HAYRIDE! A story of barf and the kindness of strangers

Saturday, Wyatt was talking about the state fair and the "bumpy Jeeps" ride he loved so much. He said he wanted to go to the fair. I said "Well, the fair isn't open right now, but let's go to the computer and see what is happening right now."

I found "Agriculture Day" at a local park. There were to be booths and activities, a petting zoo, and a hayride. All this can be yours for 3 cans of soup.

So I told him and he was excited.

We got to the park and couldn't find the area it was being held in. The place was HUGE. So we walked and walked and walked. Finally got directions and were heading over. Wyatt started having a coughing fit. Then he said "Mama!" in the saddest voice and reached up to have me pick him up. I started picking him up and...

RALLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPHHHHH!

He threw up. All over me. All over him. All over the sidewalk. It was horrible.

I had left the diaper bag in the car, not knowing how far we were going to be walking to get to this Agriculture Day bonanza. Another mom ran over with her wipes box open and let me take about 20 wipes to get Wyatt and me to the point where we didn't have upchuck hanging from our clothes. I thanked her profusely.

Then I told Wyatt "Ok buddy. We are going to have to go back home and change clothes."

A look of sheer despair came across his face.

"NO! NO!", he started crying. "Hayride. Hayride."

His heart was breaking, and what kind of mom would let that happen?

"Ok, ok... we'll go on the hayride. C'mon. People will just have to deal with the smell of vomit on the hayride, but they'll live."

We got to the entrance of Agriculture Day, and I deposited my cans in the donation box. Wyatt started asking for water. Well, of course he did. He just threw up.

And of course... I had left our water in the car, thinking we'd only be here 30-40 minutes. An hour max. We'd live without water.

We wandered around looking for a water fountain. There were none to be found. There was a booth offering water. For a dollar. And you guessed it... I left my money in the car.

What can I say? I like to travel light.

We found the area for the hayride and Wyatt kept asking for water. I felt horrible and had nothing to offer him. I told him we'd go back to the car and get our water after the hayride.

A man next to us in line gave me a look. I don't know if it was due to the stench of vomit emanating from our clothing or the fact that my son was asking for water and I had none, but I felt compelled to tell him the whole story.

We continued to wait and finally got on the hayride. We sat down and the man I was talking to came over to us and... handed us a bottle of water. He had gone back to the booth selling water and bought one for us. I almost cried. That was so nice and so unexpected and so relieving. I thanked him profusely, feeling like a loser mom but happy that my son had water. I opened the water and Wyatt guzzled it.

Then the hayride started. It was ok for me. Nothing exciting. But Wyatt loved it and wanted to do it again. And that is what it is all about.



Then we went home and changed clothes.

The end.

Crystal