I'm in a weird place right now.
A twinkling, twilightly kind of space.
Three of my children have grown to be adults.
Like....ADULTS.. !
How is that even possible?
It was a blink ago that they were wee small toddlers and I was worrying over whether they ate enough vegetables ( about 22% of the time) or if they understood the concept of sharing ( about 0.3% of the time).
It was only yesterday I walked my sweet first born in to his Prep classroom and handed him over to the education department. It was only this morning that my first daughter lost her first tooth.
Surely it was only a heartbeat ago that I held my second daughter, fresh out of the humidicrib (and whispered, " oh my darling girl, you will be trouble").
And yet here I am, with fully grown adult children , setting forth into the world boldly and randomly in a non-mum-approved manner.
My second child is all set to fly to THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PLANET in a weeks time, all set for a cosplaying Anime convention in the good ole USA. Am I ready for that ?
arrrm.....
Nope.
No.
Hell No!
I'm breathing, and meditating and trying to remember that it's just a concept of space or distance ( and just secretly googling flight prices to the US in case I need to go and rescue/ search for/ extradite or generally bring home second child)
Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Friday, August 15, 2014
An everyday family tradition
What is your best thing ?
Those are the words we hear every night repeated at our dinner table.
Years ago when the older kids were just little people we started an everyday dinner time tradition, to try and focus on each other's highlights and low points in the day.
At some stage in the meal someone will ask any other person at the table "What was your best thing today? " The replies are often funny, or mundane, sometimes they are revealing and pleasantly surprising. Sometimes a best thing is as simple as the snuggly welcome home someone got from the dog that afternoon, or that they managed to shoot a netball hoop after 258 failed attempts. I LOVE it when their best thing is whatever I've cooked for dinner.
The initiator then asks " What was your worst thing today?" Again, the answers can reveal in a sentence or two whether the replier is having issues with a subject or classmate, whether they are sad about something we didn't even know about. It's always okay to say you didn't have a worst thing.. That is a happy day indeed !
We then ask again " What is another best thing" to finish on a positive. Once that person has given their three answers it's their turn to ask another person at the table and so we go on. Any visitors to our table are included, including grandparents, aunts and uncles, sleepover visitors, even dad's mate who came for dinner on his way to a conference !
The only rules are - we all listen to each other's answers, and you aren't allowed to say "nothing" for your best thing. If the answer is nothing we all give some helpful hints, including the fact that they have a hot meal in front of them, warm clothes and a loving family. They might need to be reminded that there is only one week until school holidays, or that they got an award at school assembly.
So what were we teaching our kids ?
That there is always more good than bad in every day.
To try and focus on the positives and really think about what worked and what didn't work in each day.
They have learnt to sit, listen and take some interest in what is going on in the lives of every other person at the table.
When kids are little, we as parents often ask "What did you do today?" Imagine how busy little people try to summarize all that happened in the day- Impossible! Giving them a starting place and a specific question helps them organize their thoughts.
As the children have gotten older, we've found this little tradition has been crucial in engaging our teenagers in conversation. We could ask "Have you had a good day?" and we would no doubt get a monosyllable answer. With this tradition, they have to answer in a sentence and give more than just a Yes or No response.
We didn't realise it when we started, but this simple family tradition has become one of the most important daily events in our lives.
Do you have a family ritual or tradition ? How do you help your child reflect on their day ?
Those are the words we hear every night repeated at our dinner table.
Years ago when the older kids were just little people we started an everyday dinner time tradition, to try and focus on each other's highlights and low points in the day.
At some stage in the meal someone will ask any other person at the table "What was your best thing today? " The replies are often funny, or mundane, sometimes they are revealing and pleasantly surprising. Sometimes a best thing is as simple as the snuggly welcome home someone got from the dog that afternoon, or that they managed to shoot a netball hoop after 258 failed attempts. I LOVE it when their best thing is whatever I've cooked for dinner.
The initiator then asks " What was your worst thing today?" Again, the answers can reveal in a sentence or two whether the replier is having issues with a subject or classmate, whether they are sad about something we didn't even know about. It's always okay to say you didn't have a worst thing.. That is a happy day indeed !
We then ask again " What is another best thing" to finish on a positive. Once that person has given their three answers it's their turn to ask another person at the table and so we go on. Any visitors to our table are included, including grandparents, aunts and uncles, sleepover visitors, even dad's mate who came for dinner on his way to a conference !
