state fair

Whew.  That's just about all I can say.  The looming start of school for G seems to have driven me to pack all the fun and frivolity I can into one. last. week.  Since we got back from our Cran Hill extended family vacation, we have gone to the beach, camped in the the yard, done the state fair, celebrated a friend's birthday, had a picnic and explored at the lake, and gone to an Iowa Cubs game.  We even tried (unsuccessfully) to go to the pool tonight, since it's the final day of the season.  Because if it's not yet crossed off on the summer bucket list, I am cramming it in!

We are feeling the affects of my frenzied summer-ing. The kids are absolutely running on empty tanks. Emotional states are fragile.  There is a big transition coming, and my new goal is to push again, but this time for rest.  Rest and meeting of needs.  And hopefully, if it can be managed without ruining the rest part, lots of cleaning.

But about the state fair.  It was fab.  We were given some free tickets, and different combinations of vouchers for food and rides.  My parents came along to help with the shuffling of children.  G rode a zero-gravity type spinning ride. He came off it with a big grin.  F rode a mini roller coaster.  She came off it with... a running hug for mommy and a shy pronouncement that it was fun.  Then Craig and G rode a spinning tilt-a-whirl type thing that left Craig sick for two hours. Oops.

Last comment about the fair: there are 50 foods on a stick there, and I didn't eat any of them.  But I did eat something called a deep fried pickle dog.  Yup, it exists and I ate it.  And it was good.  

I watched the movie State Fair- the 1945 version- with the kids in preparation for the day.  We were humming and singing the theme song for hours after.  I think those Rogers and Hammerstein fellows are on to something!  The funniest part was that the kids didn't think the midway in the movie looked different from the midway we visited today.  And I had to explain to them how those old phones worked.  Which reminds me- G asked me today what was in a container at a garage sale.  I said, "film." And he responded by asking what film was.  And I honestly didn't even have the energy to go there.  Generation gap, indeed.

Updates: G ran a 5k on his own, going just over 6 times around our large block.  Just put his shoes on and announced he was going for a run, one day, and did it several times since.  C nods and shakes his head to say yes and no, respectively.  The list of words he says in growing exponentially and now includes Mommy, Daddy (not mama or dada), please, bat, ball, pop, dog, out- and more.  F still cannot sing the alphabet song correctly, but can DO things that G wanted us to do for him long past this age.  She is crazy independent.  

That's all for now, until I can pull my tired scattered mind together and wade through the emotions of G starting kindergarten, to post later this week.

Our state fair is a great state fair

Don't miss it! Don't even be late!

And dollars to doughnuts, that our state fair

Is the best state fair in our state!

(from the musical State Fair)