Boys. It’s What I Do

For the fifth year in a row we’ve taken our boys to Six Flags on the last day of summer vacation before back-to-school. It started as just our family of five and then grew into a get-together with another dad who’d walk around and get on some rides with the boys. We’ve had a system the past few years: I hang out alone with our youngest son who was not tall enough to ride the extreme rides and since I won’t get on those rides if you paid me large sums of cash, it worked for us. Hubs and I would coordinate meeting up at the entrance for lunch back in the parking lot (we bring a huge cooler with about 85 drinks and a picnic).

Well. A few things changed this year. First, take a look at this dad:

Looks healthy enough, right? Lifted that large cooler up into that vehicle. He is at week 5 post-op of appendix removal. Weeks 3 and 4 were spent in the salt water--feeling fine. Heard of how salt water is the cure for pimples, scabs and whatnot? Add laproscopic surgery to the list. But at week 5 back on land he doesn’t feel so great (and had much to do to get ready for his new students). And that other dad? He broke his leg horribly earlier this year falling off a ladder at his house—he would have gone—but I told him I’d just hang out with Youngest as the others were old enough to walk around like a gang on their own.

So, eight boys and me. We left at 9:15 a.m. and arrived home at 5:15 p.m. (here are 8 boys ready to go with some double-buckling action in the back seat):

I left Hubs written instructions on how to have dinner ready when I got home: cook beef stew in the crock pot, and what needed to be bought at Target and the grocery store.

The second thing that changed is that Youngest reached 54 inches this summer, which is the height requirement for ALL of the rides. Even Goliath, which lasts almost 3 minutes, is 4 stories high, goes 70 mph and the tram thing you sit on plunges practically straight down in the beginning of the ride. And he wanted to go on it, which means we would not be separate doing our own thing. In fact, once they let everyone in the park at 10:30 a.m. all the boys took off running for Goliath, youngest included, with me left in the dust. I pretty much just tagged along the whole day. We had the picnic I’d made at about 1:00 back at the closest parking lot.

(here are a couple of rides they did NOT go on and this is Six Flags last September when Atlanta flooded and many rides were under water).

Here is part of Goliath:

I did go on Thunder River, the rafting ride. At one point, bystanders can use these water guns near the waiting line from up above and blast water down at us riders. I got soaked and yelled at the people, “COME ON! I AM ONE LADY WITH 8 BOYS!!!” It wasn’t too bad though, being 97 degrees or so. But as one 14 year old put it, “It feels refreshing, but the water smells like butt.”

The day was a success and when we got home beef stew was ready in the crock pot. Hubs took one look at us and suggested we take a shower before dinner. I was included in that request. And, I am still worn out from all the walking.

The third thing that changed this year? We now have our three boys in three different schools—HIGH SCHOOL (!!!), middle school and elementary. My mornings are very long with three shifts: High schooler leaves for the bus at 6:20. Elem schooler leaves at 7:20, and middle schooler leaves at 8:40, and in-between all this I get ready and leave at 8:40 also. Hubs leaves at 7:10. As soon as I get used to these new mornings, then sports will start in the evenings….with three boys on three different teams. The crock pot has already been used three times this week.

(Monday morning at 6:15 a.m. on first day of....HIGH SCHOOL!!!! I ran up the street and gave him the extra cell phone to use for the day. I cried a little on the way home)

Other quotes heard on the last day before the start of school…..

“Well, let’s just say a diabetic needed his insulin after lunch” (said by a 13 yr old boy in jest after seeing needles and syringes on the ground at the Six Flags Parking Lot).

“Wow, I can feel my voice changing because it hurts my throat when it cracks” (said by my middle schooler to me).

“I told the grocery store cashier that my wife was going to kill me” (said by Hubs at dinner telling me how he forgot to use the coupons I left for him).

“Even though I go on all the rides now at Six Flags I will still be your baby” (told in private to me by Youngest. For reals. He knows my buttons.).