Ballwin Days

Saturday night, we headed over to Ballwin Days with some friends.

It was a night of many "firsts" for Evie. We parked in the Target parking lot, and Evie took her first ride on a big, yellow school bus that served as a shuttle to the park. I don't think she fully grasped the school bus thing, but our friend Delyla did. She had a big, proud smile plastered on her face, like "Do you all see what I'm doing??? I'm RIDING on a SCHOOL BUS!"

I adore fair food! The caramel apples, cotton candy, kettle corn and snow cones were calling to me. "Sarah, look over here. I haven't seen you all year. Come and get me!" So, we dug right in. Chris had a corn dog and fries that he claimed he bought because Evie might want some. Evie and I had nachos, full of chili and yummy cheese. Evie is a nacho-lover! She chowed down and somehow managed to stay pretty clean in the process. Our bellies full, we headed over to the rides. (Now that I write this, was that very smart??? Full tummies and rides that shake you up???)

I always think rides at these little fairs are a bit scary. Are they maintained well? Are the operators trained and paying attention? I wasn't sure how Evie would react, but I should have know my dare-devil daughter would hold her own. We rode the carousel first. Evie had never been on one, so I watched her closely for signs of distress. She had a blast! Her hair was blowing, and she was smiling! At the end of the ride, she protested "More!" And we rode again. I believe we could have stayed there all night, but we were on to other things...

The next ride was a test of my bravery as a mother. Chris and Evie rode this ride that spins around and goes UP IN THE AIR! They chose to sit in a little dragon-thing, and buckled in. Evie was okay with the spinning, but was not a fan of the flying part. She did well, though. You could see the fear on her face, but she didn't cry!

We walked around a little more, ate kettle corn and cotton candy (thanks for sharing, Chi!) and ended the night with a train ride. Let me tell you, this train was not built for grown-ups. I squeezed in with her, but that was one LONG train ride.

It was a great first summer fair for Evie. We left for home just as the big crowds were coming in. We'll have stay late for the fireworks for another year.