Marin's First Trip to the Amusement Park

This past weekend we took the girls on their first trip to the amusement park.  It's the one weekend of the year when the company Andy works for closes down the park for employees only. No lines, no crowds, lots of funnel cakes, yes please.

And, let it be noted before we get to the amusement part of things that the drive there was not so amusing.  Brite cried the WHOLE drive because she is in a hating her carseat phase; oh, and Andy made the awesome discovery that we forgot his work badge (aka our ticket into the park) just before pulling into the empty parking lot where the parking attendant told us we were two hours early. Where are the laughing and crying emojis when you need them?  Anyway, we made the best of it and we were in the park and buying monster bags of cotton candy before we knew it.

We spent most of our time in the section of the park where the kiddie rides are, and I have never been so thrilled by an amusement park in my life. Watching Marin on those little rides beats going on massive roller coasters any day. We weren't sure what she would think of them at first because sometimes she's a thrill-seeking kinda girl and sometimes she is super cautious.

She hopped on the first ride reluctantly.  It was one of those spinning swing things, and there was only one other kid on it, so she looked at us like she does when we drop her at Sunday school with a "Where do you think YOU are going?" She put on a pretend smile while we cheered for her. She let out a "I'm ready to be done now!" just before the swings started to slow.  She sort of enjoyed it, a small amusement park victory.  She was cautiously curious of all the other rides, but warmed up quickly.  By the end of her first trip on the mini roller coaster, she had changed her tune to "I want to go again!"

What a thrill watching her experience these things for the first time. Her face in that picture up there could make me cry.  All in all it was a successful trip and worth the trek.  Oh, then Andy topped off the night by getting me a funnel cake and he knew that Mr. Forget-the-Tickets would be forgiven because you know, with this funnel cake, I thee wed.