A Fair Splurge

It's funny - in the 5 years that we have lived here, my poor children have been the "onnnnnly kids who aren't going to the faaaaaaaaair". Only - I'm sure. Partly because their mommy is so cheap, and partly because their daddy is a tad bit obsessive compulsive about cleanliness and can't stand the thought of our children holding fast to handlebars which have been touched by at least a million and two children before them, all actively wiping their noses with their palms. All in the midst of cold and flu season . I just try not to think about it. ( I am definitely a 5 second mom, "go ahead and eat your sucker sweetie, you only got a couple bits of dirt on it when you dropped it. Just flick 'em off.")

So this year, as one of our best friends unfortunately hurt her back - we inherited her family's tickets to not only the fair but also the Toby Mac concert. Sweeeeeet.

And may I say, we......had.......a.......blast!! We, as in me and the kids. Tony was still a little put off by the entire fair atmosphere. I think it's a childhood phobia or something.

The kids helped pay for their ride-every-available-ride 16 times bracelets with money their Nana and Papaw had given them and we commenced to see how many rides we could conquer. They had so much fun. And were soooooo sweet with little Addison. Taking her along by the hand, helping her to get in the rides, making sure they were seated together vs. with strangers. They cracked me up. I am really still baffled how all 3 made it home without swallowing some sort of insect with all the screaming, shrieking, and smiling going on at, at least, oh, 1.5 miles an hour. Unfortunately, (but probably fortunately), I was the one to go head to head with an insect as I laid my arm down on the stroller handle and squashed a yellow jacket. Poor little thing never saw me coming. I thought bees were all dead by this time of year!

Toby Mac was awesome - and Addison had so much fun waving her hands in the air and yelling "woopsa-daisy, woopsa-daisy" along in beat with the crowd.

However, after about 20 minutes of holding a gyrating toddler up in the air with a swelled and throbbing arm, I was ready to go. So Tony and I switched off with him going to take a tired and cranky Addison home and me staying behind to make sure the boys got their $23 dollars worth of rides out. ($23, seriously?? Does it cost that much to hire your workers at minimum wage?) I have to say though, watching their expressions when they got off the "Spaceship 4000" (reminder: spinning spaceship where gravity staples you to the side until the floor floats out from under you) = Priceless. Totally worth the 365 dollars we probably spent on funnel cake and caramel apples. Cause mommy couldn't splurge on tickets that weren't free, but funnel cake - now that's a completely justifiable expense!