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a wee surprise
It was the week before Father's Day, Thursday of my son's last week of second grade, so there was no real work for him to do at school, just a "field day" of outdoor games scheduled. It was also the last weekday in June that I might be able to take a day off from work, before a week-long teaching trip to Austin, a couple of busy work days, then a family trip to go backpacking in the White Mountains. And my son had won a free ticket to the Six Flags New England theme park for the "Mathathon" at school, and the ticket, as he had reminded me more than once, was only good until the end of June.
So I planned and I plotted. My partner packed a bag with essentials for my son, and in the morning, instead of walking him to the end of our road to get his school bus as usual, I suggested that I drive him to school. So we hopped in the car and drove off. He told me how much he was looking forward to Field Day, and I began to doubt the wisdom of my plan. Somehow the subject of roller coasters came up, so I asked him, "you really like roller coasters, eh?" And he said, "oh yeah!" So I asked, "how much? Do you like them more than....mushrooms?" (he hates mushrooms). The answer was not surprising. Then I asked, "do you like roller coasters more than riding your bike?" Again, assent. So now the big question. "Do you like them more than, say...Field Day?" "Oh yeah, sure," he replied without hesitation. Okay then, off we go.
At the turnoff for his school, I suggested that we stop at Dunkin Donuts for a doughnut for him and a coffee for me, and afterwards I filled up the gas tank at the service station. As we pulled out of the gas station, I said, "kiddo, you have a tough decision to make. We can either turn right and go to school, or we can turn left and go to Six Flags and ride roller coasters all day." His eyes lit up and his face took on an expression that read, plain as a book, "c'mon, Dad, is this a trick question or what?" What he said was, "Wow, Six Flags!" I asked him a couple of times if he was really really sure, just to be annoying. Then I said, "there's only one problem with driving all the way down to western Massachusetts to go to Six Flags...we'll have to drive right by the Phantom Fireworks outlet on the way. If we do that, we might just have to stop in and buy some fireworks for the 4th of July. Do you think you could manage that?" He responded...positively, to say the least. I think there are still a few dents in the roof of the car from his head, he was bouncing up and down so hard.
So we drove down to Six Flags, stopping at Phantom Fireworks to buy...er, a few fireworks. See, I have a discount card with Phantom, based on certain pyrotechnic shows I used to do back when we lived in Maryland, which give me two for one on everything in the store, plus various free goodies. In the end, we filled two shopping carts full (in theory, this *should* last me about two years of 4th of July and New Year's, but we'll see...) They barely all fit in the back of the car. It's going to be a good 4th of July.
Six Flags was huge big fun for us both -- by the end of the day, we had ridden every single 'coaster in the park at least once, and there are some good ones. Starting with the Cyclone, a large wooden coaster, I introduced my son to the thrill of sitting in the front of the first car. After he tried that, he wanted to ride in the front of the first car on all of the big 'coasters -- Superman, Batman, Mind Eraser, Pandaemonium, and all the rest. We left quite late, a bit queasy, but triumphant. When we got home, I asked my sleepy son whether he had a good day. He lookd at me and said, "I had the *best* day." It came a few days early, but when he said that, it was the best Father's Day present I could have gotten.
So I planned and I plotted. My partner packed a bag with essentials for my son, and in the morning, instead of walking him to the end of our road to get his school bus as usual, I suggested that I drive him to school. So we hopped in the car and drove off. He told me how much he was looking forward to Field Day, and I began to doubt the wisdom of my plan. Somehow the subject of roller coasters came up, so I asked him, "you really like roller coasters, eh?" And he said, "oh yeah!" So I asked, "how much? Do you like them more than....mushrooms?" (he hates mushrooms). The answer was not surprising. Then I asked, "do you like roller coasters more than riding your bike?" Again, assent. So now the big question. "Do you like them more than, say...Field Day?" "Oh yeah, sure," he replied without hesitation. Okay then, off we go.
At the turnoff for his school, I suggested that we stop at Dunkin Donuts for a doughnut for him and a coffee for me, and afterwards I filled up the gas tank at the service station. As we pulled out of the gas station, I said, "kiddo, you have a tough decision to make. We can either turn right and go to school, or we can turn left and go to Six Flags and ride roller coasters all day." His eyes lit up and his face took on an expression that read, plain as a book, "c'mon, Dad, is this a trick question or what?" What he said was, "Wow, Six Flags!" I asked him a couple of times if he was really really sure, just to be annoying. Then I said, "there's only one problem with driving all the way down to western Massachusetts to go to Six Flags...we'll have to drive right by the Phantom Fireworks outlet on the way. If we do that, we might just have to stop in and buy some fireworks for the 4th of July. Do you think you could manage that?" He responded...positively, to say the least. I think there are still a few dents in the roof of the car from his head, he was bouncing up and down so hard.
So we drove down to Six Flags, stopping at Phantom Fireworks to buy...er, a few fireworks. See, I have a discount card with Phantom, based on certain pyrotechnic shows I used to do back when we lived in Maryland, which give me two for one on everything in the store, plus various free goodies. In the end, we filled two shopping carts full (in theory, this *should* last me about two years of 4th of July and New Year's, but we'll see...) They barely all fit in the back of the car. It's going to be a good 4th of July.
Six Flags was huge big fun for us both -- by the end of the day, we had ridden every single 'coaster in the park at least once, and there are some good ones. Starting with the Cyclone, a large wooden coaster, I introduced my son to the thrill of sitting in the front of the first car. After he tried that, he wanted to ride in the front of the first car on all of the big 'coasters -- Superman, Batman, Mind Eraser, Pandaemonium, and all the rest. We left quite late, a bit queasy, but triumphant. When we got home, I asked my sleepy son whether he had a good day. He lookd at me and said, "I had the *best* day." It came a few days early, but when he said that, it was the best Father's Day present I could have gotten.
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sounds like a fun day.
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We'll be coming back from the White Mountains on the 4th, but we'll be back home in time to have people over and BBQ and set up a good show up in the paddock.
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More coffee...
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Miss you. And I can't wait for the fireworks on the 4th!
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Just a thought.
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And I like the way you think. Heh.
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By the way, I just ate a huge mushroom stuffed with stilton butter!
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BTW, your restraints are the BEST!!!
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