California State Fair.... I Love It!

(My friend Catherine looking very cute next to our California State Bear.)

I go usually 3 times each year.  When the kids were small I went once as a family with dear hubby.  Then I went once with the kids without dear hubby.  Then I went once without kids or dear hubby.  Why so many time?

Well, everyone should take the whole family to the fair.  Isn't that why you have a family to do things together?  Plus daddy works hard and wants to have fun with his wife and kids.  I'm not crazy I know it has it's faults, but it has it's good traits too.  You have daddy along to go on rides with, to hold you up so you can pet an animal that's scaring you, to buy you yummy food and one of the best parts is daddy has the skill to win at the carnival games.  We always go home with a few stuffed animals.  I usually gear this trip to be fun for Dear Hubby doing the things he'd like to do and would like to do with the kids.  Down side: he is the DADDY!  Lots of "no you can't do that, no that's too much money, no we don't have time for that."

That's why I have mommy and me day at the fair.  I take the kids and this day I gear toward what the kids want to do.  There are these feet massaging chairs around the fair that cost 25 cents.  I give the kids each 4 quarters and we stop any time they want to massage their feet.  Daddy has no patience for this.  We see all the animals, all the bugs, go on a few rides, and let them try out a carnival game (Even though daddy says they aren't any good at it.  I think it's fun to try.)  We get sticky and colored blue by snow cones and cotton candy.  Things only a mommy has patience for.

Next trip to the fair is what I used to call "Ladies Night."  I discovered after my friends started inviting their friends, sisters, sister-in-laws that it's really "Me and MY friends" day at the fair night.  I usually go with 1 or 2 friends and we all have pretty much the same likes and dislikes and it works great at the fair.  We don't go see any animals, we don't stop by any police/sheriff booths, we usually don't go on any rides.  I don't do well on rides with my bad neck.  What do we do?  We go see all the exhibits.  Ogling the crafts.  We peruse the county buildings.  Enjoying their creative hard work to represent their county.  We shop in the commercial building.  Pressuring each other each year to buy things like salsa makers, toe rings or fancy dancy floor mops.  We stop by the wine garden.  After some intense tasting we each get a glass or two of wine and sit amongst the cooling misters and just chat it up.  We take in a few shows like the hypnotist, a cooking demonstration or even a concert.  All things that kids and hubbies don't have the patience for we are free to enjoy.  No one is tapping their toe or harrumphing in the back ground.  We close the place down at 10pm and watch the fireworks.

(Wilted from 104 degree heat, but greatly looking forward to Little Big Town.) 

The last 4 years we started a new tradition with the kids turning to teenagers.  We take in a popular concert.  The first 2 years we saw Weird Al Yankovic.  He puts on a great show!  2nd year we took in MC Hammer.  We danced our feet off.  This year there really wasn't anything the teenagers wanted to see, so I went to see  Little Big Town on "Me and My Friends" Night.  They are a very pleasant sounding band.  I kind of thought all their songs sounded a like, but I always enjoy live music.  We had a really good time.

Once I've been three times I feel like I've properly seen the State Fair.