for him).

This lady, my Mum is such a legend! I was so grateful that she was there with me at the Easter Show! She did everything that we wanted to do, didn't push us to see anything that she wanted. She helped hold the kids hands, helped take them to the toilet or look after the other kids while I took Alexander. She didn't complain when we walked past the horses to go to the chickens and then we walked all the way back to the horses for Eliza to see them. It was a long day but a fun day and it was lovely to have Mum there. She is such a selfless, patient, kind lady who puts others first and today was a great example of that! So thanks Mumma for offering to come and help, and thank you for such a fun day.

As the day was winding down we headed back over to the Little Hands on the Land display. While Mum took the kids through it, she encouraged me to go and see the food display (another fond memory of when I was a kid). So I headed in and loved seeing the displays, the theme for each was about the drought. So clever how they put them together. I'd have no idea where to start!

1st place

2nd place but people's choice

I met back up with Mum and the kids as they were finishing their tractor drive and horse rides.

They were excited to get another muesli bar and some more apple.

We had a short rest in the shade and then headed back to the station.

The kids were tired for the train trip home but the activity books provided a hit that occupied them enough for the ride home.

What a brilliant day at the Show. Thanks Uncle Milton for the tickets and thanks again to Mum for coming with us. I don't know that I'd go back every year but we will definitely return in the future.