The Ups and Downs of Roller Coasters and Kids

Roller Coasters

I fell in love with riding roller coasters when I was 15 years old. My first "real" roller coaster was Space Mountain at Walt Disney World in Florida. It was our family vacation in February 1975 and the ride opened only the month before. If you aren't familiar with the ride, it is an indoor roller coaster designed to simulate space flight - including re-entry. You are in the dark with the only light coming from the illuminated sides of the cars. I first rode with my father and, I will admit, I was rather frightened. In the end, I enjoyed it so much I couldn't wait to go back on! I did go back, alone, one more time before we left and I was officially hooked on coasters. I got back to Disney only one more time - my parents took my family on a trip in January 2000 - and I rode Space Mountain again. This trip I discovered the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster featuring Aerosmith. This, too, is an indoor coaster and I rode it twice (three times?) - one after the other.

My experience with roller coasters was mostly a lonely one but for the few times we were with friends who enjoy the thrill. I was hoping to get my children as coaster companions and I did, to a degree.

Kiddie Coasters

I mentioned being in Disney with the kids - they were 6 1/2 and 5 and too young for roller coasters. Well, not quite. There was a "kiddie coaster" that they wanted to ride - it may have been Goofy's Barnstormer - and they wanted me to ride with them. I'm not sure how many times we rode it but it was more than once and it was a tight fit each time. I believe this was their only roller coaster encounter until we went to Dorney Park for the first time a few years later.

The Woodstock Express is a kiddie coaster at Dorney Park - it doubles as a torture device for their parents. This was a ride they wanted to go on a lot! I'm guessing we went at least three or four times and they loved it; I think I had bruises on my legs for days afterward due to small cars and bracing myself so as to not bang into the kids. The sacrifices we make.... It was during that trip that I first discovered Steel Force. The first drop is 205' and during the ascent you cannot see anything but the trees and then the park laid out in front of you. Unlike every other roller coaster I have been on, you cannot see the track or walkway on the ascent - you feel like you are suspended in air! It didn't take long before I started to get uneasy (I absolutely hate the ascent) and decided to focus on the head of the person in front of me; when his head was gone I knew I was about to go over the top. What a wild ride! There was also a green, looping coaster called "Laser" and the wooden coaster, "Thunderhawk". I rode them all - alone.

We went back to Dorney Park in 2008 and this time I was able to avoid Woodstock and I got both kids on a coaster that I cannot remember the name of but it is similar to "Trailblazer" at Hershey Park. That is a reasonably mild coaster and from there I was able to convince them to try "Thunderhawk". That was a big step for them but they survived and enjoyed themselves. I thought I would press my luck and get them on Steel Force but they wouldn't go. I knew my daughter wasn't going to like it but worked on my son (13 at the time) and finally convinced him to ride with me. This was, without a doubt, the most fun I have ever had on a roller coaster!

YAY! We survived Steel Force!

Steel Force

This was quite a big leap for someone who had just ridden his first "real" roller coaster earlier in the day. He was doing great until we started to climb. That is the first time I heard him say, "I hate you!" but, believe me, it was not the last! It became his mantra throughout the ride, interrupted only by an occasional, "I can't breathe!" Now, before you think I am heartless or that he was in distress - he was able to breathe. He repeated "I hate you!" and "I can't breathe!" right up to when we slowed down before entering the station. By this time my side hurt and I had tears rolling down my face from laughing. He looked at me and let me know that he enjoyed the ride. I asked if he wanted to go on again, "NO!" That was good, I can only take the ride once per outing.

Laser

Laser was a green, looping roller coaster at Dorney Park. I had ridden it a few times in previous trips and now I was hoping to take my son for a ride. I figured, after Steel Force, it would be an easy sale. "NO! I am not going on a looping roller coaster!" Well, maybe I was wrong. I worked on him a little bit, told him after Steel Force this was like riding Woodstock Express; after a few minutes he relented. However, he was only going to go on it once! There was no hate on this ride and everyone was able to breathe just fine. When the ride was over he looked at me and asked, "Can we go again?" Sure! Why not?

