MARK MY WORD: MIDWAY RIDES MEAN THE FAIR ISN'T JUST FAIR; IT'S GREAT

There's nothing like a spinning berry to make a kid happy.

There's nothing like the SEMO District Fair. Just ask our kids.

They loved it. Our oldest daughter, 5-year-old Becca, probably would have camped out at the fairgrounds if we would have let her.

Although not yet 2, daughter Bailey also found plenty to like about the fair.

That's not surprising. At her age, you can't help but like a place that gives you a Golden book and a diaper change.

About the only thing she didn't like was the truck pull, with its excruciatingly loud engines.

We didn't attend the event, we just felt all that rumbling sound.

Becca and Bailey both loved the animals, particularly the horses and mules.

I think kids relate well to mules. Both can be stubborn.

Becca loved the ponies, and we weren't even at the track. She enjoyed riding in circles on their backs.

Bailey, however, was alarmed by the activity. She was clearly worried that the ponies would eat Becca and leave her as an only child.

But Bailey wasn't worried at all about watching her older sister spin around on those speedy, gravity-defying carnival rides.

The Midway seems forever stuck on the spin cycle.

During fair week, our newspaper enlisted the services of a Southeast Missouri State University physics professor to explain the scientific principles behind the carnival rides.

Becca could care less about scientific principles. She just likes living on the edge of her seat as the Yo-Yo swing whirls her around and around.

You worry about a ride like this. What goes up, must come down.

As parents, you just hope your kids return to Earth by bedtime.

Becca loved the dragon and alligator roller coasters, which are perfect for adventurous 5-year-olds.

She liked the spinning berries too.

A sign in front of the Berry Go Round warns the public that those persons with alcohol or drug problems shouldn't get on the ride.

The ride, however, is perfect for giddy kindergarteners. They come away from the ride with those strangely, happy faces.

You have to wonder if there are aliens at work here.

All this fair fun costs money. But at their ages, Becca and Bailey don't have a clue about that.

When you have two children in tow, it doesn't take long to spend all your money on carnival rides and cotton candy.

Becca and Bailey love cotton candy. It's sweet and sticky, and requires mom and dad to get out the Wet Wipes. As a kid, what more do you want?

My wife, Joni, loves the fair as much as the kids.

"You see all kinds of interesting people," she says.

The interesting people this year included the fair-goer who wore a skirt made out of men's ties.

You have to wonder, will she tie the knot?

As parents, you can only take so much fun. Then, you have to go home and rest.

~Mark Bliss is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.