This has always been one of our busiest weeks of the year. It's Pre-Fair week. Next Sunday (the 19th) we will 
leave for our County Fair and won't return home until the following Monday afternoon. It's a week of fun, friends, food, and fast-paced competitions. But there's a lot of work that leads up to it.
In the past years we've had kids involved in 4-H & FFA. Over the past 10 yrs, our kids have shown in classes for sewing, cooking, woodworking, photography, visual arts, home furnishings, pets, dog obedience, rabbits, bottle lambs, horses & pigs. All the non-animal items are finished the week before the fair (in all honestly, some aren't even started until the week before the fair).
leave for our County Fair and won't return home until the following Monday afternoon. It's a week of fun, friends, food, and fast-paced competitions. But there's a lot of work that leads up to it.In the past years we've had kids involved in 4-H & FFA. Over the past 10 yrs, our kids have shown in classes for sewing, cooking, woodworking, photography, visual arts, home furnishings, pets, dog obedience, rabbits, bottle lambs, horses & pigs. All the non-animal items are finished the week before the fair (in all honestly, some aren't even started until the week before the fair).
They didn't do all of those items each and every year, but for the past several years there have been some sort of projects done, as well as showing rabbits, dogs, horses & pigs.
Oh, and I was a 4-H leader for my kids' club. Which meant this week was busy for me getting paperwork and other things ready for our club, organizing and heading up decorating our clubs booth for at the fair.
AND, I had to make sure the camper was packed and stocked with food for the week and everything was ready to go.
The only thing I was really NOT involved in during "crunch week" was getting things ready for the pigs. Jay took care of that and made sure the kids gave all their show pigs a bath. He made sure the show box was packed with supplies and had feed and bedding packed up and ready.
It's always been a crazy, hectic, stressful week. It's so busy and exhausting.
None are doing any exhibit items (What? No staying up until 3 am finishing them up? LOL)
Plus, last year our girls both ran for County Fair Queen, which adds a whole other element to the craziness 
(interviews, meetings, judgings parades, etc).
(interviews, meetings, judgings parades, etc). Oh, and I was a 4-H leader for my kids' club. Which meant this week was busy for me getting paperwork and other things ready for our club, organizing and heading up decorating our clubs booth for at the fair.
I was also one of the Superintendents for the rabbit project, which meant I helped get all the rabbits checked in (and out) and helped on show day...but there was plenty of work to be done before fair week as well.
AND, I had to make sure the camper was packed and stocked with food for the week and everything was ready to go.
The only thing I was really NOT involved in during "crunch week" was getting things ready for the pigs. Jay took care of that and made sure the kids gave all their show pigs a bath. He made sure the show box was packed with supplies and had feed and bedding packed up and ready.It's always been a crazy, hectic, stressful week. It's so busy and exhausting.
This year is so very different though.....
Our kids are all just in FFA now.
Instead of exhibiting several animals, all 3 are now only showing pigs, so they will only be in the show arena one day, instead of almost every day as in the past.
None are doing any exhibit items (What? No staying up until 3 am finishing them up? LOL)No paperwork to scramble to finish up.
No rabbits, dogs, or horses to groom.
No cages or crates to get ready.
No getting their prom dresses to the cleaners to be cleaned & pressed.
My only "job" is to make sure the camper is stocked with plenty of diet coke, lemonade, water, gatorade and snacks.
It's kind of sad. I have been so used to doing all that, and now....there's no crazy busy days? No stress? How ever will I handle that? hhhhmmmmm........
I'm sure I will think of something. :)
3 comments:
Wow-what a week, even though it's not as complicated as previous years. I get the bittersweetness of life slowing down. You start noticing it in all of these areas that used to keep you so busy your head would spin. In light of your previous posts about how you met your husband and were not into farming, all of these fair details are sort of humorous.
I also understand the sadness when life starts slowing down as our kids get older. But man, I soooo wish I could come to that fair. That sounds like the absolute most fun!!! Almost like something from a movie or a book.
From the looks of the pictures you posted about ways to spend your time before the fair, any one of them looks good to me!
I love county/state fairs. Even tho you're not running around crazy busy this year, there are still plenty of sweet memories ahead. One of these days there will be grandchildren for fairs. Enjoy the "lull" while you have the chance. Blessings, SusanD
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