Fair?

There are days when I wonder if life is fair. 

Does it really have to be this way?

Or should I say did it? 

This week is the local Fair.  Golden they call it.  Memories tell me yes.  Golden it is.  As a child, it meant going with my family.  A treat.  I have memories of rides, eating too much junk, throwing up.  I could always go on the larger, faster, scarier rides but don't ask me to ride the ferris wheel.  I have unpleasant memories of being stuck at the top of that wheel.  When you have a fear of heights, that's a problem.

As a teenager, the fair meant just about the same thing but enter boys and everything seems so much more fun.  Hand dipped corn dogs.  Just the "wander and visit" Siskiyou County mentality.  Anything else, I completely will deny.  LOL.

As a mom....the Fair was totally different.  As a mom of a boy with a livestock entry...it was the best the Fair can be.  Preparing, anticipating, hard work.  The boys had their livestock projects for months.  Those months were filled with reminding, reminding, reminding.  Yep.  Did you feed your pig/heifer?  Did you water your pig/heifer?  Did you walk your pig/heifer?  I can only hope that my boys will have children (girls would be nice!) who take animals to the Fair so they can remind, remind, remind as well. 

Living at the Fair was always an event.  I know we could all tell multiple "Fair" stories.  One of my favorite comes to mind.  It didn't even have anything to do with livestock.  We became a Fair family when Sawyer was in a stroller.  Those days were a little rough because the little guy was so warn out from all the Fair activities and late nights.  He liked to sleep in but I needed to be at the barn with the older boys.  Dad to the rescue.  Thanks Dad!

Anyway, my story goes like this:

 

Sawyer and I were in the bathroom at the south side of the Fair. 

The livestock entrance.  He was 3.  It was hot.  We were taking in plenty of fluids.  

 Sawyer went potty.  It was my turn.  I sat down to go and Sawyer said "Mom, I can show you how to do that standing up".  Yep. You probably could have.

 

The memories are still so fresh and real.  Boys, pigs, cows.  It didn't matter.  It was all fun and all about the kids.  Molding, shaping, reminding, interacting.  Memories of the good pigs, the problem pigs, the unbred heifer, the sweet ones.  Hot days, thunder showers that cool off the pavement, fair food. 

 

Do I think it is Fair?  Maybe not everything seems fair on this day but those Fair memories make me smile!