Trailblazer

It has been quite some time since we've all gone to an amusement park together. Last month we took a family vacation to Hershey Park, along with my daughter's boyfriend. The first ride we hit was Trailblazer and all four of us went - my wife doesn't "do" coasters of any kind. It was fun to be back on a coaster with the kids and we ended up on Trailblazer twice but with time in-between. Trailblazer doesn't go very high or very fast but there are some nice, tight turns and the ride is quite smooth. I heard some chatter from my daughter and boyfriend behind me but can't remember anything more than the normal roller coaster screams. That was the only coaster we all went on that day - in fact, it was the only coaster I went on with my children. I knew my daughter wasn't going to ride others but was a bit disappointed that my son wasn't quite feeling up to it. I did ride the wooden coasters with my daughter's boyfriend and watched with the others while he braved some of the other steel coasters.

What's Next?

I'm afraid my coaster days are winding down and fear this trip may have been the last opportunity to ride with them. I have developed a horrible fear of heights and I get very anxious during the ascent. I experienced this anxiety on each of the wooden coasters I rode at Hershey and was afraid to ride the bigger coasters. This is a new phenomena for me and a very disturbing one. I also found the violent movements of the wooden coasters to be a bit much and was actually sore the next day. I guess it may be back to the "kiddie coasters" for me when it comes time to take grandchildren to the parks.

We Don't Want to Take a Nap!

It's Nap Time!

Ah... naptime! It quickly becomes one of the favorite times of day for any parent. It doesn't even matter who is taking the nap - it could be the kids or you! This story is all about naptime and a little secret weapon you may want to add to your arsenal.

Saturdays

When the kids were small, and still taking naps, my wife worked on Saturdays leaving me with the children. We had a lot of fun on those days - we might go out to lunch, go to the park, play in the yard or, if the weather wasn't great, we would play with big cardboard bricks or the "Lego"-like wipes boxes (empty, of course.) I don't know who had more fun, me or the kids, but the fun was real and we still laugh about some of the stuff to this day.

As much fun as we had there was still the matter of the afternoon nap - necessary to ensure an absence of crankiness as the day wore on; mine and theirs. It started to get progressively more difficult to get them down for a nap but one day the heavens opened and an angel delivered unto me the perfect weapon - deceit! 😇

My wife and I had a wooden, queen-sized bed at the time and the kids started wanting to sleep in it. They were big enough so that I didn't have to worry about them falling out but I tucked them in pretty good anyway. This particular afternoon they were adamantly against going to sleep but I had a plan. Once I got them to lie down in the bed I told them about the "contest".

The Contest

The winner of the contest did not have to take a nap; this got their attention. The rules were simple - they had to lie still, eyes closed and no talking. The kid that stayed awake the longest was the winner and didn't have to take a nap! I started the contest and told them I would be back in a few minutes to see who won. Can you guess who won? Yes, it was me because both kids were asleep almost before I got to the end of the hallway. I have to be honest, I certainly did not expect this to work but it did. When my wife got home we all told her about the contest.

Now, as surprised as I was that the "contest" worked, I was twice as surprised when it worked a second time! Yes, that right! The following Saturday we played the same game at naptime and they fell asleep without a fight. Sadly, this was the last time it worked - despite my best efforts. I even try it now, more than twenty years later, but they just look at me and walk away shaking their heads. Now it seems my wife and I are the only ones who take naps and I am okay with that.

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Both images were obtained from Pixabay and require no attribution.

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MOMMY! DADDY! There's A Monster Under the Bed!

The Roommate

Monsters!

Last month I wrote "Do You Believe In Magic?", a story about my children and some magic sand I bought. The response was better than I expected and I was encouraged to write more stories like that one. This is another story about the kids.

HELP!

