First Day of School and Anna Got Braces!

The first day of school was August 12th! Normally, I take the day off. However, there was a meeting at work I needed to attend. But, Thomas and I both did a shortened day. We walked Luke and Kara to school. Kara was nervous. I am sure it was hard for her.  As I've probably said (more than once I am guessing) she had been at Hollywood Elementary since Pre-K, so to be starting over as a 5th grader was difficult. For example, she was disappointed that safety patrols and the morning news crews had already been assigned (things she likely would have been able to do in Hollywood). She had a great attitude, but we still felt bad for her. Luke had no such memories and walked in like he owned the place. He was not even slightly nervous. He was just ready to get the day going. We were allowed to walk him to his classroom and I don't think he even looked back at us when we left.

And, just like that, all Wilson children are officially school-aged.

May he always have the kind of confidence that he exhibited on the first day of Kindergarten!

We then walked with Jack and Anna to their bus stop. Our neighborhood is so big and has so many kids that their bus stop fills an entire bus. And, my understanding is that there is more than one in the neighborhood! They were both nervous. The other kids at the bus stop all seemed to know one another. Fortunately, Jack and Anna had each other. But, again, I felt bad. In Hollywood, they knew all the kids in their old neighborhood. 

Luckily, the first week went well for everyone. I asked them on a scale of 1-10 what they would give the week, with 1 being the worst week ever; 5 being just what they expected; and 10 being the best week, so wonderful they could have never even imagined how wonderful it could be. Anna said 7.5, Jack and Kara said 6 and Luke said 11000. I think it helped that they all met kids over the summer, so there were some familiar faces in their classes. Jack and Anna are still only talking to each other at the bus stop. They also sit together at lunch. 

In other news: Early on, we knew Jack and Anna were going to need braces. Unfortunately, they both have significant overbites and crooked teeth. They had Phase I (palate expanders) done in Maryland and we were waiting for all their baby teeth to fall out for Phase II (braces). For Anna, that happened recently. We researched orthodontists in Orlando and found one that was close by, had great reviews and took our insurance. Score! He confirmed that Anna was ready. So, on Tuesday, Thomas brought her in. She now has a mouth full of metal. He said to expect her to be in the braces for about 2.5 years. She did well with getting them and was surprised that it didn't hurt at all to have them put in. Unfortunately, by nighttime, her mouth was aching and she didn't want to eat. She is doing better today, but it still hurts when she eats and she says has a bunch of sores on her mouth from where the braces are rubbing against her gums. Hopefully, it gets better quick.

Normal Smile

"show off your braces" smile

Kara doesn't have the significant overbite, but she has a crossbite and will also need braces. She and Jack should be ready sometime next year. We will have three kids in braces at the same time! So far, Luke doesn't have any obvious issues, so we are holding out hope that it won't be 100% of our kids.

Last Week of Summer Break

We always try and do something fun the week before the school year begins. In Maryland, we would let the kids choose one activity each. Generally, small things, like a trip to Bruster's or the Marine Museum. This year, Thomas and I decided on a fun week of surprises. But, we still had to work and there was a lot going on, which meant we had to scuttle a couple of activities. Monday, we went to the library and Sweet Tomatoes.

Tuesday was Jack and Anna's back to school night. We picked everyone up from camp and went to the middle school. It was a zoo! I was not prepared for the crowds. Jack was placed in all advanced classes. However, reviewing a Powerpoint for incoming students, it looks like the advanced classes are more average. In other words, if you get a passing score on the FCAT, you go into "advanced." If you fail the FCAT, you are in "average." There are no remedial classes. Anna was in advanced language arts, but average everything else. The Powerpoint also said if you get a 3, 4 or 5 in language arts on the FCAT, you should have advanced English, Science, and History. Obviously, our kids didn't take the FCAT, but they took the PARCC, which according to Google, is somewhat analogous. And, Anna got a 5 in Language Arts--the highest possible score. She is also a mostly A student, with a couple of Bs. Her math was a  4. So, her schedule didn't seem right. I e-mailed the counselor who said she would change her schedule--if there was room, but I have not heard anything back. It's not the end of the world, but it is annoying.

So, Tuesday we all went to the 6th grade back-to-school night and then out to dinner again. We also went to Jeremiah's, which is a delicious Italian Ice place. Wednesday was a movie/popcorn night at home. We watched Hercules. We were going to swim, but it was lightening.

