Did The Puyallup

The Puyallup Fair has come and gone again, just like it has each September of my life. It brings craziness to our local traffic, costs waaaay too much money, and is pretty much the same every year. BUT- it does add to the festive, fun, feeling of fall around here. The excitement of school starting, football games at Sparks, etc. is always connected with The Fair for Puyallupites. I've always had a compulsion to be there. It's part of what I do as a Puyallup Native. It would feel odd not to go- like I didn't do something I was supposed to do, or missed a holiday, or something.


We've had it down to a science for years now. Take all the kids to get their hands stamped before school on opening day (everyone gets in free until 10:00 a.m.) so we can all go back after school. Traditionally, this is the "look at stuff" day for our family. Then the free fair tickets get passed out at school, and we go again on "Fair Day," always the first Wednesday of The Fair. The kids have a half day of school, and Puyallup becomes a mad house. This is the day we buy Dizzy Passes, and ride rides until we drop. Then, when the kids were little, Doug and I would take them home and return for a concert or more shopping/looking at things. As they got older, we'd choose another evening sometime when we could go back and see the things we wanted to see. With an older group who wanted to stay later, Taco Bell, a couple blocks away from the Fair, became our dinner place because it is so much cheaper that buying Fair food for 6. Wherever the kids were with their friends, we'd meet to go to dinner together. Those are the Carlyle Fair traditions.


2010 Fair Experience: Tyler worked as a Concessions Vendor for the Grandstand shows. He was there almost every day of the Fair. We saw very little of him during the Fair. Seminary, school, work, and sleep. That was Tyler's pattern. Opening day wasn't a pull for our family this year. We didn't get the kids' hands stamped. Caleb and Ashley both had soccer practice that night, so they couldn't really go anyway. Doug and I thought about going down... We were actually in the car, headed that direction. But traffic was awful and we decided we just didn't care that much, so we returned home. (And we did have the 4 free tickets Caleb won at the District Science Fair last Spring. Really no need to stamp the hands)


Fair Day began with me making homemade scones and raspberry jam for the family. I didn't want to spend $1.25 for each scone when I could make better ones for less. We indulged during breakfast so our cravings would be satisfied before we ever got there. After school, Sierra went directly to the Fair with some friends, Ashley also went with a friend, and Tyler did something with his friends before he had to go to work. That left us with just Caleb. Doug and I took him down, went through the Petting Zoo, ate an Elephant Ear, and Caleb rode a few rides. The kiddie rides were a major disappointment to Caleb, and truthfully, he looked way too big for them. Thankfully, he was tall enough for the "big rides" this year. Barely. But riding rides without a buddy or brother, or sister isn't a ton of fun. Especially, when it's pouring down rain. He did ride the big Wild Cat coaster. Some Jr High age boys took him under their wings and let him ride in their car. Caleb is the first person I've ever seen who made me understand the term" turned green" or "feeling a little green." He actually had a light green hue when he got off that ride. Poor kid was so scared. Until a couple hours later, when as he told the stories of the day, that became his favorite ride!


Ashley joined us a little before dinnertime, and she and Caleb were able to ride some rides together. But the rain was falling, lines were long, rides were running only partially full due to the rain... This was not a great Fair experience. About 6:00 we presented the kids with an option. "Let's go get some Teriyaki and watch Survivor on TV." Both kids had a one or two more rides they wanted to go on, but agreed that was a good idea. Whew! We did that, and left. I called in our Teriyaki order as we walked to the car, and within 30 minutes we were home, warm, dry, and eating our favorite take-out. Heaven.


Most years we've been trying to coral the kids at 8:30 or 9:00 p.m. because it was a school night, while they are begging for just one more ride, or another half-hour. We were glad Ashley and Caleb embraced our alternate plan, that Tyler could drive himself home when he was finished working, and that Sierra had a ride home with friends.


It wasn't what the "Free Your Glee" (this year's Fair theme) commercials promised when they encouraged the masses to go to the Fair this year, but Teriyaki and an early night, were the perfect ending to a soggy, ho-hum Fair day. :-) And BTW- The kids did say they had a good time. I am totally Fair-ed out. Honestly- I don't care if I go again, though I know I will, because I still have kids. And maybe the Fair traditions are too engrained in me to leave it all behind permanently. I don't know~ We'll see how I feel next year. For now, I am happy to have things back to normal around here!