The only rules are - we all listen to each other's answers, and you aren't allowed to say "nothing" for your best thing. If the answer is nothing we all give some helpful hints, including the fact that they have a hot meal in front of them, warm clothes and a loving family. They might need to be reminded that there is only one week until school holidays, or that they got an award at school assembly.
So what were we teaching our kids ?
That there is always more good than bad in every day.
To try and focus on the positives and really think about what worked and what didn't work in each day.
They have learnt to sit, listen and take some interest in what is going on in the lives of every other person at the table.
When kids are little, we as parents often ask "What did you do today?" Imagine how busy little people try to summarize all that happened in the day- Impossible! Giving them a starting place and a specific question helps them organize their thoughts.
As the children have gotten older, we've found this little tradition has been crucial in engaging our teenagers in conversation. We could ask "Have you had a good day?" and we would no doubt get a monosyllable answer. With this tradition, they have to answer in a sentence and give more than just a Yes or No response.
We didn't realise it when we started, but this simple family tradition has become one of the most important daily events in our lives.
Do you have a family ritual or tradition ? How do you help your child reflect on their day ?
Monday, August 4, 2014
Laughing at myself - I MUST CONFESS
I MUST CONFESS - Deep inside, past all the grown up, mother of 4, responsible working nurse me, way past the mortgage paying, grocery shopping, bed making 42 year old me, there still dwells a bemused 18 yr old.
I regularly have moments of wonder.
Wonder that anyone thinks I'm mature enough for all this responsibility, that I have even a quarter of what it takes to raise another human being, let alone four of them.
I'm stunned that I am deemed trustworthy enough to work, to drive, to supervise teenagers.
And yet here I am.
Sometimes I talk to myself, from old to young, or from young to old.... one girlfriend to another.
Sometimes 18 year old me is stomping her feet saying "I don't want to do this". Often she is looking in the mirror saying "Holy crap Lisa, what the heck is going on with your hair? "
Regularly she is shaking her head and chuckling "Wow, 42 years and you still can't put on eyeliner !"
She laughs out loud at me ... ( she doesn't LOL becuase at 18 years of age for me there was no such thing as text messages, or mobile phones. )... she laughs out loud at my rules for my teenagers. Giggles when I lay down the "Rules when your boyfriend comes to visit", and snorts when I'm demanding that my teenage girls do some homework. She mocks me and asks "How are you going to handle this one" when my teenager declares (again) that she hates school and is quitting, and high-fives me when I manage to convince the same teenager to stay at school, at least for the rest of this week.
When my teenage daughter is telling me she hates a subject or that some teacher is boring, on the outside I am maturely trying to problem solve and explaining the importance of a complete education.
But 18 year old me is reminding me of how many times I told my parents I wanted to quit. I'm reminded of how frustrated I was at having to do subjects I hated, and how I thought most of my teachers were idiots.
18 year old me shows me a flashback, of my Mum sitting on the end of my bed, gently asking if I would consider doing just an hour of study for my HSC.. and of me laughing and saying "Nope" I had a boyfriend to visit, friends to catch up with.
When my just-turned-18 year old daughter asked if she could go to Melbourne for a night with a group of friends, 42 year old me at first said "Hell, no". After several discussions she got permission to go but only after I questioned her for details, rang the motel they were all staying at, checked on who else was going, lectured her on the possible dangers of drinking and going out in the city and the importance of sticking together.
A little whisper in my ear was again reminding me of how, just one month after turning 18, I announced I was going away for a weekend with my boyfriend, and that there was nothing my parents could do to stop me. I was bold enough to go, to just expect that I had every right in the world to do as I pleased and that they would just have to get over it.
I'm pretty sure that 18 year old me is a bit shocked at all the seriousness of this parenting gig. She's certain that this isn't at all like we had imagined. I think she thinks I'm a bit of a bore.
But that's because she's 18, and she doesn't know what I know now.
-x--x--x--x--x--x--x-
What would your 18 year old self say to you now?
She is having a teensy little break from blogging so I am hosting the I Must Confess linkup this week. Please join in - add you post confessing anything, or just sharing what's going on in your day. We love to see new faces so add your link and have fun visiting the other blogs. xx
Prompt for next weeks I Must Confess Post is 'If I could go back to one single moment in my life, it would be...' hosted by Emma at fivedegreesofchaos.com ... get typing bloggy friends.
I'm also Linking with One Mother Hen for Open Slather
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Sticky Tape
This morning as I was getting myself and our household on track for the day, Miss 10 went to the stationery drawer and found the clear sticky tape.
As her room is already overflowing with crafty bits and pieces pilfered from that drawer, I stopped her and told her whatever she needed to tape up, she should bring it out to the table & do it there.
I kept going with morning tasks in the kitchen. I could hear the sound of sticky tape being pulled off. Gosh she was using a lot of it. I turned around to find her happily sticky taping her tragically broken sneakers together for sport!
I died !
Firstly, how completely and innocently unpretentious is she, that she didn't even think to ask for new sneakers?
Secondly, obviously I've been parenting with blinkers on for a few months, cos I had no idea the state they were in !
We raced to the local department store before school started and bought new sneakers, and sticky tape.
Just another Mother Of The Year moment !
Monday, July 21, 2014
Dealing with Teenagers
I must confess, when we decided to start our family at the tender ages of 21 and 22, we planned a pregnancy. A baby, maybe we projected far enough to toddler-hood and the first year of school. But honestly, most of the "Let's start a family" discussion was really "Let's have a baby".
But babies have a strange little habit of growing.
And they become tantruming toddlers, and boundary pushing children. They become smelly and busy school kids.
And then... then they become teenagers.
Dealing with teenagers can be fun and funny, it can be enlightening, rewarding and awesome. It can also drive you demented and make you want to stab yourself in the eye with a teaspoon.
Trying to communicate with teenagers and anticipate their moods is a hit and miss game of epic proportion.
Trying to communicate with teenagers and anticipate their moods is a hit and miss game of epic proportion.
I can't remember a day in the past 4 years when at least one of my teens wasn't defensive, moody and offended by something I said.
I know I know, just let it go...
... except it's bloody hard to keep on trucking through the bewildering and unpredictable spurts of anger and still lovingly care for the large darlings.
Today in the space of an hour I managed to annoy Miss 18 by asking her to write her work shifts on the calendar ( you know, so I can DRIVE HER TO WORK ! )
I am now receiving the silent treatment from Miss 16 because I bought the wrong sort of bread ( actually someone else bought the bread but apparently I am the Grand Pooh Bah of food stuffs in our home so the buck stops here).
Someone called the house asking for him, so I made the outrageous decision to wake Mr 20 at 8am and clearly he's not appreciating the gesture, given the huffing and muttering from his bedroom.
And Miss 10 , a newly minted tween as of last Thursday has begun teen-practice, so she was truly angry, sulky and generally unpleasant because she had to brush her hair for school.
Right now, the only ones in the house who aren't displeased with me are the fluffy four legged members.
(actually the cat doesn't like me much either).
Linking up with Ann from Help I'm Stuck for I Must Confess Monday,
holiday hosting for lovely Kirsty who is having a much deserved break xx
Linking up with Ann from Help I'm Stuck for I Must Confess Monday,
holiday hosting for lovely Kirsty who is having a much deserved break xx
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Littlest turns 10 today - Thankful Thursday
It's Thursday, Thankful Thursday.
I don't have to look too far.
My littlest baby is ten today.
I am so very Thankful to have her in my life, she makes me laugh and cry, she grabs my heart and twists me around her not so little fingers.
She is home from school, sick with a temperature and a sore throat. The bonus of that is having a day to play with your new presents, to have complete control of the remote control, and to help Mum make the birthday cake.
The other bonus is I get to just watch her, today and marvel at how a teeny tiny whisper of a wish has turned into this beautiful girl. I am thankful.
Thankful for her and all she brings to my life.
Now commencing gratuitous photo sharing :-)
I don't have to look too far.
My littlest baby is ten today.
I am so very Thankful to have her in my life, she makes me laugh and cry, she grabs my heart and twists me around her not so little fingers.
She is home from school, sick with a temperature and a sore throat. The bonus of that is having a day to play with your new presents, to have complete control of the remote control, and to help Mum make the birthday cake.
The other bonus is I get to just watch her, today and marvel at how a teeny tiny whisper of a wish has turned into this beautiful girl. I am thankful.
Thankful for her and all she brings to my life.
Now commencing gratuitous photo sharing :-)
Monday, July 14, 2014
A House Divided
Our home is clearly divided.
Four who do and two who do not.
I'm on the larger team, and as far as I can tell, there is nothing remotely attractive about crossing to the other side.
