Fun Fair

Tonight was the Fun Fair at Red's school. Fun Fair...sounds like fun...right?

I've already admitted to being an ambitious volunteer that later rejects the fact that she volunteered. Well, tonight was no exception. First, I volunteered to help out from 6:30 to 7:30 with one of the games...no biggie. The fair was from 5:30 to 8:30 so that meant we could get there around 6-ish, I'd walk around with Red then she'd get to run around playing games by herself for a while, then I'd be done and we could leave. Then they sent out an email listing all the help they STILL needed. So, I signed up to bring a cake for the cake walk - I can bake a cake, but it comes out of a box that says Pillsbury or Betty Crocker on it. And then I signed up to help from 7:30 to 8:30 at the Redemption center. I knew that last one was a bad idea as soon as I did it. I should've stuck with the cake and the one game and felt that I did my good deed as a parent.

But instead, I signed up and now had THREE responsibilities for the Fun Fair. (Mistake #1)

Since the cake had to be there at 5:30-ish, we got there just before 5:30. Red and I wandered about for a little bit and then she decided to start playing the games. I bought her 25 tickets and most games took 2 tickets and a few took 4 tickets. I knew 25 tickets wouldn't last long so I gave her another $4 plus she had her own money. (Mistake #2 - giving her all her tickets/cash at once, I should've bought more tickets - 50 or 75 - and given her so many per hour.) By 6:30 when I had to start helping with the dart throw she had used all 25 tickets and probably about half her money.

She showed up in the classroom I was in at about 7:05 all out of tickets and money. At this point, there was still an hour & a half before we'd be able to leave and she had nothing to do. So she hung out in the dart throw room with me and when we had no line we'd let her get in line and throw the darts for free, but she wouldn't get any tokens obviously.

At 7:30 we left that room and reported to the Library for the redemption center where Red exchanged her tokens for a pretty nifty lamp. Then she collapsed in a chair (at 7:35) and began to wait for me to be done. So I called her over to the table, gave her my digital camera and said go run around the take pictures of your friends. Well, that kept her entertained for the rest of the time. In fact, she didn't even show up back in the library when she was supposed to be there (8:30pm). I was getting a little worried when she showed up. She was on her way back to the library when she had to run (literally) to the bathroom.

I've learned a few things for the next time there is an event like Fun Fair. Only sign up to work for 1 hour. Do not plan to be there for anymore than 2 hours - if even that. Buy more of the cheaper pre-sale tickets. Give out a few tickets at a time at certain pre-determined intervals.