The Inaugural Post

Well, it seems like the first post should be momentous or something. But I know too well that if I wait for the perfect topic and the perfect words, well... this blog will never get off the ground.

This weekend, we went to the Arizona State Fair. And Boo at the Zoo. And, in the interest of full disclosure, Adam and I went to a high school football game, too. Adam was there working, and I was there meeting his co-workers and watching some (not very good) football. In the interest of avoiding a meltdown, we didn't tell Cael (who, with Colton, was spending Friday night with Nahna and Dahda).

So. The fair. It was fun. We met up with friends and checked out the animals. Cael seems to be overcoming his fear of goats, which started when he got butted by one at the zoo last year. He actually petted a goat with me, but seemed to prefer the very still (though very tall) llama. And after the animal-petting? The rides.

Oh, the rides! In April we did the county fair and Cael had a blast. This time he got to go on several rides and he had his friend Rhian to share them with. Colton? He watched. And napped. I guess the fair isn't that much fun when you're 9 months old. Sorry, Colt. At least you got to pet some animals with your friend Tatum.

Cael and Rhian took turns picking out rides. Two roller coasters, an airplane ride, a 4-wheeler ride, a bumble bee ride, a giant slide, and bumper boats. Yes, as you might expect from a 2 1/2-year old, he got wet. First he stuck a foot in the water while waiting on the platform (Toy Story cowboy boot and all). Then he tried to launch himself off the boat... three times. Atta boy.

We did the ferris wheel, too. The same ferris wheel as in April, because it was the only one Cael was big enough to ride on. And when you're at the top, it looks like you're looking straight across at the top of the big ferris wheel, so everyone was happy. That was the ride that Cael had to call and tell Nana about. "I rode the ferris wheel, Nana!" Awww. My kid is so cute!

Both boys totally conked out and napped hard Saturday afternoon. And then came Sunday. Nahna and I took the boys to Boo at the Zoo while Dahda and Adam recovered from night fishing. While we waited for the Boo at the Zoo festivities to kick off, Cael got to ride the carousel. He picked the dragon, and Colt got to ride on the seal. Colt wasn't talking about his thoughts on his first carousel ride, but I think he really liked watching the gorilla go up and down. Or at least, he enjoyed seeing what he could from under the brim of his giant hat.

Cael was talking, and he loved it. "I'm way up high," he told me on the upstrokes, and alternately, "Colton is way up high!" Cael waved at Nahna and Colton held on surprisingly well (big strong boy!). And when the ride was over, Cael sized up the carousel to decide what animal he would ride on next time. His choice? The shark.

Boo at the Zoo kicked off with a mascot parade featuring (among many others) the Cat in the Hat, Simba, Ronald McDonald, the Water Use it Wisely drop, and the Icee Bear who gave Cael a high-five when he wandered out into the middle of the parade. That's my boy. It also included, for us, a walk past the bighorn sheep (which I actually saw for the first time), the tiger, lions, cheetahs, giraffes, and others.

And although the event went on all day, we were pretty worn out from the fair, so we called it quits after the sing-along. Cael and I had fun singing and dancing. Cael especially liked the song where the audience got to scream on cue, although Colton (who by this time had had enough of the Zoo and had kicked back for a nap) didn't dig the screaming as much. And just as we were nearing the "I don't want to go byebye" meltdown threshold, there was Simba, waiting to give Cael a hug. Thank you, Simba!

All in all, a fun weekend for the Schwartzes.