This weekend we made our annual pilgrimage to the Illinois State Fair. It’s amazing what they’re dipping in batter and frying these days.

On the way there we saw this incredible rainbow. It was several times as wide as your typical rainbow, but didn’t form a full arc.

In the dairy barn we learned two things:

(1) someone has enough time and extra butter on their hands to create a full size 3D sculpture of a young Lincoln with a cow

(2) It is impossible to get Ian and Kyle looking through the face holes at the same time:

Next, being summer, it was time for a little road construction work:

In the evening we took the boys on some amusement park rides.

The kiddie roller coaster, always a big hit

Ian couldn't wait to drive the cars. Naturally he picked the purple and blue beach buggy that looked like some kind of Scooby Doo nightmare

The boys and I went on the tilt-a-whirl

Katra took Ian on the merry-go-round

Kyle and I went on the big ferris wheel

The highlight of the evening for both boys was the bungee jump. The whole time Kyle and I were in the ferris wheel we were looking down over the bungee jump, and he kept asking to go on it, so we decided to give it a try. They had two versions of this: a full size version for older kids and adults and a small version for young kids. Each one had four separate platforms, so both boys were able to ride at the same time.

First they were strapped in to the harness:

Ian started jumping as soon as we put him up on the cushion. The poor guy could barely get him strapped in.

The people running the ride were very friendly and helpful. They only took the boys as high as they wanted to go (which, after a couple of jumps, was as high as they could go) and even asked us before gently taking Kyle through a flip.

Both Kyle and Ian loved the ride immediately. Ian was laughing and waving as he was flying through the air, to the point where  a small crowd gathered around to watch. Kyle was a little more reserved, but it was clear as soon as he got off that he had loved it.

I can fly!

wheeeeeeeee!!!!!

After the bungee jump, we all went on the giant slide. Katra took Kyle down and I took Ian.