We had so much fun at Lagoon!

First I want to apologize for the lack of pictures. I didn't want to lug the camera around the park and there are just some times where you want to be a part of the memories instead of viewing the whole thing through your lens.

Last Saturday morning we all piled into the car and headed the 45 minutes to the park. We have never taken the kids there, mostly because it's pricey and we never seem to have the extra cash laying around to do it. Lloyd's work is an awesome place and always have a few company fun days planned through-out the year, and this was one of them.

We rocked out to the 50 First Dates soundtrack, a family favorite, on the way there and arrived about 10:30 am. You could tell everyone was excited about being there because no one was arguing or picking on each other.

The first ride we did was the carousel and since Jesse had never been to an amusement park we thought this was a good place to start for him. I can't describe the look on his face as they started to go round and round, but to say it was pure joy! He was just grinning ear to ear with several well shouted "wheeee's" thrown in for good measure. He loved it so much we did it twice.

Ally, Kylie, and Jesse also went on the cars, the airplanes and the mini roller coaster. Then off to a bigger ride... Tidal Wave. We all got in line to ride and sat down ready to go. Everyone was having a good time until about half way through the ride where it started getting too high for Jess. Poor thing. He didn't like it after that. I'm sure he would have been fine but i think the worst part of that ride for him was that free falling sensation you get in your gut.

After that we split up, Lloyd and Jess stayed in Kiddieland and I went with the others to the bigger rides. I was really surprised at how daring Kylie was. She rode everything the bigger kids did. I don't thing I was that adventurous at seven. She rode every roller coaster accept the new one but that's only because the line was about a mile long and we didn't want to wait in that. She even did better than Emily on the giant Ferris Wheel. Em's not big on heights and while she was holding on for dear life and telling everyone to stay still and not to touch her, Kylie was enjoying the view and chatting about what she wanted to go on next.

Zac and I had a great time on the Rock-O-Plane. The Rock-O-Plane is circular and upright much like a Ferris Wheel, but with enclosed seating which the cars can be flipped. Riders have a control to lock the coach in place to allow rocking, rolling and upside down riding. I had fun locking the car and flipping us upside down while Zac screamed beside me. When it was all done with, he said he had fun but dared the girls to try riding it with me. I asked Ally if she had fun on it and if she tried going upside down and she said in an excited giggle,"Almost!"

Around 2 we all got back together to go on Rattlesnake Rapids. It was a great time to go too! The lines were a little bit shorter and it was getting pretty hot. The kids had fun when we hit the rapids and the water sloshed over the side getting them wet but the best part was at the end where they make the raft thingy go under a waterfall! We were all soaked through when we got off. Ally was so soaked that she could wring out the back of her skort afterwards. We gave Jess another try on the big rides, this time on the Log Flume. He loved this ride and now says it's his favorite. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that Emily screamed but not him!

Just before we ended our day at Lagoon Emily, Zac, Ally, Kylie and I went to ride Colossus. everyone got into their cars Kylie riding with me. I turned to her and asked her if she was ready to go upside-down. She had no idea that it was going to go through loops! She started whimpering and repeating no, no, no. It was too late though they had already started the ride. she screamed and kept repeating no through the whole ride. I felt so bad for her. When we got to the end where they slow you down before you exit the ride Kylie got this shocked/surprised/ that's it? look on her face and started giggling. I asked her if she liked it and she said yes and that she wanted to go again then whooped! It was hilarious!

I love the internet..

It's amazing all the things that you can do. I can talk to friends all over the globe, I can share picture with my loved ones, and yesterday I found a long lost friend from my childhood! I had signed up months ago over at reunion.com. I played a bit over there and filled out all my info and then searched for a few friends of mine that I had lost contact with over the years. Not one of those names was listed and I completely forgot about it accept for the daily emails they send saying "your name has been searched so-and-so many times". I usually just delete them with out even reading, but yesterday I looked just for fun to see how may found my name and I see that one of the names on the search I did months ago had just signed up. the name was right, the age was correct, and the location was close to where she lived as a kid. I left her a long comment in her page and within a few minutes she posted a comment on mine!

