lakeside

 

Ohhh Lakeside, you beatiful little thing.  Situated right on the shores of Lake Erie, it's got to be one of Ohio's best kept secrets.  I had heard of the town but had never been, probably because it's practically hidden.  When a few teachers and I went out the other night they decided to show us this place.  We parked and began walking. Within minutes we were inundated with cottages, gelato shops, bicycles with baskets, music and island-like charm.  It was like Narnia!  Just walk through a wardrobe and BAM!  A new world.

After visiting that night with friends I knew I had to come back, Patrick in tow.  Parks and beaches and Fun with a capital F were written all over this town.  So off we went!  We took my cousin and her son along for shits and giggles. 

First we hit up the park.  We decided it must have been designed by a mother because it was fenced in with only one entrance.  NOMS, you wouldn't understand.  This is huge.  It's also specifically designed for younger kids because the huge slides and big-kid swings are outside of the fenced-in area.  Good thinking, keeping those tall kids away.

Oh yeah, this park also featured a gigantic sandbox complete with every shovel and castle mold ever created.  It was really the first time (besides that crappy time) that Pat has ever been in sand.  Watching his face while he adjusted to the texture was adorable.

These boys were in heaven.

sand seats.  genius.

After almost two hours at the park, we changed diapers, put on swimmies and headed down to the water where we were planning on settling in at the beach.  But then we saw it.  A Splash Pad.

This was also fenced in and was covered in shooting water, fountains and plastic crocodiles.  My cousin and I were actually pissed at this point saying to each other - now why didn't we bring our suits? 

Really though, it was that cool.  The pure joy on their faces was palpable.  They were screaming, laughing and smiling so big.  What a wonderful sight!

But being the busy boy that he is, Patrick noticed the pool next door so we had to march over there to check it out.  It was only a foot deep but still made me nervous as heck when he wanted to get on his belly and crawl around.  That moment where you're trying to smile at all the other Moms like "I got this" but really you want to scoop them up to safety so you do and then your kid screams bloody murder and does the "stiff as a board I ain't goin anywhere" move?  I was there.  The plan was to wait until next summer for some arm swimmies but I am buying a pair ASAP for my little risk-taker.

one word:  LOVE.

 

Can't forget about my other munchkin in utero. 

 



Finally, it was time to hit the road.  Holy smokes I was exhausted.  I kept worrying that it was too much for Patrick, like he needed to rest or sit down or something.  When we started driving away I thought Crap, he's going to zonk out and ruin his night of sleep. 

Wrong.  He talked the whole way home.  Garrekk?  Sadie?  Watee?  Yeah.  Yeah.  One, two, one, TWO FREE TWO.  Truck?  Tractor?  Ride tractor?  Daddy?  Forklift?  Park?  Park?  Slide.  Green.

The.  whole.  way.  home.