DragonCon was back in town and while I would have preferred to have purchased tickets and gone sightseeing at the actual show, it was cost prohibitive to take all the kids – even if the cost was right there was no way I was taking them to wait for tickets in the six hour line that literally wrapped around the block.  The parade was a good second and something I had never seen as well.  The kids loved it.  We found a nice spot to watch above the road and behind some glass that we were able to squeeze in to – certainly better than being at ground level with four munchkins that couldn’t see over a shrubbery.  The costumes were pretty awesome and all of us had our favorites.  Jacob took the only pictures with his camera and the rest of us just soaked it in.

Next up was a walk to the Atlanta Aquarium.  We had been planning to take the kids here all summer but just couldn’t find the time to do it.  Labor Day probably wasn’t the wisest choice in timing though as it was packed wall to wall with people.  Crazy.  Oh well, tickets had been purchased already online so at the very least we were able to bypass the ridiculously long entry line and head straight in.  Having been many times in the past we were hoping to see some of the new exhibits that had been added such as the dolphins but they were not open unless you purchased another ticket specifically to view them.  We instead took our time strolling from room to room and soaking up the sites.  Many times just sitting in front of a particular wall and watching everything swim around.  We managed to time our trip to the main viewing room of the large tank in time for the feeding of the massive whale sharks.  The biologist would drop buckets of krill onto the surface and the whales would basically inhale massive amounts of water and filter it through their gills each eating twenty pounds or so of these obviously delicious morsels per bite.

We did not end up going to Stone Mountain as it started raining early in the evening.  With the laser light show changing this year to something new and supposedly now in a type of 3-D where it looks like they are inside of the mountain we were bummed and will hopefully get to check it out before the season ends.

All in all a great weekend with the family.  Lots of time away from the house but also plenty of time at home to just take it easy and chill.

Related posts:

1. Labor Day in Indiana
2. Halloween
3. Reading Rewarded Rightly Riding Roller Coasters

Our family outing to partake in combating Georgia heat exhaustion while getting our thrills happened to be this weekend.  Everyone was excited and pumped to go.  We spent the evening prior with the boys watching various rides on YouTube so that they knew what they were getting into if they decided to ride some “real” roller coasters.  Isaac thought there were all cool but wanted nothing to do with actually riding one.  Jacob adamantly wanted to ride the Mind Bender.  The girls had recently been to Kings Island in Ohio with Grandma and Grandpa and were psyched as well to see what Six Flags had to offer.  Weather checked, bag of snacks and water packed, sunscreen applied, we headed out toward adventure.

The day at the park was fantastic.  It was certainly hot though.  Carol packed two bottles of water and we refilled them all throughout the day at various concession stands – pretty cool of the park to allow that without charge as well.  We didn’t have to worry about getting dehydrated – water was plentiful and available.  We started off with a ride down the log plume to get wet before walking through Looney Tunes Land.  On the way to Looney Tunes Land we came upon our first coaster, the coal mine train.  All of the kids except Isaac were pumped and could not wait to get their turn with seating arrangements being the most important topic of discussion.  Isaac lost his nerve somewhere between home and the park and was certainly not interested in riding.  Choice not given I kept my arm around him and assured him that “of course there are no hills or drops.  Absolutely it is going to be smooth and not bounce us all around…and no it certainly does not go fast….”.  Getting off, I agree with him that it was WAY to rough for a “little kids ride” but I actually thought the ups and down were fun….

The rides in the kids section were pretty fun.  Piper, Isaac, and Violet all had a blast riding them.  Jacob however was about six inches too tall to ride them so he took a walky talky and headed off to spin in circles on one of the few kiddie rides that he could get one.  We were all able to get on a ride suspended by long cables that spun needlessly in nausea inducing circles over and over and over.  Next was Thunder River, a large metal platform bolted on top of an even larger inner tube propelled spinning down a rapid moving river while “workers” on all sides shot at you with water cannons and accidentally misplaced rocks kept you careening back and forth to ensure that all aboard were soaked through by the various water waterfalls.  Good stuff.

