The Song of the Train

Elf Recites a Train Poem

Yes, it took Elf a long time to be able to recite this just right!

Rose.

She has her hair in her face allll the time. I had pictured, long ago, that my girl would have her hair all in little bows and ribbons. Woodjie and Rose pull out the hair elastics and chew on them. I try to keep up appearances before leaving the house and sweep her hair into a pony quickly before hopping into the van. But normally, she can be seen with her hair in her eyes, or sometimes she will brush it to the side herself and chew on the ends. Sigh.

Woodjie Fashion!

Woodjie is pretty consistently doing this with his shirts, or just popping his head through so that his tummy shows. All of his shirts are stretched. Mercifully, he's been keeping his pants on this week. I'm not sure if that is because we have a special "keep pants on" icon, or because it has gotten cooler and he is not wearing shorts presently.

Worlds of Fun!

The Viking boat has always been a favourite, so Elf, Emperor and I went there right away while Patrick and G rode the bigger rides. No sooner had we gotten onto the ride than Elf started screaming and shaking in terror. Thankfully, he didn't try to get OUT of the ride while it was in operation.

I was wise and had a chat about that "just in case" before we got to the park.

The thing with Elf is, he's ok sometimes and not other times. I don't feel ok letting him on a ride alone when there is a possibility of his freaking out and doing something foolish. We've had the talk wherein I advise Elf that I am not scared of the ride when I put him on, but what he might do while he is ON the ride. And that the rides are all short and will end soon no matter how scared he is.

But he was terrified! I had to, in anticipation of the big hill at the end of the ride, remind him through his screams of "make the ride stop" and "I want to get off this ride!" that the big hill was coming, and it would then be over and he would be ok... that Mom is here, and Emperor is here, and he's safe if he sits still...

Whew.

So. We get off the ride at the end. Emperor has been waiting all year for this trip and is disappointed. He is nearly eight. I tell him that if he hangs on properly and is good and still, that he may go on alone.

There was much screaming and begging from Elf.

"PLEASE don't let him go on that ride, Mom! PLEASE don't do that to him! Emperor, don't go!" and similar screamings. You know, as a mom, that's how I feel inside to begin with, and here I have an uber-uber-mom next to me worrying way more than I ever could. After a talk and some hugs that didn't help at all, I got on line with Emperor and Elf so that Emperor could ride the boat alone. Elf is still crying and screaming. Emperor and I discussed that he was just very worried and needed some time to get used to the idea. I could tell that Emperor was feeling guilty about going on the ride, and tried to assure him that this was just Elf worrying, and Mom isn't worried... and go and have a good time. Elf will get used to it! (And Emperor needs to have as normal a life as possible, don't you think?)

Elf watched Emperor get on the boat and screamed a grief-stricken, "Good-byyye, Emperor! *sob* I will miss youu!"

Yeah, the staff loved us.

I brought Elf over to the exit ramp where we could see the big hill and explained to Elf that Emperor would be ok, and we will watch the hill and see him. He had a terrified look as Emperor came down the hill... but was very relieved to see his brother again.

Emperor wanted to ride again. Elf was still a bit upset, but the begging and screaming had stopped. Now he was just resigned. By the time we finished waiting on line and Emperor's ride was over, he seemed very calm. We even looked at some of the pics of Emperor going down the hill. Elf seemed to be a little glad for Emperor, even if he was unable to go on the ride just then.

Puzzling, as he used to love that ride.

Well, off to another ride. The Fjord Fairlane, with little cars that go in a circle about 20 feet in the air. Tame. Elf has loved this ride. So on we go. Looks like they changed the ride so only two people can sit down at a time. No way I am leaving Elf up there without his mom. Emperor must be ready to go alone, and I will sit with Elf.

But when the ride began, the screaming started from Elf. He wants the ride to stop! It's too scary! He doesn't remember it going this high! or this fast! And I had to hold onto him and remind him that the ride only lasts about three minutes... (but that's too long! Elf says.) I keep him talking about how we can see the trains later, etc.

Whew.

Emperor wants to go on the ride again!

Bye, Emperor. Come over here, Elf, and we can watch. Elf calms down a bit while Emperor rides this, and contents himself with reading the legal notices on the sides of the ride. Well, until I explained, in answer to his question, what the "inherent risks" of riding the rides might be.

