we went to the fair

When it's autumn here on the North Shore, it's time to go to the fair.  And despite the fact that the fair is nearly mandatory attendance if you live in our area, last year was the first time I ever went, and this year was Nathan's turn to be a first-timer.

The girls were super thrilled about going.

No, really.  Contrary to appearances.

{And we got to put our Craigslist-freebie Phil & Ted's double stroller to the test.  The verdict?  Not bad for free.}

Nell got to ride on the Ferris Wheel with her Daddy!

And the merry-go-round with her Mama, too.

No rides for little miss Ree yet, but she didn't seem to mind.

Of course, the main draw of the fair, in Nathan's opinion, is the food.  He opted for corn dogs and such, while Nell and I shared a baked potato.

If you choose the 'healthiest' of the fair food options, that entitles you to ice cream later, right?

In the end, a good time was had by all.

Overall, the Topsfield Fair is more... commercialized, I guess, than I remember my childhood fair experiences being.  But we were glad we went, and as Nathan said, "It's a pretty good way to blow through $100 in a day if that's what you want to do."

If you're in New England while the Topsfield Fair is running, you should definitely go, if you can make it on a weekday morning like we did.  I hear the weekends are waaay too crazy!

***

Oh, and P.S.: A little throwback to last year's fair.  I was a couple months pregnant with Marie {dosed up on Zofran, of course, and having a rare good day!}, and Nell was a 17-month-old.  What a difference a year makes!