Fairs, and Rides, and Carnies, Oh My!

So, this last week was the Lemhi County Fair. There is not a lot to the Lemhi County Fair, but what I like about it is that it is free and it is not crowded and you know most of the people that enter stuff into the fair. We went just about everyday to the fair for the following reasons 1. the food 2. the animals and 3. it is something different than the everyday in Salmon. We all had so much fun petting the animals. Claire's extent of petting the animals is poking them on the top of the head just once and then giggling. She was a little leary of the sheep for some reason and bored with the cows. She was just plain scared of the pigs. I couldn't even get her to poke them on the belly. She did find the pigs' bum bums quite hilarious though. All was good until we headed in the direction of the carnival. I thought it would be great fun to let her go on some kid rides. I have never enjoyed the carnival. I don't trust the rides or the sexy carnies. Anything that folds up and drives away and is operated by someone who may have not finished the 3rd grade is not safe to go on in my opinion. So I decided to try my child out on them. I sat Claire in one of the fish cars and she started to cry. So, I went and got her. The operator let her see what the ride does and she still didn't want to go on it. They had a miniature roller coaster that parents could ride too. So I thought maybe she will go on it if I'm with her. As soon as we got in the car she started screaming, "I WANT TO GO HOME!" I thought as soon as it starts going she will have a lot of fun. So, I told the operator to go once around the track. Let me tell you...my life flashed before my eyes as soon as the ride started going. It was so loud and rickety that I thought for sure we had met our demise. Claire was bouncing around like a rag doll in the car so I was her only source of restraint. When I would look at her face I could see her mouth wide open but no sound because the ride was so loud. When we came to a screaching halt Claire was still screaming with big ole tears streaming down her face and I too said, "I want to go home." I remember when I was younger that I hated people trying to get me to do something that I didn't want to do, so I have learned my lesson not to do that to others. I felt so bad that I made her go on that ride. I am now taking her to see a psychiatrist to help her work through her emotions.