Rosie & Ben

Ben & Rosie pose for a Photo Op with Elmo!
Rosie gives Ben a kiss...
Ben gives Rosie a kiss...

Rosie & Ben
July 17, 2008

We took our second trip of the summer to Sesame Place with cousin Ben, Aunt Jenn, Aunt Suzie and Grandmama. I am happy to report that we had a wonderful afternoon.

After our first trip, I was a little worried about Sesame Place. It seemed a little shady when we were there last month. A little dirty…a little trashy…and not the Oscar the Grouch kind of trash! Fortunately, Sesame Place seemed to have gotten their act together and our park-going experience was wonderful. A large part of what made this trip to SP so special was watching Rosie and Ben interact.

Rosie and Ben were due to arrive exactly 3 months apart. Rosie was a few days late – Ben was a few days early. When I first learned of Jenn’s pregnancy – I was so thrilled because Rosie was going to grow up having a cousin her age. My cousins are a decade older than I am…or a decade younger. At family events, it was really just me and Billy. Billy’s a great counterpart and a fun guy – but having someone new and different to play with every now and then is a very good thing!

I thought it would be years before we would see the signs of friendship between Rosie and Ben. I was so wrong. They were both a little wary of one another when we first got to the park. Actually Rosie was uncharacteristically quiet for the first hour or so that we were there. By the end of the day, they were kissing, holding hands and playing so perfectly, you wouldn’t think they were toddlers. (Although they are both brilliant toddlers – their interaction still amazed and impressed me…)

The seven of us were able to get tickets to the character lunch – which was so worth the price of admission! Unfortunately, the drive up to Sesame Place had me pretty much wiped out. I was having a hard time walking, standing – it was just a tough pregnancy day and I was feeling the pain. So, I volunteered to watch the table while Grandmama took Rosie to see Elmo. I had already had the joy of being with her during another Elmo sighting in Florida – and I wanted my mother-in-law to have the same fun experience. Well – even though this is the third time we have met Elmo, I was still that fool standing at the table, crying as her kid sat on that furry red lap!

Toddlers are magical creatures. It is so much fun to watch their excitement and feel their wonder. As a parent – you get so swept up in their emotions. Even though I couldn’t take her on rides or run around, just watching her face light up with excitement was such a magical thing for me!

We stayed until the 7:00 parade – and both kids looked absolutely pooped. Pooped and totally content. The excitement proved to be too much for Rosie to let go of, however, since we chatted most of the way home about Ben, Big Bird, Elmo and the water she played in. What makes me happiest is that this is just one in a long line of very happy Rosie & Ben memories….