It was starting to get late and we wanted to get our chance on some coasters as well…who said the kids got to have all the fun.  Next was the Goliath.  The night before Jacob made a gentleman’s agreement that he would ride but I think the overwhelming size of this monster with its ups and downs rattled his rambunctious attitude towards it.  We tried to change his mind but he was set.  Carol did a loop on her own – Violet and Piper wanted for the life of them to join her but the requirements were a pretty tall order with Jacob barely making the cut even though he didn’t ride…Next time Girls.  I was hoping that Jacob would begrudgingly ride it with me but such was not the case and we moved on to the Mind Bender.

When we arrived the lines were empty and it was open picking for the seats.  We had Piper and Violet measured as well.  Piper was plenty tall enough but Violet was under by about 4 inches or so.  They said it was okay with them if we didn’t care.  Violet really wanted to ride so why not right.  Carol took Piper and told Jacob he could ride with her on the next run.  Once they took off the lady on the platform said it was last call, take this train or head on out.  Sadly we found out they closed an hour earlier than we were expecting.  Jacob wanted to ride even though Carol wasn’t back and he strapped into the front seat.  I was with Violet a few rows back.  Everyone bolted in we headed out just as Carol and Piper got back.  This was Jacob’s first real coaster ride and he was pretty excited.  I think that wore off pretty quick though once we dropped down the hill and headed for the small loop.  Carol said she could see him and he was bunched down in the seat holding on for dear life, face filled with terror.  Poor guy.  I think my daddy senses failed me this time for Jacob and Violet both.  Violet and I were not ready for the first loop at all.  She loved coming down the big drop but the loop folded us both in half.  Her from the sheer force of it and me trying to protect her.  Certainly she was too small for this ride…Lesson learned.  She enjoyed the rest of it though and the second loop we were ready for and it wasn’t so bad.  She got off a little scared but within thirty minutes was talking it up and reliving the details.  Jacob finished the ride and needed some attention and calming when we got back to the station.  Certainly not a wise decision on my part to let him ride solo, let alone in the front seat.  He calmed down on the ride home and was no worse for wear with the exception that a lens had ejected from his glasses frames at some point on the ride.  I guess that is my penance for the bad decision.  Sorry buddy – I should have known better.

An interesting part about the Mind Bender was that Violet rode it.  Sadly the thing that she loves, horses, also had a ride at the park but she was not big enough in the parks  eyes to get to ride the Carousel of all things.  She picked out this awesome blue horse right next to her brother and sister but was not allowed to ride it because it went slowly up and down as carousels are want to do.  I had to move her to a stationary horse and have my hands holding her at all times or they would make us get off, all the while with her asking me with tears welling up in her eyes why “can’t I ride that one daddy, it is moving up and down”.   Really Six Flags…..  REALLY.  YHGTBFKM… IT IS A CAROUSEL RIDE….

All in all we had a GREAT time at Six Flags.  It might not have ended on an up note but the fun had throughout the day was not lost on everyone.  We stopped on the way out and let the kids pick out a souvenir before heading home.

We had eaten a big lunch before leaving for the park and snacked all through the day.  When we got in the car though, six bellies called out at once for food.  It was about 9:30pm and hunger had set in.  We made a quick pit stop by the airport to pick up Grandma and then found relief for our growling bellies at Taco Mac.  Lots of water and some yummy food later we had two that were falling asleep sitting up and two that had found reserve energy and were going a thousand miles an hour.  Once their heads hit their pillows at home though, they knocked out within seconds.  No whining, no crying, nothing except sweet silence.

Kids asleep.  Dog inside.  Doors locked.  Grandma tucked in.  Quick shower.  Then we passed out as well….Good day indeed.

Related posts:

1. Family Beach Trip – SeaWorld
2. Family Beach Trip – Buckets of Energy
3. Leisurely Labor Day

Boys cooling off in the misting fans, lol.

I would like to share some photos of the boys. Some photos are with animals and some are with statues and signs (weirdly the wanted to have photos with almost all of them).

Zoo Atlanta offers a few rides and attractions for the children. Here is a look into their rock climbing skills, carousel fun (which the road at least 7 times, lol) , the old school sloooow train and a very clean petting zoo.

Lastly I would like to share some photos of the boy’s favorite animals. The worthy photos that is.

