Despite feeling like I've been through a ringer yesterday, after a solid week and a half of travel, illness and awful sleep, the weather was simply too awesome to stay home. We packed up the boy and headed for a day at Cedar Point.
This is the new thing for us, where we don't over prepare and just roll with it. No stroller, just a snack and a water bottle. We got there around 1 and had lunch at Famous Dave's, which is one of our favorite things to do. Simon was digging it too because we had a window seat, where he could see Blue Streak running.
Inside the park, we let Simon lead. He knows where everything is and how to get there, and we were perfectly happy to follow his agenda. On opening day, he asked to ride the carousel, and that's what he did this time as well. We did six rides total between the two carousels, and by the time we were done, he was totally comfortable riding without one of us standing with him. It was really awesome to see a little independence.
His eagerness to try rides did not end there. He did a number of others, with varying degrees of success. The trucks were no problem at all. Sir Rub-a-Dub's Tubs were OK too. The Lolly Swings he did not care for, and since he and Diana were the only ones on the ride, the operator was kind enough to stop it early. Camp Bus was no problem. We did that Zamperla mini-whip-style ride, and he really didn't like that until it was almost finished. He had Snoopy Bounce all to himself, but just walked around the perimeter.
Simon's Jr. Gemini lap count was one, plus another time he sat in the train but wanted out immediately. This time, we let him see it, and he seemed to get sucked into the enthusiasm of the other kids. This time, Diana went up with him. He mostly did OK, but the last turn seemed to alarm him a bit. He opted out of the bonus lap.
Simon was very patient about riding bigger stuff with us. He loves the train, and insists on sitting on the outside. He also waited for Giant Wheel for 20 minutes (as they loaded 8 of 36 cars). He was a little unsure at first, but seemed to otherwise be OK with it.
We ended the day in Coasters, where we could have milkshakes and he could have a little dinner while he watched Power Tower go up and down. It was the most fun we have had as a family probably ever, because he was so engaged with riding. Ten rides is a record!
There were other great things about the day, including the sheer will Simon had to carry on, without a nap. Six hours walking around Cedar Point, and we never picked him up or carried him. He also remembered ride names, and pronounced them correctly. He actively asked to "see the show" at Red Garter, but they're still in rehearsals. He was a little disappointed.
It was fairly adorable that when we left around 8, he was asleep in his car seat by the time we got to Cleveland Rd. What a great day for our little guy, and for us.
No comments yet.