Sonoma County Fair!

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this year's fair, especially since we got to go with our good friends Kate, Brianne, and Cari. :)

What is not visible in the photo above (taken in the Hall of Flowers, in front of the lighthouse) are some of the behind-the-scenes stories about our day. It's going to sound like I was doing the worst parenting on the planet, but honest, I was five feet away or less for most of these events! Here is a small sampling:

* Thomas took off in the house of mirrors so fast, he kept bonking into the walls. He actually hit one so hard, and going so fast, that he bounced himself backwards and gave himself a good-sized goose egg on his forehead. The "thunk!" was so loud, the carney across the way heard it and came to see if Thomas was okay... which he was, despite a bout of tears. He wanted to keep going, so that tells you something... doesn't it?

* The train ride in the little kids' area slows as it makes the turns, and Thomas decided to take advantage of one of those slowdowns. He unbuckled and dove off before the guy driving the train could do more than look dumbfounded.

* Thomas also adored the Raging River ride in the kiddie area, to the point that he went on it four times. (We had the all day ride wristbands, so that was possible...) One of the loudspeaker announcements said, "You can splash, but don't drink the water!" so of course Thomas promptly ducked down and sucked up a good amount of water. (Sigh.)

* He also got off a roller coaster ride and darted to the entrance, instead of coming out the exit gate. He wasn't confused. He meant to do that, because he had noted the start and stop buttons were right next to the entrance gate. Luckily he pushed the STOP button, not the START. (The moms waiting for their riders gasped and looked horrified. One mom said, "It was like he PLANNED it!" I had Thomas firmly in hand by then, and I ruefully agreed, "Yeah, he probably did." Apologies were accepted.)

* This was the first year that the big girls were big enough for some of the older kid rides, and also the first year that they were too big for some of the little kid rides. I guess that's why they call them  the "Tween Years!"

* This is also the first year we didn't use the stroller as a containment device, but toted our coolers and sweaters on, only. (What will we do when we don't have strollers any more??)

* We pre-orderd our passes (actually, Cari picked them up, because she can actually go into a restaurant or business without someone pulling a fire alarm, but that's another story...) so our all day wristbands for the kids cost $15 each, and we had some entry tickets, too, so we ended up paying just $2 for each big girl. Then there was $5 for parking... but we brought in lunch and waters, so we didn't spend any extra there. That's the fair in less than $40!!

We didn't see any violence or people that made us too uncomfortable (and we have very high "oogie meters," let me tell you), but we also didn't hang out in the big carnival area too much, or too late. I could spend a whole day just people watching the bizarre, odd, and strange folks wandering around, but that's one of my favorite pastimes, anyway! :)

Father Daughter Dance

Each year our Girl Scout Service Unit (yea, SU 7!) puts on a dance for Fathers and Daughters, with a theme, dinner, dancing, games, and a raffle. It is a BIG DEAL, let me tell you! The dads get dressed up, the girls get dressed up... there are hair and nail appointments, and shopping for just the right dress... there are photos taken by a professional photographer, in front of a backdrop and everything. It's like the prom, without the spiked punch.

This year the theme was Dancing with the Stars. Our entire troop went, and one dad (Saint Alex, I must say) organized the girls into a group picture. The photo from last year is in my wallet, and I proudly show it off, telling anyone who will listen that these are "my girls." I can't wait for this year's picture!

Autism Facts

According to www.autismspeaks.org, here are the latest facts regarding autism.

*1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism

*1 in 94 boys are on the autism spectrum

*67 children are diagnosed per day

* A new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes

*More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined.

*Autism costs the nation over $90 billion per year, a figure expected to double in the next decade

*Autism is the fastest growing serious developmental disabilty in the U.S.

*Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases.

*There is no medical detection or cure for autism.

*Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism.