Bay Beach Birthday Fun

Last week on Teddy's birthday, Dave took the afternoon off to spend the day together as a family. Even though it was nearly 90 degrees, we headed to Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay. It's a place with all sorts of carnival rides, and tickets are only a quarter. Granted, some rides cost 4 tickets, but the most you pay for any one ride is $1. So for less than $30, we spent a couple hours going on rides and cooling off with a combination of ice cream, root beer floats and frozen lemonades.

We had missed the Ferris wheel the one time we went last year because a storm came while we were in line. I took both boys on the the Ferris wheel and managed to keep Teddy in the chair the entire time. He really enjoyed it, aside from being a bit antsy while they loaded the entire wheel since we were the first ones on. As for me, I got to experience why my mom didn't liked the Ferris wheel. I never thought a Ferris wheel would make me queasy, but apparently my equilibrium likes to be messed with less as I gracefully age. AJ loved it so much that he begged to go on a second time, so Dave took him for a spin while Teddy and I hit up the carousel again.

I'm sure that safety bar was plenty delicious ... hey, it kept him in the car.

I think it's a fair statement to say that Teddy believes the carousel is one of the greatest things on the entire planet (along with the slides at the water park). He gets so excited when he sees it and puts some pep in his step as he's walking toward it. He does a great job holding onto the handle, unless he sits on the antelope. Then he holds onto the antlers because ... well, why not? Teddy rode the carousel at least 5 times and enjoyed it as much the last time as the first time.

My favorite picture of the day.

We also checked out a few other rides, like a big ship that we all rode together, and a train that loops through the park. Teddy also really liked the giant slide that required me to climb 3 stories worth of stairs while lugging him and a burlap sack. (I'm not complaining about the burlap. That wasn't the heavy part.) It was worth it for his giggles on the way down.

Birthday boy smiles.

It was an absolutely perfect afternoon as a family, making memories and celebrating the joys of childhood fun. I thought it was cool that two of the rides Teddy wouldn't have been able to do earlier in the summer because you had to be at least 3 to ride. Wait ... had we went earlier, then I wouldn't have had to carry him up three stories of stairs ...

And if you're wondering, his brand new white shirt was no longer white by the time we ended the day, especially not after cake when we stopped by his grandparents' house for supper while we were there.

I shall smear this everywhere. Cake in my hair? Don't care.