My face hurt. The air was brutally cold, but “Light Up
Lakewood” would still go on. The side-street parking that I found left more
than a short walk to the festivities. My generic smart- phone confirmed my
tardiness. I guess a giant blow up slide would have to wait.
I found an open door into the large hall in the center of
town. Children bundled in gigantic puffy coats tossed bean-bags onto squares
marked with prizes. Volunteers smiled and handed out candy. There was no giant
slide.
I spotted a young woman who appeared to be giving
directions. “I’m here to help with the giant slide?” I offered with a hint of
questioning. “Oh yes, they are just getting ready to set it up!”
So much for being late. Three young men wrestled with giant
plastic bundles. They pushed and tugged as they man-handled the slide through
the double doors. Business-like, they opened them and connected the large
blower. Soon, flat formless plastic began to rise in an amorphous bulge in the
middle of the auditorium. The massive peak of the slide barely fit.
Plastic. Huge. Majestic. Children began to hover nearby. The erectors
of this modern marvel briefed me on the procedures. Shoes off. Feet first. No
flips. Make sure there is only one person coming down the slide at a time.
Little did I know that these words would become my mantra for the next two
hours. Oh yeah, and If it starts deflating re-attach the blower. Okay, I can handle this.
Most of the time, I was just repeating cautious phrases and
helping kids wait patiently before climbing the gigantic slide. There were a
couple cuddly moments with big brothers helping little sisters climb, and a
couple cuddly moments of mom’s (below the weight limit of course) sliding down
with their little people.
After briefing my replacement, I hurried home hoping the
reindeer and sled dogs would still be there when we got back. We bundled up the
two year old and the baby as fast as we could, which is to say that it took us
quite a while. We wanted to bring them out to see the lights and animals. I
managed to get the baby’s coat on and bundle his blankets over and around the
car seat. After another few minutes, mittens were on as well. His cute Peruvian hat snugly pulled on his
little bald head. He was adorable! Charlie wore his new winter coat and the
“Wisconsin Badger” hat provided by his aunt.
Mysteriously, by the time we were at the car, one of the baby’s mittens
was gone, and after five minutes in the car the hat was off too!
The whole time I was
hoping that we would be able to find parking close enough to arrive before the
reindeer were taken home or the sled dogs headed for the hills. Luckily the
spot I scouted out was still there when we returned. I unfolded the stroller
while my wife re-hatted and re- mittened the baby. The car seat released from
it’s base and locked into the stroller. We were on our way. The quiet hum of a
crowd moving in the cold filled the air.
There were several stages with live music. Steamy vapor rose
from the tables selling hot chocolate and kettle corn. We made our way through
the crowd to where the corral held the reindeer. They did not seem quite as
tall as the claymation Santa shows make them out to be, but hey Santa is
supposed to be an elf too? My two year old
had no problem accepting them. I have pictures of my badge- hat-wearing son
in front of the reindeer to prove it. We stopped to enjoy some music. We bought
a led light “wand” and a bag of kettle corn before slowly making our way toward
the sled dogs. Compared to my little boy the dogs did seem gigantic. One look
in their direction and he was leaping into my arms. Note to self -“Giant dogs
do not seem overly cute to a three feet tall child.”
At this point, my wife and I were starting to get hungry.
Our newly opened wine bar was only a half a block away, so we made our move.
Luckily, the hostess said our wait wouldn’t be long. It wasn’t. The smiling
young lady pulled up a high chair, and we settled in for our snacks. Our order
was brief and to the point- Two glasses of Malbec, cheese plate, and fire
roasted pizza. The atmosphere was warm inside and filled with the pleasant
holiday murmur.
The cheese plate and wine arrived quickly. My two year old
loves cheese with the added bonus that grown-ups love to see a two year old
sitting very seriously with a gourmet cheese gnosh. Another young couple sat
one table over. Mikey caught the woman’s eyes and made flirting sidelong smiles
in her direction. We struck up a small conversation. “Mine are all at home. They are a little
older, but we needed a date!” she said.
We exchanged pleasantries regarding the merits of Lakewood entertainment
between bites of the cheese plate.
A short time later, Mikey began to cry. I walked around a little while quietly singing
in his ear. A fairly large group that had just been seated nearby watched us.
The group consisted of about five women in their sixties and a couple of men.
“How old is he?” one woman asked.
“Almost one.”
“Poor little guy. We are here for a baptism, we miss NE
Ohio.” We chatted a little more before I turned to make a few more small laps
around the room.
Mikey was starting to calm down but was still upset. The
same woman gathered her courage and
intercepted us on our lap. “If you don’t mind, I can give it a try. I am a
grandma in withdrawal, and I hate to see the poor little guy cry!” Without a
protest or a whimper Mikey dove into the lady’s arms. He snuggled into the
fuzzy collar around her neck. She
started singing softly and his eyelids began to flutter. A few minutes later he was snoring in her
arms.
Our pizza came a short time later. The crust was perfectly
crisp and the toppings nicely melted and hot. We chit chatted with the couple
and the baptism party. I asked the proxy baby-holding lady if her arms were
tired. Smiling, she said, “Not quite yet. I would love to hold him for a few
more minutes if you don’t mind. You three can relax and eat in peace.” We enjoyed our pizza and retrieved our baby. After sitting for a few
moments more of relaxation, we decided to brave the cold and journey home which
was all of three quarters of a mile.
Well wishes were
exchanged. An evening was very much enjoyed. The atmosphere at Humble Wine bar
had cut the chill, and the night was a success.
Lakewood is the perfect place for us to be.