Thursday, was Luke and Kara's meet the teacher. They both seemed very nice. But, again, I found myself missing Maryland. Luke was going to be with Ms. Thanhauser (Jack's amazing K teacher) and my friend Amanda. Kara would be in her final year at a school she'd attended since pre-K. After 6 years, we knew the routine and most of the teachers/staff. Now. we are starting over. So, even though I know it is a great school, it just didn't feel like our school. Fortunately, Kara's teacher is new this year, so at least the teacher won't know everyone but her. Which, is also true of Luke, since he is beginning Kindergarten.

Thursday, after dinner, we went to Hollywood Studios. We had fast passes for Toy Story Mania and Star Tours. After we did those, we went to the Launch Bay and looked at Star Wars stuff, then we decided to see what the wait was for Slinky Dog. It was down to 55 minutes (it had been 120 when we did Toy Story Mania). We decided to wait. We used their play app on my phone and did games in line and it went by quickly. By now it was dark, which made the ride amazing. I highly, highly recommend riding it in the dark. The lights are what truly make the ride. When we got off, it was about 9:15. Perfect timing to watch the Star Wars fireworks show--which we did. It was a very fun night. And, probably my favorite way to do the theme parks. We ate an early dinner, which meant we didn't spend any money at the park. And, because it was later in the day it wasn't so hot.

This picture doesn't do justice to how fun the lights are on Slinky Dog

Friday, we were going to go to a baseball game. But, it was really hot and the weather was again looking bad. So, we decided to stay in and have a second movie night. Plus, we had a big day planned for Saturday--rope drop at Magic Kingdom. For everyone's birthday, they get to dictate one day at the theme parks. This one was Thomas' belated day. We wanted to rope drop and ride Seven Dwarf's Mine Train. We pulled into the parking lot at 8am and were at the rope at 8:30. It was actually easier and more orderly than I anticipated. The ropes dropped at 9 and we got to the ride shortly thereafter. By 9:15, we were right at the front. Then, the ride broke down. Around 9:30, they gave us all return fast passes and kicked everyone out of line. We wanted to stick close by, so we did Winnie the Pooh and the Tomorrowland Speedway. But, it was still closed. We did our first Fast Pass--Pirates of the Caribbean (Thomas' favorite ride). And, in line we saw the Utzingers (well, two of them). We knew them when they lived in Maryland. There are tens of thousands of people in the park on any given day, so what are the odds that someone we know and haven't seen in years would be in line directly behind us???? It was fun!

Luke loved this ride!

Thomas giving Anna a hard time (Kara and Jack were in front of me, so no pictures of them)

We had lunch and saw that Seven Dwarfs was open again. We did our next fastpass--Big Thunder and then went back to the Mine Train. We used our Fast Pass, waited about 10 minutes and it broke down. Again. We killed some time in Tomorrowland and did two more of Thomas' favorites--the People Mover and Carousel of Progress. Mine Train remained closed. So, we walked back to our last fastpass which was Splash Mountain. Then, we explored Tom Sawyer's Island for a bit. It was really neat, but too hot. We went back and saw Mine Train was reopened. Third time was the charm! It was fun, but not worth a long wait. It is a very short ride. We did a few more favorites, had some Dole Whips and left the park for dinner. We went to Chick-Fil-A, then went to Hollywood Studios. We wanted to do Slinky Dog again, now that we knew the routine. We rode Star Tours, saw the Little Mermaid Show, then did Alien Saucers and Slinky Dog. We finished up at closing. We did open to close, tried 6 new things and walked over 10 miles!


Some more of my favorite photos from the day:

I don't really like spinning rides, but Alien Saucers was fun enough

But, my favorite ride pictures came from Haunted Mansion

What are we looking at?

I love the expressions on their faces!

Another great Thomas expression (and, we had no idea where the cameras were)

All 6 of us in one photo (you'll have to trust me that Kara is hidden behind my arm).

Today we rest and get ready for the first day of school!

