Sunday, October 14, 2007

The Scarecrow Festival

Just so you know, it's currently 11:30 on Sunday evening. I'm writing now because I have failed for four days in a row to write, and I can't take it any more. I guess I'd rather do this than sleep. I was hoping to have been sitting here much earlier than I am now, but of course, little RAP zonked out this afternoon. Who could blame her? She woke up at 6:30 in the morning. So sue me - I let her sleep for 90 minutes. She went to bed about 30 minutes ago. I had to use a Jedi Mind Trick - going for a drive. If you think this is bad parenting, please don't tell me about it, because I actually already know that. I try very hard to avoid the drive-to-sleep method, but some days, it's that or the benadryl and I think I know which one could be hazardous to my status as a parent.

Okay, on to the explanation of this lovely photo of my son. On Thursday my good friend April convinced me that I could handle a few hours at the Scarecrow Festival at Thanksgiving Point. We drove down after school and it was actually very fun. Here's CTP after a trip to the fishing pond, displaying the array of little gross Halloween things he caught on the end of his fishing pole. Most of them have already been placed in the trashcan, but please don't tell him about that. So the festival is a school fundraiser for my friend Paul's school (he's the principal) and it's a very big deal. They have about 10 of those huge vinyl blow-up toys you climb on and through and down. RAP fell in love with two aquatic themed slides - a shark and a whale, both of which you climb inside up a huge stair/ladder thing and then slide down the tongue and out the open mouth. I wish I had a picture of her on these things, but I don't because I was with her on every slide. I think I burned at least 1,000 calories clambering up and through, over and over, hauling my 2-year-old along. She's still asking for the shark and the whale, and I'm trying to break it to her gently that they just won't fit in our back yard.

If you ever get the chance to attend this festival, it's pretty worth it. They have everything. Face painting, pony rides, wagon rides, food, games, a really dorky juggler (okay, skip that part), a climbing wall, a haunted house... The last of these C really wanted to go through, but when I tried to accompany him R just freaked. C decided to go ahead on his own - I waited at the exit, listening for a panicking child, but he came out looking somewhat wide-eyed but very proud of himself. We really had a pretty good time. April's kids are younger than mine, so she had to take off an hour or so before we did, but we stuck it out through the cold evening, a very persistent wind and empty tummies to have every last bit of fun we could stand. By the time we were done we were tired, frozen and hungry. We stopped in at the food stand for corn dogs, which the kids devoured before we were five minutes out of the parking lot, and were begging for more food. There was an Iceberg on the way back to the freeway, so we stopped for more quality nutrition - I think I should starve my kids more often because they just ate and ate and ate. By the way, Iceberg french fries are delicious. I felt I had earned them after 20 trips up and down the whale.

2 comments:

Windybrook Spinner said...

You are the coolest mom Rachel. I get worn out so quickly that I never take my kids anywhere by myself. They just take off in opposite directions and don't listen to a word I say that I just can't stand it and we don't go anywhere. I love reading about all the fun stuff you do with your kids, though. I love how you are so laid back and just have a good time.

ghd3 said...

sounds like a lot of fun. Is there a problem with Iceberg? Looks like it was a beautiful evening as well.