OH YEAH BABY! and other things I screamed yesterday...

Yesterday was a good day.

or

WOOOOOOOWHOOOOOOO! THIS FRICKEN ROCKS!

Oh yeah baby.

Oh yeah.

Yesterday, as I said, was a good day. You see we live ridiculously close to one of the oldest amusement parks in the U S of A. Oaks Amusement Park.

It isn't the reason we moved to the neighborhood. It wasn't even in the top 10. But it's really cool right?



It's not a huge place, there aren't hundreds of rides, but there are some good ones and it has really helped me get to know my daughter better, as a person.

As a person who ROCKS.

Yesterday was one of her best friend's birthday. T celebrated turning 4 in style by inviting her friends for a fun filled day at Oaks Park. We started with a picnic.

For the first 10 minutes of this picnic the kids were content to talk to one another, climb parents like trees and throw fits in turn. Some eating did occur, K for instance ate about three bites of her sandwich but really, the only thing she ate with any gusto were the black olives I applied to her fingertips. She proceeded to chase the other girls around the picnic ground with alien olive fingers before cannibalistically dining on each one.

Then the girls were distracted.

The rides started up. Just for their test runs, but none the less they started. The train came past and at first the girls were content just to wave at the conductor as he rode by... then the chasing occurred. 5 of the girls ran after the train "Oh that's so cute" was overheard. I didn't think so but honestly my kid isn't dumb enough to chase a train, she stayed by my side staring at the others like they were some sort of heathen army she couldn't understand. Moments later the horror of the situation donned on some of the parents. The train isn't FASTER than the girls but it sure is bigger. Soon a gaggle of parents ran after the gaggle of girls running after the train.

No one was injured. I know you're relieved.

At this point it was decided that it was probably time to get the show on the road. T's dad went to get our prize, our precious, our gift for showing up... our all day ride bracelets.

Oh yeah.

(is Barry White in your head too or is it just mine?)

While he retrieved our fantastic bootie T's mom, another mom and I went about setting up the cake. The girls immediately gathered on top of the cake, floating, hovering above it. All of them trying to find out how close they could get to it while spreading their little girl germs on the frosting and not actually touching the cake. This continued until President Reid (did I mention it was The President's daughter) returned with the bracelets.

In swift order the bracelets were passed out, the candles were lit and extinguished, cake was devoured and presents were opened.

It was time for the rides

Oh yeah

(there he was again, did you all hear him?)

At first it was all about the kids. Well no, for Ingrid (T's mom) and and I it seemed to be all about us and which of the awesome rides we could convince our 4 and 5 year olds to go on. The answer. Pretty much anything (except the Frog Hopper, K thinks there is a special place in hell for the Frog Hopper).



After a while though, it became clear that there were certain rides that the girls couldn't go on. Not because they wouldn't, K has become quite the daredevil (she used to be afraid of even the little kiddie rides and I wondered if she had any of my genes). They couldn't go on them because they are too small. And because while I love a good thrill ride I am not all up for K to go on the Scream-N-Eagle.

I'm not old enough to have a kid old enough to go on the Scream-N-Eagle.

No she's not

So when President Reid and one of his chronies told me they were off to the Scream-N-Eagle for a ride I did what any mom would do.

I ditched K with Ingrid, her daughter, her Infant son and her father and step mom (thank you thank you thank you).

Oh yeah

And it was off to the ride of all rides over there at Oaks Park.



Just as we arrived at the Eagle it started to pour. Fast, hard pounding rain. After moments the chronie had the bright idea to hop the metal barrier to the exit platform and stand under the umbrella. I resisted for a moment but as the rain came down harder I too hopped to barrier. He had a good idea who was I to resist? The President put his jacket on and kept our place in line like a good leader should do. It wasn't long before the teenagers on the ride disembarked and we hopped back over the barrier to secure our seats in the claw of the eagle. We were BY far the oldest people on the ride. I swear we received disapproving looks from the tweens and teens gathered around us but we didn't care.

We were on the eagle. in the claw. ready to ride.

There was some modern music playing. The other guy knew the name of the band, none of us cared for it, but almost as swiftly as the rain had lifted when we took our seats the music changed and Def Leopard's Pour Some Sugar On Me came pouring from the speakers. It was our time to go.

So when I say that we screamed the loudest, rocked the hardest and were the most obnoxious on the ride it should be no surprise.

It also shouldn't surprise you that we RAN from the ride to loop around to the entrance to ride again once we noticed there wasn't a line.

So if my voice is a little hoarse today, my throat a little gravelly it's because the Scream-N-Eagle runs on screams... and it was running well yesterday...

cause I, I am a dork.

Oh yeah.