It's So Fluffy I Can't Stand It !

When we walked into the fair, it was one of the first things she spied, THE UNICORN FROM DESPICABLE ME. And there were minions. "It's a MINIONS PLACE " she declared. "Daddy," she announced,"Is going to win me that unicorn." And obviously, there was no way that it was NOT going to happen.

It was a trip to the fair (an annual event - so annual that today my timehop is that we went to the same fair LAST year) that was a little different all around this year. To start with when we pulled up, the girl began to squeal from the back seat "THIS PLACE ! WE CAME BACK TO THIS PLACE OH YAY!" and was so excited, she instantly knew what we were here today, even if she didn't know the word FAIR.

Another big change for us is that Miles is in the MIDDLE of potty training. In the middle in terms of, is not really potty trained but is working on it. But not enough for us to be comfortable in public in underpants, so we put him in a pull up. By nightfall we realized, we're being jerks about this and we are going to have to go to the next step as he was HATING the pull up.

He rode some different big boy rides this time with Louis, and while he had his moments of being the unruly kid he can be, his biggest frustration was the pullup. So we're going to figure out how to do this, knowing we're going to have accidents. Potty training with a kid you can't have conversations with is a challenge.

The food was just OK this year. Louis got a hotdog made of alligator, I guess that's exotic (ok really eating alligator down here really isn't exotic) but it was different. The food wasn't bad, it was just "eh".  My BBQ wasn't from the same big award winning BBQ trailer as last year and it showed. It wasn't bad, just kind of super average. I guess if you never had BBQ you'd think it was good maybe?

One of the biggest events at the fair, a milestone crossed, I don't have a picture of, and that was Charlie riding his FIRST big boy ride. Charlie isn't a HUGE fan of rides, and has been left out more than a bit the last couple of years. Too big for the baby rides (which he likes) and too immature for the big ones plus he doesn't like many of them - Charlie isn't a thrill seeker - it's been frustrating/sad as a parent seeing him standing at the side watching his siblings ride, even when it's a ride he won't like.

We took him on the boat which he liked, and that wasn't new. But what we did take him on that he went nuts and LOVED was the big Bavarian Curve thing. Blasting music, DJ barking nonsense, and riding around at breakneck speed - who knew that Charlie would put his arms in the air and yell WHEEEEEE as it went? Well he did. He LOVED IT. Noted, Charlie LOVES the thing.

We decided that next year we are going to a different fair, as this one while nice, is lacking in the crazy DEEP FRIED FOODS ON STICKS we love so much. I want to eat your crazy thing deep fried on a stick. BRING ME YOUR WEIRD FOODS, I will eat them on a stick with glee. It's more traditional and while nice, maybe good to rotate in every couple of years for variety, it's just not as wacky as we're looking for. Plus it lacks all the 4H competition stuff and we like that stuff.

It does have a nice animal interaction area. We were glad Miles enjoyed the goats, lately he has some animal fears, and he went right up to the goat and pet it - he seemed to like it a lot. However, the bunnies were RIGHT OUT as were the chickens. That's ok, the goat was a victory in that regard.

I have not gotten a candy apple in years, because I thought my teeth wouldn't like it - they aren't as good as they should be. But I've got two new crowns and decided to put them to the test. Oh man, it was as good as I remembered. Louis shared with me and he apparently had never had one or didn't remember the crunch cinnamon apple awesome of them. It was delicious.

So the fair had milestones, Miles just needs to wear underpants, and Charlie has ventured into big boy rides. And unicorns will be yours, if you tell the universe that Daddy is going to win one.

As we drifted off to sleep, she put the unicorn on the table beside her and said "I'm going to have magical dreams because the unicorn is next to me."

I bet she did.
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It's So Fluffy I Can't Stand It !

When we walked into the fair, it was one of the first things she spied, THE UNICORN FROM DESPICABLE ME. And there were minions. "It's a MINIONS PLACE " she declared. "Daddy," she announced,"Is going to win me that unicorn." And obviously, there was no way that it was NOT going to happen.

It was a trip to the fair (an annual event - so annual that today my timehop is that we went to the same fair LAST year) that was a little different all around this year. To start with when we pulled up, the girl began to squeal from the back seat "THIS PLACE ! WE CAME BACK TO THIS PLACE OH YAY!" and was so excited, she instantly knew what we were here today, even if she didn't know the word FAIR.

Another big change for us is that Miles is in the MIDDLE of potty training. In the middle in terms of, is not really potty trained but is working on it. But not enough for us to be comfortable in public in underpants, so we put him in a pull up. By nightfall we realized, we're being jerks about this and we are going to have to go to the next step as he was HATING the pull up.

He rode some different big boy rides this time with Louis, and while he had his moments of being the unruly kid he can be, his biggest frustration was the pullup. So we're going to figure out how to do this, knowing we're going to have accidents. Potty training with a kid you can't have conversations with is a challenge.

The food was just OK this year. Louis got a hotdog made of alligator, I guess that's exotic (ok really eating alligator down here really isn't exotic) but it was different. The food wasn't bad, it was just "eh".  My BBQ wasn't from the same big award winning BBQ trailer as last year and it showed. It wasn't bad, just kind of super average. I guess if you never had BBQ you'd think it was good maybe?

One of the biggest events at the fair, a milestone crossed, I don't have a picture of, and that was Charlie riding his FIRST big boy ride. Charlie isn't a HUGE fan of rides, and has been left out more than a bit the last couple of years. Too big for the baby rides (which he likes) and too immature for the big ones plus he doesn't like many of them - Charlie isn't a thrill seeker - it's been frustrating/sad as a parent seeing him standing at the side watching his siblings ride, even when it's a ride he won't like.

