An apology to the fine people at the Knox County Fair

How do you brighten up a whiny toddler's day? Take them to the fair, of course! Which we did a few weeks ago, despite the fact that Noah was running a slight fever. He had responded well to some meds, and the mention of the fair had him perky again.

And if you're a parent of little people, you know that usually a fever can mean a host of things—new tooth, hot day, quick bug, and any number of things. When it's low, and your kid doesn't have other symptoms, you don't worry too much about it and go about your day. Usually, that mild fever means nothing, and it most definitely doesn't usually mean the advent of Hand, Foot & Mouth disease.

That's why it was a particular bummer that we discovered two days post-fair adventure that Noah had a faint rash... on his palms, his feet and one mouth sore to go with it. Yep...Hand, Foot & Mouth. Though Noah certainly didn't hug, wrestle or swap spit with any other kids at the fair, I have worried since that we may have shared our misfortune with the visitors of the fair. Bugger.

Thankfully, it was a very mild case, and it didn't slow down our guy much at all.

Not on the train...

Or the carousel...

The petting zoo...

Or the cool new bungee jump ride that stiffs parents out of an EXTRA $5, but you simply can't pass on it (because if I were smaller, I would do it too!).


And on a totally unrelated note, this fair has a "figure eight bus racing" event. It was absolutely hilarious to watch school buses bang and crash their way around the grandstand arena. I was riveted... for at least three minutes. And, hey, it's a good way to recycle buses, no?


As a post-script: the HFM is all better. Even though I discovered it just a few days before we parted for Myrtle Beach, it was nearly healed by the time we piled out of the truck in South Carolina. Vacation saved (and hopefully, no one else's was ruined!).