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  18 July 2008

The grandsons and their parents spent the evening at Lakeside Amusement Park last night. The library gives the boys passes to the park when they complete the summer reading program so this is an annual and highly anticipated event. There is usually a baby or two who is too small to ride the rides and this year was no different so Granddad and I kept Elias home with us. We had a quiet evening of fun with our big baby boy who will be one year old in a few weeks.

The big boys came back full of stories about all the exciting rides. We had ice cream on the porch and they were still bubbling over as their parents loaded a truck full of tired, sticky boys. Decklyn has already been down this morning with his memories of the bumper cars and the Spider. He’s complaining about the way the size restrictions let his taller cousin on some rides where he couldn’t ride. That’s another part of this annual trip...the disagreements about who can ride which rides based on their heights and their bravery! They always have a great time.

This all started me thinking about my own amusement park memories. We had a childless Aunt who adored every single one of her many nieces and nephews. She started a tradition of an annual birthday party for all the cousins at one time. Every summer she would set the date and invite all the children to one of the local amusement parks where she would treat us to birthday cake and all the rides in the park. We LOVED this opportunity to play with our cousins in these enchanted places and would go home exhausted after this exciting event. My Aunt carried this tradition over into the next generation and was still treating our children to this wonder filled day until her death in 1994.

When my grandsons chatter about their amusement park memories I can understand their excitement. I remember the animated lady who stood atop the Fun House door and laughed and laughed and laughed. I remember the belly-dropping rides and the height restrictions and the full day of fun with the cousins that I loved so much. I’m glad my little band of boys will know the joys of these carefree childhood days. They go by in a heartbeat but live on in our memories forever.