1st Trip Down the Big Blue Slide
Valerie's Adventure at Bay Beach Amusement Park
Taking Valerie down the big blue slide at Bay Beach was an experience I will not soon forget. It all started on a brisk fall day in the fall of 2013. My husband, Corey, Valerie, and I went to Bay Beach for a fun family outing. Almost as soon as we arrived, Valerie spotted the slide and began to make her way toward it. When we finally arrived, I took in the immense height and then quickly came to the realization that I would be carrying her all the way to the top. Just two weeks prior, Corey had had back surgery to remove a large tumor and was not allowed to lift anything over 20 pounds. Unfortunately, Valerie tipped the scale at nearly 25 pounds! Letting her walk up the stairs wasn't an option either. Not only was the railing too high for her to reach, but the steps were covered in fabric and dust that made them quite slippery. I hoisted Valerie up on my hip and began making the climb. About half way up, I began to feel fatigued and had to take a short break to catch my breath. I couldn't understand why I was so exhausted. (That reason revealed itself several weeks later when I found out I was pregnant!) When we reached the top, Corey and I got ourselves situated, all the while holding on tight to Valerie's hands. To her, this was just a really big slide, no different from any of the others she had been on before, and was ready to go down on her bottom if we would have let her. She chose to sit on Corey's lap and since we were the only ones there, we let her count down from 3 before making the trek down. While the feeling of gliding down at incredibly fast speeds was extremely exhilarating, the best part was listening to Valerie's little voice as we made our way down. She screamed nearly the entire way, but not the type of scream you hear from someone who is terrified - rather it was the scream of someone who was having the time of their life! When we reached the bottom, Valerie immediately wanted to go back again but because it was late in the afternoon, the park was about to close. Even though she was disappointed, Valerie helped me carry the sack to the bin where they were kept and politely said "Thank you ma'am" to the attendant. I cannot wait to go back again next year!
Valerie on Big Blue Slide at Bay Beach