Balloon Race

I love annual traditions. Now that we've lived in St. Louis over a year, some of the things we did last year are coming around again, and it makes me feel more at home.

On Saturday we went to the balloon race in Forest Park. Having learned our lesson about parking last year, we took the Metrolink and walked from the station. We also remembered to pack a picnic. Last year, Ben learned the word sky at the race; this year, he put in a request: "I want to go up in the sky by myself." We told him maybe when he's older.

Last year's race was slow because there was too little wind. This year, there was the opposite problem: too much wind. More than half the balloons couldn't fly because it was so windy. The Energizer Bunny, traditionally the one that the other balloons try to catch, was too big. Instead, this balloon was the leader:


It was followed quickly by the RE/Max balloon:


While Tom and Ben watched


the other balloons inflated




and followed




until they were all tiny. Within minutes, they were 20 miles away. The FAA had to give them special clearance to fly over Lambert International Airport.


Tom and Ben took a break to eat kettle corn and drink lemonade:


The RE/Max balloon ended up winning.

On the way back to the Metrolink, we stopped at the new playground in Forest Park. The playground is specially designed to be handicapped-accessible. The place was swarming with kids, and Ben happily joined in the chaos. I noticed that it was the most diverse playground we had been to so far. Some parents spoke languages I didn't recognize.

The train home was packed; a Cardinals game had just gotten out. As I tried to maintain my footing while the train lurched, I noticed a few people eyeing my Toronto Blue Jays hat, which stood out among all the red caps. (Note to self: Buy a Cardinal's cap or find my denim one.) By the time we got home, Ben was thoroughly worn out, and he fell quickly asleep.