A Trip to the State Fair of Texas

We aren't really "fair" people in our family. Arsen and I both like the fair, but it's never been something we absolutely must do every year. Some people around here seem to take it super seriously. Is that the case everywhere, or is that just a Texas thing?

Anyway, kind of on a whim, Arsen suggested that we take the day last Friday and go. The State Fair of Texas is in Dallas, and it's just about a 30 minute drive from our house. So Friday morning we got up and got everything ready (everything takes a billion times longer with a baby!) and ventured out to the fairgrounds.

The weather on Friday was pretty chilly, which I was happy about because the last time we went a few years back I was sweating the entire day. Which I hate. So we bundled Grayson up in his stroller and made the trek into the fair.

As soon as we got in the gate, this lady came up to me and asked if we had tickets yet. When I said no, she handed us two and said to take them. She and her son couldn't find anyone who wanted to come that day, so they had extras. Umm, ok! Definitely a good start to the day. Arsen said that meant we had to pay it forward, which is exactly why I love that guy :)

The main attraction for us is the food, because neither of us trust the safety of fair rides. The first thing we tried was the fried Thanksgiving dinner and OMG was it good. It was basically two huge fried balls of stuffing and turkey and I'm not sure what else, served with little dipping sauces of gravy and cranberry sauce. SO good. Then we got a turkey leg...which I could have done without. I'd never had one so I wanted to try it, but after a few bites I was over it. It was so hard to eat, and honestly anytime I eat meat off the bone it makes me a little sick because I'm faced with the reality of what I'm eating. I think I toe the line of becoming a full fledged vegetarian sometimes, so I just couldn't deal with it.

Around the time we sat down to give Grayson his bottle it started pouring! Luckily we brought an umbrella and happened to be standing next to a covered area, so we avoided getting soaked, but it definitely made things a bit more chilly for awhile. We continued to walk around and just take in the sights, and I kept kneeling down by G's stroller to check on him every few minutes. He was totally fine and even seemed to enjoy watching all the crowds.

We made a stop for some yummy pork tacos after a bit, and then sat down by a fountain to rest for a few minutes. We got Grayson out of his stroller and he had a blast watching the water.

After that I wanted to find the little petting zoo area to see if he reacted to it at all. He's obsessed with Addie, but I've never seen him react at all to other animals. Well, that was a mistake. They won't let you take your stroller in, so Arsen stayed outside with it while I took G in. We walked around and looked in at all the animals for about five minutes, and it just made me so sad. All these poor little animals just laying around in a cage being gawked at by strangers. It's crazy how different things are through adult eyes. Ugh, I just couldn't handle it. Grayson didn't react at all (it was nap time) so we got the heck outta there.

After that it was time to go, but we had one last thing to get. On the way in I saw a sign for RED VELVET FUNNEL CAKE. Are you kidding me? Two of my very most favorite things mashed up into one glorious creation? I had to have it. So I did. In all honesty it didn't taste all that different than regular funnel cake, but I mean, funnel cake is amazing so who cares.

All in all it was pretty much a wonderful day. It's crazy how much more fun every little thing is when you include a baby. Much more difficult of course, what with the strollers and diaper bags and feedings and whatnot, but more enjoyable still. I'm hoping we can make this trip to the fair a yearly thing. I know the older Grayson gets the more fun it will be for him (and us I'm sure) from year to year.