Yesterday, Saturday, September 5, was Shawn's company's work picnic at Dutch Wonderland. We got into the park for free and enjoyed a lovely catered lunch. The entire family had a blast!
In the morning, even though I was tired from our outing to the zoo the day before, I still got up for my jog and got ready as Shawn helped get the boys ready. He left the milk on the table and got up for a second to help me, only to come back to this scene. Joshua had decided he wanted more milk on his cereal and spilled milk everywhere. UGH! I have to remember that it's great that he wants independence, it's fantastic that he wants to learn how to pour things himself, and we should just try with water in a safer area than the dining room. And, no milk should be left out in the reach of little hands...ever. :) :) :) Daddy quickly got everything cleaned up as I gathered everything we needed for the day and we were off and there by the time it opened. No harm done!
In the morning, even though I was tired from our outing to the zoo the day before, I still got up for my jog and got ready as Shawn helped get the boys ready. He left the milk on the table and got up for a second to help me, only to come back to this scene. Joshua had decided he wanted more milk on his cereal and spilled milk everywhere. UGH! I have to remember that it's great that he wants independence, it's fantastic that he wants to learn how to pour things himself, and we should just try with water in a safer area than the dining room. And, no milk should be left out in the reach of little hands...ever. :) :) :) Daddy quickly got everything cleaned up as I gathered everything we needed for the day and we were off and there by the time it opened. No harm done!
We got right in and the first few rides, including the train, were full with lines. So, Daddy suggested we go toward the back of the park and work our way front to avoid waits. I agreed, so off we went! The first ride we got on was one where the parent accompanied the child and the child could steer the car. Shawn said hi to a co-worker before they got on the car and it was our turn next. I went on with Caleb, and I was a little nervous that he would squirm out. Thankfully, he stayed put and enjoyed the ride. Joshua did the steering for Daddy and LOVED it! I think this was Shawn's personal favorite of the day.
Shawn took a picture of Joshua driving... how cute is his smile!
Next, we saw that no one was on the frog hopper, but unfortunately there was only one adult seat. So, I suggested Daddy go on with the boys while I snapped some pictures.
Joshua was actually pretty nervous as this thing went high and "hopped" it's way down. But, he told me afterward that he did a great job on the froggy.
That's when I started to giggle. Looking at the picture above, which one looks out of place? Ha ha ha ha ha! I couldn't stop laughing, which made the other parents around me chuckle as well. I'm sure Shawn was amused as you can see on his face below.
Next, we climbed into one of these trucks together. Many folks climbed behind their kids, but not us! After I asked to make sure it was okay, the four of us went together. I went in the front with Caleb and all but had my legs over my head to fit in. Shawn sat in the back with Joshua. Both boys loved playing with the steering wheel as the trucks went around the circle. I was surprised at how many rides Caleb could go on!
The next ride, though, said kids only. Shawn wasn't sure that Joshua would be okay without one of us, but when I asked him he said "yes, please." So, I got him buckled and left, and the Bean enjoyed driving the 'dozer' all but himself!
Next we headed to the Gondola Cruise, which looked too cool for me to pass up. If I'm remembering correctly, this was the boys' first time in a boat. They LOVED it! Caleb sat with Daddy this time, and I sat next to Joshua. We looked at all there was to see around the park and saw some fish in the water, and Joshua commented on the leaves in the water. Yes, fall is starting to show around here.
I think the Gondola was my personal favorite ride of the day; although, I really liked a lot of it. I love that parents can go with kids; I love that there are rides that are thrilling for children without being too scary; and I love that we were all there as a family enjoying ourselves outside. And, did I mention this particular event was free? That's always a bonus!
Next we headed to the big slides, where I think Joshua could have spent the whole day. Daddy took him first. And second, trying each side one time.
Then Daddy said it was my turn to take the Bean, just to check it out. It was fun, I'll admit. Joshua was thrilled! Later we went back and took Caleb down, too.
After that, Daddy told the Bean if he wanted to slide again, he would have to eat some lunch first. Joshua told me "the man in the blue shirt said that I have to eat lunch before I can come back" (referring to the worker). Haaa!!! So, we headed to the Dart catered lunch. 
Shawn & I each ate a cheeseburger, fruit, salad, chips and icecream. I also tried an egg roll and I think Shawn ate a hot dog. Caleb ate not one...not two...but three whole hot dogs! Daddy cut them up for him and that's all he wanted, along with a ton of fruit and ice cream. A random catering worker told me that she loved my hair, which I thought was nice. :) :) :) Before we left there, Joshua got his picture taken with the pretty princess.
From there, we did the slides one more time since we promised and then after a little more walking around and missing the start to a show or two that looked interesting, we decided to try Duke's Lagoon, the water part of the park.
