Spring Break: Stone Mountain

Friday we went to Stone Mountain with Shanna and her kids. Caroline brought her friend Kaely along, and we had a great time.

There was an added bonus that it was the day following the most perfect weather we had all week and the weather was on the verge of some bad storms (luckily they didn't move in until that night). The weather was pretty nice--a little windy on top of the mountain, but it was great in that the park was practically empty (and after the zoo it was nice to do something with fewer people around).

We started off riding the sky lift to the top of Stone Mountain.
It was very windy and pretty cold so we didn't stay up her long (Aaron was grateful because the wind was blowing so hard it was making it hard for him to catch his breath).
I like this picture because it kind of looks like Carter is being blown off the mountain--which is kind of how it felt!
The highlight of the top of the mountain was Abigail's idea to bring money for everyone to get a gumball.....amazing what power a quarter holds.
After we got back down we started to ride the train, but it was temporarily shut down. Instead we played mini golf.

If you haven't played mini golf with 9 kids under 7 before you may be thinking of more traditional miniature golf--wait for your turn, each person hits once until you get the ball in the hole.....That isn't how we play. We skip until we get to a hole with no line--then we start--as soon as one person hits the next person goes, and you just keep hitting until you get the ball in the hole or you get bored and pick the ball up and drop it in.....then you move on (skipping anything where there is a wait). Doing this we get through the entire 18 holes in about 15-20 minutes. If the kids complain about missing holes, you let them know how boooring it is to wait for people to finish and how much more fun it is to keep golfing instead.

After the golf, we ate lunch and then went to see the new 4D movie--Journey to the Center of the Earth. This sounded like a great idea because it was raining just a little bit and the theater was inside.....Should I mention that my kids were scared at the Muppets 3D show at Disney World? A 4D movie about dinosaurs, carnivorous plants, and exploding volcanoes while getting showered with water and blasts of air and having the seats rumbling for special effect....shouldn't be a problem.....um....yeah. Shanna and I both spent the entire movie holding between 1 and 3 kids in our laps to try and keep them from crying too loudly--Aaron's blanket came in handy to cover heads for those that couldn't take it.

After that disaster experience we went to an area to make crafts and watch Veggie Tales--a much better fit. After a quick bathroom break we were thrilled to find the train was back up and running and about to start boarding. We hurried and dropped off the stroller, grabbed a snack and got on the train. The train is always a great time for everyone to relax and take a break (or a nap if you want).



After the train ride, Shanna left for home and we made a quick stop to "The Great Barn"...otherwise named "an insane place where you are sure to lose your kids or your sanity"....luckily the park was empty and I only lost Alex for a few minutes and kept most of my sanity. As we headed home I gave the kids enough snacks to keep them occupied and was able to have a few minutes of peace and quiet!

As a little side note. I've been working with Alex about not running away from me when we go places (after losing him more times than I care to admit). Today we were finishing lunch and Alex started to run off--he got about 2 steps and I said "Alex--remember you can't run away from me". He stopped, turned around and dropped his head in despair and said "oh yeah, I forgot". After that he stayed right with me....Shanna and I both laughed after all my efforts just reminding him that it was against the rules worked.