Sweltering Summer Fun

AJ's had quite a few solo adventures this summer: a weekend with Dave's parents, a week with my parents, two nights in Milwaukee with my aunt and then last night with his babysitter in Green Bay. Since AJ had special plans, I wanted to make the most of my solo afternoon with Teddy.

That's why, despite it being 90 degrees, we headed to Bay Beach, which is a local amusement park where $5 got us both on the carousel, Scrambler, bumper cars, helicopter ride as well as rides for Teddy on the children's cars and fighter planes. 

Hanging out in the helicopter.

The carousel has been a favorite of Teddy's for quite some time, but I think it's safe to say that bumper cars is a new favorite. He loved crashing into others, being smashed into and steering our car.

We get to crash people!?!? Sweet!!!!

I discovered that the Scrambler is not my favorite. I swear birthing children messed up my equilibrium that rides like the Scrambler and even the Ferris wheel make me slightly queasy. Fortunately, Teddy seemed to enjoy it more than I did and didn't need my pep talk to get through it. (But I did.)

Teddy liked the car ride he did by himself, and he loved the fighter plane ride. As I watched him go round with the other children, I observed that Teddy looked downright joyful whereas other children simply looked happy. There was no child I saw with a bigger grin than Teddy, and he was the only child literally bouncing in his seat. (I could tell that because his plane was bouncing up and down.) 

He's ready to fly and fight!

The one thing that really made yesterday enjoyable was the disability access pass. We've never done this before, but I asked because I saw signs that they were available. It allowed us to bypass the lines and enter through the exits. Given the temperature and the fact that I was solo with Teddy, I decided to take advantage of it. It allowed me to park his chair right by the exit, help him out of his seat right before it was time to go and hop on the rides. I didn't have to fight him in lines, hold him when he collapsed his weight or otherwise wrestle him. It made the day so much more enjoyable and easier for him and me. 

Who would have thought there was "Fast Pass" for Bay Beach?

It's still one of those things that I feel slightly weird or even guilty about using, even though it's clearly designed for us to use. I think maybe that's why we got a few more bumps after skipping the long bumper car line, but, hey, Teddy liked them.