Good grief.

I thought we would be in for a doozy of a bad time at that point. We could all at least agree that getting an ICEE was a good idea, though, and we all participated in that. Next off to the trains.

I thought this would be a steam train, and it sure looks like the old steam trains used to. Until you get up close. No coal box. No fireman shoveling the coal into the furnace. The engineer brought the boys up to see the workings. It looks like the steam is heated by propane or something... it's still run by steam, but not like I expected.

Elf was happy on this ride. Emperor was happy on this ride.

The boys did the Merry-Go-Round. Elf is going on to the horse and hanging on. Yep, I'm the worried mom of an almost nine-year-old kid shouting from the sidelines that "You can do this!" and "Go, Elf!" while all the other moms have let their two-year-olds on alone without that much fanfare and are hardly paying attention.

LOL... yeah, and we get quizzical looks. This lady named her kid "Elf?" I'm at the point in my parenting career where I don't explain anything to anybody unless I absolutely have to. Whatever.

Emperor and Elf have agreed on this ride and get on it again and again. They scream at each other about who can't catch up and I'm beating you in this race... Once Emperor sat in the little sleigh seat and screamed, "HO HO HO" through the whole ride. Ok, I guess the sleigh does kind of look like Santa's.

Emperor wanted to do the Kangaroo hopper ride next. Elf said it was way too scary. I sent Emperor over while I took Elf to the bathroom.

Poor Emperor returned in tears! That lady said (sob) that I'm too big and (snuff) not allowed to ride this ride, ever!

Really? You're only seven! Let's go look and clear this up.

Sure enough, Emperor towers over the 54 inch stick they use to measure the biggest you can be to get on the ride. And a closer look shows me his legs wouldn't even fit inside anyway. Emperor is in tears, so I let him decide what we will do next. Ok?

He decides it's time to go to the Camp Snoopy section of the park. (I knew it was a bad idea to let him decide!!) Guess what the height limit is to almost every ride in that park?

The rides are very tame there, and frankly made for toddlers. Elf LOVED this place, and he is small enough (being an elf and all) that even at almost nine, he can get into all the rides. Yes, he was on the kiddy plane, waving to Mom with a big, "Look at me! I'm on a plaaaane!" while Emperor was crying his eyes out and blowing his nose on a napkin.

Charlie Brown and Snoopy saw him and came over to hug him. Emperor was snuffling about how unfair it was... he's still a little kid... A staff member came over in the commotion and suggested the Wacky Worm ride.

It was perfect.

It wasn't a crowded day, and the worm ride is a mini-roller coaster. Tame, but enough fun that Emperor enjoyed it. Elf went on a couple times, but they allowed Emperor just to sit for every ride since there wasn't a line. I think he spent an hour just going round and round on the Wacky Worm ride while Elf did the mini-kiddie rides 20 feet away.

By the end of the day, I was pretty tired. We looked at the prices for food ($3 for ONE cookie!) and decided to forego souvenirs and go to a good dinner at Longhorn. Overall we had a great time, though Patrick was drenched because he stood (on purpose!) on a bridge where the water rides splash with great regularity.

Trains!

We're spending the next few days on trains in every subject. We spent a bit of time on the US National Parks website about railroads. There is so much to learn! Elf and Emperor expressed surprise that the scientific idea of water expanding into steam could be used to make inventions. The website shows how a train works and guides the children through a "mystery" to solve. Morse code exercises are on the website as well. I think it's geared to children about 7 and up. Our Bob Jones Heritage Studies grade 3 also has an entire unit on railroads and their effect on the West. No way we could finish that in one day, but by concentrating only on that and the website, we're almost halfway done. Map scale is also covered in this unit, so it was a nice "math" review. And the boys have learned so much in our studies today! Here, they're pictured singing the spiritual, "Get on Board" and helping Woodjie and Rose on the "gospel train." The Bob Jones Heritage Studies CD was set to "repeat" play and the children had a blast. We also saved some children's menus from Longhorn about railroads and the wild west, so the children had word searches and fun things to do. I'm hoping that the rains aren't too heavy tonight so that we can go out and ride on the train at Worlds of Fun while D stays home with the little kids.

