I didn’t mention a word about the Decatur County Fair to Amelia until the day it started. Had I told her the fair was coming a week early, my little girl’s eyes would’ve have lit up, and my wife and I would have endured a week of constant demands to go to the fair.

On Friday morning, I told her to be good while I was at work because we were going to the ‘Big Country Fair’ that night. I was right, her eyes grew wide, and she skipped from room to room declaring “We’re going to the fair tonight. I’m going to ride the merry-go-round.” It was her favorite ride last year, and I was surprised that a year later she still associated the county fair with this whimsical, easy-going ride.

When the time came we all piled in the car. Amelia was a ball of excitement, chattering the whole way about her favorite ride and telling me to drive faster. For Finn, it was the first fair, and although he was a little fussy on the way there, he was happy to go anywhere. He may be too small for a lot of the rides, but our little man is a people watcher, and the fair offers plenty of opportunities to observe the strange, new and wondrous sights.

When we arrived, the carnival was in full swing. The rides were whirring and buzzing, lights flashing, all promising fun and good times. Both Amelia and Finn were riding in the double stroller, and as we crossed the road and entered the fairgrounds, Finn’s head was twisting this way and that, eyes focused intently on nothing in particular. It was sensory overload, and Finn absorbed every passing moment with glee and interest. As soon as we rounded the corner by the Community Building, Amelia spotted it. She nearly leapt from her seat, in which she was thankfully strapped, and exclaimed, “The merry-go-round.” Then it was followed by an endless mantra of “Can I ride it? Can I ride it?” We pulled to a stop and got her out, and I took her on the first of what would be thousands of revolutions around the fair compliments of the merry-go-round.

She eagerly handed the nice man her tickets, and we raced to her old horse, the one she was fond of last year, on the outside right behind the benches. As soon as I sat her on the seat, she clasped the bar and reached down and patted her carousel steed on the mane.

“Hello, horse. You’re a good boy.”

We waited for the ride to start, that familiar buzzer that signaled the revolutions were about to begin. Just before it began, she recognized the song playing on the ride - “It’s a Small World” - and began singing softly along with the sweetest smile on her face. As the ride began to move, she let the soft breeze blow past her and a look of complete contentment and freedom washed over her. There is nothing better in life than a summer evening on a merry-go-round, slowly spinning as the world goes languidly floating by.

When the ride was over, I expected a fight. Not this time, however. That would come at the end of the night, and the next couple of days. Instead, she was set on exploring all the fun she could find.

She rushed ahead of us, peeking at rides and marveling at different things. There was the roller coaster, the Crazy Bus, the Fun Slide, the helicopters, the fun houses and the Dizzy Dragons (which Finn accompanied us on) to try. It was a quick whirlwind through the fair rides.

Here is a point of contention with me, my beef with Luehr’s. We purchased two advanced sheets of tickets, 32 in total. We went through them in no time partly because they force the parents to pay tickets for each ride. If the kids were older and able to ride by themselves, I could see charging the parents, but with small children, it’s ridiculous. I or my wife have to ride with our kids, which means it’s four tickets per ride, or six if Finn goes or eight if we all go. It’s a rip-off really for the money you pay. Our tickets lasted about an hour, and that’s just because we stalled Amelia. We have now gone through five sheets in four trips to the fair rides.

I wish Luehr’s, like most companies at most county fairs, offered a ride wrist band. Maybe you could pay like $60 to $100 for unlimited rides. Just an idea.

I guess it’s the price you pay for your child’s enjoyment.

We ended Friday evening with four straight rides on the merry-go-round. Finn went around once, but he was more concerned about the people and his balloon than the ride. Ticketless and with darkness descending, we had no choice but to leave the fair kicking and screaming.

That night, however, she was holding onto memories from the day. Just before she fell asleep, she told mommy her favorite part of the day was climbing the stairs to the slide with daddy. Yeah, it’s worth it.

Rides weren’t the only source of fun. They also enjoyed the Barnyard Buddies petting zoo. Finn was very excited about the little barrow pig until it bit him on the fingers. No harm, no foul, but Finn cried like the world was ending. Amelia liked the baby chicks, and, on Sunday when just she and I went out during the late morning, she loved feeding the little horse and talking to the baby goats. One of them was sleeping in its food bowl, and she thought it was hilarious. “Silly goat, that’s where you eat,” she said with a smile.