Six vacation days gone already--time does fly when you're having fun, doesn't it?! But who would have thought three of those six days would have been spent in one place, especially given the fact that we haven't even left town?! I mean, it's one thing to spend all your time on a beach, but we're still right here in Arlington! What have we been doing? Going to Six Flags, of course!
Our love affair with Six Flags began on Tuesday when it opened. Conventional wisdom says that amusement park crowds are at their lowest on Tuesdays through Thursdays, so we went in with high hopes, and we were not disappointed. I am convinced one of the reasons we spent three days at Six Flags this week is because the lines were so short, we spent more time in areas than we might have otherwise and it took us three days to get through most of the park--and believe it or not, we STILL haven't made it to the Shockwave!
The heat was certainly a defining characteristic of the last few days, but because lines were so short (and at times non-existent) I have to admit I can't remember the kids complaining a single time. For my part, I would have taken more photos but I flatly refused to even take the camera on Tuesday or Wednesday because I didn't want anything saddled around my neck! I don't know why we didn't think of this before, but our camera case has a Velcro strap that allowed Randy to strap it right to his belt loop, so all of the pictures below are from Friday's excursion.
Anyway, we stayed at the park until about 3:30 Monday afternoon at which point we were all STARVING and agreed to take a lunch/dinner break. We came home, grabbed something to eat and rested up a bit, and then headed back at about 6:00 p.m. (One of the many advantages of living less than five miles away!) We passed the evening even more enjoyably, as the sun was no longer beaming down and lines were perhaps even shorter than we thought possible--I'm talking about getting on an attraction and being told by the ride's operator at its conclusion that we could stay on if we so chose because there was no one else waiting in line! We did that multiple times on multiple rides. So fun!
In fact, we rode on the Roaring Rapids three times in a row, and I'm thankful that we waited until closing time to try it out because we all looked like we'd just hit the showers--repeatedly--as we slogged our way to the van. Too bad we didn't smell like we were fresh from the shower!
On Wednesday morning we took advantage of our Press Pass (newspaper) discount to go see Journey to the Center of the Earth and then hit the park again. We stuck together for the most part but by now the kids all have their favorites and we try our best to be equitable to all, so sometimes we have to divide and conquer. I had observed on Tuesday that because of Randy's years-ago bout with vertigo, he has been ruined for anything that spins; thus, he did a lot of waiting around while the kids and I rode the rides that made him want to hurl just looking at them. However, rollercoasters are not an issue for him so he and I took turns getting on the various coasters with Darcy. I've told you before that she is very adventurous when it comes to theme park attractions, while Tyler has a self-proclaimed "fear of rollercoasters." I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to talk him onto the Runaway Mine Train, for crying out loud! But by yesterday he was riding repeatedly in the last car, so he automatically gets props for voluntarily choosing the seat that offers the most potential for bodily harm.
A bunch of new coasters have debuted at Six Flags since I was a kid. It's funny how my perspective of thrill rides has changed now that I'm a 40-year-old mom and not a free-wheeling teen. I struggle with safety concerns and, for obvious reasons, my enjoyment of an attraction decreases exponentially with every (perceived) fearful shriek from one of my children (the look of unbridled horror on Peyton's face the first time she encountered the Conquistador is indelibly etched in my mind). Funnily enough, on a number of rides Sawyer, especially, would screech or bury his face in mine or Randy's shoulder, and the moment the ride came to a stop he would exult, "That was AWESOME! Can we do that again?!" Go figure.
And then there was Mr. Freeze.
You have to see it to fully appreciate how intense it is--one look at it and my exact words were, "You couldn't pay me enough." Which meant, of course, that Randy and Darcy headed for the entrance. Oh, you don't think Darcy was deterred, do you? There was a ride next to Mr. Freeze called the Bat Wing that was perfect for Sawyer and Peyton so they rode it several times while Tyler and I waited for Randy and Darcy. And in due course they headed our way, and I immediately noticed that Darcy had tears in her eyes. "Was it really scary?" I should have known better--she was teary-eyed because she had been turned away. Yep, the ride operator measured her and she came up just a little short, and she was denied a spot. As far as I'm concerned she is cra-a-a-zy, but she was more than a little irritated for the next little while.
We closed down the park Wednesday and since that made two nights in a row of getting to bed after midnight, we took it easy on Thursday (that's the day we went bowling), but when Friday dawned slightly cloudy, Randy said, "You know, we should just go to Six Flags again." Well, you don't have to ask me twice! And the kids have definitely caught the fever so no persuasion was necessary there, either. My only complaint about Friday was the oppressive heat that blanketed us. Yuck.
In a testimony to just how hot it was on Friday, we took the tram in from the parking lot for the first time this week (meaning we'd had a leisurely ride to the front gate), but in this picture you can see that Sawyer's hair is already sweaty (plus he took a spill on a curb about five seconds before I shot this photo and skinned up his chin). Anyway, we hadn't even gotten on the first ride when he was already chanting, "Mom, I'm thirsty!" This was his expression when I didn't drop everything and run to fetch him a cold drink.
While waiting for Darcy to ride the Conquistador, Randy rounded us up for a group photo. Sawyer was saying, "Hurry and take the picture--this rail is hurting my bahookie!"
Waiting in line for El Asseradero (aka "The Log Ride")
This was actually our second go-around; on our first ride all six of us squeezed into one log, making it a lot heavier and producing a bigger splash!
We rode the Sidewinder next. It's funny--I'm a lot more game for rollercoasters than for little rides like this. I always thing the base is going to wrench out of the ground or one of the cars is going to hit another through some freak miscalculation. But Peyton needed a partner so I grudgingly obliged. I'm such a good mom!
On Friday we went to a side of the park that we had yet to make it to all week. That's where we rode these antique Chaparral cars . . .
and did the "Fly Me to the Moon 3D" ride. Here we are waiting in line, and to pass the time Sawyer was kissing all over me (fine) and trying to lick me (blech!). Here I am fending off his advances.
That was AWESOME!
All in all, we have had a fantastic vacation to this point and we are headed to Midlothian in the morning to worship with my brother and his family and spend the day with them. Who knows? We might even go to Six Flags--my brother hasn't been all summer!
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