(We’re setting the bar high this year. We may have trouble adjusting to Latin conjugations and sentence diagramming next week. Ha!!)
After the deluge during yesterday afternoon’s thunderstorm (I heard it rained 3 and a 1/4 inches!!), it rained all through the night. We woke to a gray, wet world, but we were determined not to let the weather ruin our fun. Lola stayed home with Ilex, while the boys and I braved a drive up to Portland (I hate driving in Portland!!) to visit OAKS Amusement Park. It was their homeschool day today, and we purchased unlimited ride bracelets.
We had never been to OAKS before, and it had been a long time since my boys had been on carnival rides. Levi hasn’t ever been much of a roller-coaster guy, but I knew Luke would go on every ride. I wondered how Leif would do. He often shies away from new things (you wouldn’t think it once you got to know him!!), and some of these rides are very intimidating. He shocked me by going on everything except the Screaming Eagle (I don’t blame him—no way was I going on that thing) and the roller coaster with the upside-down loop that he was just a bit too short for. And he LOVED everything. He was an awesome sport. Levi had a slow start, but ended up going on everything (including the rollercoaster!! twice!) except the Screaming Eagle.
The weather was overcast but not really chilly, and it never rained on us. It wasn’t busy; the boys walked on to every ride multiple times without waiting. I’d bet they got in about 40 rides a piece! And the park is quite family-friendly. Often the boys were on their own, going from ride to ride. It was amazing not having Lola and having the boys be so cheerful and independent. It was truly a wonderful time, and I couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face watching them have so much fun. They rode for 4 hours straight, with hardly a break between rides. Stomachs of steel! Even with a short break for corn dog/hamburger/chicken strips, soda, and cotton candy.
I went on this next one once, and my stomach…ugh. Not as young as I used to be.
The Disk’o was one of the boys’ favorites. The big disc rotated while it went from side to side on a big U-shaped track. They went on it over and over and over and over... Did I mention the park wasn't busy?
And the Rock-O-Plane.
I don’t know how many times Leif went on the Eruption. Ugh.
Levi and Leif went on the Tilt-a-Whirl more times than I can count (again, ugh—why so many spinny things?!), but Luke declared it “lame.” Because this was his favorite ride:
He must have gone on it ten times, occasionally two or three times in a row without unbuckling. He said one kid puked. The arms rotated while the pendulum went back and forth. Um, no thanks.
There were tables set up for various clubs, activities, and such to display their opportunities for homeschoolers. I convinced Luke to settle his stomach long enough to check it out. He thought fencing sounded like fun.
They also managed to sit down for lunch. For about 5 minutes.
I couldn’t get a great picture of the roller coaster, but it was my personal favorite (and the only ride I went on other than that car one). I think I went on the Looping Thunder about 7 times. It wasn’t very long, but it had a great upside-down loop. The girl in front of us was setting a record. She was on her 28th time in a row.
I managed to find my way back to the freeway and through Portland afternoon traffic in time to turn around and head out to a birthday party for the evening. I guess those pictures will have to wait until tomorrow, because I’m exhausted!
No comments:
Post a Comment