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1. Skate Country
2. Six Flags Over Georgia
3. Zoo Day

Within minutes after we arrived the boys had their skates laced up and were ready to go. The moment they stepped on the rink, everything that they had boasted about was washed away. I was able to get them around the rink one time. After that they were done…”I want to go home” – “can we play games – “I don’t want to skate”. Poor babies, they were so disappointed on how “not easy” it was.

What to do….What to do….hmmm . As I skated around the rink a couple of times pondering how to get the boys to join me, I came up with an idea. Bribery, lol – that should work… Naughty Mommy. I made a deal with them, every lap they completed they would earn fifty cents. So for two times around the rink they would earn a dollar. Hehe – Mommy had eleven dollars in cash on her.

This was Isaac’s first time on roller skates and he actually did quiet well, he was successful on two different occasions to bring himself and Mommy to the ground (I might add, it was hilarious). Before the day was over he was brave enough to tackle the chicken dance and the famous “Hokey Pokey”  (little stinker one a prize for it as well).

Jacob on the other hand has been skating a couple of times in the past with school. It has been many years since then. I felt so bad for him at times because he would literally fall 4-5 times in a row busting his knees up and eating the ground, but that child has got crazy determination in him, he refuses to give up once he has his mind set. Before the day was over he was trying to speed and dance around people, sometimes he was successful.

I was so proud of them both, and Mommy’s plan had worked like a charm

Eventually the dollars ran out and to my surprise they continued to skate – YAY!!!

I left the rink that day, a very proud and happy Mommy!

Related posts:

1. Six Flags Over Georgia
2. Zoo Atlanta
3. Bulls Eye

It was very entertaining to watch the boy’s play with Jacob’s new flippers.  Isaac spent most of the day using them as paddles on his hands while riding his tube.  Jacob tried them for a short period and decided today wasn’t the day to learn (water guns were way more exciting).  Israel or should I say “Scuba Steve”, (lol) swam around the pool like a wild shark amusing us girls (Piper, Violet & I)

“Live and Learn” – Israel spent some time trying to help Jacob figure out how to use these large plastic creatures, but as always in the end, Jacob wanted to do it his way.

* Daddy’s Girls  *

I have been so happy to have one of my bestest friends back in the Good Ole USA.  We have enjoyed a lot of time together at the pool, yapping and watching the babies splash around in the water (I believe she is on a mission to have the darkest tan back in her hometown of England…lol).

Daddy and Piper playing with baby Olivia:  It was a lot of pleasure to watch these three twirl around the pool.  Israel is so fantastic with babies, you can tell he is very sincere when he’s with them.

Fun Close Ups:  I had to add these last few photo’s.  I couldn’t leave out “Posing Princess Piper” and “Wild Lady Violet” and last but not least  Isaac and his enormous goggles – Classic!

Related posts:

1. Leisurely Labor Day
2. Family Beach Trip – SeaWorld
3. Family Beach Trip – Arrival

After some confidence grew we headed out of the center and into the flow – and a flow it was – Sunday in Duluth on a cold winter day – where else might one want to be other than standing on the very thing that makes you cold… We elbowed our way in and through, dodging the speedsters, the backwards skaters that you weren’t ever sure if they knew or cared where they were going, the line of Chatty Cathy’s holding hands eight people across offering no possible opening through which we could pass – through to the other side – the side with a rail to hold onto.  She was real interested in getting to that rail – all the other kids that were one step up from just hitting the ice – figuratively and literally – were all here… this was where the cool kids hung out – one are on the rail and the other swinging wildly in all directions looking for this mythical thing called – Balance.

After a few slow laps Piper stopped dead in her tracks and start giggling and wiggling.  I couldn’t tell what she was doing – and then I heard “HIM” on the radio and all the girls within ten yards were singing (and so was Piper) – Justin Bieber had just invaded my Daddy Time.  She listened and sang and danced for the duration…..Sigh.

It was getting close to leaving time and I knew there was some hot cocoa with our names on it.  However, when we stepped across the threshold off the ice and onto the carpet Piper got upset and didn’t want to leave.  I offered another round or two to put that smile back where it belonged.  This time however we were going at daddy’s pace.  We jumped into the pack, I had her hands in mind and she kept her balance nicely and I was able to pull her along quickly for two more laps before she declared that we could go now.  We headed in, ditched the skates and grabbed some hot cocoa before hitting the road!

