A Summer Day At Six Flags

One of the best parts of summer is waking up to a clear blue sky with no chance of rain in the near future and seeing that the temperature will reach a balmy 100 degrees.   And then on a whim decide that THIS is the day to go to Six Flags, which is exactly what we did yesterday.  All three kiddoes read and filled out the Six Flags Six Hour Reading challenge forms and received their free tickets for expanding their minds a little.  So that meant that we only had to pay for 2 tickets and parking.  I was even astute enough to pack a picnic dinner, so the only park food we paid for was a one time only splurge on funnel cake.  With all the planning, kids pricing, and filling up our own water bottles with water from drinking fountains we managed enter Six Flags and submit ourselves happily to some pretty major G-Forces (in some countries, I am sure they use Roller Coasters as punishments for high crimes) for only 120.00 dollars give or take a twenty. 

I am still a little dazed and confused on two points, however.  One - I willingly and happily chunked over money to get jostled, jolted and to sweat profusely all day. And two - who can afford this more often than maybe once every 5 years.  If we had payed regular price it would have taken my family over 300 dollars to enter the park and that doesn't include food or parking!  But I digress....

We had a blast.  The kids were finally tall enough to ride most of the rides!  Which meant that Aaron and Sarah rode EVERYTHING they could (both with parents and without) and Isaac would ride and then would walk around for half an hour after a ride feeling sick. He would say he was done and say he would pass on a couple of rides until his stomach settled but then he would be in line to repeat the process all over again. Needless to say, he did not ride as many as the smaller children and also not as many as I did.  Also, Nathan doesn't ride  anything that spins, flips or turns faster than the Raging Water Rapids.  So He spent a lot of time watching and holding my purse. 

Since I am the designated riding parent that means when Aaron went on the Runaway Mountain - I went too.  When Sarah wanted to spin around in the tea cups, the hot air balloons,  and on the sombrero hat - I went too.  When the kids did the Spanish log ride two times in a row and the mine roller coaster two times in a row - I did too!  Thankfully, Aaron became distracted by the old model driving cars  on the way to the Titan and Texas Giant so I never had to do those.  However,  I got thrown around plenty while Aaron drove our car.  Those little driving cars with Aaron behind the wheel might have been the scariest thing I did all day.  I also flat out said no to the Superman ride that flies you straight up in the air and for some reason Aaron wouldn't go on it  alone. - I think he was smart on that decision.  No one's feet should dangle when getting propelled 60 plus feet into the air! 

Nathan tells me that we can only go to Six Flags on years when the kids ages are a multiple of 3. (He made that rule last night at 11:00p.m., I wonder why?) That means I have until Isaac is 15, Aaron is 12 and Sarah is 9 to rest up.  I am sure next time I will be handing the two older boys money and saying go have fun and maybe Sarah will ride the Titan - by herself. 

Our Six Flags day was a fun day and well worth the 120.00 to hear their giggles and see their smiles.  It was a Summer Day.

Where Does A Summer Day Go?

I am surprised this year how quickly we settled into a summer routine this year.  I am also surprised at how fast a summer day can be filled up.  For example, yesterday was a typical summer day at the Stevens.  Nothing really on the agenda, but surprise...a doctor visit for Sarah and then back home to make lunch.  Chores, reading, piano practice, and swimming, getting in a little exercise and of course the almost daily run to Walmart and my day was done.  I am really not sure how the day passed so quickly.  It befuddles me that I can stay constantly busy reading, writing, cooking and cleaning and being with the kids.  Yet,  I feel like I do very little at all.  It's a conundrum I suppose. 

But maybe that is what summer is about.  The rest that can be found in daily life when the schedule that I adhere to is actually made by me and I can change it if needed or desired.  This is not true of the months between August and May of each year when school, scouts, church, some sort of sport and piano keep us hopping almost nightly.  But during the summer, if we want to go to the park at 8:30 pm we can.  And if we stay up til 12 watching a movie or if I read a book in one night (this does sometimes happen) I do so with little worry about what it will do to the day following. 

So  I must conclude that  I am glad summer is here and that my days can get filled without having to plan each little part of it.  Here's to a Happy Summer!

Aaron - The Comunicator - At Camp

Aaron went off to Camp John Marc last Sunday morning.  It is his week to chill with other children living with Spina Bifida.  Last year as a rookie mom, I was nervous and teared up several times before camp, but the week went by fast.  This year, I am much more secure in the great time I know he is having, but my mind has settled around him for different reasons this year.

There is a hole in our house when he is gone.  It is just a week and we definitely aren't sitting around twiddling our thumbs waiting for him to come back, but the dinner table discussion is not as exuberant.  The evenings are more solitary, and there is definitely less talk during the day.  Part of the life of our family has been removed.

Aaron is our communicator and has  inexplicable way to either make a person laugh with gusto or want to pummel him.  (Really there is not much middle ground, but he is fun).  The comments on the events of the day or a t.v. show and his word play always amaze me. 

Not long ago, in fact, we were at the dinner table talking about our latest Netflix addiction- Star Trek Voyager.  The conversation had something to do with the character, Tom Paris.  Nathan kept mispronouncing it as Parrish.  We laughed a little at that but then Aaron came up with - "Well, I bet sometimes, BeLana Torres would like to make him perish".  I looked at Aaron astonished and then laughed.  I stared and wondered in  amazement as I thought about the word play that just came from the mind of my 9 year old and how it was timed just right to create fun.  He certainly has a gift and a way with words!

He comes home tomorrow and I can't wait to hear all about his time at camp and how he wowed the counselors and campers with his wit.