rollercoasters!

As a last-week-of-summer fling, we took Kade and Ky to Six Flags in Chicago.  Bart's sister Sadie and their foreign exchange student from Mexico, Brenda came with us as well.  Bart's mom was kind enough to watch the baby the whole day.  (And, while it was hard to be away from him all day for the first time, it was so nice to be able to spend some quality time with the other boys).

Let me just first say that I LOVE roller coasters!  I will go on just about any ride, although I'm not a fan of the spin-yourself-silly types.  Bart, on the other hand, does not like roller coasters.  At. All.  But Sadie and Brenda were totally willing to ride the crazy rides with me.  Kade and Ky have been saying for weeks that they were going to ride all the rides they were tall enough for (which, surprisingly, was lots).  I figured we would just wait until we got there to see if they were actually brave enough to go on the "big" ones.

The original plan was to start out with the kiddie rides, and work our way up to the roller coasters, so as the rides got progressively wilder, they could stop if they decided they weren't ready for anything crazier.  Well, that plan went out the window when we walked past the Demon early in the day.  The Demon was the one we were saving for last because it has two loops and two corkscrews, and even though the boys were tall enough, I wasn't sure they could handle it.

But, without even hesitating, they got in line, and got on the ride.  I asked Kade halfway through the ride if he was okay, and even though he said "yes," I could tell in his voice that he wasn't loving it.  When we got off, he said he was surprised he was still alive, and that he never wanted to go on it again.  Ky on the other hand loved it!  He kept asking the rest of the day when we were going to ride the Demon again.  And, by the end of the day, Kade decided he was ready to go on it again, and they both loved it the second time around.  I'm just excited that as they grow up, I'll have someone to ride the big "scary" roller coasters with!

Another couple of fun tidbits:  Bart, Sadie, and Brenda went on the Superman ride while I took the boys on some kiddie rides.  While they were in line, the Jackson kids (as in MJ), got on the ride in front of them.
Also, the new ride this year, X-Flight, was awesome!  I got to go on it twice, once with the girls, and once with Bart after I practically dragged him by the ear through the line, promising him it would be the best ride he'd ever been on.  And, wouldn't you know it, he loved it!  It was SO smooth, and it just felt like flying!  I can't wait to go back!
It was a super fun day, perfect weather, no crowds, and a great way to end the summer!  Plus, my little guy was waiting, somewhat impatiently for me to get home, but as soon as I took him in my arms, he stared at me and laughed, and laughed.  It was the perfect ending to an amazing day!