Deanna Rose Farmstead

You all know that we love Lauren, right? What we don't love is the fact that she's recently started waking up around 4:30, then again at 5:30, and is up for the day by 6. Until the very recent past, she'd been sleeping until 7. Let me tell you folks, the weekends are long when they start at 5 or 6am. So what are two sleep-deprived parents of one very hyper young toddler to do? Scrounge to find early morning activities in Kansas City, that's what. This past Sunday that was the Deanna Rose Farmstead, for our first visit. And let me tell you, it's the best deal in town. $2 per person admission and Lauren was free. It's set up to be like a turn of the century barn, with a petting zoo, a dairy barn (with daily milkings), ponds, etc. And it's fantastic. It's a loooong drive from downtown (it's in South Overland Park), but was worth the drive because it kept Lauren busy for awhile.

Aunt Jane, I cannot believe that I didn't get a picture of Lauren with the cows. Actually there was one particular calf that she was crazy about. She went up to him and said, in the sweetest little voice, "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" She also waved at him, and couldn't quite figure out why he wasn't waving back.

So Lauren LOVED the goats. Loved them. And her little friend from school had been at Deanna Rose the weekend before and fed the goats, so we got some goat food to let Lauren feed them. You probably won't be shocked at what happened next: Lauren ate the goat food instead. Disgusting. But she won't eat vegetables?

What are you staring at, goat?

A wink and a smile.

Lauren, who has only been successfully walking for a few days, took off in a dead sprint to get this cat. Sorry Lolo, this is the closest you'll ever get to a cat on my watch.