back when i was a kid in the late 70's and early 80's, god love my parents for trying to make sure we had a fun family vacay every summer. it usually consisted of either trekking to a new jersey or maryland beach for time on the sand and on the boardwalk, or else hitting a place like hershey park, sea world, or kings' dominion for rides and amusement time.
now that i'm a parent, i can fully empathize with what my parents must have gone through, and that empathy process began this past weekend as the three of us spent 10 hours at hershey park. sure, i've gone to amusement parks as an adult and have been mildly put out by the lines, the rude people, and the cost of food, but i let it roll off my back because the fun time i spent with my friends or my then-boyfriend outweighed those little inconveniences.
but now that i'm responsible for the well-being of a certain very special two year-old little girl, the story changes. no longer am i content to ignore it when someone cuts in front of me or when i can't find a restroom with a clean diaper deck within a two-block radius. no, i'm now looking out for the fun and welfare of my little daughter and it's not just about me anymore (NOTE - coming from a self-indulgent only child, that preceding phrase is pretty profound).
it was a sweltering 90+ degree day with lots of humidity, but i braved the sun and heat so that morgan would have a fun time. i made sure she was sprayed throughout the day with WaterBabies, properly hydrated with bottles of water, and entertained on the kiddie log flume, choo-choo train and kissing tower. we even stood for an hour, waiting for Daddy to get on the Roller Soaker ride so that we could drench him with a water bomb from the ground. (hmmm, bet that's how i got totally fried on the back of my shoulders and knees!) and the time that i would typically have spent pre-morgan browsing through the cute little gift shops at the entrance were replaced with time spent waiting in line for a clean bathroom while trying (albeit unsuccessfully) to ignore the tattoos, green and purple hair and pierced navels of fellow line-waiters. instead of shopping for fun souvenirs, i spent my money on bottled water, burgers, and chicken fingers.
as i was wilting from the heat, i kept envisioning the water park looming up ahead and thinking how good a few little sprays of water would feel. well, it did feel good -- except the few little sprays of water were downpours, thanks to the little asshats who kept setting off the water bombs when morgan and i were standing nearby. so much for trying to look cute in my new tank and madras plaid shorts -- i looked like the loser in a wet t-shirt contest, and the hair that had been so perfectly flat-ironed just a few hours earlier was now frizzing and curling in the humidity. and of course the mascara i had so artfully applied and the perfect bare minerals makeup were now making their way down the sides of my face, and the underwear i had put on that morning were now creeping up into uncomfortable heights, thanks to my soaking wet shorts. the best part, though? all of my dry clothes were in my suitcase....which was back at the hotel. i felt sticky, stinky, and gross, and the fact that Dork didn't quite understand WHY i felt that way made it even worse. the fact that he's italian and has dark skin that never burns and hair that perfectly curls, no matter how wet it gets? that could be part of the issue.
i phoned my mom at one point to chat -- i think it was right after i spent $10 for a burger -- and check in with her, and it was then that i thanked her like i've never thanked her before. now that i'm a mom, i fully understand how she put on a happy face for me so i'd have a great vacation. but now i know that she was also probably counting down the minutes until the park closed and she could break out the flask and have her own little private party to celebrate the end of a wacky day!
No comments:
Post a Comment