Snapshot

Do you know what it feels like to have an empty square on your calendar?? An open space there- without a practice or appointment or meal to deliver or meeting or 7am - 7pm shift outlined in a box? It's fantastic. It's one of the small luxuries of summer. No school is expected- nothing defined outright. It's permission for fun. It's encouragement for adventure. There it stood. A white box. August 17. We jumped at it.

The kids earned a free pass to Silverwood. The Northwest Theme park with Boulder Beach water park as well. There were, however, stipulations with said ticket, i.e. you may not go on weekends in July and August, they must be used during these hours, you must promise to give us your firstborn, etc. etc. Regardless, Tuesdays were in.

And to top it off-- we each made summer lists. Creative crafty things we each thought would be fun this summer: golfing, new recipes, ordering from the IceCreamMan, and Silverwood x3. Non-negotiable. I had to make it happen.

Low expectations. That's the key. Never having ventured to SoCal the Disneyradar is off. No worries there. Compared to the rides at Riverfront Park Silverwood is a Carnival Cruise. Dynomite. After a Facebook post, 3 calls out to friends for back-up (who couldn't make it) and a prayer I loaded the cooler and the kids (in that order) and headed the Swagger Wagon on down the road to North Idaho. My sweet friend Jackie phoned with some tips and at the end of our conversation was packing her kids up and heading by Costco to pick us up discounted adult tickets. Awesome.

The thought of the kids and chaos and camera all together was out. Even a phone snapshot proved to be too challenging. It was survival mode. Divide and conquer. And really what do I DO with all those photos. Big Fat nada. So I made it a point to take the Snapshots of each of the boys in my head. To focus on them. On what was important. On their sense of being. And those snapshots are vivid. Sometimes the best. The ones you promise yourself not to forget. So for posterity, I've tried to record them here. So they go in our "blogbook" and are recorded for the ages. smile.

SNAPSHOT 1:
Tyler careened around the Toddler Town splashpad. His favorite was the rainbow fountain where he could dash between the streams of water and run in at his leisure, and a chortling chuckle followed. That toddler belly laugh that makes you yearn for more babies. And that return to home-base each time. Giant hug for Momma. The "I explore I come back I explore I come back" dance that defines toddlerhood. Running running running STOP back to Momma. The best feeling Ever. The ear to ear grin and confidence boost and faster run and then, boom, back to Momma. Push repeat.

SNAPSHOT 2:
William was not a huge fan of the roller coaster- Timber Terror. To be honest- I thought I loved roller coasters. Not so much anymore. Turns out they scare me so bad I can't even find my voice to scream. Who knew? We all looked at each other afterward and phew, glad the line was 42 minutes long and we didn't have to do it again. But following that was a taller adventure. Will WAS a huge fan of the Vortex Water Slides. Staring at the bottom of the water slides waiting for William and his buddy Owen to drop about 6 stories on a water slide my friend Jackie and I questioned our motherly encouragement and wisdom. They were specks at the top of those slides. We recognized the two of them 1/3 of the way down and realized they were sitting- not lying with their hands and feet crossed. Hurtling at the speed of sound. At lest mach 1. And they splashed and hit the bottom to be hounded by the lifeguard to assume the proper position the next time they went. Oh. My. Goodness. Next time? thankfully it was time to go. But the look Will gave when he stood up: both hands high in the air, chest puffed out, head back "YESSSssss. I did it!!!" is why being a kid is so amazingly great. That is one of the best feelings in the world.

SNAPSHOT 3:
Tyler rode on his first amusement ride. A cherry red helicopter that circle and has a lever to pull so it moves up and down. Will was the big brother. Ben was too big- yes, already too big for something, sigh. So Will, stepped up. "I want to take him" We threw the odds in line. Initially 50/50, then as the line inched up and Ty appeared to be goosey I changed mine to 10%. But I'll be darned, he let Will guide him up and put him in the chair and buckle them in- looking around curiously, not quite crying, not quite sure, a quick glance to superfakeextrabig smiling Mommy and then it started. I wouldn't say he loved it, or even really realized what was happening until 4 or 5 revolutions around. And then the 'look at me' smile really hit. Will proud big brother all the while- reaching over, encouraging, beaming- this is the life.

SNAPSHOT 4:
There's a wavepool. It Somehow pumps out waves like the ocean. A physics machine. 13 minutes on and 7 minutes off. And the waves are a force to be reckoned with- not piddly little Priest Lake waves, but Pacific Ocean type of waves. And the crowd packs in and when the horn sounds for more waves after the break they literally cheer. A big congregation of "yay-wooh-scream" all together. You know that noise. Will got blasted in the face and pulled under. Not a big fan. Ty got smacked down as well. Not a big fan. But Ben- a huge fan. And you look and see everybody bobbing and jumping and hootin' and hollerin' and there's Ben in the middle of it with his white swim shirt. And I can't hear him and jeez, we all know I need to wear my glasses (and I don't) and so I can't really see him that entirely well, but what I can see is freedom. Reckless abandon. Joyful Independence. The waves dance him up and down over and over- sometimes floating sometimes jumping and he finally surfaces at the fake shore and simply states "That- is the best."

SNAPSHOT 5:
We're tired. We're hungry. Said cooler's snacks are long exhausted and it's 7:30 pm. Later than anticipated, but who cares too much because there was nothing on the calendar. And we load up, buckle in and there's a star to wish on as we always do with the first starlight and the first starbright. Which is actually a planet- Mercury or Venus I can't remember and we consult Mom's 'GoogleSky' App which is also the coolest. And from the "way back" comes one of those things a parent thrives on hearing. "I wish when we wake up we could do this day all over again."
And I imprint- Ben 9,Will 7, Ty 1 1/2 sweaty, chloriney, the smell of peanutbutter crackers being spilled all over the van. This is The Good Life. I am blessed.