Next year, he’ll beg to take you to see the “Ayplanes” again. Maybe some sound reducing earplugs would be in order, though.

We tried, we really did. He refused earplugs/headphones altogether.

Oops!!!!

Who knew?

The blues fly over our house most weekday mornings and my son now LOVES to watch them.. now, the first time it was as if his little world came to an end.. but now it is his favorite morning activity.. Hope Riley recovers soon and remembers how much fun it is to watch the “ayplanes”.

Oy, the noise! That picture of Riley could be our son, 30 years ago. He hated fireworks displays and he has never forgiven us for taking him all those times, thinking he was bound to start enjoying it. He never did so we just moved on to some activities NOT SO LOUD. I say Riley has given you fair warning!

Molly is 3.5 and still doesn’t much care for loud activities, although she’s gotten a little better. Have you tried going through an automatic carwash with him yet? That might have been one of my guiltiest parenting moments. I thought Molly would find it fun (she was about Riley’s age). Second worst idea ever (for the worst, keep reading). The three or four minutes seemed interminable; she was crying and screaming so hard I almost got in the backseat with her. Now she’s okay with them. So a couple of weeks ago, I figured that her brother Josh (14 months) wouldn’t have a problem, since he’s, you know, fearless. WORST. IDEA. EVER. And the damn places don’t even get my car that clean.

Aww…I saw your other photos. I’m prior Coast Guard and was so happy to see the Coast Guard helos representing! I recently moved off of a CG air station and LOVE the sound of the helos. Especially the distinction of the Dolphins from the Jayhawks. Ok, I’m rambling. Sorry, I just miss it and I don’t have any little ones to ramble about. Anyway, I flew on one of the Jayhawk before I got out, amazing experience. I’m just excited you got to see them. Makes my little heart flutter.

Dude, how could you have known? Because I have a far too long of a memory, I remember your photos of last year’s show, where he happily slept through with those earphones in his stroller.

Those are great pictures – my kid never would make it through that either. But I know how he feels about loud noises, because he often turns the tv up really loud and then cries because it’s so loud. Grrr. I remember last time too, and thinking ‘holy crap that kid is good!’ when I saw the picture of Riley in the seat with the earplugs. Oh well, next year will be different too. Just another slap in the face that is parenting. :)

do i remember photos from last year of him sleeping through the entire thing or am i making it up? hahah. *mustfillbrainwithmoreimportantinfo* ;p

Awwww! Poor Riley. Give him a few years for that testosterone to kick in and then he’ll be in seventh heaven!

Beautiful location for an airshow!

But the kiddo has some way cool shoes on!

Yeah, I agree. One more year and this will make you world’s best mother.

Aw, c’mon. You didn’t traumatize him on purpose. I think he’ll love it next year.

I took my then year-old nephew to the zoo. We were having a great time UNTIL I thought it would be a FANTASTIC idea to take him to the dolphin show. No way in hell. He screamed the entire time. I guess he doesn’t like jumping and flipping marine mammals.

Worst Aunt Ever.

Damn I can’t believe I sacrificed going to watch the Angels and went to the zoo instead with my daughter. I figured the noise would freak her out so went with the safer choice. The things we give up in the name of our children!!

I guess you don’t have to worry about him wanting to join the Air Force.

Erica is the same way about airplanes. First time we realized it was when (we live between the airspace for Pope Air Force Base and the air force base in Goldsboro, NC) was when a very loud and very low flying plane came through and she was about 2.

We were walking across the yard to Stuart’s mothers house and she heard that thing and hit the dirt like she’d served time in Viet Nam. Incoming. She HATES all loud noises to this day and hates airplanes.

Okay if you can now find a way to get this reaction when Dora comes on…well, i think I might marry you!

Well, at least he’s not a TOP GUN fun. That’s good news, isn’t it? :-)

We were there as well but luckily our one year old kept the ear plugs in his ears. At one point one of the planes came in very low from the west and no one was ready for it and there were 15 kids around us all screaming at once, I am sure they will all recover before next year, just like Riley will too!

My favorite part was the boat right off shore playing the Top Gun soundtrack full blast, they were probably all sporting the t-shirts as well : – )

Andrea: that particular fly-by scared the crap out of everyone near us, too! Everyone broke into weak applause afterwards, like ‘heh heh that was great, does anyone have any toilet paper?’

Holy cats, what an amazingly beautiful day you had. If you’re going to be scarred for life by something, at least it was on a gorgeously sunny, blue-skies kind of day.

Dude, my dad always took me and my brothers to air shows as little kids. He was an engineer in aerospace, so he could explain all the cool stuff and show us the planes and helicopters he had helped design. It was awesome. Some of my favorite memories as a kid. And trust me, Riley might be a little freaked out by loud noise right now, but give him a few years. All men are born with a love for giant loud machines. Especially ones that carry explosives for the purpose of dishing out ass kickings and death. Next time you should paint his face in army camo. It turns little boys into fearless little Billy Badass ninja warriors. I’m not really down with the psychology of it, but it works like magic. At least it did for me. (I was scared of the jet noise too)

Reminds me of when our parents took us to see the Blue Angels many moons ago. My youngest sister at the time was about two years old, and she was NOT amused. Afterwards, someone asked her if she liked the show, and she said, “I like my grandma, and I like peanut butter sandwiches, but I do not like those airplanes!”

Grandpa doesn’t look all too happy about it all either.

Thank you so much for that entry about working. I know intellectually speaking that other mothers in the world have all the same oscillating doubts and fears as me but it is so good to hear it voiced. I come from generational stay at home Mom’s and have no blueprint from which to guide myself in simultaneously fulfilling myself as well as my small family. At the same time, I look to my largely single friend population and a population of the celebrity ‘working’ Mom’s that are surrounded by high dollar nannies and pre-schools and wonder of the constraints of my new life are not unbearable. I love my little girl more than I could have thought possible and I am finding more room to treat myself with respect and care than my Mother or Grandmother ever had available to them. When I can remind myself of these things, I can breathe again.

OMG this explains so much. All of the sudden my kid went from obsessed with to terrified of airplanes. We took her to an airshow several weeks ago. DUH!!!