The Fair

On Saturday Kristie and I took Cash and Kenz to the fair.

We were all so fired up for it - and the fact that our kids don't sleep in - that we were all showered and set to go at 11.  But it seems the fair doesn't open until noon.

We spent time touring the 4H animal booths and getting some excellent food.

Then tragedy struck!  Cash was deemed too short to go on the rides.  You had to be a minimum of 36 inches.  Poor Cash was about 34.5.

The lady in the booth said there was no way he could go on any other ride than the marry-go-round, and he'd have to be accompanied by an adult . . . and that it would be six dollars for every time he went on it.

Well, that was no good.

And poor Cash was standing against the height pole for all he was worth, trying to be as tall as he could too.  He was just looking around, not realizing that he couldn't go on any rides.  But he just knew something was wrong.  Poor little guy!

So we walked around a bit and Mom and Cash went home while Kenz and I went back to the fair.

I tell you Kenz wore me out.  I was no match for her.

It didn't help that one of the first rides we went on was the double ferris wheel.  When we drove by the fair when it was being set up early in the week, Kenz spotted it.  I told her that it was one of my favorite rides, so she wanted to go on it with me.

Uncle Barb took Kenz to the fair on Wednesday, and I asked Kenz if she had gone on the double ferris wheel.  She said, "Nope. I'm saving that one for you, dad!"

Now talk about having your heart melt!

So we got on the double ferris wheel, which squaeked like mad and wobbled a bit.  But I forgot all about that when we began to rotate and Kenz began to holler.  Suddenly, she seemed so tiny and the cart didn't seem nearly sturdy enough.

But after a few times around, she calmed down and started to have a lot of fun.

Meanwhile, they changed operators.  The new operator must have forgotten about us because we spent a good 20 minutes on the ride.

Kenz loved it, but I was starting to get motion sickness.  All I could think about was Don't puke. Don't puke. Don't puke.  How can I possibly get sick on the double ferris wheel?  The Ring of Fire? Sure.  Even the Zipper.  But the double ferris wheel? Come on!

Mercifully, we finally got off.

Kenz, of course, would have hopped back in line and gone again, if I hadn't offered to buy here a Sno Cone while I gulped down a bottle of water and tried to calm my stomach.

Luckily, Kenz wanted to go on some more kiddie rides, so I was able to get back to feeling normal soon enough.

Then we noticed the Super Shot didn't have a long line at all.  The Super Shot was a ride that slowly hoisted you about 100 feet into the, before free falling for 90 feet before coming to a gentle stop ten feet from the bottom.

We got right on and Kenz found a seat.  Then I lowered her chest guard down and put the seat belt on and locked it.  I did the same.  We waited a bit and then slowly began our ascent.  That's when I got a bit nervous.  I looked over at Kenz, and she was beaming.  I checked her seat belt to make sure it was secure and told her to hold on tight to the chest guard.

The way up was so agonizingly slow.  Plus, I didn't really know what to expect.  I just thought it was cute that Kenz wanted to go on it because "it was the same ride at the beginning of the Manticore episode of Scooby Doo: Mystery Inc.,."

Then we reached the top.

For a split second we were stationary.  Then we head a click.

There was one more split second and then we dropped, and we free fell against our chest guard (I can't tell you what it felt like to have your butt up off the seat and your legs in the air all the way down) before we gently stopped at the bottom and lowered all the way down to the bottom of the ride again.

I was speechless.  Kenz loved it!

Oh boy.

I was in for it.

I took her on some more kiddie rides before she began eyeing the damn double ferris wheel again.

After a bathroom break, checking out some booths, and having popcorn, she finally dragged me to the ride.  The lines were super long.  And I wasn't feeling to anxious about spending a half hour on the damned thing.

But Kenz changed her mind.  Great, I thought.  Until she said, "Dad let's go on that other ride again."

This was not good.  The only other ride I had gone on with her - besides the merry-go-round - was the Super Shot.

And the odds of Kenz referring to the merry-go-round were slim.

Sure enough, we walked right toward the Super Shot.

There was no way I wanted to go on that sucker again!  But I had to since she had to be 46 inches tall to go on by herself.

I tried to stall, but that was worse as we saw a group begin that horribly slow ascent and then come crashing down.

I looked up in terror.  Kenz was beaming.

"Come on, Dad," she said grabbing my hand.  Thankfully, some kids were already loading in.

"Let's just wait," I said.

She pouted a bit, and I looked up at the operator who motioned for us that they still had room.

Oh no!

Kenz was bounding up the steps before I could do anything.

And before we knew it, we were strapped in and slowly heading upwards.

I so did not want to be there.  I kept telling myself, "I love my daughter. I love my daughter. I love my daughter . . ."

Then we paused for a split second.  Then there was that horrible click.

Then the final second of peace before the bottom dropped out.

And we plunged down.

I was never so glad to get off a ride!

As Kenz guided me back to the double ferris wheel, I knew it couldn't be worse than the Super Shot, even if we were kept on the damned ferris wheel for an hour!

Luckily, the line was short and soon we were on the double ferris wheel.  Mercifully, the operator took note of us and kept track and we were off in about 8 minutes.  I loved it.  Even if it was a bit unnerving the way it wobbled and squeaked.

I just hope next year Kenz finds a classmate or little buddy to go on all the rides with!  I'm too old for this stuff!