This year we decided to once again attend the AFL/CIO Labor Day Picnic at Coney Island, sponsored by our Union. They payed for adult admissions, car load of kids and parking. Now if they can only help get a fair contract agreement before a strike after 8 months of working without contract, we’d be happy! The food at the picnic is free along with drinks and all we have to do is pay for a $5 ride bracelet for anyone wishing to stay and play. Totally affordable, if we budget and a good deal for our family especially! I believe this is the largest picnic of its kind in the USA. Last year President Obama came!!! We skipped that time due to the large crowds expected and too many politicians; something neither Rick nor I enjoy. This year it was just the State Governor in attendance.
This small amusement park sits on the Ohio side, right on the Ohio River southeast of the city. We actually drive into Kentucky to get to it! The kids enjoyed their hot dogs and cookies especially. They all found some teachers or friends from school (teacher’s children) to say hi to. Haley actually met up with some girls who used to go to Lindsay’s school (teacher’s children again) several years ago who are Haley’s age that she had made friends with when Lindsay sang in the school choir. They invited her to hang out with them for a few hours and she had fun.
While all of my children were active and busy I have mostly pictures of the two I got to hang out with. This was Nathan’s first time at an amusement park, obviously. They had a fun section that he and Kaitlyn could enjoy together. Kaitlyn did this first, as she is now tall enough to go on some of the bigger rides with an adult.
Nathan really liked the turtle parade. It has a button that buzzes when pressed and he giggled as he rode around. It was very cute.
The kids got to ring the bells on the train and boat. Making more noise always seems to be exciting.
They even took off in a rocket ship together!
Lindsay and Tristan are buddies (left side) and decided to ride on everything together.
Kaitlyn tried out the jumping frogs and enjoyed it before she left to go on her first roller coaster ride with her Dad to protect her. She’s not sure she likes hills!
I found Haley riding this with Tristan and Lindsay close behind. The older three really enjoyed being together and feeling a little independent; the only reason I can think that Haley kept leaving her friends to join her brother and sister again. For all the bickering they do at times, they really are best friends. That and the fact that Haley’s friends had pocket money to burn, I guess, kept her returning periodically to check in.
The crowds really hit once the various Union picnics were over so Nathan, Kaitlyn and I took a break from the lines and we walked over to the playground at the picnic areas. They enjoyed themselves but I had to watch them very carefully with so many people around and lots of kids took advantage of the fact that their adults weren’t watching them very closely. If I ever say anything to these children about behaving and being safe, their guardians tend to come out of the woodwork to attack me so I try and keep my distance asking my own kids to move to a different location when necessary or take a break from an activity where they are likely to get hurt or into trouble.
Late afternoon, the crowds died down a bit. The older kids somehow lost their Dad but found me and I let tired children ride their last rides of the day before heading back to the parking lot.
We headed to McDonalds on the way home for an easy dinner with free kiddy cones at the end and five happy but filthy children got a good sudsy soak in the tub before bed.
Happy end-of-summer!
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