A wonderful evening!

We had tonight, what can only be called a wonderful evening! It was perfect, well except for the fact that dh wasn't there because of work, but ::sigh:: if we would like money to eat, wear clothes and buy things, it's a part of life!
Anyway, I decided to take the kids to the local carnival. Tonight they were doing wristbands from 5pm to 11pm (no, we didn't stay that late) but for this area, wristbands usually are good for 2 maybe 3 hours. We used ours for four hours. All three of my kids got plenty of use out of them! I think they all went through at least what would have been 50 tickets each - and individual tickets were 1 each. I feel like we spent 51 dollars and got about 150-200 dollars worth of rides! Pretty nice feeling.

And my 7 year old proved once again she is growing up. We brought a friend of hers with us. And they went on a lot of the "big kid" rides. Just 2 years ago she was afraid of some of the little kid rides and now she was going on the real fast and spinny and rides that required certain heights to ride! ::sniff, sniff:: And she was so excited to go on all the big rides. It was fun to watch her as she beamed with pride for being brave enough to go on the big rides, and yet at the same time she was more than happy to go on the "baby rides" with her siblings ... I think it sums it up perfectly for where she is in life ... ready to try new things that are meant for the older kids, but still perfectly happy to do the little kid things. I know in a few years she won't want to be caught dead on those same baby rides she so enjoyed tonight. But it was fun to watch her tonight - the joy, the excitement, the look of happiness over conquering something!

And my 4 year old did the same thing with all the little rides - she actually rode a lot of them and had fun. No whining things were too loud or too fast or too scary! Nope, she was a brave girl as well - having so much fun on those rides. And again, I had so much fun watching her looking so brave and having so much fun. For once, she melted into the crowd of children - looking so happy and excited and just having a lot of fun! It was so nice for me to see that as her mother. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for her. Maybe she has reached a new point in her young life where the sensory issues aren't so overwhelming to her, that don't interfere too much with daily activities. What a wonderful point to reach. Now I am just crossing my fingers this isn't a rare occurrence!

And since I've talked of the other two, well, Little Man pretty much stuck to two rides tonight - the airplane and the little cars! The airplane he wouldn't go on alone but the car he loved and rode it at least a dozen times - it was so funny. Thankfully, since it wasn't busy a few times he sat on the same car for several turns in a row!

I have to say, it was nice to be out with all of them tonight and not feel like I was going to lose my mind, or a child, and to actually sit and have fun. We are having more and more of those moments around here and it's nice. The girls have grown so much and Little Man is also growing up. I admit I get too frazzled too quickly, but that frazzled feeling is coming less and less on outings with my children. Although it is a bit bittersweet because as they age it gets easier and easier to be out and about. And I do miss having a baby around, a teeny tiny thing. But it is precisely not having that teeny tiny baby that is making outings easier. So, on one hand I love this new found freedom I have to take the kids out (although, it's not always roses of course! They are children after all and far from perfect) but on the other I have this desire for another little one in this house. Either way, there won't be another baby and I am currently struggling to accept that fact. Although on a night like tonight, it is a bit easier. And in a few years, when little man is out of diapers and I won't need a stroller anymore, I suppose it will be even easier! But regardless, I really did enjoy myself tonight. I marveled at all of my children and it truly was a fantastic time! And to think, it was all spur of the moment decision to go! But sometimes those spur of the moment things are the best kind, aren't they?