Canyon County Fair

We took the kids to check out the fair again this year. Sprout really wanted to hit the rides, so Karen stood in the mile-long line to get tickets while I distracted the kids. We headed toward the animal barn but our mission was thwarted by the ice cream truck.

About the time we sat down with our ice cream, Karen texted that they opened another line and we  had to have the kids present to get wrist bands. We shoveled down the ice cream and headed over to the rides.

The kids loved the rides, especially the house of mirrors.

Sprout may be the first four-year-old in history to fasten her own seatbelt on a fair ride.

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Sprout wanted to go on one of the bigger rides called the "Octopus." It looks something like this:

The Octopus consists of many moving parts. The whole thing spins around and tilts from side to side as it spins. There is a piston at the center of it that gives a little kick when you hit the top of the rotation. Individual cars spin freely. There are no seat belts. The first time we were up high and the piston kicked in, our car did two quick spins. She fell into my lap and started crying. My stomach churned. As I held onto her and clutched the handles, I took note of the condition of the welds. I could see daylight on both sides of some of the welded pipe. I realized this was the exact same machine I rode as a teenager, and its age was showing. I desperately wanted to signal the operator or Karen to stop the ride to save my white shorts  (I was sure Sprout was going to puke because I was close myself), but I was too occupied holding onto her and the lousy handle. There weren't any people in line, so the operator was letting us get our money's worth. I finally managed to get a signal to Karen and the operators, and the torture was over. Sprout was done with rides at that point, so we headed over to check out the animal exhibits.

Last year at the fair, Sprout really wanted to ride a pig. She almost cried when we told her that kids don't ride pigs. As we wandered through the barn, a very nice teenager, Mason, offered to let Marcus go inside the pen with his pig. He then proceeded to lift Marcus into the pen and hold him while he rode his pig. Sprout had zero interest in riding the pig. I asked Mason how showing went and he said it was all great until another kid's steer stomped on his foot. I then noticed that he was leaning on the fence and putting all of his weight on one foot. He said that they planned to head to the ER to get it checked out once he was done taking care of his animals. If my kids turn out anything like Mason I will be a very proud father.