So what if there is roughly a month and a half of summer left?
As usual, Kenz and Cash had a blast at the fair.
This year we met up with my friend Lance and his son, Levi.
Boy did Levi and Cash hit it off. After we finished checking out the 4H exhibits, we headed over the rides. After Levi and Cash took a ride on the small roller coaster, we suggested that they go for a ride on the swing. It was at that moment that the two grabbed hands and began running together toward it.
I missed the photo op as I had grabbed Lance's hand and tried to run with him over to the ride too. But he wasn't quite as eager. At least Kristie got a chuckle out of it!
Kenz found the calves on display that she got to see when the kindergarten class took a trip out to a farm this spring.
They both liked the cows, but their favorites by far were the sheep and goats. Boy, would Grandpa Tex have loved that!!
The kids had an absolute blast on the rides. Cash's favorite last year, the Lego Indiana Jones obstacle course was out of the question this year. Last year he spent 45 minutes going through it. This year, however, the height requirements were so strict I hardly saw a kid go on it. You could only enter if you between 42 to 46 inches. And that carnie was a size Nazi too.
But Cash, Kenz, and Levi did have a blast running through the fun house. I even was dragged along for the initial run through.
Unfortunately, Mr. Skjerven, with whom I used to coach, was watching the whole time and documented the adventure.
(Two things to note here: how fast Kenzie is tearing off heading back into the fun house and my fists, which are clenched going down the slide).
I was just happy to be done.
The fair was a lot of fun and the weather was beautiful. Kristie even conned me into taking a ride of the dreaded Super Shot, which slowly (and I mean dreadfully slowly) takes you up three stories or so and then hovers there for a split second before dropping down two and a half stories before gently stopping.
I didn't mind the drop. It was the slow ascent to the top that was the worst.
The rides were a hit for the kids and the games were fun too. This fair didn't have carnies barking at us to get us to play their games. In fact, when we saw the dart game, we happened to run into the nicest carnie in the world.
We paid for Levi, Kenz, and Cash to get 7 darts. The more balloons they popped, the bigger the prize the received.
Levi did great popping 5 of 7. Kenz was a machine, hitting 6 out of 7, Cash struggled a bit and wasn't able to pop a single balloon. However, while the carnie watched Levi and Kenz and gave them their prizes, he saw how much Cash was eyeing a blue Scooby Doo stuffed animal. So while Cash was trying to pop the balloons, the carnie disappeared. After Cash was done - and I was dreading the scene that would occur where he didn't get any prizes after Levi and Kenz had theirs - here came the carnie with a blue Scooby just for Cash.
"I saw you eyeing this guy up and knew you wanted him," he said handing him to Cash. "But I was out of them so I had to run all the way down to another game and grab one for you."
Then he shook my hand and told us to enjoy the fair and then he thanked us!
What service! Now don't tell me this guy couldn't find employment in a nano-second at any of our service industries in town!
That moment was the best part about the fair! He didn't have to do it. Lord knows when I was at the fair as a kid, I didn't get any free prizes (I recall having my heart set on a Pyromania mirror, but you had to pop three balloons - with five darts - and I could only manage 2. I was heartbroken. Though in school that fall I was able to pull off a trade, giving away a Ninja throwing star and a buck knife, for an Iron Maiden Number of the Beast mirror. It wasn't Pyromania, but it was better than nothing!). So that carnie left Cash with a wonderful memory and souvenir from the fair, and he made a little boy's great dray that much better.
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