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1. Princess Piper’s 6th Birthday Breakfast Bash

After all the learning bits were done and lunch was in our bellies it was time to get out the rockets.  These were the hard core, no nonsense  liquid propellant type – water rockets.  There were rockets of all shapes and sizes, some with nose cones, other without, a few with fins and others with wings – some with nothing at all.  The rocket was put onto the launchpad, filled about half way with water and then pressurized to around sixty psi before the safety was removed and the trigger was pulled.  Isaac was one of the few that had a weird fitting bottle (thanks dr. pepper) and it did not fully clip into the launch pad so guessing when it would release was somewhat tricky since the release was not fastened into place – once the pressure was just right it would literally take off whereas the other rockets would sit there until you pulled the trigger.  His rocket flew pretty well, no nose cone or fins, but it went high and far – I wouldn’t have wanted to be a passenger in it though.

Great day!!!  He is looking forward to whatever comes next.

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1. Bus Stop Mania
2. Bus Stop Mania Resolved

One of the first attractions in the gate was hands on feeding sting rays circling a huge pond.  They were pretty tame and easy to rub your hands over or let them suction your hand looking for food.  The boys jumped right in – they probably would have were it okay to do so – instead they coated themselves in icky slime and smell leaning over the wall trying to get their hands down into the water.  The girls weren’t so enthusiastic about the thought of some winged creature swimming in laps licking their fingers so for the most part they watched.  We purchased a few trays of shrimp so that they could each get the opportunity to feed one.  It was a pretty neat site.  The boys teased the rays up and got them to pop out of the water a little but so that we could see their suction mouths – pretty cool to see from the top down.  The girls wouldn’t have anything to do with offering food so I held each one in turn and dangled their shrimp for them, trying to get the rays to come up out of the water so we could all get better looks at them.

Soon after the sting rays we found ourselves at the manatee rescue.  This was a huge attraction a massive tank for holding the manatee in what look like a reproduction of a natural habitat.  Most of them seemed to have been rescued from some form of injury or another, in particular propeller strikes.  I had never seen a manatee before and this attraction was pretty neat.  The kids thought so as well though for different reason – in particular interest, and in a most kiddy way, was the focus on certain bodily excretions that we all must at some point partake.  It was thus noted that Fatty, the kindly nickname offered one of the manatees doing laps in front of us, was not only bulbous, but also, very obviously, had to poop.  We actually spent quite a bit of time watching these guys swim in circles away from us and then back towards, each time rubbing their massive undersides on the glass before swimming away again, a long repetitive loop – and even then not that they were in any way more interesting than anything else we had seen yet, but the room we were watching them from was air conditioned.

The dolphin show was up next – the day was flying by – it was by far my favorite thing we saw at the park.  My previous experience with dolphin shows is limited to that of the Indianapolis Zoo, and while not bad, is not in the same category as that of Sea World.  All of us were in amazement at the flips, spins, and twirls.  After the first bit of the show I thought it was over.  A few of the dolphins came out, swam around, jump in the air a few times and then went to get some treats.  They did this a few more times … then the real show started.  Acrobats. Divers. Singers. Costumed performers. Trained Parrots (and other birds). Whales. And of course Dolphins.  All of these together told a story, narrated by in song by one of the performers.  There were good guys, bad guys, and damsels in distress.  Each played their part in a massive production.  Each act incorporated various actors and always some of the dolphins.  There were a few bits that really caught our attention – at one point one of the trainers (in costume mind you) dove under the water and seconds later came exploding up out of the water, riding on the tip of the dolphins nose, up into the air fifteen feet or more before falling back down in a splash.  Another trainer jumped in with a pair of dolphins, each with what look like a lease around its nose, stood on their backs and was pulled around the pool like a rider standing on a pair of horses – truly amazing and graceful, all the while the trainer was waving at the crowd while we clapped and cheered them along.  The finale was incredible.  There was so much going on that it was hard to keep track of let alone watch it all play out.  My favorite part of the end was the quad of dolphins swimming in formation across the length of the pool with most of their bodies out of the water.  Truly an incredibly amazing show.

