Last Saturday, we visited together. Just Eric and I. One of Eric's friends was tentatively scheduled to accompany us, but was not feeling well that morning. So it was just Eric and daddy and a few thousand other families that we hardly noticed.
The only negative point was that the ride there was a little long and a bit of an ordeal for him. Eric spent the 30-40 minutes writhing on the floor and burying his head in the fold of the backseat to make the time go faster. He was mostly impatient. I would not say his enthusiasm was particularly dimmed. (Remember to do a post ranking the different modes of transportation with Eric. Hint: taxi, last.)
On a day that Eric enjoyed to the point of midday exhaustion, I'll be honest, the park did all the work. I had only mildly hyped the event beforehand, more as a chance to do something together with his friend Johan than for the place itself, but Eric was thoroughly enthralled and engaged the whole time.
I could pretend to be cynical but these places have their obvious infinite appeal for children that cannot be muted by location, over-crowding, expense or manipulative design.
I feel the entrance is always a big moment in coming to a place like the Grand Park. I remember with singular clarity my own majestic feeling entering the grounds whenever my father would bring us somewhere like the P.N.E. fairgrounds or on our sole family trip to Disneyland. It's enjoyable for me to watch Eric at these moments.
Often he will simply echo the enthusiasm I have rehearsed in preparing for these events and say something grandiose like, "It's beautiful!" or "I love this place." This day, a balloon stand caught his eye and he made sure to negotiate with me regarding a future impending purchase, all the while keenly and quietly absorbing the atmosphere of barely restrained excitement. It seemed to me that he was behaving like a veteran, having twice visited the park before.
We proceeded from the front gate past the pond and fountain to the Adventure Land playground, a variously themed collection of slides, forts, swings and play structures. We took a break after he had broken into a nice sweat and enjoyed sandwiches for lunch, while feeding pigeons with bird seed from home. Remember to do a post on feeding birds.
After lunch, we walked to the zoo and talked about why certain animals were chosen for inclusion while others were not. Actually, I know I missed an opportunity to engage his curiosity a little more by the daddy trick of answering the question instead of having a discussion. Bad daddy.
Finally, we made it to the amusement park where Eric played in the Inflatable Playground, rode a mechanical puppy and we circled the grounds together on the Sky Cycle and the Mini-Train. As we awaited our turn on the Bumper Boats, Eric fell asleep in my arms.
What else is there to say? Parenting can be so easy sometimes. You just need to remember not to nag too much, pack a lunch, use sunscreen, and give 10-minutes notice before you move. The 10-minute warning is crucial. It teaches negotiation skills which can later be applied to balloon purchases.
