The One About the State Fair

     We took Gavin to the state fair today.  I have never been to the state fair before.  In fact, I have only been to the Holt County Fair maybe a few times.  My family just wasn't a "fair" family.  We weren't involved in 4-H.  I don't care for farm animals.  I really didn't even know what "showing a cow" all involved until my cousin Matthew invited us over to watch him in Chambers this year.  Despite this, I will admit that I had fun today in Grand Island.  I didn't take my camera, so I will forewarn you that there are no pictures in this post. 
     The ride down was interesting.  Let's just say that Gavin attempted to stick an entire string cheese stick in his mouth and the result was not pretty.  20 minutes along the side of the road cleaning up, and we were finally back on route to Grand Island.  We got to Grand Island around noon, and decided to get something to eat at the fair rather than grabbing something before we got on the shuttle.  I told Ernie I wanted the full state fair experience.  Big mistake.  Not only did we spend way too much money, but I am still wanting to vomit thinking about the deep fat fried frenchee on my plate.  (Wow..2 paragraphs in and I have already made two references to throwing up...can you tell I have kids?)  I didn't even go near the funnel cake booths.  Just the site of those make me want to puke (3 times!). 
     The carnival taught me some things about myself and Gavin.  First, I have become a big chicken in my "old" age.  I didn't use to be afraid of heights or rides.  I remember climbing to the top of a silo at my friend Cindy's grandpa's farm.  I remember riding on rollercoasters at Worlds of Fun.  However, when Gavin wanted to go on the kiddie rollercoaster, I went into panic mode.  He wasn't yet tall enough to go alone, so someone had to go with him.  I wasn't going to make Ernie squeeze into those little cars and I didn't think it was appropriate to pay a random stranger to ride the rollercoaster with my child, so it was either break his heart and tell him "No" or suck it up and ride.  Being a mother means putting your children before yourself, so I climbed on into the car.  It was 5-minutes of torture.  I just don't trust rollercoasters.  Probably because it is very possible that the cars will come off the track and we will fall to our deaths.  Gavin loved it though.  When we would get close to the downhill portion, I would look over and see the huge smile on his face.  Luckily, he spotted the bumper cars on the way to the ferris wheel.  Bumper cars, I can handle.  The ferris wheel would have seriously given me a full-blown panic attack. 
     There were also many rides that Gavin was tall enough to ride alone.  That hurt me worse than the rollercoaster experience.  I guess I have been having a hard time lately, because I know that 4th birthday is just around the corner.  All Gavin's birthdays are hard on me, but this one just seems especially difficult to face.  4 years old means no more toddler.  4 years old is kid-age.  Gavin will be a kid.  I'm not ready, but I know there is nothing I can do to stop it.  I have told Gavin that he can't have anymore birthdays.  He has assured me that he will pretend to be 3 even after he turns 4.  :)  Just watching him today riding those carnival rides without a parent sitting beside him made me realize how fast he is changing and growing up.  He just jumped in the rides, pulled the bar toward him, and sat there waiting to go.  I stood by the side fighting back tears.  As I stood there, I thought about a quote I know...it's actually the quote that I put on the top of my blog when I started it. 

You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back.
~William D. Tammeus

     As Gavin rode the rides, he would smile and wave at Ernie and me every time he went by.  We always waved back.  Each and every time.  I looked around, and saw many parents doing the exact same thing.  It was just one of those moments in life when you stop running on auto-pilot and actually look around to really observe the world and what is happening around you.  Then you stop and say, "This is what life is all about." 
    Okay, now time for some complaining.  At the carnival, there was a dunk tank.  On the board was this annoying man with a microphone, yelling at people to come throw the balls to dunk him.  I know that he was trying to lure people to his game.  However, this man was downright abusive.  We were standing nearby and I heard him yell at this overweight kid in a football jersey.  "Hey, Number 52.  Is that your number or your waist size?"  Then the man yells. "Member of the chubby club, are we?"  I was just furious.  Then he starts to pick on this little Hispanic kid.  He yells, "Hey Paco.  Paco, Paco, Paco!!"  He also made fun of another boy's large ears, saying that he better be careful or he will fly away in the wind.  I was seriously this close to paying the ridiculously high price for the balls to just dunk this guy.  I mean, there is a big difference between joking with someone and just being plain mean. 
    I think we will make the state fair an annual trip, but I am really glad that it is only once a year because I don't think we can afford it.  We spent a lot of money in a short period of time.  I mean, come on...$6 for a lemonade.  One of the carnival workers told me that this one airplane ride makes $22,000/day.  CRAZY!  I think Ernie and I are going to quit our jobs and join the carnival.  Then I won't have to wash my hair for weeks on end, as I noticed many of the carnival workers had not.  :)