Of Silver Dollar City

Apparently returning from a relaxing four-day weekend into a crazy hectic schedule can put some strain on a mama.  Sorry for my two day absence - I'm sure you were drastically concerned for my well-being.

I have really been wanting to document how much fun we had over the weekend - more than what the photos captured, but I don't want to bore anyone, so I'll try to make it fun, short and not-boring.  For now, let's just focus on Friday.

And let me tell you right now, if you ever want to go to Silver Dollar City, go on a week-day during the school year.  Because the Friday before Labor Day weekend was amazing as far as crowds go.  Also, it is apparently a good plan, as well, to head over during the Southern Gospel Festival if you're a thrill-seeker, because the other fans of this particular shindig are not so much the roller-coaster crowd, if you catch my drift.

Now, all of this would have been wonderful if I were actually able to ride anything that moves, but being 18 weeks pregnant is not very coaster, or swings, or log flume, or anything amusement-park-esque friendly.  But such is my fate - if I ever actually get to enjoy a non-crowded day at Silver Dollar City wherein both the weather and my physical condition all work together in a perfect storm which allows me to actually enjoy the rides, I may just die of shock - and miss it all anyway.

But the important thing this this time around wasn't getting on the adult rides, but rather seeing the joy on our near-three-year-old's face at just about everything she saw.

Friday was almost all about her.

Exploring the water games and air guns at Geyser Gulch, watching the excitement on her face in picking the purple elephant to fly in with Daddy, seeing her lift her arms as she zoomed in the kiddie coaster or hearing the "Ah-ooh, ah-ooh!" as we spun about in the teacups (I actually got to ride something with her!).  These are the things that made this trip the absolute best we've ever had.

Emmett didn't have such a bad time either.  Crawling around with the foam balls in the air gun room, simply cruising in his stroller, waving to his sister as she zoomed past on yet another ride, all of these seemed to keep our little man content.  But his very favorite part, by far, was the saloon show.  Our guy loves to clap and dance, so the old-time piano music and girls in frilly skirts dancing on the stage were almost more than he could handle.  The almost-endless supply of popcorn didn't hurt, either.

Toward the end of the day, Micaiah and Emmett got to build their own stuffed animals (well, Emmett had a lot of help) and they walked away with a white ballerina teddy bear (named Tawna, Tawnie or Tawnanie depending on the day or hour you ask) for Micaiah and an as-yet nameless basketball playing monkey for our little monkey (who also happens to love to play ball - in fact, the detachable ball around the animal's wrist may or may not have been more exciting to Emmett than the monkey itself).  I loved watching our little girl clutch her shopping bag proudly, so thrilled about her new creation that she picked out all by herself.  It made her seem like such a big girl.

The big, exciting day was topped off, then, by a freak rain-storm that hit while Gram and I entertained the kids back at Geyser Gulch and Grandy and Philip were boarding their last coaster of the day.  Fortunately, while Gram's shielding the kids from the gale-force winds blowing rain clear through the covered play area and my guarding the strollers under the only cover I could find were slightly traumatic, it was at least much less painful than what the men experienced - pelting rain at 66 mph.  I hear Philip spent the whole ride with hands in front of his face as a make-shift shield from the barrage.

Fortunately, all of this hit during the park's last operating hour, so we hurried (as quickly as we could through the mass exodus of sopping wet tourists) back to our condo to dry our clothes and enjoy birthday gifts for Micaiah (with s'mores rather than cake).

A grand day, overall, and one we won't soon forget (even if she does).