The dolphin show was a hard act to follow for anything left in the park, except maybe the Shamu show later.  We headed in to see the penguins.  Not only was it once again inside and air conditioned but there were a large number of the tuxedos either running around, swimming or standing in packs to stay warm (note that it was one hundred plus for us and it was snowing for them).  Isaac was fascinated by the Emperor Penguins which were all huddled together keeping warm.

The Sea Lions were our next stop.  The kids wanted to throw them some shrimp and get them to bark and sing for us.  Each of them tried to get the shrimp across ditch and into the gapping maw of the nearest one but most of the food landed short and was picked up quickly by the cranes who were hovering nearby waiting for you to take your guard down or flying in holding patterns above looking for an errant throw – (with a coordinated effort the Sea Lions wouldn’t have had a chance).

At some point in the day we all decided we should eat.  We had ample snacks and water in the backpack but a more nutritious meal was needed – well that was the thought anyway.  The food sadly was my only disappointment with Sea World. Their high end, high dollar places might have been fantastic but us like many others with large families weren’t up for the prices.  We settled for one of a la carte cafes figuring we could get a mix of what the kids wanted, what we wanted and what we all needed.  In the end we ended up with horrible hot dogs for the kids, cold fries (even after taking them back for more), weird tasting barbeque chicken and drinks.  Oh well – we scarfed it down and moved on – plus we were in a rush to see Shamu.

Shamu it was.  Our show started shortly after we finished lunch and we had to haul tail across the park to make it in time.  I want to be condescending and say we should have ordered more food and taken a leisurely stroll across the docks only to arrive at the show just after it had ended.  That tone however, would not let me share my (our) dissatisfaction with what the Shamu show has transformed into.  Now I must say that this show had a lot of hype behind it for not only those of us that are newcomers to the park but also Sea World veterans coming back time and again to see the daring trainers perform stunning feats with the massive killer whales.  I am not sure what the show used to be like but now it is limited to a pair of whales swimming in laps around their tank jumping up into the air.  On occasion they would also swim up to the trainer and take some fish as a reward.  It appeared (and we later confirmed) that the trainers are no longer allowed to be in the water with the whales and the show is limited because of that.  Now I can say that a whale makes a huge splash of water when it lands and the first twenty rows of spectators are not safe from being soaked.  If the splash didn’t get them the whales would swim slowly along the edge of the tank and flip water out into the crowd with large strokes of their tails.

The cold of the artic was next.  I think this was supposed to be a ride but wasn’t much more than a movie about the endangered wildlife in the artic.  Once it was over there was plenty to see including several walruses that must have been talking to the manatees and loved swim in repeating circles around the glass rubbing its belly as it passed.  Our favorites here though were the beluga whales.  There were several of them in the tank but one in particular was actively swimming around and kept passing right in front of the kids.  It would slow or sometimes stop and look right at all of us for a minute before swimming another lap.

After a tour of the artic we took a short break in a tunnel leading back to civilization and the CotC decided it was time to become part of the exhibit.  They pulled out their claws, bared their teeth and started climbing all over the rocks and walls perching here and there to stare at the passing crowd and let out feral growls so that all those who might pass knew this was their territory.  At one point Violet decided that Mommy Carol was her prey and chanced her around a rock before digging into her with baby sharp teeth.

It was getting late once we left the bitter cold of the artic and we were running out of exhibits that would hold everyone’s attention so we headed toward the rides figuring this was a great way to end the day and burn off any remaining shred of energy (we were looking for a relaxing and quite ride home).  First stop was the kids’ area.  The older three took a spin on the hurler express…I mean scrambler.  They got in all excited and had their “egg” humming in circles before the ride even began.  The spinning didn’t stop until long after the ride was over and the attendant came over to let them out – my stomach turns just thinking about it – ugh.

The next ride we didn’t think we were going to be able to get on, at least not with Violet, but she was able to make it by about one inch (maybe less).  It was a kids roller coaster – The Shamu Express (i think it was more entertaining than its namesake).  Everyone was excited.  Isaac wanted to ride alone, Violet was with me, Piper and Jacob sat together, and Carol was left holding the bag – (no literally she held the bag…they wouldn’t let me take the backpack on the ride – thank you Love!)  The coaster was fun and quick but not so smooth.  The CotC didn’t seem to mind though.  Violet laughed and screamed the whole time, Isaac had his hands in the air looking for more of a thrill and Piper and Jacob held on tight.  It was a blast though getting to do it with Violet (granted I thought it was her first but Gramps got the honors a few weeks prior) and seeing her eat it up and want more was awesome.

