I'm in the moooooood for milk

I ventured with Maria's preschool to the dairy farm, which happens to be run by a family from the church.  Anna came along too, but was not very excited about the cows.  I think they were just too big for her taste.  She wouldn't let me put her down, and cried for most of the hay ride!  Maria was fine with the cows themselves, however didn't care for the smell.  I told her I thought they smelled better than Uncle Andy's pigs, but she didn't seem to agree with me.  Maybe a return visit would refresh her memory.

 a couple days before their visit we happened to crate our own farm at home...Maria had fun, Anna "tried" to be helpful, but was having too much fun smearing our fence!  Can you see the horse, goat, cow, sheep, pig, ducks in the pond, the chickens in the pen by their coop(complete with mail slot!), tractor and scarecrow.  And check out the bales of hay inside the barn.

 The cows in the big barn.  We also got to see several young calves, quite a few pregnant mothers, and some half grown calves.

 Maria(in pink) and some of her friends from class checking out the milking parlor.

 two curious cows

 He was letting them test out the milking machine, most of the kids wouldn't put a finger in to feel, but some moms were brave.

 The cooling/holding tank for the milk.  The milk man comes everyday to the farm!

They gave the kids a little bag upon leaving with a coloring book and a couple other milk related items.  Maria spent a good majority of our hour long drive up to the lake house coloring this.  Before this she has never had much interest in coloring with any patience.  It's just usually scribble all over till it's covered with color...when we asked her how she colored so well she responded, "Well, I'm Beezus, so I can color well"  Can you tell we have been reading the Ramona books lately.  Just a couple weeks prior she was pretending to be Annie from the Magic Tree House series.