Four Sleeper-Inners. (Sleeper Innerers. Sleep Inners, people who stay asleep after the crack of dawn)
On my team I am the captain, after many years experience of that delicious snooze-state. I love the blissful moment when you emerge out of a deep sleep, remember that there is nothing urgent on the calendar for today, and roll over to submerge into dreams again. Heaven!
J-man is 20 ( holy shamoly, my heart stutters when I write that number.. 20 ! But I digress) .. ahem J-man perfected the art of sleeping in around the age of 12 and has refined his skills to the point where we are lucky to see him before lunchtime.
Miss 16 has been sleeping in since a similar age, she works hardest at it on days when she has stuff to do, like.. school. But on the weekend, she will slumber away until she can hear the sounds of morning tea or her frantic Facebook updates become too urgent to ignore.
Miss 9 may not actually sleep in all the time ( although she regularly hits 9am before she opens her eyes) but she understands the importance of a leisurely rising. Playing on her iPod, reading in bed, talking to her dolls. She is that rare blessing of a child who waits until someone tells her she can get up.
Leading the opposing team of Annoyingly Cheerful Early Risers is The Man I Married. He jumps out of bed at the first break of dawn, happy, chipper and annoyingly loud. He makes a coffee LOUDLY,he munches toast LOUDLY, he greets the dogs LOUDLY, he ponders what he'd like to do today with them LOUDLY. He is crazy enough to get up at 6 am on a sleep-in-able morning to pop down to the gym for an hour. He is tinkering in the garage by 8 am. Mowing the lawn by 9am. A ridiculously chipper morning person.
Miss 18 is also a morning person. She is much more quiet than her Dad, but she is often in the kitchen by 7 am, sweet and cheerful. She does go back into her room and tried to not disturb Those Who Won't Wake. She accepts my grunts and growls and brings coffee to soothe the morning beasties.
Back in the days of three wee small children ( and Miss 9 was just an idea) sleep-ins were but an elusive dream. Now they are attainable and plenty, I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why anyone would deny themselves the glorious pleasure.
.jpg)
Which team are you on ?
Four who do and two who do not.
I'm on the larger team, and as far as I can tell, there is nothing remotely attractive about crossing to the other side.
Four Sleeper-Inners. (Sleeper Innerers. Sleep Inners, people who stay asleep after the crack of dawn)
On my team I am the captain, after many years experience of that delicious snooze-state. I love the blissful moment when you emerge out of a deep sleep, remember that there is nothing urgent on the calendar for today, and roll over to submerge into dreams again. Heaven!
J-man is 20 ( holy shamoly, my heart stutters when I write that number.. 20 ! But I digress) .. ahem J-man perfected the art of sleeping in around the age of 12 and has refined his skills to the point where we are lucky to see him before lunchtime.
Miss 16 has been sleeping in since a similar age, she works hardest at it on days when she has stuff to do, like.. school. But on the weekend, she will slumber away until she can hear the sounds of morning tea or her frantic Facebook updates become too urgent to ignore.
Miss 9 may not actually sleep in all the time ( although she regularly hits 9am before she opens her eyes) but she understands the importance of a leisurely rising. Playing on her iPod, reading in bed, talking to her dolls. She is that rare blessing of a child who waits until someone tells her she can get up.
Miss 18 is also a morning person. She is much more quiet than her Dad, but she is often in the kitchen by 7 am, sweet and cheerful. She does go back into her room and tried to not disturb Those Who Won't Wake. She accepts my grunts and growls and brings coffee to soothe the morning beasties.
Back in the days of three wee small children ( and Miss 9 was just an idea) sleep-ins were but an elusive dream. Now they are attainable and plenty, I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why anyone would deny themselves the glorious pleasure.
Which team are you on ?
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Happy Birthday to our sweet girl
In a totally self indulgent photograph heavy Thankful Thursday Post , I am THANKFUL today for my beautiful daughter who turns 18 today.
From the minute we knew she was on her way, she has been the softest whisper in my heart, a gentle and forgiving soul.
I look at the woman she is today and it just takes my breath away, that this lovely young lady has grown from our bumbling attempts at parenthood.
From the minute we knew she was on her way, she has been the softest whisper in my heart, a gentle and forgiving soul.
She has been the sweetest smile on my saddest day and she never ceases to amaze me with her creativity and her kindness.
I look at the woman she is today and it just takes my breath away, that this lovely young lady has grown from our bumbling attempts at parenthood.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET GIRL.
May all your dreams come true, just like ours did.
