A Trip To The State Fair

So ~ for the record I HATE FAIRS! I know that is terribly negative, but it's the truth. They are dirty, creepy people work there, and I think it is the biggest rip-off! We have not gone to a fair since the kids were born. Often times when the fair comes to town we are able to avoid any talk about it ~ the kids don't even know it is here. This year we were not so lucky. It is getting harder and harder to pull a fast one on my kids ~ they are just too smart and too aware of life around them now. Every day they had a way to make us feel like the worst parents ever because they had never been to the fair.

In July I had received an email from the state (we get these all the time as foster parents) telling us that we can get free tickets to the state fair we just needed to email them how many we needed. I talked it over with John and we felt this may be a way to win our "cool" parenting status back.

My brother Jason and his girlfriend Erin were coming down from Portland the day we planned on going and we were able to talk them into going with us. Then Jason talked my Mom, Roger and Zachary into joining us as well. None of us had ever been to a state fair before. It wasn't too bad. We had eaten at home before we left (it is in Salem which is about an hour away) because we didn't want to spend too much money on the extremely overpriced fair food. It did get pretty hot that day, and by the end of the day we were spent!! Here are a bunch of pictures to capture bits and pieces of the day ~

Here we are in the beginning ~ we started out strong.... the plan was to take a pic at the end of the day to show how ragged we had become, but we didn't have the energy! By the end we were very hot and sweaty, tired and cranky and all three kids had basically fallen apart. Gotta love the fair!

We met up with Uncle Jason and Auntie Erin (Melissa's brother and girlfriend) after getting there.

Trying to get a picture of the three kids ~ surprise ~ Uncle Jason must be one of the kids!

Cheese!!


Some of my most favorite boys!

f you look at the religious booth behind Zack you will see that it is asking "Are you going to Heaven?" We asked Zack that question as he stumbled upon his next task on the path to becoming a man...

Behold ~ The quest to conquer the motorized bull **Spoiler** It doesn't end well for Zack!

This was right before he was flung off of the bull. He didn't stay on the ground long enough for me to get the picture ~ too many chicks around and he had to keep up his image.

Trin was on cloud nine at all of the animal exhibits. Every cage we came to was "oh mama, I think we should get a ________." Fill in the blank with bunny, chickens, goat, pig, cow, etc.

This picture cracks me up ~ the look on Hunter's face and then the goat with his snaggle tooth. A match made in heaven!

Then starts the rides...

Ready...

Set...

Go.... yes my children are upside down. My mother was freaking out ~ here was our conversation:

Mom ~ Melissa, do not let you children go on a ride that will take them upside down.

Melissa ~ Mom, I don't care what rides they go on, they meet the height restriction so it will be fine.

Mom ~ That doesn't mean anything, look Jazzy, maybe you should go on that one. (points to the spider/octopus ride)

Jazzy ~ Grandma, come on, that ride is boring.

Mom ~ I would prefer your bodies to stay upright that's all ~ upside down rides break down you know.

Jazzy ~ Will they crash? (her voice full of sarcasm)

Mom ~ Maybe...

Jazzy ~ I love you grandma (laughing and waving as she runs over and gets on the ride.

Melissa ~ Looks like she didn't fall for your bad attempts at scaring her out of it.

Mom ~ Well, this is only their first ride, I will get them on the next one.

Did it work for the next ride???

Ummm.....

Negative ~ You can only see the heads of Hunter and Zack ~ they were spinning around too fast.

Trin informed us that she was big enough to go on the rides by herself. Grandma Lynn was more comfortable with these rides :)

I think this was Trin's favorite part of the whole fair experience ~ measuring herself. She would do this several times at each ride "just checkin mama."

Daddy and Jazzy on the scrambler ~ of course metal was flashed.

Uncle Jason, Auntie Erin and Hunter

The day ended with a walk through the miles and miles of infomercials (fair booths) and a very cranky walk back to the car. We came, we saw, and we conquered. We have won back our cool parent status! Maybe next year we will go camping during fair week! :)