We took him on the boat which he liked, and that wasn't new. But what we did take him on that he went nuts and LOVED was the big Bavarian Curve thing. Blasting music, DJ barking nonsense, and riding around at breakneck speed - who knew that Charlie would put his arms in the air and yell WHEEEEEE as it went? Well he did. He LOVED IT. Noted, Charlie LOVES the thing.

We decided that next year we are going to a different fair, as this one while nice, is lacking in the crazy DEEP FRIED FOODS ON STICKS we love so much. I want to eat your crazy thing deep fried on a stick. BRING ME YOUR WEIRD FOODS, I will eat them on a stick with glee. It's more traditional and while nice, maybe good to rotate in every couple of years for variety, it's just not as wacky as we're looking for. Plus it lacks all the 4H competition stuff and we like that stuff.

It does have a nice animal interaction area. We were glad Miles enjoyed the goats, lately he has some animal fears, and he went right up to the goat and pet it - he seemed to like it a lot. However, the bunnies were RIGHT OUT as were the chickens. That's ok, the goat was a victory in that regard.

I have not gotten a candy apple in years, because I thought my teeth wouldn't like it - they aren't as good as they should be. But I've got two new crowns and decided to put them to the test. Oh man, it was as good as I remembered. Louis shared with me and he apparently had never had one or didn't remember the crunch cinnamon apple awesome of them. It was delicious.

So the fair had milestones, Miles just needs to wear underpants, and Charlie has ventured into big boy rides. And unicorns will be yours, if you tell the universe that Daddy is going to win one.

As we drifted off to sleep, she put the unicorn on the table beside her and said "I'm going to have magical dreams because the unicorn is next to me."

I bet she did.
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Switching Places

We went to the fair this past weekend, and I had this moment of transition with my oldest son that was so comforting, so telling of who he is, that I've been brooding over it for days now.

We traditionally ride the Himalaya which is also call the Nordic Bobsled or many other names just depends on what your carnies have named it I guess.

It looks something like this.

Carnies blast 80s hair bands or rap or something, and the ride goes forward and there are sirens and then it goes backwards and there are more sirens. Sometimes there are lights. It's fun, I don't know why. It's one of the first "big boy"rides I ever talked him into getting on though, so it's kind of a tradition.

When we ride it, we look exactly like this.

That's actually us on it this weekend. We kind of love it. We laugh and howl and cheer and try to raise our arms, and for about two minutes, I'm not riding with my son but with my best friend. And we're having the best time in the world. We can't stop laughing, both at each other and ourselves.

But after we rode that, I talked him into riding the ENTERPRISE which is a totally different animal. It goes upside down. He does NOT care for that.

I was so excited he agreed to ride it with me, that I nearly sang along with PORN STAR DANCING while in line, but I thought hmmm, my 11 year old might not much care for that. But I WANTED TO TO.

This thing happened though, when they opened up the line to let us board. 

He took my hand.

I'd left my glasses with his dad and the little ones, and am blind as a bat without them. His hand isn't the little one I used to hold, sometimes forcibly YOU WILL HOLD MY HAND YOUNG MAN - no, it's the size of mine. He took my hand and led me along, naturally and carefully. When the ride was over, he again took my hand led me off, whispering "Just follow me Mom, I've got you."

He then talked me into riding a ride HE likes, one that spins and flops. He again took my hand, carefully led me up the steps, and onto the ride and got me buckled in. I felt helpless, like this old lady whose son was caring for her. I also felt safe. It was the best foreshadowing I've ever felt. 

As the ride started he cackled "We call this ride REVENGE HAHAAHAHAAHAH" and as I focused on not throwing up I still laughed because we were definitely even for me talking him into the Enterprise. 

He's amazing. And he's only 11.

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Switching Places

We went to the fair this past weekend, and I had this moment of transition with my oldest son that was so comforting, so telling of who he is, that I've been brooding over it for days now.

We traditionally ride the Himalaya which is also call the Nordic Bobsled or many other names just depends on what your carnies have named it I guess.

It looks something like this.

Carnies blast 80s hair bands or rap or something, and the ride goes forward and there are sirens and then it goes backwards and there are more sirens. Sometimes there are lights. It's fun, I don't know why. It's one of the first "big boy"rides I ever talked him into getting on though, so it's kind of a tradition.

When we ride it, we look exactly like this.

That's actually us on it this weekend. We kind of love it. We laugh and howl and cheer and try to raise our arms, and for about two minutes, I'm not riding with my son but with my best friend. And we're having the best time in the world. We can't stop laughing, both at each other and ourselves.

But after we rode that, I talked him into riding the ENTERPRISE which is a totally different animal. It goes upside down. He does NOT care for that.

I was so excited he agreed to ride it with me, that I nearly sang along with PORN STAR DANCING while in line, but I thought hmmm, my 11 year old might not much care for that. But I WANTED TO TO.

This thing happened though, when they opened up the line to let us board. 

He took my hand.

I'd left my glasses with his dad and the little ones, and am blind as a bat without them. His hand isn't the little one I used to hold, sometimes forcibly YOU WILL HOLD MY HAND YOUNG MAN - no, it's the size of mine. He took my hand and led me along, naturally and carefully. When the ride was over, he again took my hand led me off, whispering "Just follow me Mom, I've got you."

He then talked me into riding a ride HE likes, one that spins and flops. He again took my hand, carefully led me up the steps, and onto the ride and got me buckled in. I felt helpless, like this old lady whose son was caring for her. I also felt safe. It was the best foreshadowing I've ever felt. 

As the ride started he cackled "We call this ride REVENGE HAHAAHAHAAHAH" and as I focused on not throwing up I still laughed because we were definitely even for me talking him into the Enterprise. 

He's amazing. And he's only 11.

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