A fair is a veritable...

...smorgasbord, orgasbord, orgasbord
after the crowds have ceased
Each night when the lights go out
it can be found
on the ground
all around
Oh what a ratly feast!

(I'm not going to identify the song ... but I'll give a prize for the first person to comment with the correct source AND singer of this fave song from my childhood! No cheating ... Google knows everything but I want to know who really remembers!)

Ahh, the fair. I love the fair - the sound of kids squealing, the smell of fried food, the people watching, the exhibits with giant vegetables, the animals, the demonstrations of super absorbent towels - I love it all. Well, I don't love the rides, but there's more than plenty to do at the fair while keeping one's feet firmly planted on the ground.

Last night we loaded up the boys and headed out to see what the state fair has to offer for 2010. I was a little worried about how we'd haul them both around, but it worked out better than I could have dreamed. Luke was (as usual!) more than happy to ride on Derek's chest in the Ergo, and Jay was surprisingly content to view the knees of the other fairgoers from stroller-level. I'm not sure how we'd do it if we decide to have another little one ... I think going to the fair will be quite a challenge when the kids outnumber us.

As you might expect, we ate from one end of the fairgrounds to the other. We considered letting Jay test out the one pound hot dog that was featured in the N&O this year, but we weren't sure his heart could take it. We weren't so concerned about the artery-clogging nature of the pounder, but were quite worried that he'd be so excited about the prospect of eating the world's largest dog that he might go into cardiac arrest. Instead, he chowed down on some roasted corn (probably the only quasi-healthy option in the whole place) and a steak sandwich from the NC Cattleman's booth.

And Luke, whose enormous appetite probably would have allowed him to finish off the much-discussed Krispy Kreme bacon cheeseburger, instead stuck to baby food. But he thoroughly enjoyed his first taste of french fry! None of us were brave enough to taste the KK burger - or more accurately, none of us were willing to spend hours working off the 4000 calories that thing contains.

Even though we do the exact same things every single year, we had a blast. We weighed ourselves at the Department of Weights & Measures, wishing my dear Uncle D was there to crack jokes as we stepped onto the cattle scale. (Jay is up to 33 pounds - back up to his pre-surgery weight!) We examined the tractor display and the antique highway patrol cars. We oooohed and ahhhhhed over the giant pumpkins. We started teaching the boys the difference in a polled hereford and a charolais. (Can ya tell the family vet took us through the animal expo building?!) We sampled peanuts, BBQ sauce, Cheerwine, and hush puppies from the Goodness Grows in NC tent. Even in our non-food pursuits, we were surrounded by food.

But the highlight of the night was when we bought our apple cider and headed over to check out the blacksmith shop. Even Luke woke up from his nap to check out the hammering. Fire + big tools = one seriously happy toddler. I need to get a video of him describing how the man "turns that great big ol' handle and fire goes up that tube-y." Adorable.

All in all, a great time at the fair. But now - can you identify the song lyric inspiration?