Okay, Now I Get It

Do you see that little hand in front of Brian. It's the little hand attached to the little arm that's linked to the little body that is so determinedly marching up a steep and narrow set of stairs in the midst of total carnival chaos.

That's our girl.

I love this photo. Stella and Brian are climbing the long flight of stairs to reach the top of the giant slide at the local county fair. In order to ride the slide, you must be able to climb the stairs. And nothing is gonna stop the 35 inch Big Kid Scout, right? So up they went. Twice.


Here they are, about to brave the elements...


The thrill has set in big time...

Stella's wings were soaring and flapping with pure joy. (These photos sometimes make her look a little nervous when, in reality, Stella was squealing with blissed out delight.)

This slays me. So fearless and so alive.

Brian and I are not Fair lovers. In fact, we've spent a good part of our adulthood avoiding big rides, greasy food and animals penned up in stinky barns. It's not that we don't appreciate the whole the scene. It's just that the whole scene ain't exactly our scene.

But now I get it. I totally get it.

Brian, Grandpa Harte, Grandma Jannie, Stella and I soaked up all the goodness a Fair has to offer yesterday morning before the heat and crowds hit. I must admit that we had a blast. While we didn't rush back that evening for the Foreigner show - ??? - we laughed our tushes off watching Stella fearlessly tackle the big girl rides for the first time. Oh, and the bunnies were pretty cute too. We realized that attending this kind of gig is actually a whole lot of fun when you're with a kid. Sure, I can see the appeal to a kidless fair. But there's nothing like watching your wee two year old fly down a gigantic slide with a look of fearless joy on her face to make you appreciate the whole deal.

Here Stella contemplates the value of patience. Waiting in line again for a ride that nearly knocked your socks off just moments ago is tough for a two year old. But she handled it with great poise.

Getting to hold your own tickets helps keep things in perspective. (I love how she was so serious as we waited in line. She reminds me a lot of her Papa in that she is a quiet observer at times, examining and observing from afar and then diving in with passion.)

Stella loved riding the carousal with Grandma Jannie. It's so fun to see Stella enjoy her grandparents to enthusiastically.

And we scored big time with the Jalopy Junction ride since Stella is always asking to drive the car these days. It's great to see her be able to enjoy these fantasies with Papa close by and Grandma and Grandpa watching adoringly from the sidelines. Lucky kid.

So thank you, Grandpa Harte and Grandma Jannie, for such a surprisingly delightful morning. What fun.

Stay tuned for a hysterical video of Stella and Brian on the slide...