How You Know You've Been Slumming it for Too Long

Charlotte asked at dinner tonight - "Do you have a meeting tonight, Mama?" I told her no I didn't, that I'd be home. She replied - "Then why do you have earrings on?". I guess it's really time to get out of tonsil-removal recovery mode, folks!

Charlotte's a 3-Day Hippo!

Charlotte started school this morning. She'll go three mornings a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Her teachers are Ms. Patty and Ms. Ginny in the Hippo class. It's a new year in a new class in a new building.

Think she's excited??

The Flip

Charlotte wanted "some curls" this morning. So cute!

Labor Day at Six Flags

The Kings and the Allens decided to brave the possible crowds of Labor Day at Six Flags since the weather was so fantastic. We were amazed at how few people were there. The lines were so short and we had a fun, fun time together.

We arrived early to buy our 2012 season passes and ended up having to wait around a bit until they opened the park. Luckily there was a security guard handing out stickers...

and Scooby! JD and Tyler Allen are huge Scooby fans, so this was the place to be.

Last time we were at Six Flags we skipped the Ferris wheel (called Colossus) because the lines were so long. Tyler and Charlotte were determined to get on it this trip, so it was our very first ride. This is one of the only rides that (pregnant) Cari can ride. The girls (and Tyler) in one car,

and the big boys in the other.

Off to Bugs Bunny land with the rides perfectly sized for Charlotte and Tyler. Nicholas opted for these rides over one of the nearby coasters JD wanted to ride with his dad.

Lunch at Johnny Rockets. Chicken rings. :)

The Joker. Tyler looked a little green, but the big guys loved it and rode it over and over. Charlotte watched!

The antique cars are such a favorite of Charlotte and Nicholas. This time we had an unexpected visitor while we waited in line.

Daffy went for a drive too.

Tyler and Jamie

Charlotte LOVES driving. She can reach the pedal, but sometimes forgets to push it down when she needs to steer.

Shaggy!

Charlotte posed and smiled every time around. That girl is a ham!

The tugboat in Bugs Bunny land is Charlotte's favorite ride.

The big kids went on Sky Screamer (new this year) and raved about it.

Thunder River (the other ride we skipped due to long lines last time) was finally open at the end of the day. A perfect way to end our day!

Six Flags has become a big favorite for our family. We're lucky to be only 30 minutes away and have season passes (and free parking!). I'm sure we will be there again soon!

Saturday in the Sprinklers

Our Little Mary Lou

Charlotte went to a gymnastics birthday party today and is totally hooked. We'll be signing her up for classes at the gym by our house.

Bear crawl on the parallel bars

Balance beam (those are crocodile masks on the mat)

Although a non-olympic event...the trapeze was a hit.

It's off to go leotard shopping!

The F Word

Last night, the kids and I were on our way home and as always I was in "prepare for the madness that is the 6:30 bedtime routine" mode. I looked at the kids and asked "What do we need to do when we get home?" I was expecting them to mention putting shoes away, getting right upstairs for bath/shower. Those kinds of things. Charlotte looked at me very seriously and said "Focus." Obviously I have used this word a lot in the past during bedtime routine madness!

Tonight when the kids were getting ready for bed (always rough on Wednesdays when Nicholas has music until 5pm) that word came up again. I asked Nicholas if he knew what that meant, because as much as I say it...I really wasn't positive that they knew. He said yes, and gave me this explanation - "It means no fooling around. And to be quick and careful. Especially when carrying fragile things". Love it!