XXX
Thankful Thursday xx
Friday, April 4, 2014
Would you like some chocolate with that?
One thing the USA is famous for is doing everything to the extreme.
They do Extreme Fishing, Extreme Mining, Extreme Cars, Extreme Abseiling..Extreme Cake Decorating, Extreme Weddings, Extreme Piercings, Extreme Tattoos, Extreme Makeovers, Extreme Birth Stories... you name it, the USA has it covered.
So in my Pinterest Frenzy this week I started on a bit of an Easter binge.
Because there are so many awesome pins from people waaaaaaay more dedicated than me to:
Easter decorating
Easter making
And Easter Baking
\
Seriously ????
But time and time again I came across USA links to Easter Bunny Bark.
What Is That?
First of all, the bunny in my house doesn't eat bark - He prefers some short cut alfalfa sprouts, green tips only, a quarter of a freshly harvested carrot and the Spanish dried, late harvested, $35 a pound gooseberries from the island of Rabbit-Nirvana .
Secondly, the Easter Bunny at my house does not qualify for a stop over snack
(I thought that was Santa . Milk and cookies or in our case Beer and some peanuts please)
Thirdly.. .... ... ... umm ... seriously, you make this stuff for imaginary characters???
But as it happens, and it happens often, I got converted, sucked in and won over...
so tonight before ballet....
Miss 9 and me made Easter Bunny Bark.
Basically you chop up some toppings (read : what ever Mum could find leftover on the back of the "saving it for Christmas" cupboard):
You melt some white chocolate into liquid form:
You sprinkle the goodies over the good stuff:
And smash it all down.
Cool in the fridge til firm and chop into manageable pieces:
Happy Days!!!
We are so freakin' ready for the Easter Bunny, It's not even funny right now,
( ** Also I might have Type 2 diabetes from all the sugar I have consumed today. Seriously. ** )
What have you made that makes your head and blood sugar level spin?
They do Extreme Fishing, Extreme Mining, Extreme Cars, Extreme Abseiling..Extreme Cake Decorating, Extreme Weddings, Extreme Piercings, Extreme Tattoos, Extreme Makeovers, Extreme Birth Stories... you name it, the USA has it covered.
So in my Pinterest Frenzy this week I started on a bit of an Easter binge.
Because there are so many awesome pins from people waaaaaaay more dedicated than me to:
Easter decorating
Easter making
And Easter Baking
\Seriously ????
But time and time again I came across USA links to Easter Bunny Bark.
What Is That?
First of all, the bunny in my house doesn't eat bark - He prefers some short cut alfalfa sprouts, green tips only, a quarter of a freshly harvested carrot and the Spanish dried, late harvested, $35 a pound gooseberries from the island of Rabbit-Nirvana .
Secondly, the Easter Bunny at my house does not qualify for a stop over snack
(I thought that was Santa . Milk and cookies or in our case Beer and some peanuts please)
Thirdly.. .... ... ... umm ... seriously, you make this stuff for imaginary characters???
But as it happens, and it happens often, I got converted, sucked in and won over...
so tonight before ballet....
Miss 9 and me made Easter Bunny Bark.
Basically you chop up some toppings (read : what ever Mum could find leftover on the back of the "saving it for Christmas" cupboard):
You melt some white chocolate into liquid form:
You sprinkle the goodies over the good stuff:
And smash it all down.
Cool in the fridge til firm and chop into manageable pieces:
Happy Days!!!
We are so freakin' ready for the Easter Bunny, It's not even funny right now,
( ** Also I might have Type 2 diabetes from all the sugar I have consumed today. Seriously. ** )
What have you made that makes your head and blood sugar level spin?
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
World Autism Day - The Carnival Ride
Today Is World Autism Awareness Day.
Not only do we want to raise awareness amongst the greater community about the challenges of living with Autism, we also want to take today to reflect on the joy and wonder that Autism brings to our world.
A couple of years ago I wrote a post about how it feels to find yourself parenting a child with ASD.
I am re-posting it today, for Autism Awareness.
Like so many young romantic couples, we bought tickets to go on the Carousel.
Many of our friends had already gone on it and said it was great. It looked like fun and we could afford it. We had to wait in line, but we had friends waiting too, so it was a good, gossipy wait, talking about what it would be like.
When we finally got through the gates, none of our friends were near us.The ride started and almost immediately, we realised that we were on the wrong ride.