Before leaving the kids section we spent some time in “the cage” – (I am sure it had a real name but I am calling it what it felt like).  We let the kids go in and run around, in the end they ended up with Carol helping Violet through.  The thing was amazing though (if not crowded for an adult male sporting a full backpack) and consisted of three stories of interconnecting tunnels and nets.  Lots of climbing and crawling but it was a blast, although I think the only ones tired after were the two of us.  The kids were nothing but thirsty and once fueled up they were ready to find something else.  We were even able to get refreshments from a concession that was closing at no cost – a savings of three bucks a glass for water.

The last ride of the night, and it was night now, was the Atlantis.  We weren’t’ able to all go at once so we split it up and Carol and Isaac took one boat and later Piper and I took another (Violet was too small and Jacob wasn’t interested).  The ride was weird.  We spent lots of time slowly climbing up and up inside this pyramid getting spooked by various medieval characters, in particular an eerie rendition of Medusa that was certainly to be give little ones nightmares, only to turn a misty corner and whoosh down a pitch black slope into a pool of freezing cold water.  The second drop was the one that took your stomach though, it took you back outside and down the entire height of the pyramid into a pool before making its way back in.  A few more drops, small this time, and we were done.  I thought Piper was going to be scared to death but surprisingly she only covered her ears when the noise was too much (blood curdling screaming).  She even seemed to enjoy the big drop and getting wet.  We all got wet – very wet.

All the rides were done so we made a trip through the gift store for the kiddos (deal was that they could get a gift at the end of the day if they didn’t bug us during the day – worked well being that most of the attractions ended with a walk through a store) and we were headed home.  There was one moment on the ride home, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, where it started raining.  Or, well, that was what we thought.  Turns out that there were so many bugs hitting the car that it literally looked and sounded like rain – granted turning on the windshield wipers had the opposite effect than had it been rain.  This barrage of insect massacre went on for about five minutes before we were free but the van was now in need of a serious scrubbing.

Before long we were on open highway.  The CotC had mostly fallen out, even Violet who never ever sleeps in the car – (I guess twelve straight hours of walking around in one hundred plus, high humidity temperatures is what it takes to wear her out.)  Jacob was tired but lost in a movie and refusing to close his eyes.  Seeing they were all in some form of la la land, we plugged in the iPod, turned up the volume and the rest of the trip slipped away into that little place between peace and harmony.

Related posts:

1. Family Beach Trip – Buckets of Energy
2. Family Beach Trip – Arrival
3. Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch

Related posts:

1. Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch
2. Fun in the Snow for Christmas
3. Family Beach Trip – Buckets of Energy

Now enough of me on a soap box.  All the kiddos were going to be away for some or all of Spring Break this year so we thought it would be fun to do something out of the ordinary with them before seeing them off.  We didn’t tell them what we were doing until we got there and even then I don’t think they really understood what we were going to do until we started seeing and feeding the animals.  We packed a backpack full of old food stuff and picked up some corn and apples at the concession as well.

It was a hot day, especially for the beginning of spring, and many of the animals were content to lay in the shade and ignore whatever tempting goodies we might have to offer.  Others however took their place in a gorge fest of oats, apples, carrots, peanuts, corn and whatever else the kids could scavenge off the ground.

It was fun to watch them all try to interact with the different animals.  Violet was fearless.  Isaac was cautiously curious.  Piper needed insurance she wouldn’t be eaten.  Jacob was all boy (not feeling well but all boy nonetheless).  We fed all that we could, even the bears who were laying with their mouths in the pan the food landed in and lazily eating one bit after another.  The goats, lambs and ponies were the most active and the loved the quaker oats packed from the house.  The big cats were lazy, the coyote paced in ground wearing circles and the turtles hid in their shell to stay out of the sun – or for other reasons unknown.  One of the last animals we got to see was a pair of raccoons laboring on a spinning wheel – obviously working off the pounds they had packed on from the morning shift – I don’t know why it was funny but after seeing all the other critters stuffing their faces it was.

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2. Leisurely Labor Day
3. Family Beach Trip – Arrival