Nestled in the hills of Griffith Park, there are quite a few hidden treasures.  So many areas we still haven’t explored, probably because I always return to the old favorites.  Like this vintage wooden carousel.

We’ve seen it many times, driven by countless amounts.  But the dang thing always seems to be closed.  So this was Stevie’s first time riding.

I hoisted him up on the rickety horse, buckled him in and stepped back to take a photo.  He raised his eyebrows and gave me an uncertain look.  Just this thin leather strap will hold me in, as this thing twirls round and round at the speed of light eh?!

I inched back toward him, placed my hand on his leg, and he instantly became more comfortable – even forgetting to hold on a couple times, as his chubby hand gestured toward the other old horses or the trees whizzing by.

It’s funny, how just my arm around his waist or my hand on the small of his back gives him so much more confidence.   He could take a decade to climb a flight of stairs on his own, but if I just lightly touch him to let him know I’m there, he throws caution to the wind and takes big, big steps all on his own.  It reassures him that he can do more than he thinks.  And it makes me feel like a champion mom.  Even after all he’s been through and the things I challenge him with every day, he still trusts me and knows I’ll be there to catch him if he falls.

The music was loud and the carousel was fast.  A pretty long ride for $2.  So I stole a moment and snuggled him close to me, just because I could.  He didn’t push me away.  And as the spinning came to an end, he clapped his hands together to tell me “more.”

But he was also quite content to wander the grassy hills and climb a set of stairs.

For about 8 minutes.  We are improving.