A fair is a varitable smorgasbord

Last Friday we went to the county fair.  Brian had to work a booth and so I was on my own getting the kids there and back, etc.  So even though I liked fairs when I was young, it's just not that appealing these days.  But, alas, I sacrificed for the children.  Was it appreciated?  I would say yes, at least until the end when they were all tired and "shaking" (according to Genna) from riding a way too scary ride.  I had my hands full and only had my Tab to take pictures with which resulted in very few pictures.

The girls!

Drew was a champ!  He stayed in his stroller the whole time.  He loves to watch all the action.

When we arrived, it was dinner time and we met my uncle at the  Farmer's Triangle to eat before the auction.  My uncle buys a steer every year at the auction.  Then he took Isaac to sit on some "big green tractors."

My uncle said he was "proud as a peacock."  :)

Then we had ice cream and pet some baby calves in the birthing center.  Some friends of ours were with us.  Genevieve and their 6 year old daughter were in love and asking to keep one as a pet.  Then there was horseback riding, if you can even count riding in a tiny circle on ponies as horseback riding.  My kids did not ride since they get to ride horses enough without paying $5 a pop.  Then the boys got to shoot corks out of guns.  Mr. B helped Isaac and he shot a can and won a ball.

Then the girls were dying to win a fish.  Everyone lined up and between the 7 kids old enough to play, we all won 4 fish.  Hannah won two of those and has graciously agreed to share one with Genna.  We now are working on a menagerie with the fish and the girls' pet ladybug.

Hannah named her fish Radish, and Genna named her fish Shimmer.  Love it!

The fish were kind of big, so we have since switched Genna's fish into the big tank with Hannah's.  Radish and Shimmer are inseparable now.

The last event before the melt down was the Pharaoh ship ride.  You know the type.  A giant boat that swings back and forth, higher and higher, until the people on the tip are about to be upside down.  Isaac, my fearful one, doesn't care for heights or rides, so he stayed with the moms and babies.  Turns out he wasn't tall enough anyway and the brave 4 year old was rejected when she got to the front of the line.  I thought the girls were having fun and everything was good, but I guess they didn't like it too much.  When they came up to me, Hannah's face was somber and she whispered, "I never want to do that again.  I need to talk to you in the car.  Can we go now?"  Genna started squirting tears out of her eyes the minute she got to me.  She said she was shaky and could barely stand up.  Did I mention it had started to rain big drops and Drew started crying right before they came back from the ride since it was past bedtime?  Time to go home!