It's fair week in our county. And for the past 3 years, we've taken the kids to the fair two or three times during the week that it's here. We do it because they love it so much and because they think the rides and the fair itself are two different things. So we have ourselves a "circus" day where they can ride as many rides as they want to and we just get to keep saying "yes, yes, yes!" and then we have another day where we see all of the animals (the "fair!") and we get to say yes again. This year our circus day came first. We set an all-time family record and made it eight (EIGHT!) hours. In the ninety degree heat. Phew!
Everly was SO excited this year that she got to go on most of the rides. Then she was SO disappointed because she couldn't go on all the big kid rides. Because she said she wanted to. And I believe her.
The horses were an early favorite before she decided that she likes rides that are super scary, twisty, fast and bumpy. I think the horses took last place at that point, but they still stuck in at number one for me.
I believe we went on the slides at least 20 times over the course of the day. Most of them were at one time where we just kept lapping around. The guy at the gate just waved us on and told us to keep the blankets after the first 6 times. We figured they'd be tired early at this point. I think it was 11:30. Little did we know we still had seven and a half more hours to go.
Sweet Parks went on the Dragon Coaster as many times as Everly asked him to. She was too short to go by herself and parents couldn't go on it so Parker hopped on every time, even though he was fairly tired of it. I think he actually got a huge kick out of Everly's face and excitement. Pretty funny.
Everly did the balloons and went up a little higher and got the lay of the land with Parker and here's where things started to go downhill for the parents. Never give your children "the lay of the land".
Sooooo, there's this ride that brings you straight up and then drops you down like you're free falling. I figured there was no way Everly would want to do that. I was so wrong. So very, very wrong. We did this as a family probably 7 times. One of the times Everly was clapping and cheering so loudly with her little feet just barely sticking over the edge that a small crowd gathered to watch her and the guy running the ride cycled it through a few times over and over just so they could all watch her glee. IT WAS HILARIOUS. Everywhere these two went they wrangled an extra lap around in the roller coaster, and extra run on the free-faller, the first car in the line-up, you name it. Because it's pretty funny to watch a tiny 3 year old and a five year old holding her hand with a bunch of nervous teens and adults. They'd stand in line and ask the others "You scared?" Yes, they'd tell them. And you? they'd reply. "Nope." We're not. That never got old.
Aaaand here's where my day took a downturn. Cars that spin on spinning axis' while the entire ride SPINS (we're at three points of spinning here) was WAY too much for me. I figured I'd go for Parker's sake, but then I kept my eyes closed the entire time, repeating in my head "Don't throw up. Don't throw up." while Parks laughed and looked around and slid across the seat and kept saying "This is fun! Are you ok, mom? You're safe! This is fun!". I totally disagree, Parks.
Given that experience, one would think I'd be smart enough to avoid this little number. Wrong. Parker went on this with Jeremy and then they both assured me that it's NOT SCARY. Totally fine. Doesn't make you dizzy AT ALL. Wrong, guys. Wrong on all accounts. TOTALLY WRONG. My arms are sore today from gripping the handle bars so tightly while every time I looked over at my sweet 5 year old's face, he again kept assuring me "You're ok! Don't be scared! This is fun!". How is it that I have been outdone by him already?And why is he assuring me on this ride? And how can he stay SO CALM?!
So, then this came. We figured if he could handle the one on the smaller side of the park, he might be able to handle this one. And if not, well, the free-falling ones don't scare me as much, so maybe I'll get my moxy back and show him I can handle it. Wrong again. He went twice with Jeremy and then with me. SO SCARY. And SO FUN. Mind you, there was no line for this one because all the normal people at the fair were too scared to go on it, so we could lap this one too. And the first time Parks did it and hopped off, he was laughing so hard and I asked him "How was it?!" and he replied "So awesome! I peed myself a little!". Ah, the sign of a good ride, friend. The sign of a good ride.
At the fair, I asked Parker "Do you ever get scared on rides? Like when I was scared on the rides that went around or upside down?" And he threw his head back and laughed and said "I never get scared, but I love feeling scared! SCARED IS MY MIDDLE NAME!". Seriously. That happened. And then we went home after eight hours.What does it take to get put in your place by your kids? A day of rides at the fair.
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