on a carousel

Sometime around noon, I decided the weather was way too beautiful outside to waste a day indoors. One of our local parks has a carousel and, for some reason, this park always slips to the back of my mind when I think of things to do with Ethan. He and I set off for the park and he was mesmerized from the instant he saw the carousel with it's flashing lights and cheerful music playing. We paid $5 and received 5 tokens which were good for fives rides on the carousel. I wasn't sure how he would react at first as I nervously sat down with him in one of the carts. I was too nervous to hold him on a horse due to my irrational fear the horse would go higher than I could reach and the carousel would prove to be a deathtrap like I always assumed it really was.

One of us loved the carousel. Hint: It wasn't me.

Aside from being plagued with generally unpleasant motion sickness, I can't stand rides. Something as seemingly tranquil as a carousel makes my teeth chatter with fear. I'm the obligatory bag holder or child watcher at theme parks or fairs while everyone else tries to convince me that the Dumbo ride serves a larger purpose than encouraging you to plummet 5,000 feet to your death.

Ethan, however, adored the ride. He was mesmerized by the flashing lights and sat in awe as he watched the horses in front of him go up and down. He whimpered when the first ride was over and, head spinning, I handed the attendant another token. Okay, we'd do this again. The spinning of the carousel started a cool breeze through our hair that felt nice on such a warm afternoon.

To cool off before heading home, we walked through the science exhibit. Ethan watched the bigger kids set off the rockets and drive the trains around the perimeter of the room. He was particularly interested in watching this little boy push a button that started a burst of air that made an air balloon rise up to the ceiling. The boy would push the button and Ethan's eyes would follow the air balloon up with this inquisitive look.

It was an awesome afternoon and one of those types of days that made you want to kick yourself for not thinking of it earlier. On our way home, we dropped in to visit with Grandma Edie and Aunt Megan so that Ethan could finish off his fun-filled day with loads of cuddles, snuggles and kisses.