Idlewild Trip 2

This past week, Erik surprised us and took us on a trip to Idlewild.  We got there just as the park opened, and we headed straight for the kiddie rides.  First stop - a trolley type car that all three could ride.  We were off to a good start.

Next, Walker asked to ride the bumper cars.  Do you see all of the other kids riding too? His precise reason for wanting to ride them at this point, despite protests from me and Erik?  

He didn't want to BUMP INTO ANYONE!

I'm not sure of the philosophy of that one, but if that's what made him happy we let him do it!
Poor Willie was not old enough to ride many rides by himself or even with Walker as a companion.  The Bumper cars was one of those rides.  Doesn't he look so pathetic and adorable as he stands on his tip-toes to watch "brubby."  Don't you just want to scoop him up and make the ride attendants let him ride too?  This boy keeps me on my toes.
Walker & Will get to ride on the airplanes,
the vintage cars and
the flying dragons.
Here is what Maggie did while the boys went on all of these rides.  She heard us say something about swimming and she is waiting to go swimming.  Fun will not commence until we are swimming.  She will not eat, she will not drink, but more importantly, she will not have any kid of fun, thank you very much, unless we go swimming.  We practically dragged her onto the Mr. Roger's trolley into the land of make-believe, and the train.  She only went with us because Momma & Daddy were riding those rides too and she didn't want to be left behind.
Walker and Will drove the grand prix.
Willie gets a kiss on the train ride around the park.
To end the adventure, Maggie & Walker did ride the carousel.  

Maggie finally conceded and did one final ride - but only because we went to the "soak zone" and played in the pool.  Did I mention that the pool was freezing cold - the kind of cold that takes your breath away and you wade through the water gasping and yelling at the same time, "ugh, ah, ugh, ah, ugh, ah!" because the water is so cold it is slowly freezing your blood and you lose all ability to function until A) you submerge your entire body and start swi

mming or B) get out of the water, wrap yourself in a huge beach towel, and sit shivering until the ice crystals break and blood circulation returns to normal.  

How my itty-bitty children that have like less than 10% body fat managed to play in that frigid water all afternoon is beyond me.  I do know we had to force them from the water park because their lips and fingers were turning blue and they were starting to look like extra's from the "Night of the Living Dead" movie.  A final ride, some cotton candy and the day was complete.  We were so busy we never even made it to Storybook Forrest.  Maybe next year.

This and that

I spent a few days in my hometown last week and had a photo session with  my three and my niece and nephew.  Nana was in need of new photos of the kids and that Sunday was an overcast w/ some sun day - perfect for outdoor photos.

One of the highlights of being at Nana's is riding in the golf cart.  We won't go into the fact that the big boys are no longer allowed to drive the golf cart with assistance from adults.  A mishap between Nana & Chris changed that rule forever.  Well, until the boys are 7 at least.  Nana is driving and Aunt Lara is the passenger.  She pulled up her hood in an attempt to give me a "white backdrop."  Aunt 'Ara is goofy.  She had gone to a wedding the night before.  I'm not entirely sure she was thinking clearly.  I believe at some point in the review of these photos, one of my smart mouth sisters commented that the kids look like the Von Trapp children in their uniforms on their way to sing for the Nazi's.  Har - har har - very funny.  It was probably one of my sisters who doesn't have kids.  Wait until they have offspring and I start making fun of them.  

Here the kids are at Papa's gazebo.  My Papa does a beautiful job of keeping the farm picturesque.  If I lived closer, I'd be doing photo shoots there all the time.  The kids had a hard time with what to do with their hands.  Will and Olivia kept doing whatever Aunt Ara did with her hands, so if she stuck bunny ears behind my head, they put their hands in the air.  So we told them to put their hands in their pockets.  Will looks good, but Olivia couldn't fit her hands in her pockets.  Pool Liv.  She has a tough time with her extremities.  
Here are the kids at the barn on the hay.  Walker and Chris look posed - I did not ask them to do this, nor did my art directors, Nana & Aunt Ara.  I think Walker & Chris look like that movie ad for "Stepbrothers."  Will could not resist and had to mimic Aunt Ara again.  Watch out, Aunt Ara - when your kids are getting their portraits done, I'm going to put my finger up my nose and get them to mimic me!  

This was a fun shot of them all running down towards the pond - except they ran the wrong way and the pond is not in the shot.  Just the houses below and the ugly power lines.
I liked this one of the kids at the pond with their reflections on the water.

All in all, it was a fun and fast couple hours and the kids did great.  Our only melt downs came from Walker, so the day was very successful!