County Fair

Going to the fair is something I literally look forward to all year long, and today--finally--the day was here for us to go! It was youth day so the kids were free, and it was Jeff's day off=two reasons that we always go on Wednesday. It was such a good day...just wonderful. I'm so happy. :)

One of the things I most enjoyed this year was having time to walk through all the exhibits and really look at things. Jeff and Josiah and David all had armbands to go on the rides as often as they liked; and of course, that was a highlight for the boys. Fortunately for all of us, I was able to watch them ride a little while, then take Tobin and go off to do my own thing. I know looking at all the exhibits isn't the most exciting thing in the world for 6 year-olds and 3 year-olds so I try to be sensitive to that and not prolong the "agony" for them. :) Oh, but it's not agony for me!

Tobin did so well today! He was happy to be wheeled around, taking in the sights (and even falling asleep for a short nap). It was a huge blessing that he was so content; if not for that, we probably would not have stayed at the fair nearly as long as we did.

Every year I think, "Next year I really want to enter some things in the fair," and the next year rolls around and I don't get around to entering anything. This is becoming a familiar pattern for me. But next year I REALLY want to enter something! :) And I want to help Josiah enter something, too. Can somebody remind me next summer? ;)

On to the (lots and lots and lots of) pictures!

I gave Tobin the piece of lemon from our fresh lemonade, and that entertained him for a while. He's at the very fun stage of being occupied by "normal" stuff as he holds and turns and chews and thoroughly examines whatever is placed in his hands!

~ "hmmm, what IS this?"
~ "let me inspect it from a different angle"
~ "oh, wait! they're taking a picture of me again...I'd better drop this weird yellow thing and put on my handsome face for the camera!"
~ the rides, the rides! highlight of the day for two members of our family :)
~ I think it was unanimous that the merry-go-round was the favorite ride...in fact, when it was time to go and we told the boys that they could choose one more ride to go on, they chose the carousel

~ I remember Josiah riding in this last year...now suddenly David is old enough to go in it, too...when did that happen?...I had lots of flashback moments today: "last year I remember sitting on this rock, sharing a snow cone with David while we waited for Jeff and Josiah to finish with the rides, and now David is going on the rides, too!"..."last year I remember indulging my pregnant appetite in a bloomin' onion, and now Tobin is born and here with us!"..."last year David was my little one that I pushed around in a stroller, and now he walks on his own and I push his baby brother!"
~ Jeff and the boys getting very dizzy on this spinning ride...Jeff was good at getting it to spin very quickly...it's probably a very good thing I didn't go on it because I'm not sure I could have handled it :)
~ there was one tree at the fairgrounds whose leaves had turned red already, with just a few green ones remaining...I thought it was so pretty

~ vegetables and fruit...so colorful
~ flowers...more color

~ I thought the head of this turkey was one of the ugliest things I've seen in a long time...if you know me well, you know that looking at certain things makes me feel kind of sick...it's some kind of strange neurological condition, I bet, but I've never met anyone else with it or anyone who can explain it :)...anyway, seeing this turkey head really bothers me...the bumps and unevenness...oh, isn't it terrible?...don't you just want to pick off those bumps and smooth it all out???
~ these are chickens...really, they are

~ one place that Tobin and I strolled while the others enjoyed the rides was through the livestock barn...these sheep were funny..."no, little lamb, that green frog of Tobin's is most definitely NOT green grass for you to eat!"
~ this one eyes the stroller curiously, then...
~ tries to eat it...Tobin is blissfully unaware of the whole proceedings and instead concentrates on practicing his synchronized thumb-sucking and toy-holding

~ these little ducks (well, different ducks every year, of course) are one of my absolutely favorite things about the fair...each time one marches up to the top of the hill, stretches out his neck as far as it can go to reach the food, then loses his footing and slips down the slide to splash into the water, it amuses me anew...Josiah and David like them, too :)
~ "what was that about synchronized thumb-sucking and toy-holding? I think I'll try that with a balloon string!"
~ "yep, that feels pretty good...I'll just ignore this noisy rooster behind me and focus on my grip"

~ one thing we HAD to do was get cotton candy, since Josiah had been looking forward to it for days...we all shared a bag, and part of it ended up on David's chin...he looks good in red (sticky, sugary goo), doesn't he? it matches his shirt!

~ during my wanderings, I came upon several old tractors...their lines and overall "character" demanded that I take a picture!

This concludes my pictorial record of 2008's county fair. Do you feel like you've been there? ;)