Parish Carnival 2017

The children worked extra hard for four weeks to earn money for their much-anticipated annual parish carnival this year!

We experienced our own little carnival miracle this year. A transformer blew immediately outside of the parish parking lot the night before the carnival, knocking out power to the entire neighborhood overnight and through the next day. When we arrived, the road on that side of the church was shut down and workers were trying to fix the transformer. The only place that retained power was our parish buildings and the parking lot--but not our actual church where Mass is held--so our carnival went on uninterrupted!

Now we need two double strollers to maneuver our way through the event.

Being that one kid who is not yet brave enough to go on the Big Swings . . .

Last year, I took the children on the Ferris wheel . . . this year, Chris drew the short straw. Neither of us is a big fan of being that high up on such a rickety device.

Josey got to the top of the big inflated slide and froze in terror, so sister Mary had to go bring him bodily down.

Josey did a lot better on the smaller inflatable slide for little tots. Unfortunately, Thomas (2) climbed to the top of the small slide and freaked out, so I had to ask an 8-year-old friend of ours to tackle Thomas and slide him down to safety, even if he cried . . . poor little guy!

John came home with the first pets we've had since we sent my beloved cat Missy away to her retirement home because I could no longer care for a cat and three little children.

Guess where carnival goldfish come from? The nearest PetSmart to our parish donated them all to the carnival! When Chris showed up at PetSmart after the carnival, there were other carnival-goers milling about holding their new goldfish, about to shell out $50 or twice that on goldfish supplies. It's a diabolical plot!

Now I've been campaigning for a kitten from our friend's homestead, and instead we get two goldfish. All I'm reading about online is that goldfish are supposed to live for decades and grow up to 18 inches and 10 pounds. Why don't goldfish ever grow that long and big? Why are they considered as disposable as paper plates? Because we put the fish in these tiny bowls without enough oxygen exchange or an air filter instead of in a filtered tank with 10 gallons per baby goldfish required.

John is naming his new beloved goldfish and I'm guiltily planning their funerals due to their inevitable upcoming deaths.

I still want a kitten.