September 23, 2001 - Sunday
The town next door to ours holds an annual town fair every year. We didn't go last year, but thought Harry might like it this time. It was full of the usual booths of businesses and organizations promoting themselves, selling wares, or raising money selling food. It also had a number of live bands playing and horses on hand for pony rides. Harry liked the ponies, and we sat and watched the bands for a while as we tried to eat some lunch. But, somehow the rest of it wasn't to Harry's liking and we ended up leaving before too long.

On the way in we had passed by a town firetruck that was on display. Harry wanted to go inside, of course, and the nice fireman there said we he could. Harry's mother and I thought that it was something better left until the end, since Harry would not want to get out once he was inside. So, on the way away from the fair, we took the fireman up on the chance to put Harry in the driver's seat of the big hook and ladder truck. Sure enough, he had a great time and was not prepared to leave. As we finally extricated Harry from the chair, another young boy who had recently come up hopped him for his turn. Harry complained even louder saying "mine, mine." I tried to tell Harry how nice he was for giving the other boy a turn in the truck, but Harry whined the whole way home and I'd thought they were just words.

But, wouldn't you know, Harry's mother told me that when she was sitting on the stairs with him as he ate his afternoon snack, Harry started saying things like "other boy's turn, Harry nice. No whining." He's learning and he's trying. All things considered, it's a wonderful time.


Comments, opinions?