For the Second Year in a Row...

...we took advantage of Homeschool Day (held on May 13 this year) at Kings Dominion to celebrate the end of our school year.  (If you want to take a peek back at our trip last year, here's a link to that post; it makes me smile every time I read it.)  Although I think I've neglected to mention it here on the blog, we actually officially finished this school year on April 29.  During the past few years, we've settled into a wonderful routine of doubling up on some lessons and working ahead so that we can finish in April; and the boys--and I!--are very motivated to do a little extra work to make that happen.  May is a gorgeous month in our corner of the world, and I love how peaceful it is as we gently transition into our summer routine, free from the constraints of needing-to-get-school-done-even-though-we'd-rather-play-outside.  If all goes well in future years, I anticipate April being the month in which we always strive to finish.

On a similar note, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if, in future years, we make this annual visit to Kings Dominion on their Homeschool Day.  As it is now, the thought of having to wait a whole year is nearly torturous for David and Tobin; and I get asked often when we can go back.  In the car with the boys a few days ago, I explained--yet again--that their question about when we can go back is one of those questions (that they're very good at asking!) that I just can't answer, because despite our plans, only God knows what the future holds.  I told them that, yes, I love Kings Dominion, and I certainly hope we wil be able to go there again next year, but maybe someone in our family would be really sick and we couldn't go or maybe we wouldn't have enough money to go or maybe...well, who knows what might happen between now and then?!  They quieted down for a little while, but I'm sure tomorrow or next week will bring another round of questions along the same lines...maybe even the question Tobin was asking recently, "We go to Kings Dominion in two days??"  :)  "Not exactly, my dear.  Not exactly."

All of this clamor for a return visit serves to reinforce something we already knew:  the boys LOVED our recent trip.  Here, in picture form, is the evidence, with comments interspersed:

 From my visits to Kings Dominion during my teen years, I only remembered the big, thrilling roller coasters; but there are actually quite a few rides and attractions geared for little children.  It was no trouble at all for even the youngest boys to find plenty that they wanted to do while we were there.

 Jeff strapped Shav into this airplane...

 ...so he could ride with his biggest brother.

This was so funny to me:

 while Tobin and David were able to get their airplane to go (relatively) high in the air...

 ...Josiah could not get his and Shav's to elevate at all.

 It was the most boring ride for Josiah, and we laughed good-naturedly at him as he sat there bored stiff.  He is almost nine, after all, so he's outgrown these kiddie rides fair and square.  But he was expecting to do more than just ride around in a circle without rising up in the air one inch!

The bumper cars were more exciting.  :)

 It was fun to have Josiah, David, AND Tobin out there running into each other.  I thought it might be a good idea for us to install a bumper car area in our front yard, so that when sibling rivalry issues are running amok, I can send them out there to take out their aggression that way.  I wonder if Jeff will agree to that.  ;-)

 Shav was the watcher...

...and as Tobin went speeding by (well, not really speeding, maybe "sauntering" is more accurate) in a speeding sauntering rocket, Shav calmly sat in his stroller outside the fence, drinking from his sippy cup.

I decided to have the boys each wear a shirt that was mostly red, so that they would be easy to spot as I did my motherly headcount (1, 2, 3, 4, they're all here...1, 2, 3, 4, they're all here...over and over and over...all day long).  :)

While Josiah and David went on the Scooby Doo roller coaster (which is now called something else, but I can't remember what, so we call it the Scooby Doo), Tobin ventured onto this rocking boat...

 ...and loved it.  That boy is a wild man!  He wanted to go on EVERYTHING and was stopped only because he was too short.  But this boat ride was a good one for him.

It makes me happy to see Tobin and Shav together like this.  :)

 The next picture makes me smile as I see how they're looking in opposite directions.  Good thing they're not really trying to drive a car together!  It makes me think of the saying, "Too many cooks spoil the broth," and also the verse from Amos 3 that says, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"  :)

It looks like they're more unified now.  :)

Tobin liked these swings...

 ...but this was another snoozer of a ride for Josiah.  His legs are so long that his feet touched the ground, and he had to lift his feet a little so they wouldn't drag as the swing turned around.  :)  Later, he and I went on the "real" swings, and that was much more exciting for him.  :)

 At lunch, we left the park and went across the street to grab some fast food at Burger King.  Since by that point it was raining (yes, it rained on us, turning even the non-water rides into water rides), we went through the drive-through, then came back to the Kings Dominion parking lot and ate in our van.  Meanwhile, we watched one of the funniest events of the day.  A couple of teenagers came out to the parking lot, carrying a huge stuffed animal (I think it's a pig?) that they had evidently won in one of the carnival games.  And then!

 They tried (and tried) to stuff it into their small car.  Through the trunk?  Nope.  Through the doors?  It wasn't budging.  We were watching all of this and laughing a little at their foolishness as we wondered whether it ever occurred to them, in their ardent desire to win that huge porker, whether they would actually be able to get it home or not!  Jeff, being the kind-hearted (not to mention, strong) guy that he is, eventually trotted across the parking lot to them and offered to help.  Between him pushing and the guy pulling, they somehow managed to get the beast in the car.  I can only hope that they were able to get the thing OUT of the car, without having to cut it in half or something equally as drastic.  ;-)

By this point, I was hitting the afternoon sleepies and wishing that I could sneak in a little nap; but of course that wasn't possible, so back into the park we went.  It didn't take long to get fully awake again.

Watching Josiah "drive" this car made me suddenly and unexpectedly sentimental.  He's not even nine years old yet, but from all that I hear from older mothers, the years between now and when he turns 16 will whiz by, and before I know it, he'll be driving a real car.  I can only imagine the strong emotions a mother feels when she watches her firstborn drive off alone for the first time.  I'm glad I still have some time before that happens! ;-)

As I was imagining how our day might go, I wondered if it might be the first day of Shav's life that he didn't get a nap...but no, it wasn't to be.  While the others in our family rode in the old-fashioned cars, he slept in the stroller, and I savored the sight of his cherubic face.

After the cars, it was time for the swinging eagles...

...which Tobin the Fearless was delighted to ride with his daddy.  It's not really a kiddie ride, and Jeff made the eagle swing quite high, but Tobin loved it.  :)

While I waited, I did a little more savoring of our littlest prince.

When we walked past the entrance to The Grizzly ride...

 ...the boys had to pose and show us their fiercest bear faces.  (Just like Tobin did in the pictures in this post from a while ago.)  Quite an intimidating bunch, aren't they?  :)

I had to admire Shav's dimpled hand...

...and his sandal-clad feet.

He is so very loved.

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I have many more pictures to share, but I've been working on this post for long enough.  Before further delay, I'll go ahead and publish this part, and hopefully continue the saga of our joyful adventure later!