Silverwood

Last Friday we trekked up to Silverwood (the only theme park in our area) for some family fun. Back in January, the kids were involved with a reading program and once they read and documented 10 hours, they earned a free ticket for the park. They were so into it and were very diligent all on their own to read more than 10 hours in the specified time. I was really proud of them, even Dane in kindergarten would remind me to listen to him read and ask if 'his reading time' was over.

Marion wanted to go with us but didn't want to crash our party. No way, having another adult along was so nice. With lunches packed and a van full of eager people we were off on the 2.5 hour drive before 8am. I'm still proud of that.

Thanks for going with us Marion, it was a long day and without you we would have given in much, much sooner. Thanks to my mom too, she let me take her camera along so I didn't have to haul my big heavy one.

They have this amazing water area for kids called Pollywog Park. Mini water slides, fountains and water guns all right in front of the chairs. The big barrell on top fills up every 5 or so minutes, a bell rings and then it dumps out all over the area, very cute.

It was on the colder side for the water rides but the kids could have cared less. Marion and I floated the lazy river and almost came out dry. We stayed there for a couple hours and then went back to the rides. With the cooler temps, it was perfect ride weather.

Reed was loving every ride he went on. Kat was a perfect riding companion for him too. She would let him have total steering control, of course that was just his style. The only problem with him riding was he didn't ever want to get off and threw a huge fit every time. Even if we went right back on.

After riding this train coaster twice, I had to literally peel him up off the filthy floor after he threw himself down kicking and screaming. Honestly, it looked like I was kidnapping him. The stares we got!

Here he is in the middle of another fit. The kids wanted to drive these vintage cars and the whole time we were waiting in line he heard the 3 big kids talk about driving their own car. That meant he got to as well, right? Wrong. We tried the yellow car with Milo and Nate but had to take him off because he was crying about not sitting in front of the wheel.

We tried the white car with Dane and I. Again, another huge fit and more stares so we sent Dane off on his own. He begged and begged so we tried again when Marion and Kat got in their car. More crying over not being the driver.

So we left the ride and I had to force buckle him into his stroller so he wouldn't run back to the cars. If only there were video to go with this photo, ha. I was breaking a sweat getting him into that dang thing too. Stinker.

Marion and Kat in the 'exact blue car' that Kat desperately wanted to get. They were laughing as their ride ended. They heard Reed screaming all the way around the track. Sheesh, a 2 yr old at an amusement park is exhausing.

Kathryn and Nathan were brave enough to go on the Panic Plunge with Milo. No thank you!

Milo's not so sure he ever wants to go on one of those rides again. The kids would have gone again in a second.

There was the merry-go-round.

In my $5 Walmart glasses and lazy river hair.

The bumper cars, fun to watch as they figured out how to work them.

Especially Dane trying to 'get' Milo.

And their last ride, Thunder Canyon. The kids had been wanting to ride it all day but we knew it would soak them so we put them off until later in the day (we saw it right when we got there). I completely forgot about it until we passed it on our way out of the park at almost 9pm. Of course they wanted to ride it even though at this point it was only 58 degrees outside. They were so soaked, they could wring out their socks. I felt bad about suggesting the ride, their teeth chattered all the way to the car. With some major convincing they took their pants off for the ride home.

It didn't take long for them to end up like this.

And this. We all had a great, exhausting, fun, busy, cool, walk for hours day. See ya next year Silverwood.