Is it possible to laugh and scream, for joy and fear at the same time?? You bet it is.

We often baby sit our grand children (twin boys) to give their parents a much needed break. We always look forward to watching them with enthusiasm and anticipation, never quite knowing how the day will end.
Arizona has many bright, blue and beautiful days without a cloud in the sky. The morning temperatures of fall and spring are mild due to the lingering dry coolness of the evenings.
This is often the best time to take the boys out for a bicycle ride. With a large bottle of water to share, we plot our course and head off to the local neighborhood park. This park is loaded with playground equipment, a large expansive area of grass, and covered picnic areas with many benches. The park area sits quite low because it also serves a dual function as a water collection & retention area during Arizona’s infrequent but occasionally intense rainstorms.
One of the reasons that the boys love this park is the long sidewalk that leads to it, as it is inclined from the street level sidewalk to the base of the park. They think this concrete “runway” is the best thing ever! They each take their turns racing down and walking back up to the top.
The speed of the descent causes the pedals of their bicycles to turn faster than their feet can pedal. So they lift their legs, hold on to the handle bars and laugh and giggle and screeemmm and giggle more with delight as they race by the flowers and shrubs planted alongside the “runway“. It’s hard to judge by the looks on their faces what’s going to come out of their mouths the next time. But I do know that they are determined not to be afraid and to enjoy the roller coaster journey.
Did they go fast, you bet…but with training wheels, helmets and knee pads strapped on, they are comforted by the fact that at the end of the “runway”, is a large area of soft grass to land on, should they be unable to stop.
Pushing their bicycles up the hill takes some time. And they each instinctively know to pull off to the side of the runway when their brother woooshes by laughing, giggling and screaming, so as not to get side swiped. . This joy only motivates them to get back up to the top of the hill and start the downhill joy ride, all over again.
After countless enjoyable trips up and down and water breaks, it’s time to head home as the Arizona sun and heat slowly closes in on us.
On the way home, it’s so much fun listening to these little boys talk about their fears and accomplishments they experienced today, and what they want to do tomorrow. It’s times like this that I will never forget, and know how fortunate I am to be a Grandfather