The Fair...

With much excitement, E headed to the fair today.  We've been reading a book called Night at the Fair for the past week and she's been so excited to go to the fair and ride the carousel and Ferris wheel.  We've also been tempting her with an elephant ear treat (although, she really wasn't impressed with that aspect of the fair).  So, she was hyped up.

First we went and saw all the 'kids tent' paraphernalia.  She received several tattoos, coloring books, a picture of her as a ballarina (great advertising strategy), drove a fire truck, etc..and then we were off to the horses, bunnies, chickens, cows, pigs, goats and sheep.  All the while, she was anxiously waiting to go on the rides.  We told her that she could go on three rides, as she was three (I'm not sure what we'll do as she gets older...three is the magic number of everything for right now.)

For her first fair ride, she chose the dinosaur ride.  The dinosaurs went around in a circle and moved up and down.  A very tame first choice.  A nice little girl named Carly offered to let her ride with her (Carly was probably about 5).  So, Carly helped her in the dinosaur and got her comfortable.  And, away they went.  E's grin went from ear-to-ear and her eyes were as big as saucers.  It was fun to watch.

The second ride was the carousel.   A carousel was in our book.  It wasn't the first carousel ride of the summer (or the nicest) because she rode one at Binder Park Zoo, but it was important to ride this one because it was at the fair!  She chose to ride on an outside horse with pink on it.  She loved it.  I stood behind her and the whole while she was talking about 'chasing the black horse' and 'giddie-up' and winning!  Her imagination was pretty cute.  The little girl next to us (probably about 8 years old) just laughed and played along with E trying to get her horse to go faster.

For E's final choice, she decided on riding the Ferris wheel.  She loved it.  When we stopped at the top to let on more passengers, she exclaimed, "Oh no!  We are stuck at the top!" and then laughed uproariously.  Then she quoted our book, "We can see where we've been and where we have yet to go!"  She was adorable.  Every time we came to the top, she'd quote that passage from the book.  She was funny.  Pointing out all the things that we had looked at was a lot of fun for her.  She didn't even want to waste time waving at Jut and A on the ground because then she wouldn't have been able to look around.

It is amazing to watch the wonder and amazement on a child's face.  I don't think that will ever get old and I know that I'll miss it when its gone!  By the time the Ferris wheel ride was over, it was time to go home.  A was sound asleep in the stroller and E was tired too.  She didn't even complain about leaving.  But, she was thrilled with all of her rides.