Atlanta: Stone Mountain & Jimmy Carter

When I was researching what we could do in Atlanta, I came across several recommendations for Stone Mountain. I had never heard of Stone Mountain, which is a massive granite mountain (825 feet above ground). It is the centerpiece of a large park with tons of activities. However, the mountain is best known for it's carving of three Confederate leaders. The carving is the largest in the world, bigger than Mount Rushmore. But, let me reiterate--it's of three Confederate leaders, two generals and the President of the Confederate States of America. The same Confederates who fought to continue slavery, attempted to secede from the Union, and committed treason against this country. In my opinion, these men are not heroes and should not be honored. So, we had to weigh out whether to go. In the end, I was swayed by the positive recommendations and the interest in seeing the fete of ingenuity.

And, the day was fantastic. We got there around 1030 and immediately began the outdoor activities. The first was a ropes course. None of us have ever done one and we didn't really know what to expect. It has three levels, the first 12 feet above the ground, the second was 24 and the third was 40. I got out on the first level and wanted to quit. I was afraid if I fell, I would hurt myself. I knew I wouldn't fall to the ground and I trusted the harness could support me, but it was disconcerting. However, after a few minutes, I was okay and completed levels 1 and 2. Anna was very nervous, but she pressed on and did the first two levels. Jack got up to level 3 and decided he had done enough. Kara, Thomas and Luke completed the entire course. Luke was completely fearless. Of course, he also weighs 44 pounds (important later) and is less than 4 feet tall, I saw him slip off the course a couple of times and he just picked his feet up and kept moving.

Can you see them up there?

We all enjoyed the experience. From there, we went to the rock climbing wall. Thomas, Jack and Kara all tried it. Luke really wanted to go, but there was a minimum weight of 45 pounds. This is where we learned he weighs 44 pounds. He was extremely disappointed. Anna agreed to run around with him on the tiny ropes course. For a few minutes he would tell anyone who would listen that he wasn't big enough to go on the rock climbing wall, but fortunately, he has a pretty easy personality and quickly recovered. Thomas did the most difficult course and reached the top. Kara and Jack started on the easier end and both rang the bell. Since there was no line, they just kept moving up, ringing the bell each time. Then, Anna joined in. I think Kara and Jack climbed 3 times before a line built up.

Next, we headed to the sky tram. It is a 3ish minute ride to the top of the mountain. It was pretty neat. We were able to get off at the top and explore. The view was amazing! You can also hike up, but it is very steep and we weren't prepared (would need better shoes and water). But, it's on our list of things to come back and do!

The controversial carving

Slightly zoomed in. It is hard to tell scale, but two school buses are the size of the middle horse and a six foot man would fit in the mouth of one of the horses.

Stock photo of the tram, since I couldn't get a good picture

After exploring for a bit, we rode back down the mountain and made our way to the museum. We watched a short film about the men who carved the mountain (interesting) and then walked around the museum. They had replicas of some of the carving so you could really see the scale. By now it was almost 2 so we went in search of lunch. Everyone was having so much fun, no one realized how late it was. Luke asked, is it even time for lunch? After lunch, Anna and Kara wanted to go back to the ropes course. The rest of us decided to play miniature golf. I almost won! I had two holes in one, but Thomas still go the victory. It was really fun. We played all eighteen holes and then went and found Anna and Kara. They had done the ropes course several times and Anna even worked her way through level 3! She had been so nervous when she started, but with time and patience she accomplished the whole thing. She and Kara had a great time together and were even commenting on how nice it was that they had a sister for a best friend. Those moments are often short-lived, so we enjoy them when they happen.

Unfortunately, the sky was starting to look ominous, so we quickly made our way to the historic site. They have transplanted several houses from the 18th century and decorated them with period furniture. It was interesting to walk through and see similarities to other historic homes we've visited (Mount Vernon, Stratford Hall, Pope's Creek, Sotterley, etc.). They had a kid's scavenger hunt, which kept Luke and Kara happy. It asked them to do things like count how many instruments they saw and find the house that had a sewing machine. The historic area also had a farm, but it was closed, likely due to the weather. After we had gone to a couple of the houses, it started to rain. Then, it started to pour. Thomas ran and got the car and we headed back to the main ticket area. They have a rainy day guarantee and since there was more we wanted to see and do, including trails and a train ride, we decided to take advantage. It was a super easy process and we are able to go back anytime within a year. It was an amazing place to visit and I was happy to see people of many different races enjoying all that it had to offer.

