For understandable reasons, I was nervous about paying for her to go on an air boat ride through a local swamp.
"You have to stay awake," I warned her as I handed her a life jacket and headphones.
Camber assured me that she wasn't the least bit tired.
Not more than two minutes after Captain Leon started the boat's engine, Camber fell into my lap.
It's hard to appreciate alligators and indigenous birds when you've just flushed $20 down the toilet.
Eventually it all became too much for me. So I poked her.
"Wake up!" I hissed. "You're missing all the alligators."
Nothing.
In the end, I missed all the alligators trying to rouse my daughter from a deep slumber so she could appreciate them as well.
The things we sacrifice for our children.
****
Captain Leon felt badly that my daughter slept through his whole tour. To make her feel better, he let her hold Gertrude.
When I told Captain Leon that I would feel a lot better about myself if I could hold Gertrude too, he said he would be happy to accommodate my request...for $10.
Captain Leon is a shrewd businessman.
You're not alone. My daughter used to fall asleep in loud places. I think it was her coping strategy.
ReplyDeleteMy niece falls asleep everywhere too! She's 6. Last week she came to visit and my hubby suggested we take her and her sister to a 9:25 showing of "Toy Story 3" in 3D. Knowing she would fall asleep, we tried to get her to "rest" before we went. No luck. Half hour into the movie she fell asleep. My husband still can't get over how upset he was that we paid $10 for her to fall asleep in the theater with her legs and arms all over us. We've learned our lesson...
ReplyDeleteIn Louisiana you don't have to wear life jackets AND you get to hold the baby gator!
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad she fell asleep but the picture of her is really cute.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of that! So funny!
ReplyDeleteI love you. I'm trying to convince my husband to move to Florida so that we can be friends and snicker with each other in sacrament meeting. I laugh out loud on every post.
ReplyDeleteI hate to admit that I too have slept through amusement park rides - the ones at Disney World including the Haunted Mansion.
ReplyDeleteHa! My sister and roommate in college used to be able to sleep anywhere. They rowed for the crew team and I guess that was a skill they desperately needed when at regattas or traveling to get to one. Maybe your daughter will do great as a college athlete one day!
ReplyDeleteThat's okay- our daughter was traumatized by gators- we went to the St Augustine Alligator Farm, and my then 20 mo old dropped her pacifier off the bridge over about 30 alligators. She tried to go after it (luckily the bridge was wrapped with a chain link fence) and screamed bloody murder as the gators started gnawing on it. To this day she'll tell you that alligators eat binkies.
ReplyDeleteI have stressed induced narcolepsy - I fall asleep in random loud over-crowded/ over-stimulated places too. It's much better now that I am older, but I used to fall asleep just like Camber.
ReplyDeleteMy mom was a sleeper herself; put her in the car, and she was asleep in 10 minutes.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Laura
Wow. And I thought the fact that my three year-old slept through my infant waking up at night was unusual.
ReplyDeleteI used to fall asleep everywhere too. Probably the most memorable was at a Rodeo in Southern Utah.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to be able to fall asleep everywhere now, but the diligent mother in me just can't do it.
I wish my daughter would sleep like that. She can't sleep anywhere (she's 5 now) except for her bed! I always envied mothers who's children could fall asleep anywhere.
ReplyDeletemy little sister falls asleep everywhere. she slept through a party i had once. that was the loudest music i had ever heard.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap, I think I recognize that dock. I was just there two weeks ago. Seemed like a honk load of money for 30 minutes but it was fun.
ReplyDelete