Miss D's Belated Birthday

was a mixed success. It started off very badly indeed, when Miss D (following in her mother's footsteps) got carsick on the way to . This led to an emergency stop at the Walmart on the corner of Poinciana Blvd., and a lengthy delay when a bunch of tourists got in the express lane with $300 worth of Walcrap, with Girlmama stuck behind them, while Daddy and Grandma cleaned up a small child with wet wipes, then tried to entertain her for a freaking HALF HOUR in the FREAKING PARKING LOT, while her mother texted furiously from the "express lane." WalMart sucks so much, and even more than usual in the Tourist Zone. Miss D ended up spending the day in a Minnie Mouse t-shirt and toddler yoga pants instead of her original outfit, but she wasn't soaked in sticky apple juice barf, so we were all good with that.

So, we arrived late, and the heat, it was already building, and the other party-goers were already there. You have to join a tour group and walk around with a guide, and that's fine, but it took a very long time for the guide to get the group rolling, so yeah, the grownups were already hot and cranky.

The kids did have a good time. Miss D's BFF is older than she, though a petite little doll - she was brave enough to ride the pony, with mom walking beside her. I have no pics of Miss D on a pony, because she said no way.



Goats were far more her speed - the biggest ones are the size of her dog. She was all about the goats.




No matter how her mommy talked up the fun of petting the cow, she wanted nothing to do with it.



Actually, the highlight of her day was being pulled around in the wagon by Daddy. The rest of it, eh, she could take it or leave it.



She wanted to hold a duckling but was too grabby, and damn, those ducklings they were passing around were really, really young and defenseless. She held a grudge about that.



She did like the antique tractors.



This would have been a perfect picture, but I cut off the top of the "barn" where it says "Green Meadows Farm" - I was concentrating on getting everyone looking in the same direction. Ah, well, it's a delightful picture anyway.



Then it was time for a picnic lunch, at which the birthday girl ate 10 grapes and the top off her cupcake. She is, after all, two.



And on to the pumpkin patch! Every paying visitor went home with a small pumpkin. Miss D considered this very serious business indeed, and carefully picked up and put down several before making her selection.



She fell asleep in the car before we pulled out onto the highway. I had to drive home, so I didn't have that luxury. It was ridiculously hot and sweaty for late October, and the crowd was too big, and maybe, maybe I'll go back with her when she's 5 or 6, but honestly, I wasn't thrilled with the place. Smaller groups on the tours would have improved the experience - everybody did indeed get to ride a pony and pet and feed animals, and a group of a dozen would have been ideal. Our group consisted of our small birthday party - 9 people - and another 20 or 30 strangers. It was a herd of people, following the guide in the heat and humidity, which made it pretty much like every other tourist trap in Orlando, though charmingly un-polished and casual. And really, two was a bit too young for her to really enjoy it. We can do it again when she's 5. Then she might be willing to ride a pony and milk the cow.