The rain turned into waterfalls on the mountain

We went back to the hotel and were hoping to find someplace within walking distance for dinner. Even though our hotel was right next to the Georgia Aquarium and some other tourist attractions, nothing was open. We settled for t.v. dinners from the hotel lobby. Kara was excited to see Descendants 3. She watched the countdown and was thrilled when we said everyone could stay up and watch the entire movie. I thought they would fall asleep, but everyone stayed awake. It was a fun day.

Saturday was our last day. We had our hotel breakfast and then went to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. It was interesting to learn more about President Carter. He and Mrs. Carter are amazing humanitarians and powerful examples of people who have truly made a difference. The museum stated that hundreds of millions of lives have been improved thanks to their foundation. They have helped people in poverty-stricken countries have access to clean water and the tools necessary to eliminate diseases that have been eradicated in the United States and other wealthy countries. There were interactive exhibits for the kids and it was a good conclusion to our trip.

The girls and especially Luke LOVED this exhibit. We had to pry him away.

Such simple ideas, we could use that attitude in the White House today.

It was a good, quick trip to Atlanta and we look forward to going back and seeing more.

Atlanta!

We decided to do a quick trip to Atlanta. It's only been two months since we moved to one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world. So, it felt odd to be leaving so soon. In fact, Thomas and I had some regrets and tried to talk the kids into a "staycation" instead, but they were excited to see someplace new. Anna especially loves staying in hotels and was really looking forward to our trip. We took a vote and all 3 older kids wanted to go to Atlanta. It didn't seem fair to change it up at the last minute, so we moved forward.

We left on Wednesday around 2 and got arrived at our hotel around 8. It was an easy drive, but longer than we are used to for our weekend trips. In Maryland, we frequently went to Williamsburg and Philadelphia. Both were about 3 hours away. We could be in New York in 5 and all the places in between. Fortunately, it was a pleasant drive.

On Thursday, we went to Six Flags over Georgia. We had a great time. School here started on August 1, the same day we visited, so crowds were light. The rides were fun and the park was big. However, the employees were the most apathetic of any park we have ever been too. It was almost comical. We were on the log flume and the employee tasked with monitoring the ride at the top of the hill was watching his phone and didn't even look up at us. We got bumped from a ride for "weather" and the employees had no idea if or when it would reopen. They also stated they had no idea what the weather policy is (specifically, I asked if they had to wait a certain amount of time after lightening is spotted). The sky was blue and I hadn't seen rain or lightening, but the whole park basically shut down twice that day for "weather."  Finally, as one employee checked Luke's seatbelt on a kids' coaster he asked her if it went upside down and she completely ignored him. Obviously, most employees were fine, but I don't think any were actually friendly. Six Flags must not treat their employees very well, because seriously--they were an unhappy bunch!

I screenshot this from a video I took of Jack and Thomas on this crazy ride. They loved it! In fact, Thomas liked it so much he convinced me to ride, but it is the one that closed right as we sat down.

But, we still had a good time and it was a very nice park. We rode a couple of really fun big roller coasters and spent a lot of time on more family-friendly rides. We got there at opening and left right around closing (1030-7). Because of the weather shut-downs (one of which was totally legit) we didn't get to do everything, but we came pretty close. I would rank it as my second-favorite Six Flags in terms of ride selection and overall "fun". First is definitely New Jersey. We have really enjoyed our Six Flags passes and I will be sad when they expire at the end of the year. I suppose I will have to console myself with a trip to Disney World.

From there, we drove to Suntrust Park and dropped Thomas and Jack off. Originally, we were all going to go to a game on Friday or Saturday night, but the forecast didn't look promising, and we wanted to make sure they got to go. Luke and the girls were tired. I was tired too, so I didn't mind going back to the hotel, although I had been looking forward to seeing the Braves' new stadium. We got back around 7:30 and relaxed before bed. Thomas and Jack made it through 5 innings before Jack said he was too exhausted to stay any longer. They headed out right as it started to rain, then it began pouring. They had to wait about 15 minutes before they could get a Lyft driver and were completely soaked. But, they still had fun and enjoyed the game, so they said it was worth it. Thomas said the crowd was fantastic and it was a really great baseball experience. His only regret is that he did not buy a Braves jersey.

Thomas sent me this one to show where their seats were.

Our first day was a great success! As is typical, we didn't really take pictures. But, I made up for it on Day 2 when we visited Stone Mountain.