My children are eighteen months apart in age and, until my daughter was about five or six, they shared a room. This story takes place during the time they shared the room with an uninvited roommate. It all started one night after my wife and I put the kids to bed. We had settled in to watch some television and enjoy some "quiet time" when we heard someone cry out. We went down the hall to their room to find both of them awake and scared. Apparently there was a monster, maybe even more than one, under their beds.

Tucked Away

My wife and I each looked under a bed only to discover that the monster had gone away. We looked all over - the closet, behind the dresser, behind the curtains, you name it and we looked. When everyone was satisfied that the monster was gone I gave a stern warning to any monsters thinking about visiting the kids. We said goodnight and left them, once again, for the Sandman.

The next night, shortly after saying goodnight we were informed that the monster had returned! It would seem that the monster did not take my warning seriously and decided to test me. Once again, we searched the entire room warning the monster the entire time. The cowardly monster had fled before we could catch him. The warning was repeated, everyone got tucked into bed and the Sandman cometh.

Do I have to tell you what happened the next night? The night after that and the night after that? This damned monster was really starting to become a nuisance! I had visions of this going on for a long time and had to find a way to put an end to it, but how? Have you ever found yourself in a predicament when suddenly the answer comes to you out of nowhere? Yea, it does not happen to me very often either but it happened that night.

The Boots

The Secret Weapon

I winked at my wife, told the kids I would be right back and went to my bedroom. I grabbed a pair of old work boots that I had, returned to the kids’ room and put the boots in the middle of their bedroom floor. I raised my voice and announced to the monster that I was tired of him bothering my children and I was going to stay in their room until he showed his ugly face. I whispered to the kids that the monster can see the shoes but doesn’t know they are empty so he will stay away.

We tucked them in, said goodnight and walked away praying the boots would somehow keep the monster at bay. They slept well that night but the real test was going to come tomorrow.

Sleeping

The next night we put them to bed but before turning out the lights, I announced that I was going to be waiting for the monster and put the boots in the middle of the floor. We went to the living room expecting to hear a scream but it never came. We gave it some time and after about an hour we checked on them – sound asleep. It worked!

I’m not sure how many nights the boots were in their room but I do know we didn’t have to worry about monsters under the beds anymore. The monsters IN the beds – well, that’s another story for another time, but they have turned into some pretty amazing adults so…. 😛

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"The Roommate" - Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

"Tucked Away" - Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

"The Boots" - Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

"Sleeping" - Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

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Do you believe in magic?

So, do you believe in magic? I don't mean the magic in a young girl's heart, I mean real magic. Like stuff mysteriously appearing out of thin air? If you answered, no, then let me take this opportunity to change your mind.

The Magic Sand

This particular feat of magic took place in the late 20^th century in my own backyard. It was the beginning of summer and the kids wanted a sandbox to play in. I was able to find a nice, turtle-shaped sandbox but none of the stores had sand. I spent days trying to find a store with sand, traveling 100's of miles, but there wasn't a grain to be had. I was about to give up when I saw store with a sign in the window reading, "Magic Sand Sold Here." I didn't believe in "magic sand" but I was desperate so I went in.

When I opened the door I immediately saw an old woman sitting behind the counter - she looked to be 100 years old and she turned her head in my direction as I walked in. I told her my tale and that I was desperate for about 200 pounds of sand for my children's sandbox. She held a crooked finger in the air and, with her other hand reached under the counter. When her hand reappeared she was holding a small plastic bag with about a half-cup of sand. I took the bag and laughed! How was I going to fill a sandbox with a half-cup of sand? She told me it was "magic sand", I was to put it in the sandbox, say the magic words, cover the sandbox and the next morning it will be full.

