Miriam and Mom day 2011

There will be no photos for this post because one of my children deleted all the photos on the camera when they borrowed it.  One of the joys of parenthood!

Miriam has been begging for her special day for months.  We'd had to reschedule it when Isaac broke his arm and that did NOT go over well!  It was finally time for the big day this week.  I had a long day planned so I woke her up early (not her favorite thing) and we set off.  We were heading to the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe about 40 minutes away.  About 30 minutes into the drive, she started complaining about the length of our travel.  I told her it'd be worth it.  We pulled into the parking lot and she saw the rides and exclaimed, "You're taking me to a fair?  Yes!" 

We got there right as it was opening and after stopping for some kettle corn we headed to the animal exhibits.  There was a sheep judging going on and she wanted to stop and watch.  After about 20 minutes, I was more than done but she found the sheep fascinating.  I was finally able to convince her to move on and we went to watch the small pigs at the pig race.  She thoroughly enjoyed the race.  After the pigs, we headed back for more sheep judging, her choice. 

After another 20 minutes, I convinced her that the rides were really fun and we headed off.  My plan was to just watch her and smile and wave as she came by but she really wanted me to ride with her.  I told her I couldn't because I didn't have a wrist band.  She told me she saw other grown ups with wrist bands.  I finally caved in and she was so pleased.  Her favorite rides were the walk through kind like the house of mirrors.  She also enjoyed the roller coaster (but only the first time).  Then we spun ourselves sick and silly on several spinning rides.  We took a break from the rides to see the animals again.  I was able to get her to do a quick walk through the chickens, rabbits, and dogs (really quick, like no stopping) before we ended up back at the star of the fair, the sheep judging.  Once our stomachs settled, it was back to the rides.  We took a ride on the ferris wheel and it wasn't until we were stopped at the top, swaying in the breeze that I remembered that I really hate ferris wheels, like hate them more than anything.  Spin me around upside down and sideways and I'm fine but don't sit me in a rickety open car and slowly rotate me way up into the sky.  Then back to the sheep for our fourth viewing of sheep judging.  I don't know what it was about the sheep she liked, but she REALLY liked them!

It was really nice just having one child at the fair.  When she needed to use the bathroom, there wasn't all the logistics of , "Ok, well I'll take the kids to that ride and meet you there when you're done in the bathroom."  There wasn't moaning and groaning from the other kids that the fun was being interupted again.  We could do just what Miriam wanted (sheep judging) without a lot of complaining (I kept my grumbling to myself!)  It was so much cheaper.  It felt so cheap to only have one child to treat that I even paid for her to go on the trampolines with bungy cords.  She loved it and felt like she was flying.

We walked through the "Didn't you know you wanted this?" part of the fair and I bought a car track that the kids have had a lot of fun with.  I overheard another parent say to her friend, "I bought that last year and my kids have really loved it!"  Hopefully she wasn't a plant because she sold me on the product.  (The kids have ended up having a lot of fun with it.)  I also was finally swayed by the "Let us put the stars on your ceiling booth."  I've been going to the fair for years and always visit their booth with their small room with stars in it.  I've wanted it for years, for my own room.  But, when it comes down to it, I bought it for the girls.  Our final stop was the horse area where we watched some fancy horses and riders for a while.  Then, it was time to head for home.  She didn't make it far before she was fast asleep.  Our visit to the fair was a success even though I didn't even get to step into my favorite areas, the sewing, photography, flowers and canning displays.