It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I am in the middle of my favorite time of year. No, not Christmas. County fair time!

I am a proud former 10 year 4H member. I owe much of my life success’s to my time in 4H. 4H gave me life skills like sewing, cooking, stage presence and animal care. But it gave me so much more than just project completion. I made lifelong friendships. Many of my friends that I competed against in 4H are some of my greatest treasures today.

So it’s always with great excitement that I greet the local county fairs beginning. And Monday was the first day! This year holds even more greatness.  My Panda is celebrating.her first year in Mini 4H!  Mini 4H is for students who just completed their 1st and 2nd grade years in school.  “Real” 4H is for 3rd-12th graders. 

Panda decided to take three projects this year.  The limit was two.  Yet somehow we have three.  Clothing, Food and Livestock. The mini livestock project will show this weekend.  But her Clothing and Foods projects were turned in on Monday.  She had to make a popcorn snack (she made caramel corn) and a stuffed bear head (it’s supposed to look like a panda).

She worked hard on these projects and I resisted the urge to help her! I did have to teach her how to knot thread, properly shank a button, how to overcast stitch and use the stove to pop popcorn. But she made the projects and was so excited to turn them in.

My county fair is small.  All of the projects fit in one building and the livestock occupy 5 barns.  We have one Merchant’s building, a tent with local entertainment, a food stand, some food trailers and a midway that is the last reason you would go to our fair.  But I love the size of the fair.  I can let my kids walk around and not feel like they are going to be stolen.  They get to see so many of their friends when we are out there.  And we get to watch all sorts of small town fun!

Monday night featured the Kiddie Pedal Pull.  This has to be one of the most popular things at the fair.  The kids get weighed and divided into classes.  My Monkey was in the 2nd group and did not have great luck on her pedal tractor.  I think it was the pig ears that someone gave her weighing her down.

After all the excitement of the Pedal Pull, it was time to head out to the grandstands to watch some dirt fly. The Farmer is on the Fairboard. One of the benefits of his involvement is getting an up close and personal look at what goes on inside the track.

These were dirt track races.  Trucks were racing each other down the straight-away. People actually paid to see this.  The highlight of the evening was when a snowmobile raced a Gator.  But by that time my camera battery had died! You’ll have to trust me when I say it was funny.

So we went home from our first night at the fair exhausted, covered in mud and ready to go back tonight.  Tonight we’ll be a bit more proper.  The kids will be modeling with their Grandma in the Fashion Show! I get the chance to emcee the event.  And it’s such a joy to watch my kids strut their stuff on a stage in a room full of people.

More tomorrow…