Kiddie Park!

It was by far our best $5.00 investment of the summer! After the much needed rain cooled things down on Friday night, Shawn and I decided to follow through with what we’d been talking about doing all summer and take Benjamin on his first outing to the Kiddie Park. He LOVED it!

After purchasing tickets and walking around to see what rides were available, we took Benjamin to the small carriage ride. Shawn strapped him into the seat, and we were a little apprehensive, hoping it would hold him in place. He loves to lean over the side of his stroller to stare at the ground, and we wondered if he would do the same thing on the rides. Benjamin was amazing, though, and held himself upright the whole time, grinning and squealing as the ride circled around.

He and Daddy also took a turn in the mini tilt-a-whirl, though Shawn made sure the seat they were in didn’t spin as the ride went around. It was still pretty fast, though, and Benjamin wasn’t quite sure what to make of the new sensation, but he did very well.

Then it was time to head for the train. This was his favorite! We found a bench and sat him between us. He laughed and clapped and squealed the whole way. A friendly passenger ahead of us noticed our poor attempts at trying to snap a family picture and offered to take one for us. Benjamin cried when the train ride was over (as he did with almost every other ride as well!) “Why did we have to stop?” I could hear him thinking.

After the train we purchased a few more tickets and went for a family ride on the carousel. We chose a bench to sit in, and Benjamin had a great time watching the scenery go by. I was sure to fix my gaze on Benjamin so as to not see the scenery go by, but I still felt queasy!

Our next stop was the little cars. Shawn found one with a high back to it and secured the lap belt over Benjamin, but it fastened so low, we were concerned again that he may flip himself out. Once again he exceeded our expectations and held himself upright for the whole ride, delighting in it the entire time!

We let him ride the carriage ride one more time and finished up the evening with another train ride. He was getting tired by this point, and I was too. I had wondered how I would do at the Kiddie Park with all the fatigue and queasiness I’ve been experiencing due to early pregnancy symptoms, but I was surprised there as well. It was actually wonderfully refreshing to take that little family outing, and my heart felt so full from the joy of watching my son’s pleasure. I look forward to future visits!