Bear Paw Festival

Cedric, Blake, and I trecked to Eagle River for the Bear Paw festival yesterday.  The weather was as good as it gets...at least this summer.  It was sunny enough and warm enough for me to wear a tank top.  We even needed sunscreen!  Which is pretty amazing considering how cool and cloudy this summer has been.  

We mainly hit the rides.  Blake rode many new rides this year that he was not adventurous enough nor big enough to try last year.  It's just amazing how quickly a child goes from not being big enough to ride even with a parent chaperon to being able to ride all by themselves.  He even rode the dragon boat ride!  I was so worried he would get scared in the middle of the ride, but he not only didn't get scared, he LIKED IT!  

This is the before picture.  Cedric and Blake and an unknown child get settled in their seat.  I would have rode the ride with Blake, but there was no room for me.  :-)

The following two pictures are mid-ride shots.  They boys were on the end and it really goes high in the air.  I still can't believe Blake liked it.  

Look at Blake's hair go!  And he's still smiling...we'll as much as you can on that ride! 

Another new "ride" that Blake did this year was the Raiders maze and slide.  Cedric showed him the "ropes".   Down the hatch! Blake...ready to take the plunge! A much calmer and traditional, but still very fun ride for the boys.   Here is a closeup of the boys before we all rode the circular ride that goes forward and backward.  I wasn't sure Blake would like it, but he not only liked it, he laughed the whole ride!  He especially liked the backward part.  Blake was so funny and cute.  I couldn't help watching him the whole ride that I was pretty dizzy by the time we got off the ride.   There was a hill near the carnival...so, of course, the boys had to try it out. Rolling rolling rolling....

Running...running...running