Review: Chattahoochee Mountain Fair and Family Memories

Well, here it is. The first moment of truth. We took the boys to the fair tonight. Or should I say, the fair took us--for whatever cash we had in our pockets! I explained to Straightforward Dad (my wonderful husband) that we had to take the boys to the fair because it was another one of those memories that I had that I want to pound into their memories--typical mom behavior I like to think. We decide to go before it gets dark and arrive to find that the entrance fees aren't so bad! The fees are $5.00 per adult and kids 5 and under are free. I am thinking...."Alright! Maybe we will still make it out of here without spending our life savings." So we skip all the booths, and the girl singing in the pavilion area, and head straight for the rides because Straightforward Son (our 3 year old) is about to pee his pants to get to all the blinking lights and sounds. (Like a moth to a flame.....) I am first in utter shock that the rides cover about 1/3 of the area they used to cover when I came consistently to the fair. There's hardly anything there anymore. We look over the ride costs--3 tickets, 2 tickets, 4 tickets. Ok, I am thinking probably a dollar or so per ride, right? WRONG....oh, so wrong. ONE TICKET = ONE DOLLAR. Yeah, you read that right. We basically could go to Six Flags and have a much better experience than the fair. So, I ever so carefully squeezed the cash out of my tightwad hand and gave it to the lady with WAY too much eye shadow who looked at me like I was stupid because I handed her too much money. (I am sure my day was way more stressful than hers. She was actively doing a crossword puzzle. What I would give for five minutes of crossword puzzle time at a fair!!) Straightforward Son was able to ride about 5 rides. I rode two with him and Straightforward Dad rode one. (He--SD--gets nervous on fair rides. The loose bolts and people welding on site to keep things from falling down--seriously we saw that--add that needed danger to my day.) So that's a total of 8 rides on something. Yeah, we really got our ride on. After a few rides, he begs to play a game. We say, ok, because we have some tickets left. I stay back with the Straightforward Baby (our 5 month old) as Straightforward Dad talks with the attendant. We had four tickets left and he tells me we need five tickets. Well, I just go and get $5.00 worth so he can possibly ride one more ride with the left over tickets. She then explains that she doesn't take tickets, only cash. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It costs $5.00 to play this game with a barely inflated tube, a couple of soccer balls, a baseball and a football? KILL ME NOW! Straightforward Son was already kicking the balls around so we went with it. (Please understand this was his first--and most likely his last--trip to the fair.) He won a stuffed animal that had a price tag of a $1.99 on it (literally) and the sharpest piece of metal stuck in his back to hang him on the fence I have ever seen (literally--she didn't bother to take that out as she saw him hugging it for a quick photo). He was happy as a boy with a stuffed, overpriced turtle could be. Straightforward Dad and I had to laugh....it was just one of those moments. Straightforward Baby was pretty cheap. He just enjoyed the lights and sounds he saw from the stroller.

The best part of the whole entire night was the petting zoo area. They were from Hartwell and had a great little variety of animals that we had to visit when we arrived and before we left. Straightforward Son enjoyed the monkey while I cooed over the little kangaroo. Then the monkey grabbed the kangaroo's hands through the fence and started crushing him against the fence (they were in separate cages). It was strange, and needless to say, Straightforward Son and I moved on. But, overall he loved the llama, camels, tortoises, and all the other animals they had on display.

So, maybe my memories aren't the one's my boys should have! I admit it. I tend to go overboard trying to make sure they get to love everything I loved and do what I did. Don't get me wrong. I did some great things and had a lot of fun growing up (thanks to an amazing family). However, there are some things they should remember that are bigger than fairs, shows, monkeys, and big slides. I want my boys to remember how much their family loved God--and them. I want them to remember Straightforward Mom and Dad sneaking kisses and hugs at lunch time. I want them to remember how excited we were to go to church on Sunday. Does this Straightforward Family always do those things? I wish.....however, this blog post makes me want to do them more. It makes me want to try harder to make memories that don't involve everything I love, but making ones that they will cherish. I want them to have memories that have eternal value. And I thought doing this wouldn't teach me anything! :)