The Fair's in Town!
The annual fair has arrived in town and we all know what that means...cotton candy, caramel apples, deep fried everything and lots and lots of toys. Plastic toys, furry toys, glass toys, and endless light-show toys that scream at every child...BUY ME!!! The good news is that I decided I wasn't going to buy any of these toys for my preschooler. And, if he happened to win a prize, we would politely decline it. Not because I didn't want him to have fun or great memories, but simple because they were plastic and who needs another stuffy? Anyone?
The beauty of the annual
fair is that it always brings back great memories. And, anytime is a
great time for family to get together and just get silly. My husband and
I were plenty of silly and ran around like kids with our 3 year old. One of the highlights was watching my guys ride a beautiful elephant. Our son absolutely LOVED it! The trainers treated them wonderfully, they had plenty of water available, they rotated the elephants to give rides in shifts and the walk was short. Absolutely beautiful creatures!
It was, however, quite a bummer that our son wasn't tall enough
for several of the rides he wanted to ride. On the good side, there were plenty of
games he was tall enough to play. So, with my Green Girl power suit on, we visited each booth with only intentions of looking, not buying. We were doing great...except for when we ran into that booth. The booth that brought back fond childhood memories. The booth that when as a child, you looked forward to every year because pouring different colors of sand into a glass bottle with a fuzzy bird body is just COOL! Yes. I bought my son a glass bird and watched him have a great time picking from an array of beautiful different colored sand and pouring it in. It was awesome. But, some of my Green Girl power started to flicker. Oh well, it was just one thing. I'll have all my just say no power back in no time at all.
Score - Green Girl Power 0, Green Pressure 1
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| How adorable will I look in your house for the next umpteen years! |
Our 3 year old was fascinated with the roller coasters so we took him over to watch them whizz and whirl. We had no need to ride since watching and listening to the people scream was good enough for us! After the scream fest, we headed on out of the big kids realm. Right before we reached the gate...there was that game. The game where as a child you just had to play in order to get another horse prize to add to the past 6 prize horses you had collected over the years. This year, it wasn't a horse prize for winning the horse race, it was a stuffy. Since it was early in the day and all of the big kids were not there yet...it was me, the honey and the 3 year old racing against each other. I thought...sweet, one of us is going to win. I doubt the preschooler will care, but I sure did. On your marks, get set, GO! The horses were off. I spent several quick seconds helping explain to the preschooler what to do. The honey was off in his own world throwing his balls and I felt the need to catch-up...no...WIN! I needed to win. I ditched the preschooler instructions and went for it. I couldn't let anyone win! And, I did! SWEET! YES! I'm AWESOME! When I went to look at the honey's face he looked surprised and he said..."Honey, what are you doing?" I was like "What? I just beat you! Take it!" Then it hit me...I was supposed to let the child win. Oops. :0( Must of been that old childhood memory forcing me to win another shiny, plastic (possibly pewter) horse for my collection. Before I could defend my actions to my husband the tenant set the stuffies down right in front of my son. (She didn't even recognize me as the winner! Ugh!) Before I could tell her we didn't want a prize...my preschooler was so excitedly picking out the blue gorilla. My husband was still trying to figure out how I didn't let our son win. My Green Girl power suit was starting to seriously dim.
Score - Green Girl Power 0, Green Pressure 2
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| Mr. Monkey |
When I told the lady at the goldfish booth we didn't want to take a fish home if we won one, she didn't know what to say. I seemed to be getting a lot of that at the fair. You could see the compassion in her eyes for our poor son who was being so deprived. Our 3 year old had a great time throwing the balls...and he didn't win a goldfish. I had my husbands support on declining the fish so I know if he had made a ping pong ball into one of those tight-mouth fish bowls...we wouldn't of given in. Finally, I'm starting to feel green!
Score - Green Girl Power 1, Green Pressure 2
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| Go Green Girl! |
It was time to go. But, we had to play just one more game in order to appease the sorrowful feelings that come along with leaving such a fantasy playland when you're a 3 year old. We decided to hit the baseballs that were so awesomely floating in the air. They were impossible for a 3 year old to miss! He didn't need any instruction...the tenant handed him the bat and it was over. As our sweet son hit the last ball, the tenant started blowing up this HUGE plastic toy sledge hammer to give to him. I quickly told him we wouldn't need it and that's when my Green Girl power suit failed in an instant. It could of been the sheer look of disappointment in my husbands face when he said "babe, come on" the shock on the tenants face as he fumbled the hammer trying to figure out what to do...and quite possibly the awe, come on and give it to him comments from the parents behind us. My super Green powers...no where to be found.
Score - Green Girl Power 1, Green Pressure 3
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| Daddy just had to have it! |
Regardless of the huge plastic sledge hammer, the stuffed blue gorilla and the sand glass "toy" making it's way into our home...we had a Great Time! We may not be perfectly Green, but we most certainly try. If anything, I should be proud of the fact that I see the world through green colored lenses and that I try really hard to be a responsible consumer. Which is more than what I can say for that booth vendor who was offering free Mardi Gras beads exclusively shipped in from China. ;0)
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| Aden with Mr. Monkey. |
Whoo Whoo!
~OvO~
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