Then and Now Thursday

I love amusement parks.  Growing up, trips to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio were the only vacations we ever took.  My parents were also extremely practical about the trips.  We never stayed in a hotel, or bought souvenirs. Not even the keyhole photos they take of you when you enter the park.  As a teenager, with my own discretionary income, the first thing I did was buy a souvenir keychain.

 

Circa 1995. 

I'm the girl on the right being strangled and yes I actually took this photo through the little eyepiece on my key chain souvenir.  Notice, my best friend and I have included the requisite flannel shirts in our wardrobes for the day. 

Last week, my best mommy friend and I took our girls to King's Island.  Our trip was much different from the trips of my youth.  For one thing, we had to drag along a breast pump (not for me) and make time to use it throughout the day.  Luckily, we looked so innocent at the gate, no one checked our bags.  We were relieved, but we also would have enjoyed the embarrassed look on the security guard's face.  Would you like me to demonstrate, sir? We also had to employ two babysitters in separate locations to take care of my friend's other children. When I was a teenager our biggest problem was figuring out gas money.  We fought hard for this day to happen.

  

We did get our picture taken, but by a kind stranger and not an employee of the park. We didn't ride everything, but the kids got to go on whatever they wanted, as many times as they could stand it. A passing storm cleared the cowards out of the park and we didn't wait in line all day.   Oh, and we did buy one souvenir. I just couldn't help myself.