It’s fair season!  And not a moment too soon!  Lately we have been working like dogs on a ton of side projects and it has been stressful, wonderful and a little crazy.  In the past with this blog, I have always turned down opportunities….sometimes out of insecurities….sometimes out of sheer fear of adding anything to my plate…..sometimes just because I got in the habit of saying no.  But with Jeremy running the business side of things, he has slowly encouraged me to take on what I can, things I really want to try, and while my number one job is still taking care of the kiddos, my extra time gets eaten up with these side projects….some of which will never be shared publicly.  It can be small tasks like reviewing not-out-on-the-market-products for companies or big ones like a site redesign or even completely random things that sound too fun to say no to.  I’ve been staying up late.  Neglecting my mountains of laundry.  Falling asleep with a computer and eye makeup on.  It’s been a couple of months that felt like they flew by and I found myself wanting to hit a restart button.

Enter the county fair.  I was talking to a friend about it and came to realize that we agreed on one thing….the idea of the fair is SO FUN…but the actual fair isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be with really little ones.  It’s way overpriced and the kids end up crying because they are up way past their bedtime.  The food makes you feel a little bit queazy but it’s eaten with no abandon.  But for me…..for this moment….it was just what I needed.

I needed out of the house.  Family time.  My camera in hand.  A beautiful day.  And lots of Tums 🙂

We immediately recognized the fact that we were all together in a place filled with all things different was exciting.  This marked Max’s and LJ’s first real fair experience and even though Max was running a low-grade fever, we decided it would be the perfect distraction.  Ever since Max had a couple febrile seizures, we have been complete wrecks anytime ANY of the kids get even slightly warm….with four boys, that means we are on high alert pretty much every week.  So we monitored him all day, then finally decided to trust the Tylenol and we headed out. (and yes, I still had my ‘laser’ to check his temperature every 30 minutes! #bettersafethansorry)

We really have done very few family outings since going to Disney (which yes, I still have to share with you!).  I don’t know how exactly we missed vacation for the end of the summer….but it just went by so stinking fast!

Everybody tells me that the days are slow but the years are fast and this year seemed to go by in a blink.  It’s hard to get all serious when looking at a picture of turkey legs (which by the way were TERRIBLE this year.  completely flavorless.) but I feel like I need to get it off my chest and maybe you have some advice.  WHAT IS THAT THING CALLED BALANCE AND HOW DO I GET IT?

I mean…we have always been busy people.  Jeremy with his work.  Me with mine.  Both of us tag teaming the kids.  Figuring out the food situation.  Neglecting the cleaning situation.  Questioning the personal hygiene situation.  Wanting to serve others.  Needing to have personal time.  Building.  Photographing.  Editing.  Writing.  Apple juice.  Dirty diapers.  Missing trash day.  Forgetting shoes.  It feels like I have three hundred tabs open on my computer and half of them need my attention immediately and the other half have videos playing simultaneously.

It is a little overwhelming.

Also….cattle competitions for the best looking heifer.  Did not know that is what was happening here….but I actually paid attention this year 🙂

I just need a little more balance….because I know before long these three will not want to pose with the 4H poster thing and I will miss them.  So tips.  All the tips.  Give them to me friends.

And now let’s get back to the fair….

So one of the best things is the animals.  My kids are not exactly terrified but they aren’t shy either.  So it’s actually a really good thing to go to this area first because once we start the rides, it’s ALL ABOUT THE RIDES.

LJ of course loves the animals and squeals whenever he remotely gets close to one.  His favorite thing to say is “I DID IT!” and he repeated that anytime he touched anything….

I DID IT!!!  I DID IT!

Weston is a little more cautious around the animals.  In fact, he really surprised me that he was willing to try this time around.

Look at him with his bravery on!  So proud of him!

This animal section did cost $1 per person extra but we felt like it was well worth it because at the end, they got chocolate milk.  And as you may know….no drinks in the fair cost $1.  They cost $9.  Everything costs $9.

Baby goats!  All of them were boy goats except one and Will explained to the 4H girl that the goat family was just like our family 🙂

And then there was the mini corn bucket….

Why this is fun, I will never know…..but it is.  it really is.

And here is the only horse we have gotten Weston to ride so far 🙂  One day I am gonna get him on a real live breathing horse….and then I will take 1.8 million photos.  I don’t care if he’s 34 years old.  It’ll happen.

The very first ride we did was the merry go round.  Everyone was really excited….

but then we realized that this particular ride was from 1782 and sounded like it was going to explode.  The two little ones started crying.  I started laughing.  Weston hung on for dear life.

My sweet Munchkin was big enough for most of the kid rides and he LOVED the swings.  I know.  It looks like he was bored.  My kids like to do this…..become completely stoic on rides.  It’s a thing that we laugh about.

Oh and by accident we were in the right place at the right time and we got to check out the BMX ride show.  It was a Bower boy favorite!

Weston describing how the bikes went up and over and landed and went REALLY fast and high.

Of course the kids got hungry and for whatever reason, we did it all wrong.  We got the ranch fries….when we should have gotten the regular cheese fries.

I got one ear of corn when apparently ALL MY KIDS LOVE CORN.  Even Maxi was excited about it.

We probably should have gotten them all chicken-on-a-stick but we got a turkey leg that nobody liked.  And then the little ones fought over the corn dogs.  In the end, we all ate and on the way home we got them chicken nuggets.  I guess that is the way it rolls.  Sometimes you win….sometimes you throw $9 turkey legs in the trash.

Surprisingly one of the favorite things in the fair was this funny house that the kids walked through….even LJ did it and loved it….

And then also the beautiful girl with the body of a snake exhibit.  The boys are still trying to figure that one out 🙂

The little rides were perfect for these two dudes….

But for whatever reason, this guy didn’t like them at all.  I blame the Merry Go Round.  It may have scarred him for life.

Max started feeling adventurous after the corn on the cob but he still didn’t want off of me.  I was able to snag a few pictures and here he is hamming it up for the crowds 🙂

I saw an old acquaintance…..its funny where you run into people.  I hear he’s a real square now 🙂

And of course, we finished the night off with the treat of champions.  I gotta start making these at home.  They are just too good not to have weekly.

Overall – it was a really swinging good time.  I mean…of course there are things that went wrong and little craziness….but that is to be expected.  I think with four really little kids, you have to just do what you can when you can and chalk up the rest to ‘maybe next time’.  It’s not a failure if you are trying.  That’s what we are trying to teach our kids.  But sometimes we as parents need to remember that too.

And if there are no tears, there are probably no real adventures either.  I always say that the craziest thing I ever did was swim with a school of wild stingrays in Grand Cayman…..I was covered in conch juice and they were all over me and I was crying hysterically.  But I’ll never forget it.  And I hope that these little guys remember all the adventures we do together.

Even if it is little kid rides and fair food and staying up way past bedtime.

So what have y’all been doing?  Any adventures?  Any wild rides or belly aching food?

I think that one day we will have to do a birthday party and make it Fair themed….I could do a bunch of games and make the prize puppies for everyone to take home.  It will be a real winner 🙂

p.s.  we are thinking of traveling from GA to Pittsburgh soon….it would be up through Asheville and Johnson City….is there anything that you guys recommend?  Fun family activities or sites we just need to hit?  I’d love to hear em!