State Fair

I'm not sure if the Alaska State Fair is vastly different than the Colorado State Fair or if it's just that age and memory put those places into a different context for me that makes it SEEM as if they are different.

My memories seem almost magical as my friends and I wandered around the fair for hours exploring every exhibit and booth until finally caving into our base desires and surrendering to the lure of the carnival rides and games.

Perhaps it's as a parent of small children where that magic dissipates some what.

Saturday on a spur of the moment we decided to go to the Colorado State Fair. Kylie was with Brian that day so it was just Lizzie and Will.

Best money spent ever was $25 for the ride wristband.

I wish I could tell you that we looked at the exhibits and booths, which is a huge part of what I remember from my state fair experiences, but we really didn't. We looked at some rabbits and chickens and then a 4H exhibit and after that spent the majority of the day with Lizzie (and occasionally myself) riding the rides.

Will spent the majority of his day in his stroller but was still wiped out.

And I'm not sure if I've just gotten used to the heat (unlikely) or if the temperature was just perfect for and afternoon/evening at the state fair.

What you don't see here is the EPIC struggle Will and I participated in over that cut of Strawberry Lemonade. He won but just barely.




It took two rides on this particular ride before she could let go enough and put her arms up in the air but once she did the joy she felt was amazing.

Will was exhausted after the cup wrestling earlier.

This was far and away Lizzie's favorite ride and of course it was the ride I had to go on with her because she's so tiny. When first seated she can barely see over the safety cage. After the twirling of the ride she definitely can't see over it.

We rode this three times she loved it so much.

The first time it started moving she looked at me and said "I'm scared." I told her I had her, it was okay and asked if she could feel the butterflies in her stomach. I reached over and held on to her legs for the rest of the ride so she didn't fly all over the seat during the ride and she had a blast.

By the third time on the ride she demanded I not hold on to her and also was the first person in our car, nay, the whole ride, to throw her arms up in the air and scream for joy.

Perhaps the State Fair isn't magical to me anymore. But it certainly was magical to my children.


And that's pretty magical to me.