County Fair Time!

The boys and I got a rare treat -- an afternoon together, just the three of us! With Miss Tina keeping Gracie entertained and Daddy at work, we headed over to the fair to see how Hayden did in the baking contest. After watching him beam with pride and accomplishment, we took in the rest of the fair.

They still liked the kiddo tent. I thought without Grace we'd be able to skip it, but there was a waterpump contraption that sped rubber duckies along and they couldn't get enough. Thank goodness they still know when to be little.

The boys took part in Read to Ride, a program put on by the library and the company who puts on the carnival. If the kids read two books, they get two free carnival rides. Since rides are usually 5 tickets, this is a $10 win for this mama!

I offered to pay for The Big Wheel if they'd ride with me, so we did that first. They've become so brave, I know it was a bit tame for them. But they cheered when we got to sit at the top, which is my favorite thing about ferris wheels. It also gave them time to scout the carnival and make a plan of action for the rest of their rides.

The roller coaster was their first stop. Usually they just have a kiddie coaster, but this was pretty good for a fair. They really liked it, but made sure to tell me it was nothing like what Disneyland had. And when were they going to get to go there?

They went on one called something like The Twister. Spinning around while being swung back and forth. Just watching it made me glad I didn't feed them first!

As soon as they got off they raced to Ring of Fire...this loop of madness you couldn't pay me to get on! Can you spot Hayden's green shirt as they were just hanging out at the top of the loop?

On our way out of the carnival they played one midway game. Proving experts at throwing darts at balloons, they both came home with stuffed puppies.

They both remembered how much fun it was to do the bungee bounce last year, so we headed that way. Next to the bungee station was something we'd never even heard of -- Neptune's Bubbles.

Giant plastic bubbles are filled with air and floated atop a large wading pool. The kids run and roll around in them like a giant hampster wheel. They loved it! I'm not sure I could handle being zipped in a bubble, but I have to admit it looked like fun!

It was a great way for the boys to horse around and burn off energy. They kept trying to bump their brother and see if they could stand up or make big splashes. And the best part? They came out completely dry!

Of course bungee boucing was up next. Again, this looked like something that would be fun for other people. Especially small people of the boy variety.

What trip to the fair would be complete without fair food? They had elephant ears, corn dogs, ice cream, and a brick of curly fries. You could smell the oil in the air!

We had such a great time together. My boys really are fun to be with!