Water Park Date

Good Thursday morning!

WOW! Busy Wednesday and Thursday! But I have to admit, Wednesday was my fault. Who sets up three doctor's appointments in one day? It's over now, but I have to admit I will not do that again. (It was similar to taking all three kids to the eye doctor at the same time... all three needing new glasses... spending over $700... having to call Mikie... bad day... VERY bad day. I thought I was being a good time manager. Not!)

If you read the Birmingham News, Roxie's picture was on the FRONT page with her two friends who took the babysitting class with her. The article will be in today's paper, and I do not know if there will be another picture. It was quite a thrill. We'll sign autographs for a limited time only.

I have added pics of my niece and nephew and Roxie at the pool. Bev requested (even though she was the birthday girl) to not be photographed, and I obliged. That counts as part of her present, too, because usually I would have clicked away!

NOTE TO ROBIN - It is very obvious to me that you like your Alaska Facebook friend more than you like your Gardendale blogging friend. I am not going to ask you to choose, because I'm pretty sure I would be left behind. I'm sorry I don't have an exciting, moose-filled life like your Alaskan friend. I'm sorry I write about the familiar, perhaps boring, life of a Gardendale resident. I hope you'll be very happy with your new Alaskan buddy. (Let me know if she has CONTESTS on her Facebook. I think we both know the answer to that one!)

I guess there's only one way to truly resolve this... See if she'll read my blog! All will be forgiven. I don't have an Alaskan blog reader yet. How "cool" would that be? Just think about it.

Due to the unforeseen (Code for POORLY PLANNED) "busyness" of Wednesday, I WILL NOT be sharing an Erma story with you today... maybe tomorrow. But no promises. I'm going to be in Orientation meetings all day, you know.

Weekend Family Fun

Movie at Amphitheater - There will be a free movie at the Gardendale Amphitheater Friday, June 26 (Mamma Mia). The movie will begin at 7:30 p.m. Chick-Fil-A will have a vendor booth there, and you can bring your chairs, blankets and picnic things as well.

The Ultimate Gift at the Summit - The Ultimate Gift will be shown for free at The Summit this Sunday at 3:00. Seating is limited, so you will need to be a little early to get a seat.

4th of July Celebration in Trussville - From 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. there will be a 4th of July Celebration sponsored by First Baptist Church Trussville. There will be games, inflatables and fireworks at 9:00 p.m. Brushfire and Three On a String will be performing, also. There will be food vendors (Chick-Fil-A, Dreamland, etc.), but feel free to bring a picnic if you like. This event will be held on the mall in Trussville. (I'll remind you about this one next week, too, with a little more information.)

DON'T FORGET!

Get your free Chick-Fil-A Sandwich tonight between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Register for free bowling in Vestavia (Monday through Friday until 5:00 p.m.). You can bowl two free games. You have to pay $1.25 for shoe rental.

Water Park Date

I don't know about you, but I was always VERY nervous when I took several kids to a water park (White Water in Atlanta, Splash Beach in Alabama Adventure, etc.). It's hard to keep up with kids in water with that many attractions (Lazy River, Wave Pool, Water Slides, etc.). Plus, it can get pretty pricey taking all the kids at one time.

This would be a GREAT one-on-one date. Affordable and enjoyable. You don't have to worry about where the other kids are every minute. You don't have to worry about keeping everyone together in one area even though some of the kids are big enough to ride the water slides while others need to stay in the wading area. You don't have to worry about riding a slide with one child, while the other children are doing who knows what! You can keep all your attention on your date... and you can have a ball.

If you go to a place like Alabama Adventure, you need to prepare the child that the date is for ONE side of the park only. You can go to the amusement side another time. There's plenty to do on a hot summer day at Splash Beach, and you and your child can go home tired, happy and cool. And they LOVE having Mom or Dad all to themselves at a place like this... They don't have to wait their turn to do the activity they want to do.

Save up a little money, and take your date to a nearby water park. Oh, and have a wonderful time!

Have the best Thursday you can possibly have. Try to find somewhere cool and stay there. (I highly recommend the air conditioning vent system.) Remember me at all the Orientation meetings today. I am not a "meeting" person. I avoid meetings. I loathe meetings. I rarely attend one meeting, much less the SIX meetings they have listed I have to attend as a parent of a new freshman. (WHY DO I HAVE TO ATTEND THE MEETINGS? I HAVE ALREADY BEEN A COLLEGE FRESHMAN!) Don't get me wrong. I want to be there with Austin while he gets acclimated, but the way the MEETINGS are set up, I will see him at 8:30 and then again at 4:30. We won't even have lunch together! (Why can't the parents watch movies or something in a nice, dark, cool building if they aren't going to let us spend the time with our kids?)

Whew! Where did that come from? I don't know about you, but I feel better now... except for having to attend the SIX meetings. Don't get me started again!

Tomorrow will be the usual Weekend Happenings and a book for you to read (while attending a meeting at Orientation or sitting on your air conditioning vent).

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.