Air & Water Show....

 

Maybe it's my optimistic, sometimes naive nature that makes me believe that an outing I find exciting will excite my kids, too.  I mean, Jack has been to the annual Chicago Air & Water Show every year since he was 2.  He loves jets and planes and stuff.  

My dad is an aviation buff; he had his pilot's license and recently did some aerobatics in a plane with an instructor.  He wanted to see the air show this year and I am all too eager to have some quality time with my pop.  

I figured a day at the lake with him and the kids should be fun, right?  

Well....it was fun, for the most part.  

I packed lots of water on ice, food, toys, chairs and an umbrella to make sure most complaints were arrested.  We needed a pack mule or camel to assist us with the load as we lumbered aboard the CTA bus headed east.  

What I sometimes forget is that little kids have no attention span.  

"Look at the cool F18 jet, kids"....  

"Cool, Mom....I'm hungry!"   

"Jack is bugging me!"  

"I'm tired and wanna go home!"  

"Honey, we have only been here 15 minutes..."  

"Grandpa, will you play catch with me?"  

They powered their way through the food I brought and then began whining for a sno-cone.  Those ice cream vendors with the jingly bells are out to get me.  They circled  like vultures and just sat there, jingling away, taunting me.  It's like a bad dream....they always show up at the worst times, like just as school is letting out for the day, or at the kid's baseball game.  If Dominick's would let them, they would  park right next to the candy at the checkout aisle!

My kids were about to lose their minds as crowds of people surrounded the vendors buying treats.  I finally gave in, dang it, but I held out for at least 8 minutes.  

"Kids, we are here to see the cool planes, not eat every last thing, spray each other with water and play hide and seek.  Grandpa and I want to see the planes, don't you?  

Silence (for the first time today).....  

Soon followed by, "When are we going to go HOME?!".  

So, in between dealing with the monkeys, Dad and I enjoyed seeing the jets and I enjoyed just hangin' with him.  

It wasn't quality time, but it was time, nonetheless.