Caleb fell asleep in the stroller once again, which I thought may work out perfectly. Daddy asked for the opportunity to sit awhile with Caleb so I took the Bean to explore the various areas of water. Once again, it took him some time to warm up to the idea before he adventured into getting completely drenched. Soon, at Joshua's request, Daddy went with him instead while I sat awhile with Caleb. I must admit, I thought my hubby looked particularly hot yesterday in his swim trunks and Quick Silver t-shirt. Then Joshua fell at one point and put his bloody knee all over Shawn's shirt... a hottie & a daddy!
Unfortunately, some parent wasn't watching their child, who had a squirt gun full of water and decided to come up behind me and squirt water into the air, landing directly in Caleb's face. I don't think it was intentional to wake the baby, but I didn't see the kid until it was too late. Caleb was woken up with freezing cold water splashed on him. I could have killed the parent of the child for not being more observant, but such is life. I tried walking Caleb around again to no avail, so we got him out and let him play in the small kiddie area.
He loved it - no fear with that boy. He put his hands right in the water and went down the little slides and looked at the water shooting up from the ground. He was immediately soaked and having a great time!
And when both babies are happy, the mama is happy!
Joshua was splashing away and running around like crazy - we took turns keeping an eye on Caleb or chasing Joshua.
I loved the picture of Joshua below in mid-skip through the water.
Soon, though, it was time to get both boys changed (Joshua had to go potty while we were there and did a great job in the restroom!). We put dry diapers and pull-ups on the boys and fresh dry clothes and headed home for naps. They both slept well when we got home, and Daddy mowed the yard.
When the boys woke up, we were debating on going to church or doing more yardwork. But, I said "let's go back." We had gotten our hand stamped and there were things that we hadn't done earlier in the day that we had talked about. So, Shawn agreed that it was a good idea and away we went! Our first stop was the train.
Joshua was thrilled when the whistle blew and would randomly shout 'choo-choo!' I wanted to get a feel how next week would go at the Thomas the Train ride at the Strasburg Railroad. I do think he'll enjoy it! Below is one of my favorite pictures from the entire day. Look how happy Joshua is!
And Caleb & I rode together again, through the tunnels and park. He was okay, but a little ancy at the end, waiting to get off and explore more!
There was a "Thomas the Train" show taking place soon, so we decided to go grab seats and wait for that. Joshua enjoyed the music, I think, but neither kid really wanted to sit for that long, especially Caleb. I was happy when it ended.
Next, we tried the 'big circle,' which Joshua had begged to do that morning. Daddy told me to go on with him while he waited with Caleb. I was genuinely surprised at how fast this carousel went - twice as fast as the one the day before! Joshua kept telling me to hold him and make sure he didn't fall. So sweet! He loved it, though. Meanwhile Caleb & Daddy were watching the ducks nearby.
As we were walking, I saw this cow. Doesn't Joshua's face just scream "holy cow!"
One of the last things we tried was the river boat. We had to wait awhile for this ride to get back from its other trip, and Joshua was not too thrilled. Both kids were getting tired, so we knew it was time to go after this. We sat in the back so I didn't really see anything, and Caleb played with the chain the entire time.
On our way out, we passed this ride again and Joshua begged to go. So, we said okay - one last time - since there was no wait. He was in heaven. Caleb could have gone with him, but we feared Caleb would be squirmy and we wouldn't be there to catch him if he decided to climb off. So, he stayed with us.
Our last stop of the night was at the slides where I went down with Caleb and Shawn took Joshua. We left there around 8 pm and stopped at Sonic on the way home for a little treat before heading to Marietta to pick up Shawn's car, which now has new brakes. We had a fantastic day!
