Life at 50 inches

Julie is now that wonderful height where she is tall enough for all the big kid rides and not yet too tall for the kiddie rides. We went to a carnival together on Mother’s day and had a blast. I have always loved going on the rides and now I have someone who is willing to go with me. We had a bit of a happy mix up at the ticket counter and ended up with wrist bands instead of tickets. The wrist bands gave us unlimited access to all the rides except for the bumper cars.

We both agreed that there was NO WAY we were going on the Zero Gravity ride. Julie wasn’t sure about the Sea Dragon, but she bravely tried, even though some kid had thrown up earlier in the day on it. Julie wanted to try the Zipper, but I chickened out. There were some rides that Julie went on by herself, because I am no longer in the magic height zone. I got to watch her face shine as she had a blast.

She is still sweetly innocent enough that the little trucks that go around and around appeal to her. She is grown up enough for the thrill of the Tilt-A-Whirl. She still believes the games are fair and she has a chance to win the prizes. We spent too much on those games; winning her a stuffed pug puppy (water spray game), a pink and yellow snake (fishing game), and a fluffy wolf (darts).

When I was child, my family went to the Altamont Fair every year. My mother never bought us Cotton Candy. As a mother myself, I can understand why. Colored spun sugar? No nutritive value at all, just a cavity creating waste of money. As an adult with the memory of being told “No”, I did get Julie some when she asked. She is good about brushing her teeth.

Besides, she is a growing kid. Next year, she’ll probably be too tall for the kiddie rides. And she’ll probably be feeling way too grown up to want to go on them. This age of the magic height is fleeting.

We’re going to be enjoying the rides all summer long.