Isaac's first roller coaster ride

As part of our new O'Neal Commandment, "Thou shalt get Out and About in the Summertime", Dada and I took the babies to a fair the next county over in Maryland. This particular county has a reputation for being glorious in its hilljackery -- perhaps as much if not more so than certain counties in Indiana because there are actual hills here. The county fair did not disappoint with its good, clean, farmin' fun. For example? Our trip from the parking lot to the fair proper was via tractor trailer:



Our chauffeur:


We took in a bit of a rodeo, including the beginning where a trio of smoking hot teenaged country girls in sparkly costumes sang the national anthem in the vein of the Dixie Chicks. The babies enjoyed the part that involved horses parading near us, but were a little bewildered as to why those guys in the cowboy hats would get on these crazy bucking horses and cows. Actually, the best part of it all was the animals, because this fair, like all good county fairs, had a strong 4-H contingent, with lots of lots of beautiful livestock on show in clean barns that smelled like fresh hay. The animals were all being kept by teenagers, who let Isaac and Jacob pet as many sheep and cows as their little junior-farm-boy hearts desired. My boys, they are pure-blooded Hoosiers, after all.

Another scheduled attraction? "Masters of the Chainsaw":


The boys also tried their first taste of county fair eats at our behests; I got cotton candy and Dada got funnel cake. They both adored funnel cake and, because they are broken, absolutely hated my cotton candy. It was even blue! I don't know about those kids.

I am a freak when it comes to roller coasters, so you can imagine the highlight for me was when Isaac pointed at the "Dragon Wagon" and told me, "I want to ride that roller coaster!" It cost me six dollars to ride this bitty thing for two minutes with my son, but it was worth it. For me. Everything was totally cool for our first lap around the track, see?


(and Isaac was even there, I have proof, see him in this blurry picture?)


After the first lap, Isaac told me he was ready to get off. I explained that we couldn't and had to wait until it stopped, and, though he repeated to me a few times his desire to pull the lap bar off and make a run for it, he never got fussy about it or said he was scared, so I was pretty proud of him. I can be patient and pull him to the coaster dark side in a few years.