Next, we saw that no one was on the frog hopper, but unfortunately there was only one adult seat. So, I suggested Daddy go on with the boys while I snapped some pictures.Joshua was actually pretty nervous as this thing went high and "hopped" it's way down. But, he told me afterward that he did a great job on the froggy.That's when I started to giggle. Looking at the picture above, which one looks out of place? Ha ha ha ha ha! I couldn't stop laughing, which made the other parents around me chuckle as well. I'm sure Shawn was amused as you can see on his face below.Next, we climbed into one of these trucks together. Many folks climbed behind their kids, but not us! After I asked to make sure it was okay, the four of us went together. I went in the front with Caleb and all but had my legs over my head to fit in. Shawn sat in the back with Joshua. Both boys loved playing with the steering wheel as the trucks went around the circle. I was surprised at how many rides Caleb could go on!The next ride, though, said kids only. Shawn wasn't sure that Joshua would be okay without one of us, but when I asked him he said "yes, please." So, I got him buckled and left, and the Bean enjoyed driving the 'dozer' all but himself!Next we headed to the Gondola Cruise, which looked too cool for me to pass up. If I'm remembering correctly, this was the boys' first time in a boat. They LOVED it! Caleb sat with Daddy this time, and I sat next to Joshua. We looked at all there was to see around the park and saw some fish in the water, and Joshua commented on the leaves in the water. Yes, fall is starting to show around here.I think the Gondola was my personal favorite ride of the day; although, I really liked a lot of it. I love that parents can go with kids; I love that there are rides that are thrilling for children without being too scary; and I love that we were all there as a family enjoying ourselves outside. And, did I mention this particular event was free? That's always a bonus!Next we headed to the big slides, where I think Joshua could have spent the whole day. Daddy took him first. And second, trying each side one time.Then Daddy said it was my turn to take the Bean, just to check it out. It was fun, I'll admit. Joshua was thrilled! Later we went back and took Caleb down, too.After that, Daddy told the Bean if he wanted to slide again, he would have to eat some lunch first. Joshua told me "the man in the blue shirt said that I have to eat lunch before I can come back" (referring to the worker). Haaa!!! So, we headed to the Dart catered lunch. Shawn & I each ate a cheeseburger, fruit, salad, chips and icecream. I also tried an egg roll and I think Shawn ate a hot dog. Caleb ate not one...not two...but three whole hot dogs! Daddy cut them up for him and that's all he wanted, along with a ton of fruit and ice cream. A random catering worker told me that she loved my hair, which I thought was nice. :) :) :) Before we left there, Joshua got his picture taken with the pretty princess.From there, we did the slides one more time since we promised and then after a little more walking around and missing the start to a show or two that looked interesting, we decided to try Duke's Lagoon, the water part of the park.Caleb fell asleep in the stroller once again, which I thought may work out perfectly. Daddy asked for the opportunity to sit awhile with Caleb so I took the Bean to explore the various areas of water. Once again, it took him some time to warm up to the idea before he adventured into getting completely drenched. Soon, at Joshua's request, Daddy went with him instead while I sat awhile with Caleb. I must admit, I thought my hubby looked particularly hot yesterday in his swim trunks and Quick Silver t-shirt. Then Joshua fell at one point and put his bloody knee all over Shawn's shirt... a hottie & a daddy!Unfortunately, some parent wasn't watching their child, who had a squirt gun full of water and decided to come up behind me and squirt water into the air, landing directly in Caleb's face. I don't think it was intentional to wake the baby, but I didn't see the kid until it was too late. Caleb was woken up with freezing cold water splashed on him. I could have killed the parent of the child for not being more observant, but such is life. I tried walking Caleb around again to no avail, so we got him out and let him play in the small kiddie area.He loved it - no fear with that boy. He put his hands right in the water and went down the little slides and looked at the water shooting up from the ground. He was immediately soaked and having a great time!And when both babies are happy, the mama is happy!
Joshua was splashing away and running around like crazy - we took turns keeping an eye on Caleb or chasing Joshua.I loved the picture of Joshua below in mid-skip through the water.Soon, though, it was time to get both boys changed (Joshua had to go potty while we were there and did a great job in the restroom!). We put dry diapers and pull-ups on the boys and fresh dry clothes and headed home for naps. They both slept well when we got home, and Daddy mowed the yard.When the boys woke up, we were debating on going to church or doing more yardwork. But, I said "let's go back." We had gotten our hand stamped and there were things that we hadn't done earlier in the day that we had talked about. So, Shawn agreed that it was a good idea and away we went! Our first stop was the train.Joshua was thrilled when the whistle blew and would randomly shout 'choo-choo!' I wanted to get a feel how next week would go at the Thomas the Train ride at the Strasburg Railroad. I do think he'll enjoy it! Below is one of my favorite pictures from the entire day. Look how happy Joshua is!And Caleb & I rode together again, through the tunnels and park. He was okay, but a little ancy at the end, waiting to get off and explore more!There was a "Thomas the Train" show taking place soon, so we decided to go grab seats and wait for that. Joshua enjoyed the music, I think, but neither kid really wanted to sit for that long, especially Caleb. I was happy when it ended.Next, we tried the 'big circle,' which Joshua had begged to do that morning. Daddy told me to go on with him while he waited with Caleb. I was genuinely surprised at how fast this carousel went - twice as fast as the one the day before! Joshua kept telling me to hold him and make sure he didn't fall. So sweet! He loved it, though. Meanwhile Caleb & Daddy were watching the ducks nearby.As we were walking, I saw this cow. Doesn't Joshua's face just scream "holy cow!"One of the last things we tried was the river boat. We had to wait awhile for this ride to get back from its other trip, and Joshua was not too thrilled. Both kids were getting tired, so we knew it was time to go after this. We sat in the back so I didn't really see anything, and Caleb played with the chain the entire time.On our way out, we passed this ride again and Joshua begged to go. So, we said okay - one last time - since there was no wait. He was in heaven. Caleb could have gone with him, but we feared Caleb would be squirmy and we wouldn't be there to catch him if he decided to climb off. So, he stayed with us.Our last stop of the night was at the slides where I went down with Caleb and Shawn took Joshua. We left there around 8 pm and stopped at Sonic on the way home for a little treat before heading to Marietta to pick up Shawn's car, which now has new brakes. We had a fantastic day!
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