I couldn't believe that I had found Marianne! I called her yesterday evening and we talked for 2.5 hours. It was as if time had not passed. We reminisced about all the odd things we used to do like taking kittens to school in our bags and not getting caught... eating "pies" made from her white bread and berries from her garden... riding our bikes to the 7-11... spending many summer days at Great America. Do you remember the song I sang to in one of those booths? She also told me about our neighborhood and great people who lived thereand how much it's changed. We asked about each others family. it was a great night and I hope that we will keep up with one another better this time. over ten years is a long time...

A little ME time

It's so nice to have some time to yourself evey now and then. Ally, Zac, and Kylie are back in school, Emily left for Girls camp this morning, and Jesse was playing with his friends all morning and then went to a birthday party. It was amazing how quiet the house was! I finally had to turn on some music because my dog Angel would not stop growling at every creak she could hear. It was just so unfamiliar to her... no noise? how could that be??...

So while I was alone and free to do what I choose, no kids asking can I have that or so-and-so did this, I got to scrap! I bought this mini album just for this purpose, to make an address book. I don't know where I lost my last one but it's gone. I wanted something pretty to leave in my scrap room and a functional place for keeping all that info on the post-it notes that I will eventually lose.

Bicycle Babe!

I can't belive he finally did it! Jesse's had the training wheels off his 12" bike for a couple of weeks now. All of his bigger friends can ride with two wheels so he wanted to too. Lloyd gave him some help the first day but after that he refused any help at all. When he'd go out to ride he'd just sit on the seat and kinda walk for a bit then put his foot on the peddal. He'd get the peddal to turn but only about half way then he'd get nervous and stick out his feet to catch him self.
Well today he got it! He's been riding almost non-stop up and down he street. I'm so excited for him but also a little sad. Jesse being the last of our children means I won't have another child to do this with. I'm trying to savor these last firsts with him. Why do they have to grow up so fast?

Tea Party

Thursday Emily decided to have a tea party with her friends Katheryn and Brittany. Katheryn and Emily made the snacks and then they went downstairs to rummage through the dress-up box to find "fancy" clothes to wear. It makes me so happy to see her having fun with her friends! It took a long time for her to adjust to being here in a new town and making new friends again. She always has to find new people to hang with and thankfully all of them have been great. She has a knack for being able to tell who's worth her time and who to stay well away from. I'm so glad we have a close relationship because I know that closeness will be even more important in the years to come.

Monsoon Season...

I totally thought I would have nothing to write about today. Everything started out normal, got the kids off to school, did a couple of loads of laundry and had some lunch. That's about when the heavens opened up and the lightning and thunder rumbled overhead. I figured some nice pictures of the rain on my flowers would be nice. Well as soon as the kids got home from school I knew something was up.

Apparently all the neighbor kids saw this while getting off the bus and just couldn't stay away! That picture... that's the neighborhood park. It's built to be the catch for all the storm drain run-off. My kids were floating down the rapids! thank goodness I told them to get into their swimsuits before they left. I really thought the there may be only a few inches of water over there for them to slide about. Not waist deep on my 11 year old! I couldn't drag them away... and believe me I wanted too! I knew what was in that muck, but to see how much fun they were having I just couldn't do it. As I type they are all getting in the shower and getting this nasty off them!

Jumping on the band wagon

I can't believe I've done it! Joined the world of blogs... I guess it all started when I first started reading some of my favorite scrappers blogs or typepads. Then a couple of my friends started up their own.

I think this will be a good thing for me though. I have a really hard time writing down the everyday odd quirks of my family. If you even looked in my jounal it would consist of maybe 10 pages at most for the last 11 years! It will also give my family and friends a chance to see what we are up to and a way for us to stay connected.

So here's to you my idols, my friends and my family for inspiring me to take this huge leap and start preserving the little bits of us that make up my everyday.