Clear Lake Days

Once a year, every June, the carnival comes to our town. It's a big event. There are yard sales everywhere. Craft sales. Parades. All kinds of stuff. It's also an extreme rip off to ride the rides. We go on bracelet day so our wallets hurt a little less, but at $16 a pop, it's still pricey. Especially when you have to buy 2. Soon, we'll have to buy 3....Owwww.....

This year we headed out early to check out some yard sales, hoping we could find some clothes for the kids or some other interesting find. There wasn't a whole lot. I found a boppy for my friend for her new baby for $2, but that was about it.

At 12:30, we headed to meet David's sister at the carnival. We had lunch. Some hot dogs and the thing David waits all year for, fried cheese curds. They were giving out free ice cream. The small ones were all over that.

We got in line just before bracelet time. The line was long. Grayson was not impressed.

We eventually got the bracelets and took Claire and Ethan over to get on a ride. Claire, however, was not into it this year. She literally screamed her way off of EVERY ride we put her on. They stopped them and David took her off. So, Ethan did lots of this.

And Claire did lots of this.

And lots of this.

We were lucky though. I went to the ticket booth and explained the situation. They were very nice and gave me scissors to cut the bracelet off with and refunded our money. It was weird, because Claire LOVED it last year. She couldn't get enough rides. I guess there is always next year.

David and his sister ended up leaving early. David took Grayson home, while I stayed with Claire and Ethan to let Ethan finish up his time on the wristband. They're only good for 3 hours. Claire and I watched Ethan ride the ferris wheel.

While we played in the grass.

When wristband time was over, we walked home talking about our time at the carnival. Ethan talked nonstop about next year and all the fun he had and how he couldn't wait until our annual birthday trip to Mall Of America for his and David's birthday week.

It was a long day, and it really tired all of us out. Even Grayson, who didn't walk the entire time we were there, but managed to welcome me home to this.

I can't wait to see his reaction to rides next year. Hopefully it won't be anything like Claire's.