Our seats didn't look like the other seats, and the cars banged and crashed and made weird noises. The seat belts pinched and I felt the first tentacles of fear sneaking into my heart.
A man popped out in a white coat and told us we were on the Monster Crash Roller Coaster. He smiled in a detached way and sent us through the big swinging doors.
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The Roller Coaster is not at all like the Carousel. It is unpredictable, frightening and fast. There are exhilarating highs and stomach churning free-fall drops. There is always a jagged corner hurtling towards you and you never really know where you will go next. You can't hear anyone else because there is so much other noise, and sometimes you actually scream in true fear.
.jpg)
Even with someone sitting right next to you, there are moments when you feel totally and desperately alone.
You can see the carousel in the distance, with it's pretty lights and gentle well groomed ponies.
Your friends are watching you, as you fly through the air, hair tangled, clothes askew. You can't explain to them why you aren't sitting nicely or why you need to hang on so tight. You know from where they sit, you look wild eyed and out of control. You wish you were sitting on a happy little pony, not this monster ride.
.jpg)
You start to worry that you will not make it to the end. You worry the safety rail will fly open, that your car will derail. You forget to breath. Your stomach churns and your fingers ache with the effort of holding on.You close your eyes and wish for it to be over, to be different.
But then... you stop and really concentrate. Your heart is leaping, not only in fear but also in the most incredible joy. You are starting to anticipate the climb and then the drop. You learn to hang on tight in the scary bits, and you open your eyes and really look at the world from the very peak of the steep climbs.
.jpg)
The world looks so different up here, and none of those people on the Carousel can possibly see the world from this angle.
They have no idea how beautiful it can be up here.
At the last climb and free fall, you are grinning, eyes wide open.
As you reach the peak, you let go of the safety bar and raise your hands over your head and welcome the rush.
.jpg)
The ride slows down and we turn to each other, grinning from ear to ear. No, it wasn't the Merry-go-round ride we anticipated. It was so, so much more.
We have since then ridden on the Carousel. It is fun and wonderful too. But there is always a special place in our hearts for the Roller Coaster... what a ride.
Not only do we want to raise awareness amongst the greater community about the challenges of living with Autism, we also want to take today to reflect on the joy and wonder that Autism brings to our world.
A couple of years ago I wrote a post about how it feels to find yourself parenting a child with ASD.
I am re-posting it today, for Autism Awareness.
Like so many young romantic couples, we bought tickets to go on the Carousel.
Many of our friends had already gone on it and said it was great. It looked like fun and we could afford it. We had to wait in line, but we had friends waiting too, so it was a good, gossipy wait, talking about what it would be like.
When we finally got through the gates, none of our friends were near us.The ride started and almost immediately, we realised that we were on the wrong ride.
Our seats didn't look like the other seats, and the cars banged and crashed and made weird noises. The seat belts pinched and I felt the first tentacles of fear sneaking into my heart.
A man popped out in a white coat and told us we were on the Monster Crash Roller Coaster. He smiled in a detached way and sent us through the big swinging doors.
***************
Even with someone sitting right next to you, there are moments when you feel totally and desperately alone.
You can see the carousel in the distance, with it's pretty lights and gentle well groomed ponies.
Your friends are watching you, as you fly through the air, hair tangled, clothes askew. You can't explain to them why you aren't sitting nicely or why you need to hang on so tight. You know from where they sit, you look wild eyed and out of control. You wish you were sitting on a happy little pony, not this monster ride.
You start to worry that you will not make it to the end. You worry the safety rail will fly open, that your car will derail. You forget to breath. Your stomach churns and your fingers ache with the effort of holding on.You close your eyes and wish for it to be over, to be different.
But then... you stop and really concentrate. Your heart is leaping, not only in fear but also in the most incredible joy. You are starting to anticipate the climb and then the drop. You learn to hang on tight in the scary bits, and you open your eyes and really look at the world from the very peak of the steep climbs.
The world looks so different up here, and none of those people on the Carousel can possibly see the world from this angle.
They have no idea how beautiful it can be up here.
At the last climb and free fall, you are grinning, eyes wide open.
As you reach the peak, you let go of the safety bar and raise your hands over your head and welcome the rush.
***************
The ride slows down and we turn to each other, grinning from ear to ear. No, it wasn't the Merry-go-round ride we anticipated. It was so, so much more.
We have since then ridden on the Carousel. It is fun and wonderful too. But there is always a special place in our hearts for the Roller Coaster... what a ride.
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