Just falling from my head...

Today we have the fortune of seeing two Captain Bogg and Salty concerts and gleaning a plum tree in between. The first concert was at the Bothell Library. For the first time ever, I was at a library before it opened. This was mostly a coincidence though, we left Doug's car at the park and ride so we had to ride out together. We got our tickets and had a nice spot in the front on the side of the room.

Dallas wanted to be held, Robin wanted to dance and Warren didn't want the same thing from minute to minute, he likes to change it up. I'm finding it hard to meet all the kids wants while at times like these. The odd thing is, the most difficult part seems to be that my kids, although eating all the way there and with the promise of food immediately following, feel like they are starving to death it they have to stop eating for half an hour. Doug joked we should try worming them, lol.

On the drive down to Bothell we were listening to Emphatical Piratical and Robin wanted to request a song and we couldn't agree. Dallas clearly wanted Purple Tikki because when asked which one he liked he would chant back wee oh-oh wee oh-oh, although it's heehoo heehoo he most often sings which is Treading the seas for pirate gold. Robin said Buccaneering Bunny Rabbits aka Bunnyjacks and I really wanted to hear Who's At Captains Table. When we had the chance ask for these requests, regretfully they were not on the days playlists. I was asked if there was any other song and my mind just went blank. clearly the answer should have been Wind from Prelude to Mutiny. It's the song that draws us to the Pirate Festival in hopes that we get to hear it again. It has to be Captain Bogg's finest. When that song plays the energy in the crowd changes and you get a shiver down your spine of excitement. Perhaps it's too much energy for a mall to hold. Then again, the celling was pretty high.

After the Bothell show I packed the now half starved kids into the van and loaded their little laps with snack foods and headed for the plum glean. It was a glorious tree overflowing with mid sized yellow fruit that was quite delicious. The home owner and I picked as many as we could reach and as we did, Robin would find one in the tree and ask me to hand it to him. I asked what he was going to do with his plums and he said he wanted to give them to the pirates because they couldn't have trees on a pirate ship and it was sad that they don't go home at night to sleep in a bed because they have to stay on the ship. This spurred two topic: 1) boats, especially ships have beds and food, and 2) The band is made up of real people who have real lives. I didn't know he believed they were really pirates full time. I know we had this conversation after the pirate festival, perhaps it didn't really sink in. We talked about how all the band members have real names and stage names, they don't have to stay on a ship, and they get to go home to their own families too. He was much relieved. He was highly concerned that they didn't have enough to eat seeing as how Sunny Jim only makes cinnamon toast, which Robin has never had but he knew they needed fruit too. So here comes the plums. He had carefully selected what he deemed the very best from the tree to give to his pirate friends and I had just told him they didn't need them. He looked crushed. I quickly realized that I couldn't let his last hour go to waist so we decided that they were still a nice gift because the library and the mall wouldn't have great plums to offer so he should go ahead and take them.

We go to the Crossroads mall and he gathered his treasure to deliver and he was a boy on a mission. When we found the stage he froze and whispered "Mama, I need you to do it. I just can't." The band was still setting up so I carried them to the stage and set them down off to the side telling them briefly how Robin picked them some plums. Looking down at Robin, I could see he felt he did a great deed. He was very proud. To him, he was feeding some starving pirates who surly would starve on just limes and toast and four little plums would save their lives. When Doug met up with us the first this that came beaming from Robin, before even saying hello was "I gave them plums!"

We had a great time last night at the aquatic center. The first thing to note is it's well staffed and clean. there are several family bathroom/shower/changing rooms as well as the separate ladies and gents. I would have preferred larger lockers for that quarter they cost but we just locked up our phones and keys and brought the huge bright gym bag to the beach chairs and loungers. There were many. Warren was asleep and Doug didn't want to get wet and cold so he stayed out with the baby.

Since it was night, although it wasn't a very warm night, it wasn't particularly cold either. The thought of getting wet wasn't exactly appealing but I didn't feel like I would freeze either. I was glad to find that Pavy was not kidding, the water was heated! On to the features of this cool water park.

There is a lazy/rushing river depending on if your trying to go against the current to get out or not. There are plenty or intertubes of varying sizes. At one end there is a constant shower of water that fills these buckets that dump down on you. I don't really understand the appeal of suddenly getting drenched from above. The kids didn't either. It must be there to keep the staff in good humor. This river connects up to the landing pool for two huge twirling water slides. You need to be 48" to go on them. I'm not a fan of water slides myself but Robin was highly disappointed that he could not go.

They have a wave pool that has some really strong waves and goes to 6.5 ft. Dallas kept falling down and both kids went under for a second and decided they didn't like it after a short while. Robin kept braving it from the side and then backing out but I was worried about getting washed over Dallas or his falling under so the kids had to move on. The waves crashed pretty hard even in the very shallow part. I sent them to the spray island wading pool and got to go in the deep end for a wave or two. It was REALLY fun.

The shallow spray island/wading pool had many fountains spraying out but you could go under then if your not keen to be sprayed in the face. The kids could choose to stand or crawl for most of it and there are blue tile lines to clearly mark when it changes from one to two feet so the kids could see where too far really was. I didn't notice a line at the two to three foot mark but by then I was holding the kids so it didn't really mater. They were like fish there, not fearful at all just going for it.

When 10pm came around and it was time to leave we got a family restroom and found they have a shower in them and the water is also warm, warmer than the pool even. It made getting out and getting cold to change bearable. You pay to get in whether you swim or not. The cost was only $22 for all of us at the non-resident rate for the Wednesday night twilight special. It was a really great time and well worth the drive and expense.

Ah yes, the drive. We got back to Doug's car where he was too tired and had a nap, then we stopped on the side of the road so he could sleep a little more and I could change and feed the baby, After sleeping in the driveway, we didn't get to our own beds until 3am. Warren had been asleep since 8pm so after a couple change/feed combos, was ready to start his day at 8am again. I'm exhausted today after all the swimming and dragging kids through the water then staying awake to make sure we all arrived safely. I still hope we can go again next year.

But maybe I have said too much already. I feel like a dork.

I always feel like blogging in late summer. I think it's when I first started. Why? Captain Bogg and Salty I'd guess. I always right about the summer library tour. It's getting harder to find time to write though and as I found out today, it's getting harder to take photos too. I had a hold of two kids at all times at the show today. I hope I can get enough shots for a decent slide show.

I noticed on my phone, in my iblogger program, I have several unpublished blog posts. I realized the reason is I fear feedback or lack of. My blog auto posts to my facebook page. Is this a good thing or a bad thing, I have not yet decided.