All's Fair

The days leading up to the drop off deadline for Fair entries are always chaotic. One child hasn't finished their entry, and won't. Another is getting hers done, but not doing them well. The youngest isn't old enough to enter her projects so she's getting into all the supplies trying to put together something that will make me change my mind, as if I had the power to do so. The last has painted a beautiful acrylic but doesn't want to enter that one, she wants to enter the big ugly one she just did. Yes, it really is ugly. Mother's aren't blind.

In a few weeks we'll pick up our adopted Grandma Joanie, and maybe Grandma Karen too, and all go to the opening day of the Fair to see how our entires did. The tickets are free because we took the time to enter our crafts. Then we'll wander through the flower show, animal pavilions, kids game and craft areas, petting zoo, etc. We'll go for a hayride pulled by draft horses. The ice cream will be provided courtesy of Clover Stornetta. We'll watch cows being milked as we eat it. Dinner will be complete junk and we'll all go home tired and happy.

About a week later we'll meet back at the fair with my sister in law and the majority of our cousins for ride day. Everyone will wear matching shirts that are NOT blue or red. Yes, they almost didn't let us in one year because of our shirts, in case we were some kind of weird toddler gang. We'll get our unlimited ride wristbands, split the group by who's tall enough for the big kid rides, and see how many we can go on without puking. At some point we'll break for potty and more free ice cream. We'll catch a magic act, or water dogs. Maybe we'll catch a contest, like the year we competed for the most gawdawful scream, or Harry Potter Trivia Master! At the end of a long day, we'll meet up with Daddy for dinner and dancing by the bandstand.

Year after year, memory after memory, we build up our family history and traditions. We change what didn't work, and try some things new. Our experiences are the same, but completely varied. Our approaches to life are as different as our approaches to crafting our exhibit entries.

One lags behind, but sees things others don't. One tries to do everything and gets a wide variety of experiences, but doesn't waste time going really deep into any of them. One sees the same things in the opposite way as everyone else and discerns beauty where we see only ugly. One works harder than all the others because she's certain she's not too little, and she squeezes more life out of life than anyone I know. Because we are together, we get to share each others insights. We get to experience the world more fully, because we can talk about our various perspectives.

This is why one child was not enough for me. Why I'm so glad I kept going until my house and heart were full. I'm not saying four is the perfect number. I'm just saying children are a blessing. Don't let fear limit your family. And going to the Fair is LOTS more fun with kids than it was as a teenager or childless adult.