My Many Mini Adventures of Motherhood: Fun at the fair

Ironically enough, Tripp and I built a house right next door to the house that I grew up in. I lived there 21 years until my parents built a house outside of town. So, no, they do not live next door. Anyway, our house now (and mine growing up) is only 1/2 mile from the local fair ground. When I was a kid, my brother and I would convince our parents to take us to the fair to ride the rides, look at the exhibits and eat high prices deep fried food and lose our loose teeth in a candy apple. Everyone in our town went to the fair when it came. Maybe it was an 80's and 90's thing to do but it was definitely the place not to miss as a child. My poor Mom hated it when the air got crisp and my brother and I started talking about the fair because that meant lots of money blown and the worst part of all "the rides"! She was always concerned about how well the rides were put together and until last night I didn't really understand the full extent of her reluctance. Last night we had the great adventure of taking Emerson to the local fair. It is a very small fair but they have several kid rides. She rode almost all of them. She passed by the "boy ride" which was supposed to look like old fighter planes with fake guns. And her Daddy made her pass by the massive slide that he thought might take us on our 1st trip to the ER. However, she did try out 2 rides that went up into the air, little boats and a mini roller coaster, all of which she was thrilled to be on! And now I understand why my Mom hated when the fair came to town and why my Dad was the one who usually took us! It is a little terrifying to watch your baby flying up into the air on a bumble bee ride where only 1/2 the lights work. My heart sank as I watched her zoom 20 feet into the air all alone but then I looked at her smile and my heart went back to its original position. Thankfully all was well and we truly had a great time. My how times have changed though. There was hardly anyone there and there were no exhibits of farm animals, paintings and homemade crafts. Despite the changes in the last 20 years, the fun was still the same. I recognized that thrill and pure joy on Emerson's face as she defied gravity in a dragon and a bumble bee, held on to a caterpillar as it looped around the track and drove a little shiny boat as it bobbed up and down. Her imagination took her flying in the clouds, slinking through the tall grass and riding on the high waves of the sea last night. And the joy I felt as I watched her experience that is indescribable.

Her first fair ride!