Kid Friendly, Not So Wheelchair Friendly

I took the kids to an Easter egg hunt at a church near our new house today, Boo's church. When I was growing up I went to a church up the road from my house with a few hundred members. Every year on Easter they put lattice in front of a wooden cross and everyone brought a flower to add to it. It was beautiful by the end of the service. After Sunday school all the kids, maybe 15 of us, would go out to a little grassy courtyard and find eggs.

When I say this event was on a larger scale I'm talking doozer to gorg folks. This church has multiple buildings, I think I counted four. There had to be a thousand people there at least. They had multiple egg hunt locations divided by age. They also had pony rides and bounce houses! It was not the chruch Easter egg hunt I grew up with.

We weren't anticipating the size of the event so we were a few minutes late and the under 4 egg hunt area had been picked clean. I couldn't go in in my wheelchair because in was a playground with sand and there were tons of toddlers. So, Isaac held Boo's hand and Riley went with Boo's mommy. Watching from the sideline through gaps in the crowd became the theme of the day.

Other kids kindly shared their eggs with the girls. Soon Riley was very pleased to have two eggs carry in her pink felt bunny basket. I laughed that the girls thought Easter was the the holiday when people hand you eggs. Riley was in my lap most of the day examining her empty plastic eggs. Between moving all week and the uneven, crowded, outdoor terrain I was really glad there were two other adults with us.

We didn't ride the ponies. Riley and I waited in line while everyone else went to get food, but she was acting skittish. Beyond that I don't think I could have put her up there by myself. Of course the people in line with us were exceedingly sweet so I'm sure someone would have lent a hand. After lunch we did go back and pet the ponies. Riley seemed to really enjoy that and my guess is she was thinking "how do you hug a doggie this big?"

The other thrill beyond thrills was the bounce houses. I hated those when I was a kid. I really wanted to like them. I'd get in there and "jump" a little, but ultimately I'd fall and the other kids would jump on me because I wouldn't be able to get up and my mom would have to come in after me. Anyway, the committee who planned this event knew their stuff. They had an over 5 bounce house and an under 5 one too. I let Isaac go to the big kid bounce house once I was satisfied his lunch was digested enough to avoid incident. He tore off his shoes in a frenzy and gleefully bounced for 3min and then his group came out and gave the other kids a turn and so on. Very impressive bounce house regulating. Boo's mom and aunt took the girls to the little bounce house. Riley was beyond thrilled. My guess there is that she thought "a bed I'm allowed to bounce on? Amazing!".

It was a great day, but I felt pretty ineffective as a parent. I thought more than once that the kids would have had the same experience without me there. Maybe it was my burning desire for a nap talking, but all I did was follow the kids around and watch for the most part. Everyone was very nice, the kids had a blast and I even bumped into an old friend. As far as events go it was impressive. As far as maybe going to a closer church to the new house goes I like my smaller church with one building and a few hundred people better.