My Adventure Girl

When we went on vacation last month, my friend (commenter Bisbink), her husband and son spent the weekend with us and my dad. One day that weekend, Londo and my dad went golfing, while I took both kids down to the boardwalk with my friend and her family. We walked around, had lunch and played in the sand. It was fun and a nice time.

But the best part was after we did all that, we went to the amusement rides part of the boardwalk. The Pookie had just (finally!) fallen asleep in the stroller, and thanks to my friend and her husband, I was able to focus more on my adventurous daughter.

This was her first time on any real ride. She'd been on those little up-and-down animal/car rides at the mall, but never a true round-and-round ride at any sort of amusement park, like my friend's son (who is just a few months older than the Pumpkin) had. Thanks to my friend staying with the sleeping babe in the stroller, I was able to go on the Pumpkin's first ride with her: a carousel!

We sat on horses next to each other, each strapped in on our horse (so we can be safe!), and my hand on her back. She LOVED it (even more than I did) and was totally ready for another ride.

The next ride was a sit-in-a-car (or was it a train?) ride that went round and round. She went in a car by herself, while my friend's son went in another car. Her whole face was light up the entire ride. It was magical for me to watch.

The next ride was an airplane ride, another round-and-round ride, but this one could go up and down too! She went in an airplane by herself, and she used the control stick to make herself go up and down. At first, she pulled the control stick, and when the plane started to jerk up, she let go of the stick to hold on to the sides of the plane, and the plane came back down. It took her a few circles to figure out that she needed to keep her hands on the stick and keep pulling down to get her plane to keep going up. Once she figured it out, she was a wiz! I could see the Thrill of the Ride in her face the whole time.

Finally, we had enough tickets for her to ride in a puppy dog that went round and round and up and down, although the up and down was an automatic one not controlled by her. She still loved it!

She did not want the fun of the rides to end, but the baby was waking up, we were out of tickets and she was WAY over-stimulated. So I made us leave, and thanks to no more tickets, she didn't complain TOO much.

On the way to the parking lot, she pointed out the ferris wheel and said she wanted to go on that. Now that I'd seen my adventure girl on the kiddie rides, I realized that she could handle the ferris wheel and the thrill of heights. I promised her that we would come back to the boardwalk later that week with Daddy, and I'd go on the ferris wheel with her. After all, I love ferris wheels and would love to share that with her!

Sure enough, that's what we did a few days later. First, we had to check that there was no height or age requirement, which there weren't. Then we had to wait for our turn, and we did some fun dancing to the music while we waited. I explained the rules of no leaning out of the car and staying seated, and made sure the guy who ran the ride re-iterated what I said (he totally mumbled it, slightly amused, but understanding that I needed him to say it to her as the official ride operator). Londo stayed at the bottom with the Pookie, while the Pumpkin and I got in the car and rode all the way to the top!!!

We could see "eva-ree-ting!" (everything!) from the top! She loved to look around and go around the big wheel. Ferris wheels aren't the same thrill as a fast ride, but the sheer height and view was so exciting for both of us.

My daughter has always had an adventurous spirit. She was climbing jungle gym equipment with ease and no fear since shortly after she started walking (at 10 months!). She has always gone to the edge of things, jumped from as high as we'll let her, climbed everything she could find. She has always loved the thrill of doing physical things. Of course rides were right up her alley. And I'm so happy I've gotten to experience her joy with her.