When Winning is Actually Losing

Yesterday my friend Jill and I took our kids to the North Carolina State Fair. This is one of those things I say I don't like, but then really kind of do. I'll tell you - parking is a pain, the crowd leaves a lot to be desired (putting in mildly). And really, it costs a lot of money to go there and have any fun.

But, there are also things I do like about it. For one, it brings back lots of memories for me. My dad used to always take me to the fair in Greensboro when I was little. (I need to talk to my mom about how she finagled her way out of that event most years). But really, it was tons of fun. I got to eat lots of bad food and ride tons of rides. So, I kind of want my kids to have those same memories.

Anyway. We headed out there yesterday and got parked. What luck we had, because just as we were about to trek from the lot to the fairgrounds, a rickshaw came along! We decided it was worth the $5 to ride the six of us over there. How that poor boy on the bike pulled two grown women and 4 kids is beyond me. Great quad workout, though.

So, here are the kids enjoying the sugar high that can only come from cotton candy. The younger two were more cooperative than the older two.

They also loved the rides. What a long way Davis has come. In February, when we went to Disney World, he didn't want to go on many rides. He was too scared. Plus, he was too short for a lot of them. Now, 6 months later, he was willing to go on everything and everything. And, it seems that at the Fair, they don't really care if you don't actually meet the posted "height requirement."

And, the highlight of the evening? The kids played one of the midway games. This one involved trying to throw a ping pong ball into a small fish bowl. Neither of my kids won, but the game lady took pity on them and "awarded" them a goldfish anyway.

Friends, allow me to introduce our newest family member, Sydney Bruce:

Not only did we "win" the fish, but Mommy got to to out and purchase $30 worth of fish supplies today. Winner!! And we'll win again when Sydney Bruce goes belly up one day and Mommy gets to explain all about meeting Jesus. 

The silver lining of the night came in the form of deep fried Reeses Cups. The kids aren't even aware that we had them - Jill and I ate them all by ourselves. I'll be honest, though. They were super tasty, but maybe not quite as good as the deep fried Oreos I had last year. 

Seems that the carnie life suits me just fine, doesn't it?