When Kirby left for work this morning, I wandered upstairs to enjoy a few quiet minutes of sunrise, then settled down on the couch to read.  I heard Puma and her kittens scampering about, but didn't look up from my book until I heard the start-up beeping sounds of the Roomba.  "Ha," I thought, "the kittens are vacuuming!"

Then I saw the feathers.  Apparently Puma snagged a bit of breakfast for her brood -- some early bird that was too busy getting the proverbial worm to see her coming.  Nothing left of him but an explosion of feathers.  Well... at least they're cleaning up after.

Jimmy and Fran have granddaughters visiting from Oregon; Fran asked if we would join them for a play day at the park.  Fran gave me directions to a park in Coeur d'Alene, just past the high school on Dalton Ave.  Well, there are TWO high schools on Dalton Ave, and (good ol' Murphy's Law) I drove toward the wrong one.  Grateful for cell phones again, it didn't take long to find them once we were aimed in the right direction.

Mindy's mom, Tamra, brought Jonah, Chloee, Adriane and Evanee.  Between the splash pond and the playground, we had kids all over the place.  Both Logan and Wilson played nicely within eyeshot, so I was able to enjoy leisurely conversation with Tamra and Fran.

Molley was here for Art, with Raife and Luke...  Sam rode his bike over...  Kirby, home from work, brought Logan and Wilson to the store, and phoned to say he'd invited a new family over for dinner.  Dan and Shelly Powers.

Summer's just begin, and I'm already beginning to melt.  For the record, I was not one of the people complaining about the lack of sunshine all spring.  Clouds are my friends.  : )

Most of the kids volunteered to go to Boulder Beach, but I can only take two of them at a time.  We aimed for the Lake instead.  Apparently I forgot all my notes from last year about avoiding Cd'A for a week in both directions of the Ironman.  The precious few Free Parking spaces were not only occupied, but surrounded by cars idling in the right lane, stalking for potential departures.  I unloaded the kids near the beach, then drove around town looking for a place to leave the van.  Just when I thought I'd have to bring the van into the lake with us, I found an empty space.  Bonus: Within walking distance of the park, and big enough to comfortably ease a full size van into place.

The van was taken care of, but the moment I stepped off the crosswalk, I was ready to turn around and head for home.  Crowds of people.  Half of them jogging along with one eye on their heart monitor / pedometer equipment, the other half barely dressed.  To say they were 'scantily clad' would be giving their clothes way too much credit.  What is it about crowds that make people lose all inhibition?  Are they trying to stand out? or just counting on serious anonymity?

The kids were waiting at their favorite part of the park: the steps, near the artificial creek.  Logan and Wilson challenged each other to go down to "The Seventh Step", where the water is chest deep for them.

As Bri's been sick, we're reading the Zion Covenant.  Vienna Prelude down, five to go.

The sweetest birthday greeting ever:
My kids hid themselves under the smoothed covers of my bed. Bri, who's been sick, resting in my bed, called me to my room as if she needed help. When I walked in, the others pulled down the blanket and sat up, "Happy birthday, Mommy!"

Bri is still sick.  It's been one week, and the fever is finally gone, but she's got a cough.  On the bright side, we've finished an entire book.  : )

Myra finally got her perm.  (The perm was my birthday gift to Myra.) We were all a little disappointed in the curls, but I guess I never actually TOLD the stylist that she wanted tight curls.  I guess I assumed that when I told her we'd been doing rag curls, and Myra wanted them to stay even after she showered, she would Get It.  Instead, she did what I assume is a "spiral wave", which means "bumpy hair."  Or "barely curly."  The waves are uniform and plump, they just fall short of Myra's expectations.

Myra's 11th birthday.  We visited the Dirk and Trisha Wiggers

I bribed the kids gave the kids an incentive to finish their math books in a timely fashion:  If, without any prodding from your mother, you finish your book BEFORE the first of June, I will take you to Silverwood.  I did a little math of my own; for just about the same price as eight individual admissions, I got a Gold Pass:  Unlimited admission for me and up to two guests at a time.

Sunday, after church, Bri and Logan came with me to get my pass printed.  Logan rode the Log Flume, the Corkscrew, and (oops) Thunder Canyon.  Um, Thunder Canyon is the water raft ride with the sign at the entrance: "You will get wet."  I have a little problem with their terminology.  You will be drenched.  Logan was drenched.  Which meant he was cold.  So while Bri left us to ride the big roller coasters, I took Logan to the Victorian Coffee House for a hot cocoa.  Once Logan stopped shivering, we spent the rest of the evening in the Kiddie Rides.  The Frog Hopper, the Tiny Toot roller coaster, and the Kiddie Ferris Wheel are more Logan's speed.

Monday (Memorial Day) I brought Myra and Wilson.  We eased Wilson into the rides, starting with the Carousel, the Frog Hopper, the Butterfly Swing... and eventually Timber Terror and Tremors.  Yes, Wilson went on the BIG rides.  Can't say he particularly enjoyed them, but he was wide eyed and smiling when we exited.  We made it a point to stop for the 'magic show'.  Front row seats.  Wilson LOVED it.

So yesterday I brought Kendric.  Just Kendric.  Thanks to the cloudy skies, the park was nearly empty.  Several large buses of college / high school kids, but when the park opened, they headed straight for the big coasters.  We started small.  Silverwood's kiddie rides were plenty exciting for him.  Even more exciting was the fact that for the first eight rides, he was THE FIRST rider of the day.  He was alone on the Blaster Boats; I was glad he had a chance to become familiar with the controls before having to dodge the squirt guns.  (Cue memories of my childhood: I figured how to steer AFTER I was cornered and soaked.)  The first "line" we encountered was the Log Flume, but we only had to wait for three loadings.

Because I had seen the magic show before, I knew that when in the pre-show Nick told him, "I'm going to ask for your help later," Kendric was going to be called to the stage.  Kendric was scared spitless.  I kept him from bolting, and he went through with it -- splendidly.  At the end of the routine, an assistant snapped a photo of Kendric on stage, and Nick told him to look for it on his Facebook page.  For the rest of the day, Kendric reminded me, "We need to check Facebook...  Do you remember how to spell his name?  Don't forget to check Facebook..."

The Rogne boys spotted us, "We saw your van in the parking lot this morning, we've been looking for you all day."  They invited Kendric to ride the Scrambler, then helped me convince him to go on the Corkscrew.  After countless rounds on the bumper boats and bumper cars, they had to leave the park early (it's a loooong drive to Rice), but it was sure nice to see them...

We saved Thunder Canyon for the end of the day.  Once alone, twice with other people, then Kendric went alone.  We were dripping wet on the way out to the car.

Today, it's Mari and Bri's turn.  I'm not looking forward to all the walking.  I'd be willing to just drop them off at the gate, but Mari hasn't been to Silverwood since she was three; she wants me to be there for her first big roller coaster.  Here we go.

Wheeeeee!