Time for a BIG Change!

“I’m so nervous, I can’t look.”

My husband was standing facing me, wildly looking to the area behind me.

“Let’s go sit over there so we can see.”

I guess he decided to look.

I turned around and followed him to a group of benches next to a food stand and sat next to him.

My husband jumped up and darted towards the kids, “I just need to tell him one more thing.”

I looked back to the ride and saw the kids sitting, waiting for it to begin.  Like my husband, my stomach was in knots.

Twenty minutes previous, I was standing on the boardwalk next to Declan, lazing in his wagon.  Bobby and my husband were perusing a shop while we waited.

And going between us was a fiendish little girl playing with the “Go ask the other parent” rules.  Somehow, she had convinced both my husband and I that the other one of us said it was fine for her to buy tickets for the rides.

Further to my surprise, once the tickets were purchased, the fiendish little girl also convinced Declan he wanted to ride rides.

Not only THAT – but she convinced him he wanted to ride the swings at the BIG KID rides.

And while my husband and I were thinking, “No!  No!  No!”

Declan was saying, “Yes!  Yes!  Yes!”

My husband and I started the frantic conversation:

“This is a bad idea, right?  What if he hates it?”

“What if he starts crying?”

“What if he gets terrified?”

“What if he tries to jump off?”

My husband and I stared at each other thinking back to the last time Declan tried to exit a ride early.  He wasn’t afraid while on the kiddie airplane a few years ago – he was bored.  But he still tried for the early exit….would he do it again?

My head snapped to the present, “Declan, why don’t you try a different ride first?  Like those little ones over there?”

And when the tears started, my shoulders sagged.

“He really wants to do this, Bob.  We have to let him try.”

My husband nodded, and while I tore the required tickets, he lined the kids up and started on the rules.

With a fake, painted smile on my face I handed over the tickets and told Declan he was going to have the best time ever.  The kids left.

And my husband and I were left to figure out if we were going to watch or not.

We totally ended up watching.

By the third spin around, we both started breathing again.

By the fifth spin around, we were cheering.

Declan rode the big kid swings.

And had a blast!

 

He enjoyed them so much he wanted to ride ALL the big kid rides.  So, we let him!

The graviton, the tilt a whirl, DRIVING a bumper car – he loved them all.  The only ride he didn’t like and wouldn’t do again was the little roller coaster.  This ride hater is fine with that – I am just happy he made the decision by experience and not because I forbade him.

We have been home for a few days, but they have been so hectic.  And I didn’t want to lose the memory of Declan’s first time on the big kid rides.

My husband and I were terrified to let him try.  But we realized we can’t say Declan can’t try something because of our fears.  So, we let go and let him ride.

And he had SO MUCH FUN!

(P.S. Don’t overlook the fiendish girl in the background!)