Well... I knew someone was full of something but I was desperate. I paid $10 for the bag of sand and went home to my wife and children. My wife gave me a "look" when I told everyone about the sand and asked if I had any "magic beans", too. It was getting late so we dumped the sand into the sandbox, said the magic words and put the cover on. I'm not sure who was more curious the next morning, me or the kids. We had our breakfast and went outside to check the sandbox. I had already come up with a story about why the sandbox was still empty but, lo and behold!, when we removed the cover the sandbox was full! I know what you are thinking but it's true! You can ask my wife and kids - some time between when the kids went to bed and we finished eating breakfast the sandbox filled up with sand. It truly was magic.

Do you believe now?

Well? Do you?

Let me ask you another question. Have you ever noticed that in the middle of the word "believe" is the word "lie"? I didn't either until earlier this week. Believe me when I tell you that the "magic sand" was a hoax. Yes, that's right! As far as I know, there is no magic sand. I decided to have some fun with the kids. We had already gotten the sandbox and I told them I was going out for sand. I went to Home Depot and bought the 200 pounds I needed and then went to the beach before heading for home. I brought a sandwich bag with me, scooped up some sand and put the bag on the front seat of the car. When I got home I made up the story of the magic sand; we put the sand in the box, said some magic words and covered the box. When they went to bed that night I went outside and filled the sandbox.

The looks on the children's faces when I took off the lid of the sandbox was priceless, unfortunately there are no photos. They truly believed that the sand was magic and couldn't wait to start playing. They spent a lot of time in that sandbox that summer and it always brings a smile to my face when I think about it. It was such a simple thing but the memories will last a lifetime.

Now that I think about it, when I said that the "magic sand" was a hoax I may have been lying just a bit. While the sand didn't magically multiply overnight it did make two young children believe in magic and it gave a family one more wonderful memory. If that isn't magical, I don't know what is.

In Closing

The moral of the story is simple - you don't have to spend a lot of money or go to exotic lands for vacation, a little bit of imagination and spending time together is really what life is all about. My daughter recently posted a meme on her Facebook page that read: "A child is going to remember who was there, not what you spent on them. Kids outgrow a toy & outfits, but they never outgrow time and love." I believe that to be true but would change it a bit. They may remember the expensive gifts or big vacations but they won't cherish them as much as they will time spent together. While the kids outgrew the sandbox (we still have it but it isn't being used) they never outgrew the memory. Children have a way of making us understand what is important in life, if we will only listen.

I hope you enjoyed this trip down Memory Lane and would love to hear from you. Have you done anything similar for your children or your parents do something like this for you? Do you have a favorite family memory that you would like to share? Leave comments below - I love hearing from my readers.

Until next time - enjoy your summer and make sure you are making memories, not just plans!

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Sandbox image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

"Yellow shovel" image is copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved and may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use the image you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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There Once Was a Man from Nantucket

I have never written a limerick before - I've read quite a few, some polite and others (most) not-so-polite. There are various limericks about a gentleman from Massachusetts, some concerning his family and one that most of you have probably heard (or heard about) concerning certain parts of his body.

I was in the office one day trying to figure out the best way to get a job done when the first line of the limerick popped into my head. Why? I don't know, I will leave that to the psychoanalysts out there. There are times when I am stuck on something and I can get easily distracted; this was one of those times. I was repeating the first line over and over again, There once was a man from Nantucket, but I just couldn't come up with the rest. My mind kept drifting to the infamous one.

Finally it hit me and I wrote it down.

There once was a man from Nantucket
Who carried around beer in a bucket
When thirsty was he
He'd open up three
When the bucket was empty he'd chuck it

So, what do you think? How does it compare to what you know about the man from Nantucket? Can anyone else come up with a limerick using that first line? If you can, and can keep it clean, post it in the comment section below. I know there are a lot of creative writers and poets out there - let's hear from you!

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Image sources
• https://pixabay.com/en/fish-white-marine-life-water-ocean-38064/
• https://pixabay.com/en/character-comic-fighter-humor-1297508/
• https://pixabay.com/en/sailor-sailing-ship-maritime-145525/
• https://pixabay.com/en/massachusetts-state-map-geography-43766/