In early October, we snuck in our second-ever visit to the Texas State Fair. We’d have liked to wait for cooler weather, but it just wasn’t an option this year. I kid you not, on both Saturday and Sunday, it was 100 degrees outside. I had spent most of the summer reminding Sean that we hadn’t turned on our sprinklers till July, that we hadn’t had that many 100-degree days, that for Texas this summer really wasn’t so bad. Well, I take back all the nice things I’ve said. Our September felt like a second August that happened to bleed over into October. It was horrible.

Sweating amongst the fall pumpkins at the Dallas Arboretum

We thought we’d do the fair on Saturday and then visit the Dallas Arboretum on Sunday morning. After circling the entire fairgrounds and finding zero parking (at least none that wasn’t in some dude’s driveway or in some business’s lot), we decided to reverse our plans. And that is how we found ourselves wandering the incredible grounds of the Dallas Arboretum, fully bedecked in its fall finery, on a sweltering October afternoon.

The sheer quantity of pumpkins and gourds was staggering, the colorful variety providing a beautiful autumn palette that clashed mightily with the sweat rolling down our faces. The theme was, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” and the sculptures, topiaries, and pumpkin buildings did not disappoint. We spent a good amount of time in the area running through mazes, hiding in pumpkin-festooned fields, and pretending to play Schroeder’s piano. We ventured beyond the fall festivities as well. The Children’s Garden in particular was really fun for both kids and grown-ups.

Knowing how hot it was going to be, Sean had made sure to find a hotel with a pool, and I think we were all looking forward to being in the nice cool water after that blistering afternoon walk through the gardens. Alas, that hotel pool was *really* cold. Maya, being Maya, didn’t care at all. Ian on the other hand had bluish lips and a distinct chatter when he told us over and over again he wanted to keep swimming. We thought we might warm up a bit in the hot tub, but wrong again! It was so hot that none of us were willing to actually get in it. Oh well, the swim was refreshing and the kids seemed to have a lot of fun.

Maya is right up front. Ian and I are about four cars back.

We got to Fair Park the next morning right as things started opening up. Last year, we had learned that the kids’ favorite part had been the rides, so we tried to front-load our visit with those activities before the lines got too long. Sean was collecting some data on how well the kids tolerated various kinds of rides in preparation for our spring break trip to Disney World. At least back in October, Ian was unsure about rollercoasters that moved at any pace beyond a pleasant chug. Maya (surprise) was all in, even daring to ride by herself on one of them.

Maya and Ian had fun going through the children’s farm exhibit. They got to put on aprons and pretend to be farmers for a little while. We visited lots of different animas and fed many of them. We even got to see a kangaroo with a little joey in its pouch. A lot of the animals looked stressed or just plain miserable. It could be that a pen at the state fair is not their favorite place to be.

Texas Longhorn – ready to gore the less than diligent fair patron

Naturally, we partook of a few of the deep-fried delicacies on offer. Our favorite was the fried fettuccini alfredo. Another standout was some kind of “burnt ends” enchilada / taco situation. The kids had (sigh) chicken fingers. After a run through to play a few games and to ride just a couple more rides, we loaded up in the car and made the long and somewhat sweaty drive back to Austin.

Maya skating

Not long after the fair, the kids had skate night at the local rink. I don’t know how to skate, so I watched as Sean took the kids out in turns to tool around the rink with their “skate mates.” Not wanting to miss out the next time we had a skate night, on our next date night, I requested that we go back so Sean could teach me. By the end of the night, I could haltingly make it around the rink, but of course this wasn’t achieved without a few falls. On the way home, my right wrist was hurting a bit, but I assumed I had just sprained it and went on my merry way.

Ian skating

When it had swollen noticeably and started to turn weird colors, I thought maybe an x-ray was in order. Sure enough, I had fractured a bone in my wrist (to this day, I cannot tell you which one). The first doctor I saw at the urgent care clinic was jovial enough about the whole thing. At one point, I shrugged and said something like, “They tried to tell me not to reach my arms out if I fell backward, but i just couldn’t avoid it.” She explained to me that probably my body was reacting whether I wanted it to or not. It happens so often, in fact, that they have a name for it: FOOSH or Falling On OutStretched Hands.

I didn’t ever have to wear a cast, just a brace, but it was my right wrist that I’d broken and I am right-handed, so our whole world had to slow down for a while. The first brace I wore (only for a few days, thankfully) actually immobilized my thumb. I have a cushy desk job, and I still found it nearly impossible to work like that. In our current January timeframe, I am brace-free but far from pain-free. The orthopedist warned me it could be six months or a year till my arm felt normal again, so I’m trying not to worry.

Ian – Fall 2019 – Age 4

During October, each kid had their school photos made. Maya still struggles with making the fake smile for a yearbook photo look natural, but I think she did a passable job this year. Plus she was super proud of her fancy dress. Ian is Ian and just can’t help but look cute in his photos.

Maya – Fall 2019 – Age 6

We ended the month with Halloween. Maya and Ian had had their costumes chosen for weeks (in Maya’s case, months), and bonus: I was able to order them from Amazon! The legs in Ian’s wound up being vastly too long. With my dumb broken wrist, I was unable to alter them, and when I suggested that we just cut off the feet (and a few inches of leg), I was met with two teary eyes and a big quivering lip, so I was essentially forced to come up with a solution. Luckily, a friend was able to make the alterations quickly. Unluckily, that friend was sick and wound up sewing the feet on backward. Whoops! The kids thought it was a total crack-up. I was thinking it was still ok; I could find a professional to just turn the feet around. I had plenty of time before actual trick or treating. Unfortunately, Ian wanted to wear his costume to his fall carnival, which was a few days earlier. We were fortunate to find one kind-hearted seamstress who rushed us in and got his costume fixed.

Ian at his carnival

We had amazing weather for the Saturday that featured both the fall carnival at Ian’s preschool and Dolphin Fest at Maya’s elementary school. At the carnival, Maya and Ian met reptiles, got their faces painted and hair colored, and they bounce-bounce-bounced through castles and slides and obstacle courses. At Dolphin Fest, they played games and redeemed their tickets for prizes.

Maya, at Ian’s carnival

Anna and the kids drew the jack-o-lanterns. Maya wanted a scary one and Ian wanted a happy one. Thanks to my dumb broken wrist, I didn’t really get to participate at all. Sean wound up gutting and carving the pumpkins for a change.

These two!

On Halloween night, poor Maya came home from school feeling headachy and nauseated. She managed to pull it together though for about an hour of trick-or-treating. A surprise package from Grammy and Grandpa supplied them with glow-in-the-dark swords for our perilous journey through the suburbs of Austin. Maya and Ian pulled in a giant haul of candy and seemed to have a lot of fun complimenting the neighbors on their beautiful houses. Next year though, we’ll have to have a talk about waiting outside on the doorstep instead of wandering right on in to people’s living rooms.