Friday

Friday is a good word around our house.  Since Julie works weekends at the church, her primary day off is Friday.

Our Friday really started on Thursday night during a Dad and Zack flip-off on the trampoline.  This is where we make little bets; like first one to fall has to get the other persons' drinks for a week.  Well last night I told Zack that if he beats me at the flip-off that we would go to Carowinds on Friday. (Carowinds is an amusement park here in Charlotte that we got a great deal on seasons passes for)  Well he "beat" me. (He often does, but tonight I made sure that he did because Julie and I had earlier in the night decided to take them all to Carowinds regardless)  He was ecstatic and Julie and I had good bargaining power for the kids to get their baths and get into bed quickly, so they could be rested for the amusement park.

Friday, April 30, 8:34am: We left the house for Carowinds.

When we arrived at the park, we split up.  Zack wanted to try some of the larger roller coasters, while of course Zoe and Zane needed the smaller.  I took Zack first to a wooden coaster called "The Hurler".  Now to this point the largest coaster Zack had ever ridden was the "Woodstock Express", a wooden coaster in the children's area.  After the first drop on "The Hurler", Zack was a bit humbled by his roller coaster prowess.  He walked into the park ready to take on the biggest and fastest roller coaters they had and was now seemingly searching our map for the entrance to the kiddie park.  

Zach is big for his age, both in size and in aptitude, and it is easy to forget that he is only 7 and still a "little boy".  

After the initial shock wore off, I did convince him to ride the "Carolina Cyclone", a loop coaster, with me and he seemed to like that one better.  

Meanwhile, on the other side of the park, Julie was having quite a time with the twins.  Now, of course this is not a first hand account, so I will relay it as it was told to me.

First stop, the "Carolina Skytower", no problems.

Next stop "Charlie Brown's Wind-Up" (a kiddie swing ride).  Zane hopped right on, no problem.  Zoe cried.  Julie convinced Zoe to get on the ride.  Zane screemed.  Zane got off.  Zoe rode it ... wasn't thrilled.

"Character Carousel".  What kid doesn't love a good Carousel?  Evidentially, mine.  They waited in line once.  Got to the front.  Decided it wasn't for them.  Then they decided that they did indeed want to ride.  Waited in line again.  Zane climbed on his horse.  Zoe did not want to be on the horse next to Zane's because it was not "pink".  Ride started.  Too late for Zoe to get on a horse.  Zane loved it.  Zoe pouted.

"Snoopy vs. The Red Baron". (airplanes that go in a circle and move up and down about 5 feet) Both Zoe and Zane were in place, ready for the ride to start.  Both cried and screamed and were removed before the ride began.

"Snoopy's Space Race" (rocket ships that go in a circle and move up and down about 5 feet) Their experience? See "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron" above ... except TWICE.

This is when I received the text message "PLEASE CALL" followed by a phone call from Julie asking where Zack and I were.  We were not too far away and we started to head their way.

We found them near the "Space Race".  Zack wanted to ride "Woodstock Express", Zane wanted to ride the "race cars", and Zoe wanted to ride "the balloons".  We set the plan (aka brokered the deal to avoid the most whining and pouting), "Woodstock", balloons, then race cars.  Julie and Zack went to ride "Woodstock Express" while I kept the others.  While we were waiting, Zoe and Zane were watching the Carousel go around and at one point, Zane decided he was ready to ride the Carousel again.  He just walked away, me yelling for him to comeback, him, completely ignoring me.  So ... I did the first thing that came to mind, I left Zoe in charge of Zadie and ran to retrieve Zane ... vowing never to tell Julie that was what I did (whoops, I wonder if she reads this).

Everyone being corralled, Julie and Zack came off of the ride and we headed over to the "balloons" or "Flying Ace Balloon Race".  Now last time we were at the park,  I rode with Zoe, Zane and Zack.  Zack and Zoe loved it, Zane not so much.  This time Julie was going, with just Zoe and Zack.  At the last minute though Zane decided to go too.  I rolled over with Zadie and found a spot in the shade.  She was being awfully cute:

As I was snapping a few pictures of our cute little baby.  I heard "Stop, Stop the ride, Stop".  This was coming from my beautiful bride.  First thought, someone was hurt ... nope.  Someone threw up ... nope.  Someone is flipping out ... almost.  Two kids are flipping out ... Bingo.  The ride was stopped, Julie, Zoe and Zane came off.  Zack got a balloon all to himself.

Now, Julie has a lot more patience than I do.  She has a way of diffusing tense situations with the kids where I sometimes tend to exacerbate them.  Suffice it to say, it takes a good bit for the kids to get Julie riled up.  They succeeded today.  Zoe and Zane gave her such a fit about who was sitting where in the balloon, they ended up sitting on one side of the balloon, alone, with Zack and Julie across from them.  When the ride started and they were scared, they had no one to comfort them. Julie being totally over the situation, and who could blame her, couldn't handle being in the balloon with them anymore and had the ride stopped.

Well with the balloon ride, added to the swings, the Carousel, the planes and rocket ship, Julie had reached her tipping point.  And to add to the frustration, as Julie is talking to me about the events that transpired before Zack and I arrived, attempting to shed some light on her current state of being, Zane found what looked like a severed piece of sprinkler line and was beating it about a tree, narrowly missing the heads of the people sitting around the tree.  

After this we went to the race cars ... closed.  To the boats, the slowest and most boring ride in the entire park.  And of course Julie or I must ride with them because Zoe and Zane are not tall enough.  Then to the helicopters, which sounds cool, but it is only second to the boats for the slowest ride in the park and again must be ridden by either Julie or I.

12:05 PM, LUNCHTIME.

After experiencing the "quality" burgers last time at Carowinds, and with the line for the in-park Chick-fil-a looking a bit treacherous.  Julie and I used this as our time to escape the park and head to a nice little pizza buffet (not CiCi's) that is right out by the entrance to the park.

I'll pick up "Friday" here tomorrow ... or later today ... would you look at the time.