Rough Day

Last night we took the kids to the Big "E". Dylan has been anticipating this trip since last year. We saw Hilby, The German juggler who made quite the impression on him and he couldn't wait to see him again. He looks forward to catching bead necklaces at the Mardi Gras parade, going down the big yellow slide and his one corn dog of the year.

The rain held out all day until it was time for us to head to the fair. We warned him of the possibility of everything being closed due to the rain but he insisted he still wanted to go. So we went!

We arrived dressed in our raincoats and dawning umbrellas but our spirits were still high as we purchased our tickets. We noticed that the rides were not going but held at hope that they simply turned the big yellow slide with burlap sacks into a water slide. That was not the case.

So we filled Dylan up with corn dogs, baked potatoes and ice cream to keep him happy. As we approached the stage of the German juggler, we knew bad news was coming our way. The stage was filled with puddles that would be dangerous for Hilby to ride his unicycle while juggling things that were lit on fire, so the show was canceled. Luckily, Hilby stopped by on his unicycle and Dylan got to meet him and take a magnet home as a souvenir.

The lady at the gate assured us that the parade would go on rain or shine. So 1 out of the 3 wasn't horrible. Dylan still seemed to be having fun despite all the mishaps. We had just enough time to walk around and look at all the useless gadgets people buy before the parade started.

After escaping all the pushy salesmen, we started in the direction of the parade. A policeman randomly asked Dylan if he wanted a beaded necklace. To which I replied: "No thanks, we are going to catch our own at the parade." To which he replied: "The parade already went by."

I looked at John, he looked at me and we sprinted while dodging people with the stroller to where we thought we might be able to catch the end of the parade. We found all the floats parked in the back lot, waiting to be put away. Dylan got to look at them as we passed by. I saw a woman with a bag of necklaces, explained the situation and she was kind enough to give the kids a few.

With big puppy dog eyes, brimming with tears, Dylan looked up at us and said: "I had a rough day!"

My heart broke for him. I was so proud of him for handling it so well. There was no emotional meltdown or screaming fit. He just knew he had a rough day and I let him know it was ok to cry about it.

But in the end, he was able to look at the bright side. The rides were closed, but he did get to go through a fun house. He ate enough junk food to last him until next year. He was bringing home Mardi Gras beads even if he wasn't able to catch them himself. And best of all, we had a magnet of Hilby, The German Juggler to hang on our fridge!!! Really, what more could you ask for!