The things we do out of love for our children!
My husband and I were talking one evening and the topic of the county fair came up. It would be coming into town in the next few days and we both agreed it would be fun to take our 3 year old to. We personally had not been since we first started dating over 10 years ago and our son is a little thrill seeker who we knew would love the attractions!
We talked with some friends of ours who have kids the same ages as our own and set a date! Of course we told our kids that we were going to the fair, I used it as a bribe that morning when my son didn’t want to play soccer (yes, I bribe. Sue me.) He was all pumped up and excited to spend the afternoon with his best friend at the fair.
The sun had been shining all day when we were hit with an afternoon storm out of nowhere. Not a complete shocker, its normal weather for Alabama this time of year, but still quite disappointing. It only rained for about 20 minutes and we delayed going to the fair about an hour hoping it would give things time to dry back up. We were wrong. So wrong.
In the entrance line we noticed things were a bit wet, but it didn’t look TOO bad. Once we paid and got inside to the second line for tickets, we noticed a bit more mud and pain puddles. But at this point our little guy was bouncing excited! We couldn’t turn back now! After we got our wrist bands and went further into the fair we realized there was going to be nothing we could do to stay dry. No clear pathways. No dry spots. EVERY INCH of those fairgrounds were covered in ankle deep sludge. Many patrons we saw gave up all together and were going barefoot. My husband and I were grumbling. He was annoyed that he was missing one of the best football games of the season to be there and I was disliking my shoes and socks being completely soaked through.
But you know what? Our son, the reason we were there in the first place, was LOVING IT! The mud and puddles only added to the fun of the day. The fair was a whole new experience for him. The rides, the smells, the sounds and attractions created such excitement. He was creating memories that would stick with him a lifetime.
That’s why we do these things, right? As parents, we are always looking to expose our children to new things, to make them happy, to see them smile. We shouldn’t let small frustrations hinder us from enjoying those special moments with our children. They are only small for so long. Hold on to it. Embrace it. After all, its not just the children making memories to last a lifetime.
