Mother's Day Ride

Or, evidence that we do occasionally take Ada someplace other than the park.

Except in this case, we took her to a park. But it was a park in a different city, so I think we should get credit. But she loves the park. She's started to recognize our local parks, and makes an excited grunting noise when we approach the playground at the elementary school down the street. On mother's day, the park was just an extra bonus attached to the main event - Ada's first carousel ride.

I think baby's first ride on the carousel is one of those things that sounds like it will be more fun than it actually is. The whole thing was pretty entertaining for the adults. Chris and I were charmed by Ada's look of amazement, and the grandparents were thrilled to be there for a "first". For Ada, the experience was a bit confusing, if ultimately worthwhile. You'll notice that despite the fact that Chris has a firm hold on the girl (and she's wearing the mandatory horse-rider "seat belt"), Ada is not taking any chances with this bucking bronc. She's got a firm grip on her dad's shirt, just in case he gets distracted by all the pretty lights and the music and oh! is that popcorn I smell?


We inadvertently put Ada on a horse that did not go up and down. In retrospect, this was a lucky break. Although she did relax a bit once she realized her dad wasn't going to let go and that every 30 seconds or so she saw her grandfather, grandmother and uncle wave at her as she went past, the experience was a bit of a sensory overload for the girl. An added perspective shift might have sent Ada over the edge. She was already getting close to nap time when we got on the ride. She immediately sacked out in the car on the way home, no doubt exhausted by trying to reconcile the hard plastic horses in the carousel with the kind, smiling ones in her books.