Pirate Ship

The Klutz Pirate Ship Kit was a lot of fun for the children to put together. It actually LOOKED a lot more complicated in the box than it turned out to be for the boys once they got it home. (Not that *I* could build this.)

Patrick and G

Usual sort of day, long ago. Note Patrick's clown is on the table with his snacks. He is petting little G's head while he holds his "whooaile" (say with Southern accent) and "Melmo." Snuggly.

49 Cents Each

Of course, most of our curriculum doesn't cost that much. It costs a lot more! But when I find a school reader or a book I've seen reviewed in other places, sometimes I'll pick it up if it looks promising. At 49 cents each, I can feel I'm still getting my money's worth if I skip over stories in an anthology that I don't want to read. Once D found Bob Jones teachers' manuals in the shelves!! These retail for about $50 each! Yay! No way I'll ever beat that one.

The Twins.

Since they were babies, my uncle and dad have been best friends. They dressed just alike, as all identical twins should, when they were little. Even recently, they'd find they had yet again chosen the same shirt or clothing item despite living across the country from one another.

They WERE just alike. I can remember as a little girl being able to tell them apart easily, but other people had trouble. You just knew the difference; there was something different about them, but I couldn't tell you exactly what it was. My uncle grew a beard as he got older and the family joke was that he was the "evil" twin (if you've seen the Star Trek episode with Spock in the alternate universe, you know what I'm talking about).

My uncle later bought my grandparents' house in Chappaqua, NY, and family gatherings continued there well into my teenage years. He and his wife were excellent hosts and fun parents. I always knew the rules were more lax at this place, and the snacks were there for the taking. And they had *good* snacks, too, not the old Saltine crackers with peanut butter stuff we always had to take when we went places. My uncle was cool, and a very funny guy.

Since the 1990's, my father and uncle would send emails daily. Sure, they were mostly cheesy and contained bouncing happy faces and silly jokes, but every night it was nice to check my inbox and see their notes to each other, cc'd to the whole family. He sent one late Saturday night about how he was getting this and that together for an upcoming meeting, and he was going to bed.

Early on Mother's Day, we received a phone call relating that my uncle is gone. He was only 59. My family is devastated. Would you please pray for them? My father will have a very hard time with his birthday soon. There will be no call or email from his twin waiting on that day. My aunt will spend her first Father's Day as a widow, and her (thankfully grown) children will not have their father with them.

My heart goes out to them all.

No Spelling Today.

Emperor tried to be "dead" to avoid spelling today. It didn't work because he's ticklish. Sorry, but in order to avoid work, I must have a death certificate. With an official seal. Signed by the coroner. Sigh. Ok, Elf. On Monday, you will get it done, though. Death is no excuse for poor spelling.

Breakfast Lesson By Rose

I know you're going to want to try this at home in YOUR highchair. When you get your Captain Crunch cereal, the first thing you do is eat allll the berry cereals. You get taken away from the table when you play this game, so you need to plan ahead and eat all you feel like you're going to want before lunchtime first. Now, take one of these cereal pieces and put your pudgy finger on it *just right* so it flips. When Mom looks over, try to act all "yeah, I was trying to pick that up but it slipped" by picking another one up and eating it. La, la, la... ok. She's at the sink. Now for the BEST part. Did you know these things explode if you push them right in the middle, hard? Yes, they do. Oh, there's Mom. The best part of the game! Now say, "Done." That really gets her because she knows that YOU KNOW you should have just told her you were done in the first place.

Chess Tournament Photos

I brought snacks, but wound up spending way too much money on pizza and coffee. I learned how long a six-hour tournament really is to live through with children who are losing more games than not. I also got a chance to chat with some very nice people from both Missouri and Kansas. Some people drove for hours to arrive at this tournament, but it was pretty close to home for us. I think if we were to go to another in the next year or so, I would be better prepared with sandwiches and *real* food. I would stop at a local coffee shop on the way rather than drink the "coffee" there. The prices were actually quite reasonable, but I was thinking more in terms of keeping to a good, moderately healthy diet instead of scarfing 3/4 of a pizza myself. ********************************************** ********* ** ************************* *************** ********* Next time we would also bring another game board for between-official-matches play. A local homeschooler won the K-3 division. Yay!