State Fair Adventure

Well, Here's how my State Fair Adventure started. The kids came home with their free tickets from school, of course ,begging and pleading to go to the fair. Their "sweet" teachers had told them all of the fun things to do and see. Of course, when it comes to the fair, I only think

• money ,money money
• sweaty stinky crowds
• scary oak cliff people trying to get you to park your car in their driveway for $20

So, I tried to say, no, but then I started to have mom guilt. here's what I was thinking with mom guilt

• The whole school district is out of school just for the fair
• we have free tickets
• I had a blast when i was little
• it's a Texas tradition and part of our culture here in Dallas
• they just need to experience it
• I won't spend that much, we will pack snacks and drinks
  

So, I asked if my friends if they were taking their kids, I heard alot of "HELL NO" "HA!!! HA!!" Are you crazy?"
Here was how my day went-

• Packed a lunch and drinks, we were ready and leaving by 9:45
• Picked up Nina's boyfriend at 10:10
• hit the freeway for the fair in Dallas with 3 kids,2 lovebirds and 2 Furby's (yes, Furbys that talk to themselves)
• Make it to Dallas about 11:00, sit on the freeway for 1hr and 30 min,start eating lunch in the car
• Try to find parking- at least 30 min, there was a car smoking next to us, yes,smoking
• pay $10 to park in the hood (it was certified parking)
• Walk to the nearest shuttle about 15 min, wait in shuttle line 20 min
• It's now about 1:30 and we are finally in the fair
• we walked to find the Jonas brothers concert halfway around the fair

Now, The Jonas brothers are on the Disney channel but I didn't think that popular. i was looking for a small stage . jarred was very excited as he didn't think they were the real Jonas brothers. So, We walk upon a crowd of 20,000 screaming girls 10 min before the concert. They were telling them if you don't feel safe, go to the back. There were police on horseback walking from the crowd, hosing them down with water hoses, helicopters swirling,girls being passed over the stage,passing out from heat exhaustion right next to us and we were in the back. Jarred says "Mom, I don't feel safe" i also had my tiny 5 yr old baby girls with me during this, we got the heeeeeeeeelll out. We went to the hall of state museum and we sat down in this beautiful place with a/c and they had their picnic there on the floor (NO FOOD OR BEVERAGES SIGNS ALL AROUND) I have to tell you, this was scary for me. it was crazy, I could only think of the people being stuck at the super dome in New Orleans with their babies. I had a place to take them to retreat to a/c, I had a backpack of food and water. Those people had nothing. Anyways, the scary feeling I had with my kids was only for a little bit, I just thought of Katrina and felt lucky I had those things. So, I learned to stay in the buildings and out of the crowds. Apparently, the crowds yesterday was the same as the Texas/OU day. After the heat of the day subsided, we started to have fun, ride a couple of rides, eat a Fletchers corny dog, see Big Tex, funnel cake. we even got rained on which was refreshing. Seeing my kids on the rides was the best part for me. They weren't fighting, they were happy and their smiles were priceless. We made it home at 10:00 exhausted and sore but it was worth it in the end. My camera died after 3 pictures so here they are. The 2 top ones are the Jonas Brothers concert.
Angie