C is one of those kids that likes to be active. Sightseeing is fine, as far as he’s concerned, as long as it is done at the same time that you’re doing something else – preferably something involving running, jumping, singing or dancing.

So, on this past vacation when we rode on the riverboat in Chatanooga, J brought along a deck of cards to play “go fish” with him. “Go Fish” can take a very long time when you’re playing with a 4 year old, and even longer when you’re stopping periodically to look at things on the river.

The riverboat ride is really quite nice. It’s very relaxing, and you learn all sorts of interesting things about the city and the surrounding areay. We were sitting in the cheap seats – folding chairs on the top deck of the boat – but it gave a great view. The weather was nice also, so there really wasn’t any problem with being up there.

At any rate, the game lasted the entire ride. Just as we were making our final approach back towards the dock, C finally won.. He hopped out of his chair, threw his hands up in the air, and shouted “Hooray! I won!”

Applause broke out all over our deck. There were even some shouted “hooray”s.

Unbeknownst to us, most of the other riders had been keeping an eye on the kids and their antics. They were the only kids on a deck filled mostly with retirees, so it was only natural.

C literally hopped in surprise when he heard the applause, then looked around. For the first time that I can remember, shyness overtook him. He smiled nervously and clambered back into his chair.