The Sickly Sweet Carnival

This year Father's day for Wade was overshadowed by the many vultures circling' o'er his head. One of them being me. See - my sister and I gifted our own dad with our wonderful selves as father's day gifts in the late 70's. Ever since then, duh, my birthday has fallen extremely close if not on Father's day. This year my birthday was on Saturday - Father's day on Sunday. So it worked out......except for the fair.
Oh the wonderful fair.
I will start out with our Father's day morning.
The kids and I got up a wee bit earlier than usual so we could get out of the house and off to get breakfast undetected. We went to Panera because I cannot get enough of the spinach artichoke baked egg souffle's. Oh man, they are so good, but you have to get there early. If you aren't there in line early (on a Sunday 8:30 is early to me) you either won't get one at all, or should you choose what is behind door number two, you can wait 30 min or longer. Any hoots, the kids were so perfect. They out shined me ten fold. They stood patiently. They unusually used all manners known to man. Gage entertained Ella in a nearby booth while I waited for my I.C. Caramel Largo (naughty) to be made. Then when we were all ready to head home, Gage asked me where his fruit smoothie was. Oh boy - kudos to you super mom. So wrapped up in your dang drink, you forgot the smoothie. How smooth.
I give my million apologies and tell him I will stand back in line for the smoothie. And as I turn to look at the line, growing like an army of ants crawling out of an ant hill, Gage says it's OK, he will just have water. I ask him over and over again, annoyingly, if he is sure. I tell him that I will stand in line for him - and he says no, water is fine. I felt awful even though he was fine with it.
I grabbed our plethora of souffles and pastries and we headed home.
On the way home, we talked about trying to be on our best behavior all day to give dad a break from the madness that is our house. They were so excited to do this - so excited to want to please us by being great kids - even though they are anyways. You know what though?
Kids will be kids, no matter what and whoever they are, they are kids. And kids will always be kids. What I am getting at is that I should never have asked or expected a different kind of behavior from them just because it's Father's day. They are who they are. And this reminded me of a quote I read once and will never forget:

"Having one child makes you a parent; having two you are a referee " - David Frost

It's so true.

They ended up being on each other's nerves all day. ALL day people!!
So I thought, OK, we will go to the fair, we will have fun - the end.
The fair is only a few blocks away from us. It's all part of Hiawatha's "Hog Wild Days". This is the 24th year of fairs, fireworks and parade fun. For us the 3rd or 4th.
If you were in Iowa on Sunday June 17th this year, you know it was HOT and sticky. Not fair weather.
We ate our usual fair lunch at the Hope Church tent. They have good eats for cheap.
Then we went and got our wristbands. Wade and I both got them this year too because we thought Gage would want to go on more rides, but wouldn't want to go alone. So they started off riding a couple of kiddie rides. Then Wade went in this crazy obstacle, climbing course with the kids a hundred times until the carnival man kicked him off. HA ha he he ~ Was his wristband wearing too thin?? I don't get it. Maybe he was taking up space from the soon to arrive ticket holding people? Oh well.
Then a couple more kiddie rides as we watched and high-five'd each time they went around and around and 'round again. Played a couple of games. Finally Gage and I decided we should hit the tilt-a-whirl. I haven't been on one of those in years. Boy was I excited. It started off OK, then the spinning got faster and faster. I am getting dizzy re-living it. I got off and instantly felt sick. I wasn't going to let that stop our fun though! More kiddie rides - high fives - round and round.........erg. The smells of burning rubber - exhaust from the generators. Guy running the Ferris wheel chain smoking. Dented beat up rides. Women wearing next to nothing. Things I never noticed until I was a mother.
Finally - almost time to go. Last stop - ping pong drop. We are hot, we are tired. We are ready to leave, but we aren't leaving with out our free prize. Our fair trophy. All the kids gather round this crane and wait for the ping pong balls to come spilling out like a waterfall of gold dubloons. The kids, like herds of mice, scurry over one on top of the other in age groups to collect one of the balls with a number on it. Each number determines what table you get to choose a prize from. Gage gets #1, Ella #16.
Gage gets to pick from the "dollar prize table". Ella gets to pick from the "5 dollar prize table".
MAJOR problems. Gage had a complete meltdown. He picked a prize, then thew it down on the ground. He screamed and cried. Of course everyone stared at me - probably thinking "What are you going to do with your monster of a child lady!"
Even if they were looking on sympathetically - I just don't need it. I offer a crooked smile and a comment like - "Oh kids, we've all been here." Then I take Gage by his arm and make him sit in time out. Time out at the fair next to a food vendor selling funnel cakes - wich we failed to enjoy in the turmiol - with burning eyes examining your every move. I know he was wrong. I know he should have been grateful that he got a prize at all. I know that he was acting very inappropriately, and believe me, we talked about it later. Had a long talk. But looking back - I wish I would have tried to calm him down. Instead of reacting so quickly. I know time out is not a bad thing. We practice it religiously. I guess I felt like I exploited his sadness and mental breakdown for all to see. I mean, I am an old lady compared to him and I still have breakdowns occasionally. Just in the comfort of my own home.
So anyways, he was "punished". He lost his privilege of playing game boy for a while and had to vacuum the living room. Maybe I am a push over. Maybe I am not hard enough on him.
Or maybe I just have lassoed the power to walk in other's shoes. Either way, I felt like I should have been more something. More motherly? More understanding? It's done. We are OK. It's not the first time and I'm sure not the last. I will try to take something away from this (as usual as I continue on.
Stop, breathe and remember. Oh yeah ~ And don't stare. hehehe

If you haven't been privy enough to walk in shoes like these, imagine a it for a moment. I promise it will help the next grocery shopping trip you take. There are always children breaking down like old used cars at the grocery store. Sputtering for that last stretch while their parents are pushing and pushing them along, hoping for a jump start.

The vultures of father's day - they were plentiful!! Sorry Wade!! We still love you - but shucks, you know that!!