"The first half of life consists of the capacity to enjoy without the chance; the last half of life consists of the chance without the capacity."-Mark Twain.
It was Cub Scout Day again. If we got there at 11:30 and entered at the green gate, we could get in free and join in the parade that circled the fairgrounds. The parade part was bearable, the getting seven people in for free (my sister, Emily, went with us) was outstanding! The month and a half leading up to this day were rain free. That's a drought by Washington standards! We woke up to.....rain. It was warm though...humid, sticky, sweaty warm, but warm. That meant all hopes for a good hair day went out the window and I resolved to wear a hat.Earthquake Burgers, Elephant Ears, Krusty Pups, Curly Fries, free Seattle's Best Fudge samples, and fresh ice cold chocolate milk....that's right, it was Western Washington Fair (Puyallup Fair to those who can pronounce it) time again. I didn't take the kids last year because the day the Cub Scouts could get in free it was raining sideways. But this year, rain or shine, I intended on enjoying myself and letting my children soak in the glory of fall pleasures.
The plan to be at the green gate by 11:30 was becoming unattainable because, as usual, we were running on Stewart time. But if we at least got there by noon we would make it in the parade, the boys would earn their parade patch, and we'd get in for free.
As we approached anywhere within three miles of the fair, we began to realize we'd be walking quite a ways to get to the green gate...this on account of the fact that I refused to pay $12-$20 to park my van. For heavens sake, that would buy us at least a ride for two of the boys! So we searched and searched...until at last! We squeezed into a free spot along the road....two miles away. Did I mention we were on a strict time schedule and a third of our group needed to be carried on account of their little legs?
We..... were...... RUNNING!!
 |
| They still have these! I remember wanting one so bad when I was young, (very happy, now, that I never got one). |
Cecelia bounced in the child carrier on Emily's back, Isabelle was shifted from side to side as I attempted to carry her as well as my heavily burdened backpack, and the boys raced ahead. We ran, and jogged, and walked fast, and panted and ran some more. For some reason this was comical to many people as they kindly chuckled when we passed them by. 11:55.., 11:57..., 12:00...finally at 12:06 we burst through the entry to the green gate. We glistened with sweat, and were drenched by the moistened air, but we were in....for free. However, we missed the parade (secret smile). Off went the hat, forget about the hair!
Shortly after celebrating the fact that at least we got in, we happened upon my other sister, brother-in-law, and their seven children. In an exciting turn of events my oldest, Samuel, got to explore the fair with two of his cousins...with no adults! This was a monumental moment for both him and I. The look on his face with the mere thought of getting to experience actual 'big kid' freedom for the first time was priceless. I clearly remember the days when this was a big deal to me, and now he is old enough (although, in my mind he still needs me to hold his hand so he won't get 'kidsnatched'). So, having given him enough money for two rides, I sent him on his merry way trusting that his Guardian Angel would do a fine job of watching over him while I was not around.
After rides, we walked around looking at the farm animals, the agricultural exhibits, the photography display (that part was painstaking for the kids though), and at last...the recently pulled taffy and free samples of freshly made fudge. My favorite; cinamon taffy and peanut butter fudge. Okay, so I actually sampled three, four, maybe five different flavors of fudge. That was embarrasing enough, try doing that with four kids! Those wonderful women didn't seem to mind at all that they ended up handing out at least twenty-five separately severed bite sized bits of heaven to six watering mouths.
The excitement of being a child at the fair returned to me. Not in and of myself, but through the eyes and laughter of my children. The food tasted better than ever, possibly due to the fact that we purchased only one each of the treats we all wanted and split it six ways, it worked out to a mere sampling of this and that. Perfect!
Before we left we watched tiny tots riding racing mutton, we danced to Vocal Trash as they sang and played fabulous music played on garbage can lids and empty five gallon buckets, and we laughed til we cried as Emily, in a hypnotized state walked acrossed the stage to retrieve her fallen derierre. Nine hours later, we were ready to go.
"Why would you take five young kids to a crowded, overpriced fair?" one is bound to inquire. Well, my answer is this: If I went to the fair without them, I wouldn't be tempted to stop and watch every curious look from the baby goats, I probably wouldn't be moved to pet the silky bunnies, or watch the magician juggling fire while standing on a slack rope, or dance to the lively music played by street musicians on their trashcans. I most likely wouldn't have talked to as many new people as I did or stopped to appreciate the talent of Lego builders. My life is full of brighter colors, livelier music, and more laughter because I bring them everywhere. It's not always easy, (like the time I lost three of them at the 4th of July celebration at Joint Bast Lewis Mchord), but its always worth it.
A million thanks to "Auntie Em", who is like my much stronger, more energetic 3rd and 4th arms and eyes. I love you, and so do the kids.
What Else We Saw
 |
| Isabelle inspecting the mums. |
 |
| Guess what my boys were doing the next day? |
 |
| The lines were worth it. The burgers couldn't be beat! |
 |
| Cecelia's "Indicator" worked great for keeping track of her and giving her a little freedom to roam. |
 |
| Love these guys! |
