The Thrill of the Ride

Yesterday, I took my son to the Kalahari Indoor Waterpark.  

He had so much fun, riding the waves on an inner tube in the wave pool.  He hasn’t been swimming for very long, and doesn’t like water hitting him in the face, but he overcame it because the thrill of the ride was worth it. After an hour or two, he was just dealing with it, laughing with glee each time a wave caught his tube and took him in toward fake shore.  I watched for hours, marveling at how easy and joyful he is. How fun. How beautiful. How sweet. Whenever his raft hit anyone else (and it was inevitable, everyone’s tube crashed into everyone else’s) he would ask, “Are you okay?” and mean it. This boy is so very aware of other people, and so considerate.

This day was about him and I vowed to let him stay as long as he wanted. We were there 10:30AM -1:00PM, then again from 3-6:30PM. Waterlogged, both of us.

In between waves, we took a couple of trips down a winding fake river, floating on a double innertube. He was in front, hanging over the edge with his arms, kicking his legs.  I relaxed in the back, enjoying the slow floaty ride.

There was a kiddie section, which was basically a climbing structure, where water got dumped on your head constantly. Good times. (If you like water dumped on your head).    

We said to hell with the organic diet and ate at Friendly’s, his favorite. Then we stayed at a hotel. The waterpark is just an hour or so from home, but the hotel stay made it a real trip for him. The Marriot. Gotta have the Marriot, with the cotton sheets. Not the plastic polyester crap. Marriot all the way, baby! It’s not more expensive and they give you four pillows each. Bedding is important.

We goofed on each other before lights out. Taking silly pictures. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, HT took Riley bowling for the first time at Freeway Lanes in Mentor. It is something he enjoyed as a kid. Luckily they were the only people in the alley. No one for her to compare herself to. One time, her ball landed two lanes over, but she wound up doing okay, bowled a 71 (means nothing to me). They had fun.

Then they found  “Brittany” at a local bookstore. Love was in the air…

Riley decided to break up with Alvin, because it was clear he was in love with Brittany.

Lucky for him, she does not hold a grudge, and seems just as happy to observe their relationship from afar.

Seth got home in time to go to the birthday party of the little girl who could not keep her hands off him at the school dance. (Spell her name backwards).

I got home in time to rehearse with Windsong, Cleveland’s glorious women’s chorus which I’m lucky to be a part of. BTW, Windsong’s 30 Year Journey, Coming Into My Years concert is coming up on May 23rd, 4PM, The Church of the Covenant on Euclid for any Clevelanders who might want to come!  

HT and I even got a little walk in this afteroon while Seth was at the party, and Riley was indisposed with her DSi. We went two miles, all the while looping back around to check in on her. 

HT loves it when I take his picture as we walk.

Okay, love is a strong word.

But he does love me.

As I watched Seth in the water, getting hit with the waves, I thought life is kind of like that. You get hit in the face. You get tired. You bump up against other people. You might even have buckets dumped on your head, but the thrill of the ride is worth it.

There might be a lot of drama, but the highs! The highs are so good!

I’ve heard, on a spiritual level, that’s why we all agreed to be here.

For the thrill of the ride.