The At-Home Carnival

There is no shortage of excitement in our household; every day is a carnival.  We have a vast collection of "Daddy rides" that the kids just can't get enough of, and at times totally exhaust me.  I wish I could get video of most of them but you'll just have to use some imagination at the glee they bring.

The "Rocket Ship":  I actually stole this one from my brother, Bob, but I reinvented it at whole new level of action and sound effects.  Naturally, it starts with a countdown (5...4...3...2...1...BLASTOFF!) and the rider yells, "blastoff", they shake and rattle off the launch pad, almost touching the ceiling as they enter orbit, and then come screaming down at reentry, and end with a splash-down in the bath tub.  

The "Airplane":  This is the kid's favorite way to get into the bathtub.  Before take off, they need to deploy their wings (arms), then the engine starts with a shake of the head and sputtering of the lips (Ollie is really good at this part), and away they fly.  They fly around every room skimming the walls as the make high banked turns, then nose dive towards the floor only to pull up at the last minute.  With the landing gear down (their legs), they land smoothly into the bathtub.  

The "Astronomy Lesson": There are is a large model of the solar system hanging from the ceiling in Ollie's room.  For scale, the sun is about the size of a basket ball.  The rider has to guess which planet is next starting with the Sun, and when right, Daddy lifts the rider up to each planet gives it's name with a little descriptive saying like, "the red planet, Mars," or "the ringed planet, Saturn," or "Mars, to get more candy bars," and the rider gives it nudge and sends it wobbling.  Sadly, each ride ends the same, with a short ode for the missing planet, Pluto.

The "Stair-Coaster": This is the only way to get down the stairs in the morning.  Sitting at the top of the stairs, the rider climbs onto my lap.  The countdown starts: 5...4...3...2..1...BLASTOFF!.  The rider has to yell, "Blastoff," as loud as they can, or the ride doesn't go.  Every now and then, I can get Ollie to raise the roof with his very sincere, "Blastoff!"  And, down we go, bumping down the stairs together.  

The "Swing": My dad use to do this one to us, it's a classic.  The rider lays on their back with their arms and legs raised in the air.  I grab their ankles and wrists and swing them between my legs.  Drew was very hesitant with this one.  He had never wanted to ride until Ollie came along and showed him how much fun it can be.  Now, he can't get enough of it.  

The "Ride-um-Cowboy":  I lay on my back, the rider sits on top, and we bounce away at the hips.  The ride is most fun when done in sync to an off-tune hum of a Lone-Ranger/Bonanza remix.  

The "Horsey-Back Ride" and the "Piggy-Back-Ride":  Both oldies, but goodies.  The "Horsey-Back Ride" tears the knees up, especially in a house with hardwood floors.

The "Battering Ram":  This is in reference to the classic ride at Busch Gardens.  I lay on my back with the rider on top, and roll back and forth on my back.  The ride goes further and further back, until he is upside-down and can touch the floor behind them with their toes.  

The "Racing Car":  Ollie has a small push-car, but we bring it to a dangerous level.  I back the car up as high on the driveway as I dare, and let the car and rider go.  If any of the readers of this blog have been to our house, you'll know the driveway slopes at a very steep angle away from the street.  If all goes well, the rider threads between the parked cars, and flies off the driveway into the back yard.  Or, I run behind pushing the car and rider as fast as I can around the house, up and down the hill, banking turns, and skidding out at the end.    

The "Fork Lift": This is my tactic for getting the boys moving when its time to go to bed (or out), go to the bathroom, or go anywhere else they don't want to go.  The fork lift (my arms) slide underneath the rider, and lift straight up, causing the rider to change position as little as possible from their original lazy sitting or laying position.  It's not as easy as it sounds, it takes a bit of strength.  But, for some reason it's fun, and effective.  At the end, the air brake sounds with a, "Hissssssss."

The "Drag":  Exactly as it sounds.  I grab them by the wrist and drag them backwards.  It's fun, I don't know why.

The "Stilts":  The rider stands on my feet as we walk together, another oldie but goodie.

The following video shows Ollie enjoying the "Stair-Coaster" and the "Ride-um-Cowboy", there is nothing sweeter than the sound of Ollie's laugh.  What's most impressive, however, is that Mike took these videos all by himself.