Coney Island Daze

Our little family spent Memorial Day at Coney Island, along with roughly a million other people. The weather report forecast a high of 80 degrees, so I didn't think we needed to bring jackets, but the stiff sea breeze left us shivering and clutching our beach towels around our shoulders.

We huddled on the boardwalk and ate greasy pizza, corn on the cob, and French fries, while the wind whipped trash around us and blew our hair into our faces. The people-watching couldn't be beat though, with colorful characters everywhere, and the ocean was sparkling, and I was having a Happy New York Moment even though I was covered in goosebumps and sitting in a pile of trash by the end of lunch. We watched Shoot the Freak, the kids waded in the ocean and squealed with joy, and Tom and the girls rode the Wonder Wheel. Later in the day, Tom held Violet while she napped and I took Molly on the kiddie rides. She braved the Freefall, a ride where you are strapped in and dropped from high up. The first couple of drops, I could tell she was deciding whether or not to cry, but then her terror turned to laughter, and when she came off the ride she was giddy with pride and exhilaration.

The story of the illustration above: when I took Molly to the bathroom, Violet wanted to tag along even though she didn't have to go, but trust me, you don't want to tag along to the bathrooms at Coney Island unless you really have to go. Tom talked her into drawing pictures while we were gone, and when we returned, this is what they'd done. Tom asked Violet what he should draw, and she said, "A mommy, a Molly, a Violet, and a daddy." She pointed and showed him exactly where to draw them, too, so it was really her picture. When I saw it, I wondered where all the people were, as it was elbow-to-elbow crowded on the boardwalk, and why the wind wasn't whipping our hair and we didn't look cold. In response, Tom titled it "A Fantasy of Coney Island." Then I stuffed it into our beach bag next to the water bottle and smeared the ink a little bit. I think it's just the right finishing touch, though.